Writeriffic 2: Advanced Creativity Training for Writers

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Lesson 1
Where do great ideas come from? How do best-selling authors get to be that way? What makes writing so very scary, intimidating, delicious, and wickedly wonderful? How are words pulled from nothingness and zapped to the screen or printed page? What makes writing nearly addictive to one group of humanity and yet an overwhelming task for others? Are there born writers? Can anyone learn to write? Why do some people get published and others fail? Today, we'll start answering these questions and begin the journey to becoming a better writer.

Lesson 2
It has been said that to be a writer, you only need a pen and paper. That's true. Yet, too many writers throw in other requirements?from a year of unfettered time, to a trust fund that will keep them in caviar until the royalties come flooding in. In this lesson, we'll delve more deeply into the writing life as we expose some myths about writing.

Lesson 3
Today, we'll take aim at that writing bugaboo called writer's block. If you've ever stumbled, stopped writing, or squirmed when given a writing assignment, you've felt this curse of writers. However, it doesn't have to stop you in your writing tracks. To make sure it doesn't, we'll discuss self-editing. The difference between a published writer and one who stops writing after a few rejections is often the time spent self-editing.

Lesson 4
Researching your writing is much the same as planning a trip or a move. You gather information, compile it, transcribe it, and then use it. In this lesson, we'll focus on research and review how to conduct Internet research like a writer.

Lesson 5
Today's lesson could be called Magazine Writing 101. If you've written for magazines before, then today's lesson will be a refresher or a nudge. If you haven't written for magazines and would like to, today you'll find out indispensable information that will get you going. With this info, you could find your niche and begin making money as a freelancer, possibly while you're working on your novel.

Lesson 6
In the previous lesson, we focused on writing nonfiction articles for popular magazines. But you won't find every magazine that uses freelance work in your grocery store or big super bookstore. There are magazines, publications, and periodicals with otherwise large distribution that never even get to these places. Currently, there are well over 11,000 publications printed or sent electronically every month. This is excellent news for writers. These other types of magazine writing will be our focus today.

Lesson 7
Some writers just love to write long fiction and have a story that is burning to get out. If you fit into this group, or just wonder how one goes about writing a novel, then this lesson should speak to you. You'll find out why some of us need to get that book out and what it takes to do so. By the end of this lesson, you'll have a working knowledge of the genre possibilities and what it takes to write a novel. You'll learn how stories are found, how some famous novelists were discovered, how to stay motivated, and what has stopped a few hopeful writers from writing.

Lesson 8
Now it's time to give the nonfiction genres a turn. Adults are infatuated with nonfiction and it sells better than any other type of book. There are scads of different genres in nonfiction books. In this lesson, we're going to focus on the types of nonfiction writing and how to get a project started, written, and noticed by publishers and agents. Nonfiction books concern real people, places, events, information, or situations. Whether you're addicted to reading nonfiction, or just want to learn all you can about writing, this lesson will give you valuable information that will help you better understand the world of publishing.

Lesson 9
Today, we're going to talk about the roles of editors, publishers, and agents. Specifically, you'll find out what each of their jobs includes and why you need to know this information. If you're currently writing a novel or a nonfiction book, gathering a collection of poetry or short stories, or maybe just dabbling in the idea, you'll want to read this lesson carefully.

Lesson 10
Attend any writing conference or sit with a group of published writers, and you're bound to hear words like: self-publishing, POD, co-publishing and e-publishing. In this lesson, we'll discuss the options that are often called alternative publishing. If you're serious about joining the world as a writer, you should be aware of these options. They're not for everyone, but the information I'll give you today will help you make sound career and financial decisions.

Lesson 11
Saturday comes, finally. The house looks like a disaster hit. The kids need shoes, the dog has a vet's appointment, and you swear that the health department might condemn the car. Unlike Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, you can't seem to click your heels hard enough to make it all disappear. You've got a yearning, a deep burning to write, but the clutter, the mess, the hours spent doing things for others (okay, and procrastination) are eating at your heart. What does all of this have to do with creativity? Check the clock, because it's all about time management and that's what you'll learn in this vital lesson.

Lesson 12
This final lesson is all about money?how to make it and how to keep more of it by being a smart, business-minded writer. Today, you'll see sample agreements and contracts that should keep you in good stead as you become the writer of your dreams. We'll also talk about royalties, advances, and the scoop on that lovely green stuff that pays the bills.