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This creative writing course is ideal for: Anyone keen to develop their fiction writing skills, enter writing competitions and build a body of work
You will:
Learn the essentials of short form fiction
Discover 20 storytelling techniques you can use immediately
Build memorable characters with clear narratives
Write a polished 2500 word short story
Receive personalised feedback on your final piece
“I just read the feedback that Cathie prepared for my story and I wanted to pass on my gratitude to her for a wonderful course. I really appreciate the amount of work she put into critiquing my story and the excellent content in the modules. After taking this course I now know what makes a good short story and the importance of fully engaging in all stages of the editing process. My sincerest thanks.”
– Andrea Wilson, Short Story Essentials graduate
This creative writing course is ideal for: Anyone keen to develop their fiction writing skills, enter writing competitions and build a body of work
You will:
Learn the essentials of short form fiction
Discover 20 storytelling techniques you can use immediately
Build memorable characters with clear narratives
Write a polished 2500 word short story
Receive personalised feedback on your final piece
“I just read the feedback that Cathie prepared for my story and I wanted to pass on my gratitude to her for a wonderful course. I really appreciate the amount of work she put into critiquing my story and the excellent content in the modules. After taking this course I now know what makes a good short story and the importance of fully engaging in all stages of the editing process. My sincerest thanks.”
– Andrea Wilson, Short Story Essentials graduate
This creative writing course is ideal for: Anyone keen to develop their fiction writing skills, enter writing competitions and build a body of work
You will:
Learn the essentials of short form fiction
Discover 20 storytelling techniques you can use immediately
Build memorable characters with clear narratives
Write a polished 2500 word short story
Receive personalised feedback on your final piece
“I just read the feedback that Cathie prepared for my story and I wanted to pass on my gratitude to her for a wonderful course. I really appreciate the amount of work she put into critiquing my story and the excellent content in the modules. After taking this course I now know what makes a good short story and the importance of fully engaging in all stages of the editing process. My sincerest thanks.”
– Andrea Wilson, Short Story Essentials graduate
| Starts | Course Creator | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course details: | ||||
| Online with tutor feedback Self-paced course with feedback on an assignment | On demand Learn at your own pace |
Cathie Tasker | $375 |
Short stories are the new black. Their popularity is growing among readers and publishers alike – bite-sized gems and fully-formed pieces that elicit the same emotions as their bigger siblings. In short, there has never been a better time to pen your own short story.
If you answered YES to any of the above, then developing your short story writing skills could be exactly what you need.
With our online course, Short Story Essentials, you’ll be shown the techniques to create your own 2500 word short story – learning at your own pace as you piece the parts together. Then, once you’ve completed it, you can submit your story to course creator Cathie Tasker – a fiction editor with more than 25 years’ experience – for invaluable feedback!
– Amanda Helliwell, Short Story Essentials graduate
As a reader, a good short story will immediately draw you into another world. It can move and intrigue you in your lunch break or on the train. One that introduces you to compelling characters that you’ll never forget. It pulls you into a narrative for a brief period of time, but makes you want to come back for another dose.
For creative writers, short stories are a fantastic tool to help you better understand plot and technique. If you have ever struggled to finish a story (whether a novel, short story or anything in between) then this shorter format is the single best way to practise and polish your writing skills. Requiring similar techniques in a more condensed form, short stories can help you understand how to get those longer projects to the finish line too.
This online course focuses on helping you to write a 2500-word short story – the ideal length for entering most short story competitions (where you can win cash prizes!) or submitting to publishers of anthologies.
Specifically, you’ll discover how to write stories that move, entertain and compel readers to want more. That’s the main aim of this course – to have you create a story that you can be proud of, and which could even be the basis for a future novel.
This course is split into seven modules – each a milestone to complete as you work towards writing your full story. You'll discover how to:
In each module, you’ll learn the steps you need to take to master each of the sections of a short story. You’ll also be given great real-life examples so that you can see what works – and what doesn’t.
Included in your online course is:
“Cathie, thank you so much for the time you took in reviewing my short story. The constructive feedback you have offered me is so helpful and has given me much to think about. You have also given me a wonderful confidence boost, which I am especially grateful for. I am excited about the hard work ahead to make this story the best it can be.”
– Tanya Hollis, Short Story Essentials graduate
This is one of AWC’s 35+ “self-paced” online courses. But what does that mean? Allow us to explain:
This course has a very clear goal – to help you write your own short story that you can be proud of. One that you can enter in short story competitions and share with your friends and family.
By completing all seven modules, you will have created your own short story. We give you the blueprint to structure it, teach you vital techniques so that your characters come to life, and give you the tools to bring your own ideas and creativity to the process.
The final (optional but extremely worthwhile) assignment at the end of your course allows you to submit your story and get personalised feedback from course creator Cathie Tasker. A fantastic opportunity!
And of course, all of the principles you learn can be applied to longer forms of storytelling too. If you’re an emerging creative writer, then writing short stories is a wonderful springboard into longer works like novels. They’re also a great way to get publishers interested in your writing.
Q: I'm a complete beginner. Will this course suit me?
A: Yes, there's no assumed prior knowledge. If you'd love to learn how to write stronger short stories, this course takes you through the process, step by step.
Q: What's the difference between this course and Creative Writing Stage 1?
A: Creative Writing Stage 1 gives you a solid grounding in storytelling principles, ideal for novel writing or simply dipping your toes in the fiction-writing waters. This course, Short Story Essentials, is focused purely on the art of short-form fiction. You'll discover genre-specific skills that will help you to create tightly woven, compelling short stories. You could begin with either course – whichever takes your fancy. Short Story Essentials is particularly useful if you'd like to strengthen your existing storytelling skills. After all, there's no room for error in short story writing, so it can be a beneficial way to sharpen your techniques.
Q: Will I receive feedback on my writing?
A: Yes, if you complete all the modules and submit your final story, you'll receive a personalised assessment from course creator and fiction editor Cathie Tasker. It's a golden opportunity for you to cement all the techniques you've learnt in the course.
| Starts | Course Creator | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course details: | ||||
| Online with tutor feedback Self-paced course with feedback on an assignment | On demand Learn at your own pace |
Cathie Tasker | $375 |
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