Beginning Writer's Workshop

If you have a story that needs to be written, an online writing workshop is a great place to start. This course will help improve your writing skills and discover new ways to stretch your creative muscles.

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6 Weeks / 24 Course Hrs
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SUNY Corning Community College

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Beginning Writer's Workshop

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Course code: wwk

Some of the best works of fiction and nonfiction were crafted in a writer's workshop. This online course will help you write your own creative piece. Like a true writing workshop, you will learn literary techniques, peer review a classmate's work, and receive constructive criticism on your work.

In addition, you will learn how to move your work from the prewriting stage to editing and final revision. You will also learn how to use literary devices, meaningful dialogue, and imagery in your different drafts. By the end of this online workshop, you will have a thoroughly developed creative writing piece. You might even be ready for publication!

What you will learn

  • Prewriting techniques, from brainstorming to outlining
  • Use of literary devices, such as figurative language
  • Editing and revising your story drafts

How you will benefit

  • Participate in a flexible, online writing workshop with other beginner-level writers
  • Sharpen your writing skills and add new techniques to your writer's toolbox
  • Understand how to submit your creative writing for publication

How the course is taught

  • Instructor-Moderated online course
  • 6 Weeks access
  • 24 course hours

Sometimes getting into the mood to write can be the hardest part! Learn how to build your confidence as a writer and create an environment conducive to writing.

Now that you're in the mood to write, you need to figure out what you're going to write about. This lesson will offer a variety of ways you can be inspired.

Good writers know how to sprinkle similes, metaphors, and other forms of figurative language into their prose to help their language reach readers. Learn about common and uncommon figurative language in this lesson.

Fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, personal essays. Some are genres, others subgenres. This lesson will help you sort through the different categories of genres.

Every writer has an editor – actually, writers have several editors. Peer editing is an effective way to gain feedback on your work while creating a writing community. This lesson will teach you the basics on peer editing and connect you with other writers.

Story, plot, and narrative are the same things, right? Think again. In this lesson, you will learn that all three are different, even though these words are often used interchangeably.

What is a story without good characters? Learning to develop the protagonist and antagonist, and characterizing them directly and indirectly is the theme of this lesson. You will also learn about archetypes in literature.

Deciding whether you want your piece to be written in the first, second, or third person is crucial. Similarly, choosing to write in the past or present tense is another decision you have to make as a writer. This lesson will help you choose wisely.

Painting a picture in the mind of a reader is every writer's goal. Having the reader hear, smell, touch, and even taste the words on the page takes imagery to a whole new level. In this lesson, you will receive the tools necessary to make it happen.

Writer's block is frustrating and can lead to inertia. In this lesson, you will learn several techniques to help you fight against it.

You've come far in your piece by now, so it's time to revise and edit. This lesson will teach you the difference between the two.

Now that you've reached the end of your writing project, it's time to explore different avenues to getting published. This lesson will help you navigate the process of getting published.

Carmen Marquez

Carmen Marquez is a seasoned journalist, writer, and writing instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rutgers University and teaching certificate from Montclair State University.

Instructor Interaction: The instructor looks forward to interacting with learners in the online moderated discussion area to share their expertise and answer any questions you may have on the course content.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

  • This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

  • PC: Windows 8 or later.
  • Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
  • Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
  • Microsoft Word is recommended (not included in enrollment).
  • QuickTime.
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader.
  • Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

  • Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.

A new session of each course begins each month. Please refer to the session start dates for scheduling.​

Once a course session starts, two lessons will be released each week for the 6 week duration of your course. You will have access to all previously released lessons until the course ends. You will interact with the instructor through the online discussion area. There are no live sessions or online meetings with the instructor.

The interactive discussion area for each lesson automatically closes two weeks after each lesson is released, so you're encouraged to complete each lesson within two weeks of its release. However, you will have access to all lessons from the time they are released until the course ends.​

Students enrolled in a six-week online class benefit from a one-time, 10-day extension for each course. No further extensions can be provided beyond these 10 days.​