Whether you want to write for profit or pleasure, The Creative Writing Program will help you to develop compelling stories and to evaluate and edit your work critically.

This online creative writing course is ideal for amateur or aspiring writers who want to build their confidence, ability and improve on the fundamentals of good creative writing.

The Creative Writing Program is a professional development opportunity for aspiring authors wanting to gain a deeper understanding of genre, modes, writing styles and the theoretical underpinnings of creative writing.

In this online creative writing course, you’ll discover how to create well-structured, engaging stories and other creative works, understand and avoid common pitfalls in writing, and learn to edit and review your work for publication.

Throughout this writing course, you will have the opportunity to:

• Analyse texts
• Write feature articles
• Construct outlines of fiction stories
• Plan writing projects
• Undertake research
• Prepare a portfolio of creative writing ready for submission to publishers

On completion of this course, your creative writing portfolio will be assessed by a published author who will provide you with constructive feedback, support, and guidance.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking writing courses include:

• Describe elements and forms of creative writing
• Learn how to generate, evaluate, and communicate your ideas
• Discuss the functions of clear writing, and the art of revealing and concealing in writing
• Establish theme and structure as planning tools
• Identify and discuss various forms of fiction writing and publishing opportunities
• Analyse different non-fiction genres to determine key elements and strategies
• Research different forms of creative writing
• Read magazine articles to determine what makes a good feature article
• Discuss theme, organisation, and weaving different narrative threads
• Prepare a portfolio of creative writing ready for submission and of future ideas

• Analyse three texts to identify genres, describe their layout, and any key elements.
• Locate a publisher and obtain information on their submitting requirements
• Write a newspaper feature three different ways, using three different types of language to create different impressions.
• Critique your writing
• Develop one short scene for three different storylines
• Make notes on two authors’ uses of concealing and revealing (ambiguity and transparency) and analyse their effectiveness in each case
• Learn to use different types of voice.
• Use defamiliarisation to make a common object appear mysterious, dangerous, or alien.
• Discuss the organisation of texts how the structures contribute to the overall effectiveness
• Write and edit a first draft for structure, clarity, flow of ideas, content, mood, and voice.
• Edit three items of your writing (include one short story) for clarity and succinctness
• Learn to research publishers and how to submit work successfully
• Discover how to construct outlines of fiction stories
• Conceive different non-fiction writing projects for specific publishers
• Write three outlines for non-fiction pieces, modelled on the outlines of your three creative writing readings.
• Learn to interview a person and write a profile piece

 

7 of Australia’s Bestselling Authors

If you’re keen to pursue the writer’s life, look to the Australian greats for inspiration.

1. Matthew Reilly

Matthew Reilly is an Australian action-thriller writer who has had readers on the edge of their seats, selling 7.5 million copies of his novels worldwide! He is the author of over a dozen novels and novellas.

 

2. Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is an Australian author with eight bestselling novels under her belt, including the New York Times hit Big Little Lies, which was adapted into a television series for HBO!

 

3. Tim Winton

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Tim Winton is one of Australia’s most esteemed novelists, writing books for both children and adults.  He is the recipient of many literary awards, winning the Miles Franklin Award three times: for Shallows (1984), Cloudstreet (1992) and Dirt Music (2002)!

 

4. Monica McInerney

Monica McInerney is an Australian-born, Dublin-based, bestselling author whose novels have been published in multiple countries and languages. Her first novel, A Taste for It, was published in 2001 and established themes of romance, dislocation and adventure that are at the heart of McInerney’s works.

 

5. Kate Morton

Kate Morton is an international bestselling Australian author who has sold more than 11 million books! Her novels have been published in 42 different countries, which makes her one of Australia’s biggest literary stars!

 

6. Jane Harper

Born in Manchester in the UK, Jane Harper and moved to Australia with her family at age eight. But before becoming a bestselling novelist, she was a journalist for the Herald Sun in Melbourne. In 2014, Jane submitted a short story that was chosen for the Big Issues’ annual Fiction Edition. Next, she decided to complete a short creative writing course, and the rest is history!

 

7. Rachel Johns

Rachael Johns is a former English teacher turned bestselling Australian romance writer, which she owes in part to a teenage break-up. As a result of breaking up with her boyfriend, she was inspired to write her first book at just 17 years old. So, it seems the writing was great therapy for a broken heart! She’s also a self-confessed Diet Coke junkie (must be in a glass) who is terrified of spiders!

10 Creative Writing Prompts

If you have a tendency to get stuck in a writer’s rut or are overcome by the dreaded writer’s block – try one of these creative writing prompts to recharge your inner muse!

1. Write about a scene from your favourite holiday destination.
2. The first words of your novel are, “It wasn’t what she said, exactly, it was more the way she looked at me when she said it, that made my skin crawl.” So, go write the rest!
3. Take a look at the last text you received … write it into a story!
4. Write a follow-on scene from a favourite movie.
5. A couple argues in a crowded restaurant…
6. Write about a friend’s last grievance with someone. And turn it into a short story!
7. Take a look out the window – write about the next person or thing that captures your attention.
8. Write about a bad/good dream you’ve had recently.
9. What was the last thing/person that made you laugh out loud? So, write about it!
10. Write about a time you got lost.

 

Ready to take on the literary world? Embrace your inner writer and enrol in one of our writing courses, like The Creative Writing Program!