University of Reddit : Creative Writing: A Technical Approach

Creative Writing: A Technical Approach

Creative Writing: A Technical Approach takes the mystique out of writing by focusing on writing theory, strategies, and techniques. With an emphasis on revision, students will be guided through the stages of a proven writing process and will complete exercises designed to develop specific skills. By the end of the course, students will have completed and polished a short story.

- Zenphobia [class URL] [class page]

Prerequisites

A basic understanding of the English language is required, but otherwise, this course is designed to be an all-levels course. Since I will be providing personalized feedback on all drafts and exercises, a writer with any experience level can benefit from this course.

Edit: Sign-ups for this class have been closed. You are still welcome to follow along with the lectures in the subreddit for this course, but I will not be able to provide you with feedback on your drafts or exercises.

Syllabus

This course will begin on April 8th and will run for eight weeks. The subreddit, r/carperwritingcourse will serve as the hub of the course:

http://www.reddit.com/r/carperwritingcourse

Each week, a video lecture will be uploaded to Blip.tv. Links to the lecture, the corresponding power point, and any relevant materials will be posted in the subreddit. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and to share their thoughts on the course materials through that week's topic in the subreddit.

Course breakdown:

Week 1: Brainstorming and Drafting

Week 2: Perspective, Organization, and Missed Opportunities

Week 3: Developing Scenes

Week 4: Openings and Closings

Week 5: Active Voice versus Passive Voice

Week 6: Sentence Structure

Week 7: Adjectives and Adverbs

Week 8: Grammar and Usage

Additional information

none

Teacher qualifications

My real name is Marshal D. Carper. I recently published my first book, the Cauliflower Chronicles, a travel memoir about living in Hilo, HI. Since the Cauliflower Chronicles hit shelves, I have written three more books, all of which are on their way to publication. My publisher, Victory Belt, paired me with professional fighters and together we coauthored martial arts instructionals.

Before my book publishing career began, I survived by freelancing. I was the editor-in-chief of Lockflow.com and wrote for Ultimate MMA Magazine, Fight! Magazine, and the Escapist. As a student, I was a tutor at my college's Writing Center. For the writers out there that prefer to write fiction, I have some experience with that as well. My first freelance contract (I was 19 at the time) was with Studio Archcraft, an independent game studio. I wrote character dialogue for their Nintendo DS game, the Black Sigil.

My website: marshaldcarper.com

My email: mcarper@gmail.com

My facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcarper

My twitter: http://twitter.com/marshaldcarper