Thriller Writing
If you are dedicated, determined and love this exciting genre, the course will show you how to understand…
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Receive a certificate upon successful completion
Work with experienced novelists throughout your course
Work at your own pace and start at a time that suits you
Short Story Writing
Whether a short story is meaningful and gritty or light entertainment, a good one is a work of art. It’s a brief encounter. It’s a glimpse into another life. It’s complete and self-contained. With no room for padding, the short story also bares the elements of the writing craft – your writing craft – to scrutiny. It’s like illuminating a single painting on an otherwise empty wall.
The great thing about a short story is that it is short. Whether the word count is in the hundreds or in the thousands, completing it is within your capabilities. It doesn’t swallow up a year or two of your life as a novel might; there is one story strand for you to manage not several and there’s no room for a throng of characters.
Successful fiction writing normally depends upon a mixture of ability and technique. There are no opportunities to allow the characters to 'develop', or for situations to 'arise' as in a novel. Within a few hundred words the story must seize the reader's attention, develop and end - preferably with an unexpected twist.
‘Technique’ is where the London School of Journalism comes in. This course and the one-to-one contact with your tutor will provide you with what you need to develop your own style and skills and greatly improve your chances of becoming a successful published writer.
Course Syllabus
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Lesson 1 : Why are you writing short stories
An overview of short stories, problem and resolution, central characters. Why and because...making writing fun. Presentation, spelling and grammar.
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Lesson 2 : Ideas
Where do we get ideas. The importance of titles. Making openings jump into action. Genres and themes.
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Lesson 3 : Plots
Plotting and planning. The importance of structure. What is an idea and what is a plot? Writing an outline.
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Lesson 4 : Pivotal moments
How to construct key moments, when are they important? Making satisfactory endings.
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Lesson 5 : Characterisation
Emotion and motivation. History and biography. What other influences? Body language.
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Lesson 6 : Make your characters live
Get your characters to create and show the plot instead of telling it.
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Lesson 7 : Dialogue
Characterisation is further examined, how characters can be made three-dimensional on paper. What people are can be revealed by what they say and therefore effective dialogue is reviewed.
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Lesson 8 : Viewpoint
What is it and why is it important? First, second and third person. Narrators and actors.
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Lesson 9 : Settings
Using your own knowledge and experiences. Research without the info overload.
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Lesson 10 : Style
The building blocks that make good writing. Power and beauty of language. Editing and polishing.
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Lesson 11 : Drama and Conflict
Causing an impact. Types of conflict and how they affect your character.
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Lesson 12 : Markets
Study the market. Magazines, short stories and serials.
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Lesson 13 : Broadcasting
How the written word differs from the spoken. Making the most of the medium.
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Lesson 14 : Final Words
Tips and suggestions with some words of advice.
