COURSE
NAME
Click
on the course name to go to the catalog page
with the full description. You may register at
the bottom of that page. |
COURSE
MINI-DESCRIPTIONS: |
Teacher |
Length |
Cost |
| Article Writing |
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see your article and name appear in Cosmopolitan or Flair; Entrepreneur or Newsweek? The pride and joy is indescribable. And the pay, not bad! Learn how to become an accomplished article writer and pitch your work to magazines of your choice. It’s all in the writing, selling and presentation and this course will teach you step by step, how handle each one of them. |
Usha Sliva |
6 weeks |
$180 |
| Body-Build
Your Story |
Does your story bulge in the wrong places, lie flaccid when it should exude strength? Build vibrant stories, articles and books by learning the jobs of every beginning, middle and end; which point of view will work best; how to set the scene and create the action, and turning points that will keep readers interested. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Book
Promotion |
You have completed your book and are either self-publishing it or have found a publisher for it. You may think it is now time to take a well-deserved rest, after the rigors of crafting that perfect manuscript — but think again!
Even
the best book won't sell unless people know it's
available. Learn how to present your book for greater
sales whether you have a publisher or are self-publishing. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Book
Promotion Through Talk Shows |
There are 3,240 national and local talk shows in the U.S. every day, and 2.400 more in Canada and the U.K Talk show appearances give you credibility and widespread recognition. Authors who promote on talk shows usually make more money and have more fun than those who don't. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4 weeks |
$120 |
| Book
Promotion Timetable Workshop |
All
authors, whether self-published or published by a
publishing house, must take major responsibility
for the promotion of their books. Learn what needs
to happen and when each step should be taken. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
6
weeks |
$180 |
|
|
While many print magazines have given up the ghost or “gone electronic,” children’s faith-based magazines and Sunday school take-home papers flourish and are in constant need of good writers. Often open to freelance writers is fiction which reflects beliefs and morals of the publisher being targeted. |
Kathleen M. Muldoon |
4 weeks |
$120 |
| Children's Fiction |
Children are a wonderful audience to write for. To a child, anything is possible. They will happily devour stories about talking animals, aliens from outer space, friendly ghosts and fantasy worlds over the rainbow, as well as contemporary stories about children like themselves. |
Karen King |
8 weeks |
$240 |
| Children's Magazines |
This course will cover aspects of writing for children's magazines that are open to freelance writers, including short stories, features, comic strips, picture strip stories, features, puzzle and activity pages. |
Karen King |
6 weeks |
$180 |
Children's Middle-Grade Fiction: Writing for 8- to 12-year-olds
|
Write novels for middle-grade readers (8-12-year-olds). After an introductory lesson (including a discussion of why people write for children and tips on finding inspiration), we'll cover plotting, characterization, point of view, description, setting, dialogue, and theme. In addition, every week, a portion of each lesson will be devoted to the history of children's literature. |
Gina Willner-Pardo |
8 weeks |
$240 |
Children's Picture Books
|
Learn the basic skills of writing children's picture books, how to study the market and give your manuscript the professional touch. The course discusses how to create picture books characters, write strong but simple stories, write for different age groups, let the illustrations tell the story, and how to present your work to publishers. |
Karen King |
8 weeks |
$240 |
| Choosing
Your Voice |
Are
you telling your stories in the most convincing, most
dramatic voice? |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Creating
Characters |
Learn to make your characters live and breathe. Get inside their heads, know how they relate to one another. Write such full characters that their arms and legs stick out when you try to close the book!!! Learn their purpose in your plot. Learn who your characters are, and how they fit into your story. Receive tools for developing each character and learn how to turn them loose to write your story for you. |
Jana
Lynn Shellman |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Creating
History |
A
place for historical and fantasy novelists to acquire
or polish the skills needed for the writing that
comes before and between the writing. Upon completion
of this course, the student will be able to identify
and categorize primary, secondary and third party
resources, demonstrate how those differences effect
their stories, and explain why each type of resource
is necessary for the creation of fictional/fantasy
worlds. |
Peggy
Ulman Bell |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Crime Novels and Short Stories |
Crime fiction is by far the most popular genre you will see on library shelves (romance runs it a close second). This course is designed to guide you, the aspiring writer, through all the stages of writing a crime novel. ...At the end of six weeks, you will be well into your novel. More importantly, you will have the confidence that comes from knowing you are writing well. |
John Paxton Sheriff |
6 weeks |
$180 |
| Dialect
Writing |
Dialect
is heard with the eyes. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
8
weeks |
$240 |
| Dialogue |
Dialogue
is what makes your writing - fiction or non fiction
- come alive for readers. Learn how to make dialogue
work for you- to develop character, advance your
plot, impart information, show conflict or tension,
set the mood, and make readers part of the action. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Editing for Writers |
Self-editing
is probably the most difficult part of writing. Fine
tuning the manuscript, seeing the flaws, imagining
how the words sound to the reader, and then garnering
the courage to rework them is daunting. ... During
this class, we’ll work on toning things down,
tightening things up—a diet for your manuscript. |
Cindy Davis |
6
weeks |
$180 |
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Experimental Fiction
Joining the Dialogue
Course is now open once more for registrations! |
If you enjoy the idea of pushing beyond the boundaries of ordinary fiction, this course will allow you to play, and to forge new directions in literature which remain compelling for the reader. You will also consider how you fit into the history and ongoing presentation of experimental fiction, delve into new parts of your psyche, and start looking at publication. |
Tantra Bensko |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Gothic
Writing |
Gothic
Novels are hot today. Several other genres
popular today have descended from them too, including Horror and Gothic Romance.
But what are Gothics? How do you write them? And
how are Horror and Gothic Romance
similar to them? How are they different? And how do you convert and incorporate
Gothic
forms into Horror and Dark Romance? |
Ayn Hunt |
6
weeks |
$180 |
Grammar
for Writers and Editors |
Writing
is communication: whatever else writing does, however
beautiful it is, if it does not communicate, it does
nothing. To communicate, the words need a structure
that enables the writer to convey his or her ideas
to the reader in a way the reader can understand. Grammar
provides that structure. |
Irene
Davis |
4
weeks |
$120 |
Greeting Cards Back for the summer only. Register now! |
Have you ever picked up a greeting card, read its verse, and thought: "I could do this."? Do you have a flair for words? Could you use extra money by writing in a field that's still largely untapped and undiscovered? If so, this course is for you. With a pay rate that can reach as high as $75/word, writing verses for greeting cards and other products (Post-Its, mugs, calendars, etc.) is the perfect creative answer for people long on talent, but short on time. Students will be taken step-by-step through the process of creating and submitting their work to card companies. |
Sandra Louden |
6 weeks |
$180 |
| Haiku
and Zen Poetry |
Learn
the most important techniques in the composition of
haiku and Zen poetry. |
Daniel
Delanu |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| How-To
Articles: Quick and Simple |
Tap
into the knowledge you already have inside your head
from daily life and make money. |
Mary
Jo Rulnick |
4
weeks |
$120 |
Jump Start Your Novel
|
Focus on how to plan your novel before you start writing it to make it as effective and intriguing as possible. By the end of the seminar you will have a variety of tools to help you in the writing process from character and setting sketches to scene outlines to a complete plot roadmap. |
Joe Nassise |
6 weeks |
$180 |
| Magazine
Articles |
Learn
how to write a standard nonfiction magazine article. |
Stephen
Morrill |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Magazine
Query Letters |
Learn
to write a query letter that can attract the interest
of an editor and clinch the sale. |
Stephen
Morrill |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Make
'Em Care! |
How
do you get readers of fiction to identify with your
characters? How do you create empathy in nonfiction
readers? |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4
weeks |
$120 |
|
Memoir Lane is a course designed to help students write their memoirs. It will deal with a wide variety of aspects of writing, all focused toward presenting the personal memory. It will also concern itself with the problems and difficulties of revealing the self to an unknown audience. |
Michael and Jennifer Dearmin |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Mystery Novel |
Beginning
in the mid-1800s with Edgar Allen Poe’s dark tales, mysteries
have increased in popularity over the years; today
they’re one of the hottest markets in the fiction
genre. |
Cindy
Davis |
8 weeks |
$240 |
Newspaper
Feature Articles: Getting Human Interest
Stories Into Print |
Learn
the basics of writing feature articles for newspapers.
Learn what features articles are (or aren't), how
to get ideas for them, what makes a good feature,
interviewing tips, and the anatomy of a feature. |
Elsie
Walker |
4
weeks |
$120 |
Nonfiction
Freelance Writing Business |
The
course is intended to teach you how to MARKET yourself
and how to run the BUSINESS of nonfiction writing on
a freelance basis. |
Stephen
Morrill |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Novel Notions for the Novelist |
Novel Notions for the Novelist is a class that guarantees to enrich your writing efforts by means of creative visual, verbal, and hands-on activities. The lessons in the course provide helpful suggestions and practical advice to any writer who has faced the proverbial question, "Where do I go from here?" Whether your characters run into a brick wall, or you just run out of ideas, Novel Notions for the Novelist will get your creative juices running again. |
Delphine Boswell |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Novel Writing |
Some sage once said that everyone has a novel inside them. We all know that, but the problem is in getting it out, down on paper via the friendly computer, and then accepted by a publisher. ...And at the end of the course,...when your finished novel lands on your chosen publisher's desk they will know at once that they are reading work by a competent writer. |
John Paxton Sheriff |
6 weeks |
$180 |
| Openings
that Hook Readers |
Every
opening, fiction or nonfiction, has three functions.
Learn what they are, plus eight opening techniques
for accomplishing them. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4
weeks |
$120 |
|
Being
able to take photos, or find photos, to accompany
your writing can help sell the story, keep control
over your work, and even earn you extra money. |
Stephen
Morrill |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Poetry
Advanced Workshop |
An
intensive, eight week poetry workshop in which we'll
be dealing with poetry written in prescribed forms
as well as open form "free verse" poetry,
and the prose poem |
Paul
Haenel |
8
weeks |
$240 |
| Poetry
Fundamentals |
This
course teaches approaches, understandings, and paths
to attitudes that allow us to better learn what might
unlock the poetry that's in all of us. |
Paul
Haenel |
6
weeks |
$180 |
|
Elements of Promotional Writing will cover the basics of writing promotional materials for businesses and professionals including press releases, flyers, slogans/mottos, sales letters, brochures, three piece mailer, layout/graphics, marketing, and pricing. |
Michael and Jennifer Dearmin |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Researching
and Interviewing |
Learn
to to find information, locate and interview experts,
learn how to apply the rules of rigorous scholarship
to your findings, and learn how to stay out of legal
trouble while doing all this. |
Stephen
Morrill |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Romance
Novel Writing |
Learn
everything from coming up with a story idea to preparing
a completed manuscript for sale in this popular genre. |
Brenda
Hiatt Barber |
6
weeks |
$180 |
|
Have you always wanted to write stories? Does your church/community have a publication you would like to submit to? Do your children/grandchildren encourage you to write about your life? Well, now that the kids are grown and you have more time, see where your writing potential can lead you.
Seniors Do Write! is an introductory course designed for mature students who want to explore their writing potential. This course will examine effective methods writing, and the fuel that is already smoldering within the student's own life experiences. |
Michael and Jennifer Dearmin |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Seven
Common Writing Problems and How to Solve
Them |
Something
not working in your fiction or nonfiction? Here's your
chance to examine the seven most common problems that
keep a manuscript from being publishable. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
8
weeks |
$240 |
New Course!
Short Story:
Developing and Writing
|
Short fiction is unlike longer fiction in more ways than length. This course will help you understand the basic structure of the short story, how to develop your own style when writing one, and the importance and process of revision. This course is designed for the beginning writer. |
Jan Sparkman |
4 weeks |
$120 |
Speech
Writing |
Adding
speechwriting skills to your writer's toolkit can make
you more marketable. Public relations firms, businesses,
local government officials, nonprofit organizations,
etc., need people with this skill. |
Elsie
Walker |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Stalking
the Markets |
Avoid
rejections. Learn how to target the best markets for
everything you write. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4
weeks |
$120 |
| Start
Here |
What
you need to know before you write to help you
write like a pro from Day One. Dump your fears; get
control of your writing. Here are the steps to help
you build a solid foundation for everything you write. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Stop
Talking About It; Just Write |
This
highly motivational and inspirational course is designed
for writers of all levels and all genres. You will
be encouraged to work through any blocks that are holding
you back or slowing down your writing. |
Susan
Farewell |
6
weeks |
$180 |
Striptease
Writing
(Show,
Don't Tell) |
Good
writing reveals rather than explains. Learn to get
out of the way and let readers experience the episodes,
events and people you're writing about. |
Patrika
Vaughn |
4
weeks |
$120 |
Technical
Writing |
Learn
the mechanics of user guide writing and get you a feel
for the field of technical writing. |
Elsie
Walker |
4
weeks |
$120 |
Technical
Writing Workshop |
This
workshop is for students who have already taken the
course, Technical Writing. |
Elsie
Walker |
4
weeks |
$120 |
|
Have you always wanted to write but were never sure you could? Is there a novel burning inside you, held back by your fear of pursuit? Have you always envied those who seem to write so well, so clearly, and so effortlessly?
The Writer in You is an introductory course designed for those who want to explore their writing potential. To some, writing is an ordeal. But remember, nobody was born writing; all of us had to learn. This course will explore some of the more effective methods of communication through the written word. All that is asked of the student is that he/she try.
|
Michael and Jennifer Dearmin |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Travel
Writing |
For
writers (or want-to-be) writers who are interested
in writing and selling articles about travel. Nuts
and bolts information, as well as inspirational and
motivational techniques for making it all happen. |
Susan
Farewell |
6
weeks |
$150 |
| Writing
for Fun and Profit |
For "prepublished" writers.
Students will focus on a variety of writing techniques,
journaling processes, writing, editing and marketing
strategies and will apply them to either a work in
progress, or will develop a new project. |
Alyce
M. Skelton |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| Writing
Through Loss |
Explore
a variety of writing techniques to help deal with losses
of all kinds. Journaling as well as other eclectic
writing strategies will help you access creative energy,
work through the grieving and tap into joy. |
Alyce
M. Skelton |
6
weeks |
$180 |
| zzz |
More
courses coming soon |
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