Creative Writing - Comic Scriptwriting

Course Code: WRIT 5001

This course studies the various styles of narrative approaches in fiction writing and examines the possibilities and limitations of omniscient, first person, and third person methods. It also looks at interior monologues and streams of consciousness to depict characters? feelings and thoughts. Plot and plot development, common phases of structural story development, a story?s narrative line, scenes and episodes, scene creation and development are all covered in this course.

Course Code: WRIT 5003

This course introduces students to the idea of major and minor characters, the protagonist and antagonist, as well as characters? psychological development and growth in creative writing. Students dissect various creative writing genres in order to assess the overall story line and plot. They also examine the strategies used for beginning stories such as starting with generalizations, descriptions of characters, narrative summaries, dialogue, descriptions of settings and reminiscent narrators. They learn to define style and contrast the meaning of showing and telling in fiction and creative non-fiction. This course covers various style devices and how they can limit or strengthen a work.

Course Code: WRIT 5005

Students learn how to edit their own and other writers? narratives. They learn the traditions and rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and effective methods of style. They practise and develop skills in writing and rewriting to enhance plot development, narration, description, style, character development and other elements of story lines.

Course Code: WRIT 5007

Students are exposed to all of the elements involved in the contemporary writing marketplace. They learn to research the needs and demands of the creative writing market, how to find an appropriate agent, how to work with publishers and editors, and other relevant issues as they relate to the business of creative writing.

Course Code: WRIT 5009

This course helps students to explore ways to market themselves and sell forms of fiction and creative non-fiction to magazines, newspapers, radio, television, film, textbooks, documentary programming, and the Internet. Effective business practices are also covered in this course to help students succeed as entrepreneurial freelance artists.

Course Code: WRIT 5500

This course builds on the foundations covered in Narrative Styles 1 by examining in detail the various styles of narrative approaches in fiction writing. Narrative points of view are examined, and students hone their skills in recognizing and writing the narrative styles that best enhance their work. Students learn to understand the ideas of well-known literary critics and publishers in order to assess the appeal of the story line and plot. They study how to review the clarity of the overall structure of the story.

Course Code: WRIT 5501

In this advanced course, students refine skills in assessing the completeness of the characters? backgrounds, place, setting, and milieu. They develop their abilities to assess characters for the clarity of their relationship among other characters. Students also critique personal manuscripts for problems relating to characterization and character development, and prepare rewrites as necessary. They hone skills in plot development and advancement, as well as in style usage. Style devices are examined closely to understand how elements such as the use of active verbs, contrast, repetition for emphasis, parallelism, and the avoidance of empty words and clich?s can greatly enhance writing.

Course Code: WRIT 5502

Students work and rework their own and others? manuscripts to bring them to a professional, publishable level. They outline the characteristics of simple and plain writing styles and contrast those with the features and elements of mid-style, as well as more complex and higher forms of writing. They practice the avoidance of awkward syntax, grammatical errors, inconsistent verb tenses, incorrect punctuation, and the use of archaic words and phrases. They work on critiquing manuscripts for problems relating to style, plot, characterization, description, syntax and other elements, and prepare rewrites as needed.

Course Code: WRIT 5503

This advanced course prepares students for the practical business of being a professional author/writer. They research the needs and demands of the creative writing marketplace, prepare query letters, and book proposals. They develop skills in finding and identifying agents who best suit their needs, and then in contacting and developing business relationships with them. They develop abilities for marketing their creative writing, and learn to submit their work in required formats and styles. They also research and learn to comprehend the standard elements of a writing/book contract, and how to submit their work for writing awards and competitions.

Course Code: WRIT 5504

This course prepares students to understand the relationship between a published author and the world at large. Having a manuscript published is only the beginning of the process for authors. Authors have to learn to work with publishers and editors in terms of providing revisions/rewrites. They also have to conduct public readings of their works, be interviewed by the electronic and print media, and judge others? works of writing/art. Published writers are frequently asked to review other manuscripts for literary journals, arts sections of newspapers and magazines, and for radio, television and the Internet. They are also often asked to appear as guest speakers, attend public functions, and meet various dignitaries. This course prepares students for all of these practical working duties of being a published writer.