Short Story Writing

Learn to write short stories that will captivate readers.

The great majority of short stories are written for love. But there are plenty of opportunities for talented writers to publish them, especially in magazines. It starts with the right measure of skill and an understanding of the publishing industry.

The Cengage Education Short Story Writing course covers the technical elements of story writing for romance, adventure, mystery, picture and even children’s genres. You’ll learn the fundamentals of structure and plot, atmosphere and tension.

The course also addresses the business of writing for specific markets and attracting the attention of publishers.

* Terms and conditions apply
Course Number 83800
Course Type Correspondence
Course Duration Max 18 months
Study Hours Approx 200 hrs
Qualification Cengage Certificate

Learning periods

This course is divided into 3 learning periods.

Assessment details

  • 9 written assessments

Extra learning materials included

  • The Complete Guide to English Usage - Textbook
  • Twentieth Century Short Stories - Textbook

Entry requirements
Cengage Certificate, Statements of Attainment, Certificate I & Certificate II courses

No entry requirements apply to these courses.

English Language Requirements:

If English is your second language and you did not complete the last two years of secondary education in English you are required to provide evidence of English language competence before enrolling. Examples of appropriate evidence are:

Evidence

Example

IELTS

Overall score of 5.5

TOEFL

530 (paper), 197 (computer) or 71 Internet.

Evidence of employment in an English speaking country.

12 month period of employment: Letters of Appointment, Letters of Reference, Testimonials, Performance Appraisals etc

Not sure if you meet the entry requirements?
Please call 1300 853 033

Subjects You’ll Cover

Introduction to writing

  • Why freelance writers must be disciplined in their approach to their work
  • Differentiate between fiction writing & journalism
  • Assess the approximate wordage in a story
  • Find sources for ideas
  • Use words to stimulate your readers

Writing for the market

  • Identify a market for which you would like to write
  • Study your chosen market & develop suitable plot ideas
  • Express how motivation can be demonstrated in your characters
  • Lean how to analyse a story
  • Prepare your work professionally to impress an editor

Structure & plot work

  • Plan the sequence of events & the wording you will use in a short story
  • Define the plot sentence
  • Know how to subject an idea
  • Choose you chief character & use character portraits

Creating atmosphere & tension

  • Hold your reader's interest
  • Use flashback skillfully
  • Make your character credible
  • Use crises to build up suspense

Using dialogue effectively

  • Use dialogue to allow characters to reveal details about themselves
  • Let your characters speak naturally
  • Avoid unnecessary details by slipping fragmented description between passages

Titles, hints & small points

  • Use enticing titles for your short stories
  • Check first & second drafts & prepare final drafts
  • Give characters realistic names

Different forms of writing

  • Set up scripts for picture stories
  • Write different kinds of stories for young people without condescension or moralizing
  • Distinguish when & how much intimate detail to use in romantic scenes

Short stories & longer stories

  • Outline strong plots for use in short & long stories
  • Write a simple, short & clear story for radio to keep audiences listening

Business aspects of writing

  • Copyright laws
  • Discuss the duty of editors to their publication & readers
  • Reasons for employing a Literary Agent
  • Deal with rejections & follow the advice given by editorial teams
  • Enter competitions & understand the implications of the rules & conditions

English for writers

  • Define masculine, feminine, common & neuter genders
  • Punctuate passages of prose & written conversation
  • Learn why slang is generally unsuitable for written English
  • Learn how to use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives & prepositions correctly to build phrases & sentences

* Fortnightly payment plans also available –     call our Sales team on 1300 853 033 .

Learning Made Easy

How It Works

Support Network

Recently viewed courses