Reach for the Stars! A Writing Course for Young Authors

This writing course for young writers (ages 10 to 15) is designed to give budding authors the tools they need to create and complete their own fiction stories. Some of the topics we'll dig into are:   ~ Creating your characters ~ Learning to "Show-don't tell" your characters feelings ~ Using a Writing Camera to freeze Key elements in your story without boring the reader ~ How to "hook" your reader with gripping beginnings ~ Creating a scene ~ Plotting your story with "ups and downs" to create conflict ~ and more!   See Course Outline Below.   This course includes the workbook, Reach for the Stars, in e-book format. The workbook will be e-mailed after you register for the course.   Go here to learn more and to sign up for the Reach for the Stars Writing Club.           Instructor: Susan K. Marlow   Course Dates: October 12, 2009 - November 20, 2009   Cost: $125**   To Register: Click on the button below and submit your registration fees. Your payment is your registration. A few days prior to the beginning of your course, you will be added to the course e-mail group. If you wish to use a different address than the one submitted with Paypal, please add a note to your payment, or send Tracy an e-mail when you send payment.     **NOTE: Homeschool groups or families of five more students will receive a $25 discount per student. Please e-mail Tracy with a list of students prior to submitting payment. We can send one invoice for the whole group, if you wish.     Course Outline:   Week 1: So You Want to Be an Author?             Learning to read with “author” eyes             The five elements of a good fiction story                        Week 2: Will the Main Character Please Stand Up?             Your favorite and least-favorite characters             Creating your characters Identifying characters’ physical and personality traits, and their likes and dislikes Using character charts Writing a character “sketch”   Week 3: Hold That Pose! How to Show, “Don’t Tell” your characters’ feelings             Setting and description             Using a “writing” camera             Dead words             “Before and after” word pictures             Week 4: Let’s Go Fishing!             Gripping story beginnings             Boring beginnings             Seven ways to “hook” your reader             Week 5: Story Glue             Nutshell summaries             Dialogue             Point of View   Week 6: Creating a Scene; Endings             A story’s “main event”             What must a scene include?             Ups and downs             Ending your story