Writing Fiction: An Introduction



Overview

If you’re a beginner with little or no experience in creative writing, this course is for you, and if you’re an intermediate writer, this course will deepen your understanding.

Each week a different aspect of the novelist’s craft will be introduced and we’ll discuss how it works in our two set texts and in excerpts from other stories.

You’ll learn about the messy process of fiction-writing, from getting ideas (tip: always carry a notebook) through outlining, drafting and of course, revising. You’ll end up with a full toolbox of fiction-writing techniques and the confidence to exercise your unique literary talent.

Programme details

Course begins: 2 Oct 2024

Week 1: Writer mindset + what is a scene?

Week 2: Character

Week 3: Motivation: the engine of plot 

Week 4: Point of view

Week 5: Basic story structure

Week 6: Emotion: conveying and invoking

Week 7: Outlining

Week 8: Dialogue

Week 9: Back story: tricks for handling

Week 10: Revising

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £295.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Ms Helena Echlin

Helena Echlin’s psychological thriller, Clever Little Thing, will be published by Headline/Hachette (UK) and by Pamela Dorman Books/Penguin Random House (US) in January, 2024. She is the author of the novel, Gone, and the co-author of the YA thriller, Sparked. She taught fiction-writing for Stanford University in California and has written for many publications such as the Guardian and the Times. 

Course aims

This course aims to introduce the fundamental tools of fiction-writing and to enable students to use these tools in their own creative practice.

Course Objectives:

  • To encourage creativity and experimentation in creative practice.
  • To develop good critical reading habits.
  • To encourage participation in discussion and debates about writing.

Teaching methods

Students do a writing exercise at home each week, and we usually start class with an encouraging and fun writing workshop, in which we examine a few of their pieces. I then give a brief lecture on an aspect of the fiction-writer's craft, and then we have a discussion, often based on a close reading of a set text. I explain the next week's writing exercise, and there's time for questions. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students can expect to:

  • understand the underlying concepts of fiction;
  • be confident in the use of these concepts;
  • complete a piece of original work.

Assessment methods

1. One story outline - 500 words

2. One short story – 1,500 words.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support