Introduction to Fiction Writing

"Designed specifically for those with little to no fiction writing experience, find your pathway towards your fiction writing goals. Learn the basic building blocks of story: character, plot and setting. Then find out the different forms of fiction writing and some of the genres you might like to explore. Whether you’ve never written a word of fiction, or haven’t written since high school or college, you will complete the course with the skills you need to get started. Create a new work of fiction, or revive an old one that’s been sitting in your bottom drawer. Agenda Unit 1: The building blocks of story -Character -Conflict -Setting -Plot and story structure -Short story versus novel -Who are we writing for? Unit 2: Character and Conflict -Protagonists and antagonists -Secondary characters -Character archetypes -Character desires, conflicts and stakes -Dialogue Unit 3: Setting and Plot -Contemporary versus fantastical and historical settings -Setting as character -Three act plot structure and the hero’s journey -Time jumps and flashbacks -Prologues and epilogues Unit 4 : Putting it all together -Strategies for outlining -Character-driven versus plot-driven outlines -Overcoming writer’s block -Researching markets -Creating a marketing plan "