Syllabus

• Week 1

  Starting to write fiction

  • Introduction

    Fiction is all about characters. Make the best of everything you already have and know – your unique ‘material’ and ‘equipment’ for creating characters.

  • Keeping a notebook

    Start your own ‘writer’s notebook’ to collect facts and fictions, observations from everyday life, things you find fascinating or amusing and things you imagine. Start seeing the world as a writer.

  • Other writers

    Why start writing? Listen to some established writers explain their reasons and compare them to your own. Start your own writing journey by developing a character from your observations.

• Week 2

  The habit of writing

  • Do it your way

    How do you write? What inspires you? Where do you like to write? Do you set aside a regular time to write? Find encouragement, tips and tricks to discover what works best for you.

  • Observation and imagination

    Learning from other writers is important for every writer, not just those starting out. Each of us see the world from a unique perspective and observing and describing every detail will give a fresh insight to your writing.

  • The blank page

    A blank page can seem daunting. Prepare by taking time to do some research and to review your notebook. Then start – but remember, sometimes the best inspiration comes after the first few pages.

• Week 3

  Writing is editing

  • Reflecting on what you have written

    Most writers spend as much, or more, time editing and redrafting their work as they do writing first drafts. Once you have a first draft, you can rethink what you’ve done, improve on it and change whatever you like.

  • Editing your work

    Editing is an important part of the creative process. You will see some hints and tips for editing your work and when to look at the big picture and when to look at the detail, and share your edited writing.

  • Writing is your training

    Without writing, a person can’t ‘become’ a writer. Create something new from an idea in your notebook, share it, then use your critiquing skills to give your fellow writers feedback.

• Week 4

  Building your story

  • Keeping a writer's notebook

    What have you written in your writer’s notebook so far? Find out how other writers use theirs and how you can develop a ‘notebook habit’.

  • Character and plot

    A plot is not simply a story. It’s a succession of events with causality highlighted. Making use of the handy question ‘What if?’, you will now be developing your own plots.

  • Ideas for stories

    Ideas for the starting points for stories can come from many different directions. Even ordinary situations can seem extraordinary by a new or surprising insight.

• Week 5

  Creating convincing characters

  • Character and conflict

    ‘Character is plot, plot is character’ – you will now consider how welding conflict to your characters will help you to develop a great plot.

  • Types of character

    Stereotypes can be helpful when we start thinking about creating characters. Developing characters, giving them unexpected contradictions and conflicts, helps to create characters that are living people, not just caricatures.

  • Sources of character

    Exploring various sources for new fictional characters – where do they come from and how are they developed?

• Week 6

  Developing and portraying characters

  • Revealing characters

    There are different approaches to both developing and portraying your characters. By trying these various methods, you the writer can discover more about them.

  • Portraying characters

    Analysing and discussing Scott Fitzgerald’s’ portrayal of character, you will come to further develop a character of your own. You’ll also experiment with different ways of portraying character to work out what works best for you.

  • Writing a first draft

    Start to plan your short story, based on a central character. Remember the techniques and methods you have learned so far and put these into practice as you write.

• Week 7

  Reading as a writer

  • Learning from reading

    Writing without reading is to write in the dark: it might work, but it’s an unnecessary handicap. Reading should be an important part of your writing career. Find out how to read as a writer, and learn from what you read.

  • Reading as a writer

    Noticing details about the construction of language, plot and story in what you read will help form your own writing taste and style.

  • Learning from fellow writers

    It is much easier to give criticism than it is to receive it. As you prepare to ‘workshop’ each other’s writing, remember the goal is to create a better piece of writing.

• Week 8

  Your final story

  • Sharing and reflecting on writing

    Submit your story then take time to learn from your fellow writers. Read and comment on the final stories of your fellow writers and make notes in your journal.

  • Reflecting on your own writing

    Learning from others’ successes and failures is one of the great benefits of studying creative writing in a group – it accelerates your development as a writer. There are tremendous benefits from commenting on each other’s work.

  • Carry on writing

    Now you’ve started writing fiction, where will it take you? The only way to develop as a writer is to keep doing it. Find out about courses and qualifications you can study with The Open University.

Who will you learn with?