OVERVIEW OF COURSES |
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The Writers' Studio courses can be done in person, live, at our Studio in Bronte or interactively online. (Minimum age limit is 18 years. The courses fall into four broad categories. This is a brief overview.) 1) INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING - UNLOCKING CREATIVITY
This introductory course is a pre-requisite for all our other courses and can be done Live in the inspirational evnvironment of our Bronte Studio or interactively Online at home. Unlocking Creativity is a creative process that works for wherever you are on the writing spectrum. Suitable for beginners, experienced professionals and everyone in between. This course is the ideal place to kick-start your writing process, whether you want to write novels, screenplays, short stories or non-fiction. You will be inspired and discover what direction you want to take your writing. FOUR-WEEK UNLOCKING CREATIVITY COURSE AVAILABLE- LIVE AND ONLINE In this introductory fiction-writing course, you will learn tools and techniques that will unlock your creative potential and dramatically improve the quality of your writing from the very first class. During the course, you will learn how to access the power of your imagination, apply tools and techniques that will make your writing come alive on the page and you will begin to realise your creative potential. You will also develop an understanding of how classic story structure works. You will learn to write in such a way that readers will want to read what you have written. No pre-requisite 2) WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT OF YOUR NOVEL OR SCREENPLAYTEN-MONTH NOVEL & SCRIPT FIRST DRAFT COURSE AVAILABLE - LIVE AND ONLINE Many people dream of writing their novel or screenplay. But are overwhelmed by the enormity of the task and have little understanding of the architecture of fiction. Our Ten Month First Draft Novel and Script Course is a step-by-step process that breaks the tasks into manageable bite-size chunks. It provides a totally practical approach to the art and craft of classic story telling. A classic story is one where you have your readers or audiences wanting to know what happens next in your story, while taking your main character on an emotional and spiritual journey of change. By the end of the course, you will have completed the first draft of your novel or screenplay. It will be better than you could have ever imagined had you tried to do it on your own. Provided you do the work.
The course is designed for those who work full-time.
As Shari Hooper said, after completing the first draft course, "I have now written the first draft of my first novel. A quarter of a century dream has come true."
The course can be done live at our Bronte Studio or interactively Online. Pre-requisite: Unlocking Creativity Course 3) DEVELOPING CRAFT, CHARACTERS AND SHORT STORIESThese courses are ideal for writers who have completed Unlocking Creativity and want to keep the creative process alive and develop their writing and story-telling skills further. The imagination is a fragile muscle. It needs work and attention. The art is in the doing. Writing is the practice. For writers thinking of doing the 10 Month Novel and Script First Draft Course, these courses are an excellent opportunity to explore and develop characters and story ideas before embarking on the longer journey. SIX-WEEK WRITERS GYM - ADVANCED FICTION TECHNIQUES - ONLINE ONLY During this course you will learn advanced fictional techniques. You will also learn how to develop your characters, deepen your understanding of the dynamics of classic story structure and make your writing and stories more evocative and professional. During each session, you will be given two exercises that will help develop your craft. And at the end of the course you will write and edit a short story. Your online tutor will critique every exercise you post, giving constructive feedback. Pre-requisite: Unlocking Creativity SIX-WEEK CHARACTER AND CRITIQUE SHORT STORY COURSE - ONLINE ONLY During this course you will explore and develop characters you want to write about, be introduced to key elements of story structure and write up to two 800 word short stories every ten days. Your online tutor will critique every story you post. SIX-WEEK CHARACTER AND CRITIQUE SHORT STORY GENRE COURSE - ONLINE ONLY During this course you will further develop and explore the characters you want to write about within the framework of four key genres: love, comedy, thriller and fantasy. You will write a 1200-1300 word story every ten days in each genre and your online tutor will critique every story you post. 4) ADVANCED COURSESTo write the best novel or film script you are capable of writing, you will have to do more than one draft. You can either do your later drafts on your own or work with us. EIGHT-MONTH NOVEL & SCRIPT: SECOND DRAFT COURSE - LIVE AND ONLINE This is where you take a good first draft and turn it into a great second draft. In this course you find and expand the possibilities of your story in the First Draft Course. In the Second Draft Course, you nail the first draft of your story down and take it to a much deeper level. Crafting your story so the action, character arc and theme all work together from beginning to end, seamlessly and organicly. You can expect a 200 per cent improvement in your second draft. TEN-MONTH NOVEL & SCRIPT : THIRD DRAFT COURSE - LIVE AND ONLINE After completing the Second Draft Course, you should have your story working from beginning to end. In the Third Draft Course, we focus on the re-writing and editing. We critique 1500 words of your story in each session. Most people find this the most satisfying part of the process as they see their work come alive on the page and readers respond to what they have written. The quality of your writing and your story will again improve dramatically. Please note. There are no guarantees with fiction writing. These courses aim to give you tools and techniques to enable you to write the best story you are capable of writing. But it will not necessarily be your first story that breaks through. Focus on what you have control over, the writing, and enjoy the journey and everything else will take care of itself. For a writer who can tell a good story, it is a sellers' market, always has been always will be. |