Writing Fiction
ACS Distance Education offers a range of writing courses, including Writing Fiction. Click here for more information, or here to enrol.

---

Fiction is writing that includes imaginary characters, events and/or settings created by the writer. All of the components of a fictitious story do not necessarily need to be fictitious though:

• Imaginary characters might be set in a real world setting such as a well known city or a particular country.
• Characters might be fictitious, but set in a “real” event. For example, you might write about the experiences of a fictitious character during World War II.
• Real characters may be used for a fictitious story that embraces an imaginary event or setting (eg. a story about William Shakespeare travelling through time; 00or something more realistic, like a summer’s holiday at a fictitious beach resort, taken by a famous historical figure such as Mozart).

Two Types of Fiction

There are traditionally two types of fiction:

a) CATEGORY

Also referred to as ‘genre’, these stories have a distinct theme and as such are easy to categorise. Examples of category or genre fiction are science fiction, westerns, adventure, historical, romance, erotica, mystery, suspense, fantasy and war stories.

b) MAINSTREAM

These stories are aimed at the widest possible audience. They typically deal with most aspects of modern life including relationships, careers, and the search for success and fulfilment. Popular mainstream writers include Jeffrey Archer, Jackie Collins, Colleen McCullough, Dan Brown and James Michener.

---

Fiction Writing Correspondence Course (100 hours)

COURSE STRUCTURE
There are eight lessons in this module as follows:

1. Scope & Nature of Fiction
2. Components of a Story – beginning, middle and end
3. Technique
   • The Creative Process–conception, developing a plot
   • Writing a Draft
   • Editing and rewriting
   • Method Writing
4. Conception and Research
5. Drama
6. Fantasy
7. The Short Story
8. The Novel

AIMS
To explain the nature and scope of fiction writing

To identify the components of a fiction story

To apply different techniques in order to conceive a fiction story

To apply a systematic approach to developing a story

To review and edit completed work in order to improve a manuscript

To plan and undertake research for use in a fiction story

To develop different types of fiction stories including fiction, fantasy and short stories.
To plan a novel

To describe the way in which a manuscript should be presented to a publisher

WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THIS COURSE?

One aspect of this course involves both factual information geared to developing an understanding of processes.
Another major part of this course involves you undertaking practical tasks of writing pieces of your own fiction; and analyzing the writing of other authors.
Through interaction and feedback from tutors, you have the opportunity for very personalised guidance from your tutor, who themselves is an experienced professional writer.
This is a course where you learn by doing things, receiving feedback from tutors, and in the light of that feedback, improving the way you write.

Here are examples of things you will do in this course:

-Analyze a short story to categorize the work, determine how the theme was developed, and to identify characteristics of that story such as the plot, the background, the protagonist, antagonist and the motivating factor.

-Prepare plans for various types of stories

-Define a variety of terms that are relevant to fiction writing

-Analyze writing by different fiction authors identifying differences in style and approach; tone, consciousness, grammar, preciseness etc.

-Develop themes for different types of stories including suspense, mystery, fantasy and science fiction

-Apply a systematic approach to develop a story concept

-Undertake research into a location to be used as a setting for a fiction story.

-Conceive a variety of different ideas for stories.

-Compare examples of work by different science fiction writers

-Systematically develop a fiction short story based upon a real life event.

-Research publishers to determine those which might be more appropriate for publishing fiction novels by a new author.

-Plan a fiction novel and write the first chapter.

click here to enrol

---

A range of writing books are available in the bookshop!