This no pressure creative writing class online teaches writers how to read in a new way, for a specific purpose:

• to learn creative writing technique
• and to improve creative writing skill

When I hear someone who hopes to be a writer say, "I don't like reading," I can't believe it. I think "good luck with that." Ask any successful writer, and he or she will agree that the love of reading comes first. The ability to read carefully is the writer's secret weapon.

Fine writing, like good music, sounds extraordinary, even to the average reader with an untrained ear and no creative writing instruction. If, as a writer, you've noticed that your sentences and paragraphs don't have the impact you'd like them to, then how to arrive at such well-polished prose may be a source of puzzlement and mystery.

Exquisite writing looks effortless, but often it is the result of much polishing with a soft cloth. This creative writing class, online in the privacy of your own home, helps to dispel the mystery.

All good writing has at its roots exceptional words, sentences, paragraphs and scenes, used in specific ways to create original writing.

Look closely, and you will discern skillful patterns. Interesting creative writing techniques present themselves in ways they have not in the past.

Understanding what makes writing exceptional is the first step to writing exceptionally yourself.

What You'll Learn

During this creative writing class online, you will discover:

• Why some words have emotional impact and others do not


• How to use specific vowels and consonants to control pacing and create mood


• The three necessary tasks of each sentence


• How rhythm increases sophistication and reader enjoyment


• Why well-placed fragments improve writing


• How theme and diction are inseparable


• How to "show" and "tell"


• Why paragraph density increases your chances of publication


• Powerful techniques for opening and closing scenes


• Fail proof approaches for building and heightening suspense

And much more. An ability to recognize the complex creative writing techniques used in memorable writing is not only empowering; it is as pleasurable as learning to discern the sound of each instrument in an orchestra.

For writers, it is essential to develop the skill of close observation and analysis. The examination itself is instructive and endlessly fascinating. As a bonus, the result is elevated writing.

What to Expect

Before we begin the creative writing class, online, I will invite you to join one of my Google + circles. If you do not yet have a free gmail account, please open one to use for the duration of the course, as materials are disseminated through the Google platform. This is a simple process, and if you need instructions for opening an account, just ask; I will provide them.

The course lasts eight weeks. Every two weeks I post a link to one of four lessons, beginning on the first Sunday of your starting month. Each lesson consists of readings, questions, and exercises, covering in this order:

• Week 1: Words
• Week 2: Sentences
• Week 3: Paragraphs
• Week 4: Scenes

Each lesson draws your attention to elements in various excerpts that will aid your understanding of how fine writing is assembled. You are shown by example what to do, rather than what not to do.

You post replies or comments in our circle, much like sending an email, everything in one place for easy reference. Questions in the creative writing class online have no right or wrong answers. They are designed only to deepen understanding and promote the joy of discovery as you learn to observe closely and consider new possibilities.

Writing Feedback

At the end of the creative writing lessons, to demonstrate what you have learned, you may submit up to 3000 words (approximately 10 pages) for detailed feedback. This submission is optional, as the focus of the instruction is always on taking pleasure in the process, rather than on forcing anything.

With the ability to look closely at fine literature, anyone can take his or her writing to a higher level and produce powerful scenes with emotional impact. I look forward to sharing this passion and pleasure with you.

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