Return to course: Writing Fiction Stories – Semester 1
Previous Lesson
Previous
Next
Next Lesson
Writing Fiction Stories - Semester 1
Grades
Weeks 1 and 2: Why this course. Why create fiction?
Why should you create fiction stories?
Motivations for writing your stories
Enjoy this course! (An overview of the course and structure)
Assignments and Grading
Dictating or typing your stories (especially if you have dyslexia or dysgraphia)
Activity: Read three or more short stories
Guidelines, not rules
What is a story?
What is not (an interesting) story
What distinguishes a short story
What makes for an engaging short story
A story is not a lecture sandwich
Generating ideas for stories
Ideas into story potentials
Commercial genre fiction vs literary fiction
Activity: Devise a few story ideas
Write a story!
Weeks 3 and 4: Story components and Revising
Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why
The difference between the story and the story's components
Characters
Plot
Setting
Dialogue
Lousy first drafts
Revising your story
Activity: Write and revise a short story
Editing your story for grammar and punctuation
Examples of common grammar problems and how to change them
Examples of common punctuation problems and how to change them
Write and revise a story
Weeks 5 and 6: Goals, Motivation, and Conflict
The essence of story: Goals, Motivation, and Conflict
Goals
Motivations
Conflict
Bringing it all together - the Climax
Write and revise a GMC-based story
Weeks 7 and 8: Generating Story Ideas
From where do story ideas arise?
How original does my story have to be?
Use this site's story prompts to activate your imagination
Using Genres to instigate stories
Generate a story premise from conflict
Writing to figure out the story
Activity: generate ideas for a new story
Write a story based on your newly generated ideas
Weeks 9 and 10: Point of View - Who Tells the Story
The narrator of the story may be different from the protagonist
The differing Points of View
Point of View and Perspective
Activity: Read a story told from different Points of View and Perspectives
First Person
Third Person Omniscient
Third Person Limited
Third Person Objective
Second Person
Epistolary
Choosing a Point of View
Activity: One Scene, Six Ways
Write a story from two different Points of View
The Movie Frozen and the Power of Point of View
Weeks 11 and 12: Characters - the Key to a Great Story
Your character must be active and strong
Your readers must relate to (though not necessarily like) your characters
The Protagonist
The Antagonist
The Sidekick
Using a sidekick in your stories
Other Characters
Make your characters complex
Character transformation
Write a Character-based story
Weeks 13 and 14: Plot action
What is Plot
The Narrative Arc (Plot Diagram)
Developing plot points
Activity: Plot Points in Action
The Inciting Incident - Launch your story!
Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution
The waves of plot during the story
Write and revise a plot-driven story
Reflect on your story and your progress
Week 15: Final Story
Write a story with all you've learned
Revise your story with all you've learned
Celebrate the difference in your story-telling ability
Activity: One Scene, Six Ways
This content is reserved for members only. Please log in or
Join here
Username
Password
*
Remember Me
Forgot Password
