In this course you will be introduced to the foundations of writing as it pertains to stories. We will discuss the elements that create a story and why they are important. We will also discuss character development and character arc within a story, as well as theme. Determining which POV to write from in order to convey the best possible version of your story will be included as well. There are written assignments that are part of this course; completing them will enable ease of story creation—it’s not “busy” work.

Common writing tropes and how to avoid them as well as Hemmingway’s “iceberg” for character development. We will discuss Kurt Vonnegut’s interpretation of “story arc” and how you can use these tools to expand your own story. Character development plays a huge role in your story and we will discuss how to determine which information to include and why. By the third lecture we will also discuss how you can find and maintain momentum for your story, the value of outlining, and how to do it without redundancy. We will also touch on constructing your universe and the difference between chronological, non-chronological, nonlinear and linear stories. There are two assignments for this course.