Course Overview:
This is a fun and practical creative writing course designed to get students excited about creating their own works of fiction, poetry, drama, and creative non-fiction - the four genres of creative writing.
Writing techniques, literary devices, and specialized skills will be covered to help students discover, perfect, and share their own writer's voice.
While review quizzes over major concepts are provided along the way, the true measure of progress will be in the authentic writing assignments that students will complete as they progress toward their goal of becoming successful and confident writers.
The Course Includes:
1) 43 Video Lessons
- Each lesson is broken down into:
~ A quick writing assignment aligned with the day's goals
~ A lesson covering an area of course content
~ A practical application project
2) 37 online review quizzes over major concepts
- Quizzes are designed to reinforce major concepts discussed in the class
3) 37 keys to the review quizzes as a parent resource
4) Graphics, notes, assignment sheets, or outside resources are provided for every lesson
5) Over 12 hours of video lessons
Course Goals:
Through taking this course, students will develop and perfect their personal writer's voice as they:
- become familiar with the four genres of creative writing
- apply writing techniques for success
- examine a multitude of writing concepts to relate to their own writing
- evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of writing projects
- create scaffolded examples of a myriad of writing styles
Additionally, students will discover public outlets with which to share their writing with others as they experience success and develop confidence in their writing ability.
Target Audience:
This course is designed to give secondary level students with an interest in creative writing the tools they need to become successful writers.
Course Requirements:
Students will be required to
- Watch the video lessons in their entirety
- Write every day
- Pass all review quizzes
- Complete all assigned writing projects
HOWEVER, the true measure of success in this course is through the array of authentic writing assignments that the student will complete during the class.
Course Topics:
Introduction to the Course
- A general overview of what we will cover throughout the class.
Lesson One - Getting Started with Fiction
- The Importance of Daily Writing, Writing Journal Prompt #1, Basic Elements of Fiction, 55 Word Short Story
Lesson Two - Types of Plots
- Writing Journal Prompt #2, The Six Types of Plots, 55 Word Story #2
Lesson Three - Six More Elements of Fiction
- Writing Journal Prompt #3, Six More Elements of Fiction, 55 Word Story #3
Lesson Four - It's All About Character
- Writing Journal Prompt #4, Character Literary Terms, Review Worksheet
Lesson Five - Developing Your Character
- Writing Journal Prompt #5, Ways to Develop Character, Creating a Character Outline
Lesson Six - Seven Topics for Fiction Writers
- Writing Journal Prompt #6, Seven New Topics for Fiction Writers, Review Worksheet
Lesson Seven - Creating Description and Outlines
- Writing Journal Prompt #7, How to write good Description, Creating Your Short Story Outline
Lesson Eight - Writing the Story & Eight MORE Terms
- Writing Journal Prompt #8, Eight MORE Literary Terms for Fiction Writers, Starting your Short Story
Lesson Nine - Crafting Your Ending
- Writing Journal Prompt #9, The Five Types of Endings, Continuing Your Story
Lesson Ten - Word Choice and Feedback
- Writing Journal Prompt #10, 19 Terms About Word Choice, Feedback, Completing Your Story
Lesson Eleven - Linear Narrative and POV
- Writing Journal Prompt #11, Linear and Non-Linear Storytelling, Using Multiple Points Of View, Modular Design Activity
Lesson Twelve - Reshaping Reality
- Writing Journal Prompt #12, Non-Linear Presentation, Can Fiction Shape Reality?, Continuing the Modular Story
Lesson Thirteen - Narrators and Advanced Techniques
- Writing Journal Prompt #13, Final 8 Terms for Fiction Writers, Completing the Modular Design Activity
Lesson Fourteen - Poetic Concepts
- Writing Journal Prompt #14, Overview of Poetry, Creating the Poetry Portfolio, Concepts of Poetry, Where I'm From Poem
Lesson Fifteen - The Abstract Poem
- Writing Journal Prompt #15, Select Important Poetry Terms, The Abstract Noun Poem
Lesson Sixteen - Using Another’s Voice
- Writing Journal Prompt #16, Select Important Poetry Terms, Using Another's Voice Poem
Lesson Seventeen - Narrative Poetry
- Writing Journal Prompt #17, Select Important Poetry Terms, Narrative Poem
Lesson Eighteen - Satirical Poetry
- Writing Journal Prompt #18, Select Important Poetry Terms, Satire Poem
Lesson Nineteen - Writing the Ode
- Writing Journal Prompt #19, Select Important Poetry Terms, Writing an Ode
Lesson Twenty - Japanese Poetry
- Writing Journal Prompt #20, Traditional Poetic Forms of Japan, Writing the Haiku and Tanka
Lesson Twenty One - Sonnets
- Writing Journal Prompt #21, Identifying and Notating Rhyme Scheme, Writing the English/Shakespearian Sonnet
Lesson Twenty Two - Writing Your Sonnet
- Writing Journal Prompt #22, Review of English Sonnets, A Modern Adaptation, Writing Your Sonnet
Lesson Twenty Three - Your Poetry Portfolio
- Writing Journal Prompt #23, Review of the Poetry Portfolio, Creating Your Portfolio
Lesson Twenty Four - Poetry for Podcasts
- Writing Journal Prompt #24, Spoken Word Poetry, 11 Poetry Podcasts, Working with Audacity, Resources for Your Rhymes, Record Your Poetry!
Lesson Twenty Five - Thinking Visually
- Writing Journal Prompt #25, Thinking Visually and in Dialogue, Creating a Visual Story, Writing Your Comic
Lesson Twenty Six - Developing Dialogue
- Writing Journal Prompt #26, How to Write Dynamite Dialogue, Playwriting Exercise #1 - It's All About Conflict
Lesson Twenty Seven - Writing the Monologue
- Writing Journal Prompt #27, Some Very Important Playwriting Terms, Writing Your Monologue
Lesson Twenty Eight - Format and Variety
- Writing Journal Prompt #28, Correct Script Format, A Formatting Example, Adding Variety to Your Dialogue
Lesson Twenty Nine - Get Rid of Your Movie Brain
- Writing Journal Prompt #29, Exposition is HARD, Get Rid of Your Movie Brain, Writing Three Moments
Lesson Thirty - Fixing Common Problems
- Writing Journal Prompt #30, Write What You Know?, Common Problems - Dialogue, Common Problems - Character
Lesson Thirty One - The One Minute Play
- Writing Journal Prompt #31, Common Problems - Conflict, Common Problems - Plot, Writing the One Minute Play
Lesson Thirty Two - Building a Character
- Writing Journal Prompt #32, Activity vs. Action, Creating Your 10 Minute Play, Building a Character, Can You Keep a Secret?, Creating a Conflict Scheme
Lesson Thirty Three - The 10 Minute Play
- Writing Journal Prompt #33, Extra Resources, 10 Minute Play Structure, 12 Rules for Writing 10 Minute Plays, A Playwriting Questionnaire
Lesson Thirty Four - Questions for the Playwright
- Writing Journal Prompt #34, Completing Your 10 Minute Play, Questions for the Playwright
Lesson Thirty Five - Revision
- Writing Journal Prompt #35, A Playwright's Checklist, Submit Your Writing!
Lesson Thirty Six - What is Creative Non-Fiction?
- Writing Journal Prompt #36, What is Creative Non-Fiction?, A Picture of Your Existence
Lesson Thirty Seven - Writing the Vignette
- Writing Journal Prompt #37, What Makes a Good Storyteller?, Writing the Vignette
Lesson Thirty Eight - Using Sensory Language
- Writing Journal Prompt #38, Using Descriptive Language in Creative Non-Fiction, Writing Vignette #2
Lesson Thirty Nine - Writing in Scenes
- Writing Journal Prompt #39, Do Not Add & Do Not Deceive, Writing in Scenes, Writing Vignette #3
Lesson Forty - Using a Plot Diagram
- Writing Journal Prompt #40, Using a Plot Diagram to Visualize Your Story, Revising the Vignette
Lesson Forty One - Making Personal Topics Universal
- Writing Journal Prompt #41, Making Personal Topics Universal, Writing Your Personal Memoir
Lesson Forty Two - Personal Storytelling
- Writing Journal Prompt #42, Writing the Six Word Memoir, Finishing and Revising Your Personal Memoir
Lesson Forty Three - Creating a Digital Portfolio
- Writing Journal Prompt #43, Creating Your Digital Portfolio
