Diploma in Creative Writing VWR004

Develop and expand your Creativity, and Become a Successful Writer

To be successful as a creative writer, you need to develop not only writing skills; but also a technique and an ability to distill your ideas, focus on a project and follow that project trough to it's conclusion. Creative writing is stimulating, but also challenging, and not always completely what the student expects it to be. Then again... if it was what you expect; you would already know what this course sets out to teach you, and you would already probably be a successful writer.

If you want to be a successful, creative writer; and have the committment to follow that dream; this course could be the path you have been looking for.

Course Structure: Diploma in Creative Writing VWR004
Core Modules: These modules provide foundation knowledge for the Certificate in Creative Writing.

• Childrens Writing BWR104
  
• Creative Writing BWR103
  
• Dramatic Writing BWR110
  
• Editing I (Editing and Proof Reading) BWR106
  
• Poetry BWR109
  
• Writing Fiction BWR105
  

Note that each module in the Certificate in Creative Writing is a short course in its own right, and may be studied separately.

Module 1. Creative Writing
The nine lessons are as outlined below:

1. Introduction
2. Basic Writing Skills
3. Being Concise and Clear
4. Planning what you write
5. Fiction
6. Non Fiction
7. Newspaper Writing
8. Magazine Writing
9. Writing Books
10. Special Project

Module 2. Writing Fiction
There are eight lessons in this module as follows:

1. Scope & Nature of Fiction
2. Components of a Story – beginning, middle and end
3. Technique…The Creative Process – conception, developing a plot, Writing a Draft, Editing and rewriting; Method Writing
4. Conception and Research
5. Drama
6. Fantasy
7. The Short Story
8. The Novel

Module 3. Children's Writing
There are ten lessons in this unit, as follows:

1. Introduction: Understanding Children, their thoughts, needs, development.
2. Overview of Children’s Writing: Categories (fiction & non fiction), understanding the market place; analyse & understand what is needed for the different categories, etc.
3. Conceptualisation: Conceiving a concept…where & how to find inspiration/influence. Developing a concept … how to plan.
4. Children’s Writing for Periodicals: Children’s pages in magazines, newspapers, etc.
5. Short Stories
6. Non-Fiction: Texts (writing to satisfy curriculum. Other (eg. nature, history, biography, hobbies).
7. Fiction: settings, characterisation, fantasy, science fiction, adventure.
8. Picture Books and Story Books
9. Editing your work: Grammar, spelling & punctuation. Improving clarity. Cleaning out clutter; expansions.
10. Project - write a short story, picture book or kids page for a (hypothetical) periodical.

Module 4. Editing I

1. Introduction to Editing
2. The Mechanics of Clear Writing
3. Assessing Manuscripts
4. Copy Editing I
5. Copy Editing II
6. Preparing Copy for Printing
7. Proof Reading
8. The Final Stages

Module 5. Dramatic Writing

1. Introduction.
2. Characters –Developing the characters
3. Theme & Genre
4. Plot Development
5. Weaving a Story
6. Writing a Dramatic Short Story
7. Developing Sub Plots
8. Writing a Chapters for a Dramatic Novel

Module 6. Poetry
There are nine lessons in this module as follows:

1. Brief description of the many different types of poetry, poetry forms and terminology.
2. Famous poets.
3. Encouraging your creativity.
4. Developing different styles of poetry a
5. Developing different styles of poetry b
6. Developing different styles of poetry c
7. Developing different styles of poetry d
8. Getting your work published – how and where