Creative writing classes are great primers to kick start your writing. It certainly helped me to get started.
Studying the craft of writing is essential as there are many techniques and skills that need to be learned when you write not just for yourself.
Learning the ways of taking an idea and building the story, creating conflict and suspense, how and when to use dialogue or description, ways to keep the reader focused on the theme, are all things that you should learn.
To help writers get started, I run an online Introduction to Creative Writing course for beginners.
Introduction to Creative Writing (8-sessions)
Session 1 – Understanding why you write and using experience and observation to begin your writing journey.
Session 2 – Evoking a Vivid Sense of Place and Time. Show don’t Tell and Freewriting techniques.
Session 3 – How to Structure a Story’s Outline, Finding your Voice & Style, and Understanding Viewpoint.
Session 4 – The basic elements to a story – Plot, Structure and Theme
Session 5 – Creating a Sense of Place. Creating Conflict & Suspense. Creating Characters & Writing Dialogue
Session 6 – Bringing the reader into the story, and delivering an answer at the end.
Session 7 – Transforming your draft into a finished, polished narrative.
Session 8 – A new definition of writing success. Includes Writers Resources and Publishing.
The introductory course is 8-weeks long. I will send you each week, a presentation in PDF format, with notes and exercises, for you to complete. You will need a minimum of 2-hours each week to go through the presentation and read the notes, more if you do the exercises diligently.
I also have a more Advanced Creative Writing course for those who want to delve deeper.
Advanced Creative Writing (8-sessions)
Session 1 – From Where You Dream – The Emotional Craft of Fiction.
Session 2 – Writing Dialogue – Letting Your Characters Talk!
Session 3 – Writing Active Hooks – Taking an overlooked technique and using it to guide your reader deeper into your book.
Session 4 – Hook Placement – There are several places in your manuscript where you’ll want to pay particular attention.
Session 5 – Word Painting – The Way to a Readers Heart.
Session 6 – The Eye of the Teller – the Many Layers of Emotion.
Session 7 – Writing Compelling Fiction – Polishing your writing style and picking up the pace of a story you’ve already written.
Session 8 – Putting it all Together.
I suggest fortnightly breaks between sessions for the Advanced course as there is much more to absorb, and the exercises require more effort. I urge you to complete all the exercises as they are designed to move you forward in your development.
I am available on the phone, or by email, to answer any questions you may have. We can also arrange a specific time each week to talk about your progress (or not). I found this very useful when I was doing my writing course many years ago.
I charge US$320+GST for the Introductory course, paid upfront. That is US$40 a session. The Advanced course is US$400+GST, which is US$50 a session, also paid upfront.
“I have participated in the Introductory and Advanced Writing Courses presented by Roderic Grigson. The courses are well constructed and thought-provoking, providing the tools for any aspiring writer to understand the requirements of developing and enhancing their writing skills. Roderic has also been most generous with his time since I attended the course and has assisted me personally, in developing a novel which I hope to progress towards being published.” Bruce, Glen Waverley, Australia
“I previously attended a creative writing course some time ago, but it left me feeling unfinished and wanting more. This course under the guidance of Roderic Grigson was crisp and refreshing, covering methods of writing I had never considered. Each week Rod covered a new topic, from descriptions to hooks, to dialogue and painting words; always with the emphasis of using one’s own writing voice. This gave me the confidence to try new techniques and my writing has become far more professional. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone who would love to write and wants to write but doesn’t know how to start.” Diane, Cranbourne, Australia
Please contact me through my contact page and I will get back to you right away.