Intermediate Creative Writing Class
With Tyler Paterson. Starting 29/11/2022The online intermediate creative writing class will allow participants to explore specific writing techniques which help build a bridge between the beginner and the more experienced writer. The creative impulse is very much an element of this journey, as it helps to maintain a healthy imaginative register. Each module will guide the student towards producing a strong body of writing based around relevant exercises and prompts.
DURATION: 6 weeks
Start Date: November 29th, 2022 – 1 place remaining
(There will be a course break between December 20th-January 3rd.)
Our courses are in huge demand and are filling up very quickly, so we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.
Places are strictly limited to 10 participants. You don’t have to be based in the US to take the class. We accept students from around the world!
This creative writing class fits in with a student’s schedule. You don’t have to be online at any particular time or day. Instead, the class is carried out through email correspondence, so you can read the notes whenever it suits you. There will be weekly notes and assignments over the course of six weeks. Your tutor will read each assignment and provide written feedback. You’ll find out more about how the online classes work here.
Please note that this is a class for adults. If you’re under 18, check out our writing for teenagers classes.
Week 1: Character & Story Structure
Building on some of the warm-up exercises and character-building techniques you might have used in earlier courses, this module introduces ideas about character and empathy even further by considering how questions of conflict and ‘what if?’ can develop your characters and lead to a satisfying resolution for your reader.
Week 2: Time & Pace
This module explores the different aspects of ‘time’ in a short story or a novel. It considers how techniques such as creating a timeline, flashbacks and flash-forwards work in a narrative, and how, in any narrative, time is a crucial and complex factor.
Week 3: Juxtapositioning
What happens if we bring together two or more often disparate ideas or images? Here in this module, we look at how this kind of ‘splicing’ can bring a story to life, and how playing with connections and clashes sparks and develops narrative ideas.
Week 4: Editing and Flash Fiction
This week’s module tackles what to cut and what to keep. Revisiting and re-writing is an important part of the writers’ craft, and perfecting the skill of ‘flash’ fiction is an excellent way of fighting back the urge to overdo description, and to recognise the power and effect of the short narrative.
Week 5: The Museum of Emotion
The importance of engaging emotionally with readers cannot be overstated. A. L. Kennedy said: ‘Fictional characters whose interior lives don’t hum and gurgle with this or that emotional tone can’t be expected to compete with the genuine and complex human beings against whom they are constantly being measured.’ This module will explore how we can integrate our emotions and all of our senses into our writing to create original narratives.
Week 6: Symbolism and Suspense
Literary symbolism can create different and sometimes ambiguous meanings. Taking your writing to another level, this module encourages you to take chances with your use of language, and to experiment with new ideas to find not just your ‘voice’ , but the many ‘voices’ you might have.
‘I really loved Kerry’s promptness, her attention to detail and her positive feedback.’ – Brian
If you have any further queries, you can check out Frequently Asked Questions or How it Works.
Our cancellation/refund policy may be viewed here.