Your style is as unique and distinctive as your face, your voice, except that you can choose it, you can can work on it, enhance it. In this course we will introduce aspiring writers to the art of putting pressure on written language. We will study the use of metaphor and imagery, and demonstrate how clarity, grace, and inventiveness in word choice are imperative to a story’s success. Writers will emerge with the revision skills essential to all writers of good stories and good prose.
Offered By
Creative Writing SpecializationWesleyan UniversityAbout this Course
58,241 recent views
Learner Career Outcomes
35%
started a new career after completing these courses
35%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
12%
got a pay increase or promotion
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 4 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 8 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish
Learner Career Outcomes
35%
started a new career after completing these courses
35%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
12%
got a pay increase or promotion
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 4 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Approx. 8 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: French, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand. With our distinctive scholar-teacher culture, creative programming, and commitment to interdisciplinary learning, Wesleyan challenges students to explore new ideas and change the world. Our graduates go on to lead and innovate in a wide variety of industries, including government, business, entertainment, and science.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
2 hours to complete
Meaning, Sense, and Clarity
Here in the first module we focus on putting pressure on your words so that they mean what you intend. We balance abstraction with the need to make good sense. And we discuss the first and last stylistic difficulty of any prose writer, being clear.
2 hours to complete
9 videos (Total 56 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
9 videos
Introduction to Meaning, Sense, and Clarity7m
The Pyramid of Language7m
Scatteration3m
Shop Talk with Amity Gaige14m
Excellent Word Choice at Work, pt. 14m
Excellent Word Choice at Work, pt. 22m
Assignment Overview5m
Feedback Expectations for the Specialization2m
2 readings
A Note on Assignments10m
Promo Codes10m
2 hours to complete
Writing with Nouns and Verbs
In the second module we look at the various parts of speech and how two of them—nouns and verbs—are the building blocks of good style and good narratives. By relying on nouns, we make the people, places, and things of the narrative world vivid. By relying on verbs we keep the story alive and in motion.
2 hours to complete
6 videos (Total 32 min)
6 videos
Nouns and Verbs at Work, pt. 12m
Nouns and Verbs at Work, pt 2.4m
Close Reading of "Lord of Misrule"4m
A Conversation with Jaimy Gordon, Author of "Lord of Misrule"10m
Assignment Overview3m
2 hours to complete
Economy
In the third module, having practiced putting words in, we learn to take them out. And why: for humor, for clarity, for cleanliness, and for that fleet quality of wit that makes a style irresistible.
2 hours to complete
5 videos (Total 44 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
5 videos
Surgery10m
Shop Talk with Brando Skyhorse10m
Visiting Writer: Sophie McManus13m
Assignment Overview3m
1 reading
Sophie McManus's Informal List of Words and Phrases to Cut10m
2 hours to complete
"No Ideas But in Things"
In the the final module of the course, we learn to balance the drive to get at ideas and feelings, with the need the story always has for concreteness, realness. We learn to express ideas in the form of physical things in a narrative world, to produce a style that speaks as much to the world of the senses as to the world of the mind.
2 hours to complete
6 videos (Total 43 min)
6 videos
Respecting the Reader's Mind6m
Shop Talk with Amy Bloom12m
The Reader-Writer Arc8m
Close Reading of "Song of Solomon"5m
Assignment Overview3m
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM CREATIVE WRITING: THE CRAFT OF STYLE
by MSApr 18, 2016
Great class for the content I needed. I audited this class and benefited from the theory discussion and practical exercises. The class guided me to improve my writing style which was my ultimate goal.
by LRDec 17, 2018
Lessons were well done, good mix of teaching and illuminating discussion between accomplished writers. Exercises are creative and well thought out. Feedback from classmates is generally helpful.
by ATJan 18, 2017
Excellent course by Salvatore Scibona. The range of subjects covered was so wide and the practical tips given in the course are really helpful. Thanks a lot Salvatore, a well-designed course :)
by JSAug 30, 2020
This was the best and most useful to me of the four Wesleyan courses I've taken so far, all of which have been excellent and useful. This one really showed me a tool that I'd never understood.
About the Creative Writing Specialization
This Specialization covers elements of three major creative writing genres: short story, narrative essay, and memoir. You will master the techniques that good writers use to compose a bracing story, populated with memorable characters in an interesting setting, written in a fresh descriptive style. You will analyze and constructively evaluate peer writing. In the Capstone, you will draft, rewrite, and complete a substantial original story in the genre of your choosing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
- The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
- The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
