Start writing fiction
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| 2 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| No examination | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
Have you ever thought of writing short stories or trying your hand at a novel? This 12-week online course provides a practical introduction to writing fiction – firing your creativity and imagination as well as equipping you with basic narrative strategies. During the course you will write two short pieces, for which your tutor will provide detailed individual feedback. You will also have the opportunity to work with your tutor, along with other students, in an online environment. You will read and learn from the works of writers as well as listening to their advice on beginning to write fiction.
Course content
This course gives you the opportunity to study and practise plot and story-structure, character creation, place, and voice. You will be encouraged to build up a regular practice of writing by keeping a writer's notebook, doing warm-up exercises, and reading as a writer, adding to your repertoire of techniques by examining other writers' methods. Online discussions with your tutor and group will help you to develop and revise your work. There will be two assessed pieces of work: the first one a set of exercises written to a given theme; the second an entire short story or the beginning part of a longer narrative. The course is written by a novelist and is supported by an audio CD containing interviews with several novelists talking about their own inspirations and methods. The course consists of five blocks.
Setting out will show you how to keep a notebook as a seed-bed of ideas, how to discover 'your kind of writing', and to learn by doing. It will encourage you to read as a writer, learning techniques, 'tricks', and solutions from other writers.
Genre and subject-matter identifies the many different genres and cross-genres in fiction-writing and also suggests possibilities for finding your themes.
Plot, narrative, and time defines the difference between plot and story and looks at the impact of different time-frames on your stories.
Point of view helps you decide who is telling your story; to whom; and with what degree of reliability (how much does your teller know, and are they telling the truth?)
Beginnings explores and gets you to practise ways of 'hooking' the reader at the outset of your stories.
These five blocks are taught online via the course website, where you can access most of the course materials, and supplemented by an audio CD and a printed course guide.
For further information visit the Start Writing website.
Entry
There are no entry requirements for this course.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
A174 is a optional course in our
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is suitable for a BA. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The majority of this course is delivered online so the time spent using a computer and the internet will be considerable. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in operating a computer or the internet and have any concerns about accessing the types of course materials outlined you are advised to talk to our Student Registration & Enquiry Service about support which can be given to meet your needs.
The course materials are available on audio in DAISY Digital Talking Book format and written transcripts are available for the audio visual material. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course website, online forum, online library access, audio CD, and printed course guide.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
Your tutor will mark and comment on your written assignments. You can contact your tutor through e-mail and the online forum. If you are new to the OU, you will find that your tutor will be particularly concerned to help you with your study methods.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
The second TMA builds on the skills developed in the first one.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May and October 2009 and February and May 2010. We expect it to be available three times a year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities.
Study explained
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- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
I was not over impressed. I think probably much of what I wrote was not very good and therefore I ...
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My housemate and I both signed up for this course, having decided to try something a bit different, and neither ...
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It is always useful to have feedback and this will prompt us to look again at the website. So far, ...
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