Creative Writing Course | Short Fiction Syllabus

01


Character

  • Where to find characters
  • Making characters dimensional through desire and contrasts
  • Creating character profiles
  • Showing vs. Telling
  • Methods for showing characters

02


Plot

  • Finding a major dramatic question
  • Shaping a beginning, middle, and end
  • The difference between short story and novel plots
  • Pros and cons of outlining

03


Dialogue

  • Importance of scene
  • Dialogue’s illusion of reality
  • Quotation marks and tags
  • Stage directions
  • Summarised dialogue
  • Characters through dialogue

04


Description

  • Using the senses
  • Specificity
  • Techniques for creativity
  • Finding the right words
  • Merging description with point of view

05


Setting/Pacing

  • Time, Place, Weather
  • Description of setting
  • Merging character and setting
  • How to manipulate time through pacing
  • Flashbacks

06


Voice

  • Voice defined
  • Exploration of the various types of voice
  • Tips for finding your voice
  • Understanding style—syntax, diction, and paragraph length

07


Point of View

  • PoV defined
  • Exploration of the many types of PoV

08


Theme

  • Theme defined
  • Types of theme
  • Weaving theme into a story

09


Revision

  • Exploration of the various stages of revision

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