How To Write Short Stories with Jane Bettany

If you want to write fiction, then short stories are a great place to start and agreat source of income.

This course, led by author Jane Bettany, will show you how to find ideas, put your stories together and how to submit them to an editor. We will cover essential elements of story writing such as plot and structure, dialogue, characterisation, setting, tense, viewpoint and so much more!

• Anyone who wants to craft short stories
• No academic qualifications required

Part 1 – Welcome

Course Overview

Welcome and Introduction

Part 2 – What are short stories?

How Short is Short?

Part 3 – Story Genres: What kind do you want to write?

Different Genres

Writing Exercise 1

Part 4 – Find your market before you start

Finding Your Market

Exploring Short Story Markets

Part 5 – Analysing Short Story Markets

Analysing the Market

Part 6 – Other ways to get your story published

Alternative Routes to Market

Competition Tips

Part 7 – Where do you get your ideas?

Getting Ideas

Cook up a story

Cook up a story – Bonus Ideas

Part 8 – Create a Great Opening

The Great Opening

Part 9 – Plot and Structure

Develop a Plot and Structure

The Plot Structure Diagram

Your Story Plan Worksheet

Part 10 – Using Flashback

Introduction to Flashback

Gently Does It!

Gently Does It with Comments

Part 11 – Viewpoint

Deciding on Viewpoint

Part 12 – Deciding which tense to use

Choosing the Right Tense for your Story

Part 13 – The Essential Ingredient

Conflict!

Part 14 – Creating Characters

Characters

Naming Your Characters

Part 15 – Setting and Description

Introduction to Settings and Descriptions

Using the Five Senses

Part 16 – Writing Dialogue

Writing Believable Dialogue

Part 17 – Ending Your Story

Bringing it to an End

The Big Freeze

Mapping the Big Freeze

Part 18 – Editing Your Story

Editing

Editing Exercise Part A

Editing Exercise Part B

Another Editing Exercise

Yet Another Editing Exercise

Part 19 – Proofreading Your Work

Proofreading

Proofreading Tips

Part 20 – Submitting your story to an Editor

Submitting Your Story

Cover Sheet Including Pen Name

Cover Sheet

Example Manuscript

Example Covering Letter

Part 21 – Dealing with Rejection

Rejection

Part 22 – Overcoming Writer’s Block

Writer’s Block

Write, write, write

Part 23 – Action Plan

Your 12 Step Action Plan

Ofcourse.co.uk is a self improvement and development learning platform. Our courses are created by genuine and verified subject matter experts, and delivered in easy access, on demand video-led courses. The experts can be experienced professionals, university lecturers or even world record holders in their fields!

Anyone can learn anything online with OfCourse! Of Course Learning is a UK Registered Learning Provider.