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.
Select a start date for the course below:
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!
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.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites to take this course.
Requirements:
Hardware Requirements:
Software Requirements:
Other:
Instructional Material Requirements:
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
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.
I am really glad I took this course. For a while now I'd been ruminating on the 2 ideas for stories. I outlined the revenge plot one that I chose to work on first. But then I just couldn't get motivated to write it out. I figured that having this course assignments would be that kick in the pants I needed, and it was. Until I hit some writer's block. I'm going to be using the resources provided. I also plan on taking the input I received and applying it to my work, as I slowly continue through it. Before taking this course I thought you write out the story, you make a few corrections and then find someone to publish it. That does happen, but with a lot more steps in between, and a lot more revisions than expected.
This course is extremely valuable to me. I have completed some other training, but this course really provides a general understanding - a foundation that every writer should have. It is very clear and concise too. Thanks!
I enjoyed this course and learned a lot. The readings and videos were quite helpful. The course pulled me out of my writer's block and got me to finish a story I started a long time ago and to start a new one. So, many thanks!
Writing has been something I have always had on the back burner and this class really gave me the push I needed to take it seriously. Thank you to each of you for sharing your writing! Also, the class was really great. Like another person posted, I find myself processing what we were learning and didn't get to write as much as I wanted but I will definitely be taking other classes here. Thank you again!
This was an AWESOME course filled with amazing information and incredible writers to look up to. I was surprised by how much i learned and how much more to all this there really is. Very eye opening!
The class was/is awesome, it has truly compelled me to move forward with more confidence in my writing. The information I needed. My questions were answered, regularly I had many Aha! moments. Thank you. Looking into taking another class. What would be recommended after the beginner class.
I had a great time taking this class. It really helped motivate me to get started on my storytelling, and gave me some great tools to make my stories more descriptive. The instructor did an excellent job of posting and responding in the chats. I will recommend this course to friends and look for more courses to take!
"Ms. Marquez, thank you for offering this wonderful class. I learned quite a bit. I'm a bit sad that the class is ending, but I'm happy that I have a few more tools to work with and I feel inspired to write more." - Pat S.
"Thank you for your kind words. Your class was enjoyable, challenging, and well organized. It taught me more in the past six weeks than I learned on my own over the past six months." - Renita S.
"Thanks to my fellow students and thanks to our instructor: Carmen Marquez. This class motivated me to finally finish this story that's been plaguing me for a long time now."