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Learn Online: Creative Writing 101: Strategies, Exercises and Support

Syllabus: Creative Writing 101: Strategies, Exercises and Support

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Course Meeting Times:	Continuous

Course Description

Creative writing 101 'Creative Energy-Flow and the Written Word' is an attempt to capture what cannot be held in hand or thought--the elusive riddle of human creativity as we find it in our writing. Here we look at various forms and genres (books, dramas and plays, poetry, essays, film-writing, stories in general, etc.) as they relate to the creative impulse.

We also talk about the Writer's Voice and personality, writing as therapy, illusions about writing, legend and mythos, and other areas where a creative writer may find inspiration, advice or enlightening conjecture. This self-paced course is offered to writers everywhere with hat-in-hand, for what it may be worth. Test and review questions, and also lesson exercises are included at the end of each lesson to build mastery.

Course Requirements

At least a high school reading and writing educational level is required.

Course Goals

Students will learn:

-The importance of creativity in writing

-The different writing forms

-The history of poetry and it's various forms.

-How to write a basic essay.

-How to be a creative fictional writer

-How to write fictional dramas and adventures.

-The factors that go into writing a novel.

-The importance of writing what you know

-The role of personality into your writing.

-How writing can be beneficial as therapy

-How to separate your ego from your writing

-How to deal with writer's block

-The importance of writing for yourself first

Course Materials

All course materials will be online and no outside purchases will be required.

Grading Policy

The course consists of fifteen lessons. At the end of each lesson will be at least one writing assignment and a lesson review quiz based on the lesson material. A percentage grade will be given based on point accumulation.

Course Topics

Lesson 1: Personal Creativity in Writing

Lesson 2: Various Written Forms and Creative Flow

Lesson 3: Thoughts of Writing Poetry

Lesson 4: Easy Essays for Creative Happiness

Lesson 5: Stories and Fiction in General

Lesson 6: Dramatic Forms

Lesson 7: The Novel Novelist

Lesson 8: Write What You Know, and Admit You Know Nothing

Lesson 9: Your Personality as a Writer

Lesson 10: Creative Writing as Therapy

Lesson 11: The Ghost in the Wishing Well: Illusions and False Ideas About Creative Writing

Lesson 12: Culinary Arts as Allegory for the Writer

Lesson 13: Writing to Please Others, or Yourself?

Lesson 14: From Eternity to You

Lesson 15: The Impossible Task of Words

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