CREATIVE WRITING Course by Craig Lock email info@nzenterprise.com website http://www.nzenterprise.com New Zealand Enterprise Centre 2 Elm Street Gisborne. 3801 New Zealand Telephone +64-6-8674312 Ever wanted to write? A short story or perhaps even a book? Is there a talent for creative writing within you? How do you know if there is? Do you have some interesting experiences to share, your life story perhaps? There is a vast market of readers out there expectantly waiting for new information, insights and experiences - real people with whom you could share many interesting subjects. They might want to hear about your experiences, your thoughts, your unique ideas, and even perhaps the tale of your life...because I believe that everyone has some story within them just waiting to be told and shared. So open up your inner world to them through creative writing. Unleash those creative talents within you. This is your chance to begin. COURSE A : CREATIVE WRITING: This NEW creative writing course offers an introductory look at: # Short story writing # Writing for magazines # Freelance journalism # How to write good interesting articles that will pay well. # Script writing # The non-fiction book # Writing for children # Writing in general # Writing poetry # Writing your autobiography # Travel writing # Writing humour SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT COURSE A: CREATIVE WRITING: What is creative writing? The difference between creative writing and journalism. What it takes to be a writer. Getting started What to write about How to write a novel. How to start. Selling your work: COURSE B: HOW TO GET PUBLISHED # The importance of quality research # Style # Copyright # Plagiarism # Libel Selling your work: # How to sell your work in different markets. # How to find a suitable publisher # How to present a manuscript (book proposal) # Handling rejection # Self publishing # Royalties # Literary Agents # Contracts and many many (don't repeat words!) other subjects too numerous to mention. See full summary for details of each lesson. INTRODUCTORY NOTES: * The course has been designed so that people can commence at any time. * Do one lesson at a time. I have completed up to lesson eleven (as at November 1997), but am still working on the course. Bill and I will put it on the computer, so you can download. * You may down-load the course content onto your computer. THE FIRST THREE LESSONS ARE FREE AND THE REST ARE AVAILABLE ON PAYMENT OF $69 (US). * Complete the suggested exercise at the end of each lesson. * Send your completed work to me via e-mail for assessment. I promise to only offer constructive criticism, because I know from experience how much easier it is to criticise than to create. WHO AM I? Who knows, who cares! I am a South African- born “life assurance man” (and proud of it!), presently living in the slow-lane in provincial New Zealand. How I got here is another story (read DROPPED OUT IN GODZONE to find out bits and pieces.). After being made redundant from the “corporate” jungle with nothing else much to do here, I started writing. The result four and a half years later: An obsessive writer with five books published to date on widely different subjects, however I have another twelve or so works either completed or partly completed. See my home page for details of my various works. Then I INVITE YOU TO BUY THEM. To help fund my writing (and buy a loaf of bread!), I ran a successful creative writing course at the Tairawhiti Polytechnic here in Gisborne and one of the pupils on that course, became my working associate in developing the marketing of my books on the internet. He suggested I develop a FIRST CREATIVE WRITING COURSE on the internet, based on the course I taught and utilising his technical skills. The result: The course was hugely successful and I was overwhelmed with participants from about 25 countries. I was working on the course full-time and had no time to devote to the marketing and writing of my books. Now I've had to limit numbers and this initial course has been developed and refined . I've put the lessons I've learned from the experience of going down an unknown path and "flying blind" into practice. This new course has just started in association with Bill Rosoman of New Zealand Enterprise Centre Gisborne. The reason I am offering this course is that I believe I have some valuable information to pass on to other writers, from my experiences over the past five years. I know how very hard it is to achieve success and get published. I have been working full-time at writing in trying to "forge out a new literary career". I have made many mistakes and been down numerous "blind alleys". After wandering the highways and by-ways of the world, I believe I’ve found my niche in life...at long last . So I thought I'd pass on the benefits of my experiences. My aim is to help budding writers, who may have skills they may be unaware of, as well as encourage those creative skills which God may have given you. That is one of my missions in life: helping people realise their full potential. Working in the field of writing has given me great pleasure, so that now (for the first time in my life), I love my work. Anyway, what other job would be suitable for a person like me? I hope you enjoy the course. Craig Lock December 1997_ OUTLINE OF CRAIG LOCK'S INTRODUCTORY CREATIVE WRITING COURSE As far as we know, the ONLY writing course actually on the internet. This outline is subject to change as the course is developed. Some of the lessons may be combined, so that the total number of lessons will be 15. LESSONS: 1. Introduction, What is Creative Writing: What do you want out of the course? What kind of writer do you want to be? 2. Making a writer out of you: What are your writing ambitions? The writer's principal dilemma. Tools of the trade. Where and when to get ideas. 3. Making A Better Writer Out Of You: How successful writers get things done. Assignment 4. Style: What is style? What is your style? How to develop your writing style.. 5. Punctuation and Grammar Assignment 6 How to write and article Writing free-lance for magazines and newspapers: Assignment How to find the large number of markets to sell to. The fiction and short story markets, TV, radio and newspapers. 7. Developing your writers craft How to get started? The personal qualities needed. How to get your reader hooked. Assignment 8. Revision The value of market research. More on the 'secrets' of writing success. 9. The most common writing mistakes: How to avoid them How to approach editors and publishers. 10. Copyright and plagiarism: What to avoid. 11. Short Story Writing Introduction Assignment 12. Short Story Writing Developing characters. How to write dialogue. Assignment 13. Writing the short story: Markets, sources of ideas, plots. Which person to write in? Who is to be the key character? Which villains are there? Happy or sad ending? 14. Various Markets for your writing: Introduction 15. More on various Markets for your writing: 14. Writing for children and teenagers. Fiction and non-fiction. 15. Writing humorous articles. 16. Inspirational and religious writing. What style to use? 17. On the editor's desk: What happens in a magazine office? What do editors really want? 18. The planning and preparation of non-fiction books: How to write them. How to find suitable publishers. 19. How to write biographies and autobiographies: Also family histories and genealogies. Nice long word that! 20. THE NOVEL: How to start writing that novel in you. The plot - sources of ideas. How to create realistic characters: How many characters do you want in the story? How to write good dialogue. How to set the scene and create the right atmosphere in your story. Exercise 21. How to present a manuscript. (Briefly covered, because it is the subject of Course B). 22. Further avenues to develop your writing. Course assessment. Exercise. Now you can write that 'best seller', the one that is within you. Note: The following aspects of writing, I might or might not include in the course, depending on the needs of the participants. Writing specialist fiction: ROMANCES HISTORICAL DETECTIVE STORIES SCIENCE FICTION THRILLERS WESTERNS WAR MALE READERSHIP CHILDREN'S FICTION TEEN-AGE INTEREST and WRITING FOR RADIO, RADIO PLAYS, TELEVISION AND THE STAGE. by Craig Lock email info@nzenterprise.com website http://www.nzenterprise.com New Zealand Enterprise Centre 2 Elm Street Gisborne. 3801 New Zealand Telephone +64-6-8674312