Creative Writing Course Early Bird Special
My first Creative Writing Course for 2017 starts on the 30th of January. The course is aimed at both budding and established writers, as well as those who just want to exercise their creativity, enhance their reading skill or have more profound literary experiences.
The Creative Writing Course runs participants through a wide range of practical techniques, reinforcing each with exercises which are interesting and stimulating. Sessions are held daily online via video lectures and e-mail. Daily reading exercises will be curated by me on the WhatsApp critique group. Cost: N15, 000 for the 5-week course. Take full advantage of the early bird special of N12, 000 by booking and paying in full by 21st January 2017. All early bird registrants will receive free copies of my e-book of writing prompts (the writers’ block antidote).
The Creative Writing Course teaches the skills for all creative writing – fiction and non-fiction. The course inspires participants with thoughtfully crafted weekly writing exercises, to which every participant receives personal constructive feedback.
The skills focused on are:
- Planning a story
- Building characters
- Building the narrative
- Writing scenes
- Point of view
- Writing dialogue
- Beginnings, middles and ends
- Creating suspense
- Showing, not telling
The objective is to create at least six fantastic short stories you can package into an e-book, or sell to paying literary journals that publish short fiction. You can also upload your stories on your website so that publishers and readers can get a feel of your work. You can also sell your story collection on your own on-site bookshop.
Payments can be made to my bank account (email me for account details if interested) or via PayPal (chiomaiwunze@live.com) or through cash transfers. For more information, please contact Chioma on 08099444191 or email creativewritingnews@gmail.com
Some of the previous participants said they gained a lot more from the course
. Testimonials
It was four weeks of Zenness with the How To Write Fantastic Short Stories Course. I have learned like how to begin a short story, how to compress long sentences, how to keep my audience reading till the end and overall, how to say so much in so few words. The course is an eye opener and Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam is an excellent tutor. I enjoyed every bit of the class. The Video lectures and How To Write Fantastic Short Stories workbooks were exactly what I needed to write more confidently.
—Miriam David
Here’s how another mentoring experience unraveled.
She Phoned In And Screamed
A budding writer rang me up one day and said, “Chioma, I want to apply for the biggest, most competitive workshop in Africa, and I want you to help me. I’ll pay for your services.”
It was a workshop I had been fortunate enough to attend and I knew how competitive it was, and so I said, “Okay, but let’s work towards getting you into the workshop first.”
So she sent me the first story she intended to submit for the competition.
I Went Through It With A Fine-Toothed Comb And Told Her The Truth
I could tell she was a fine writer, but the story lacked fundamental believability. The character’s motives weren’t clear.
I sent her two award winning short stories by prolific writers and asked her to study the structure. She was to rework hers after reading the recommended stories.
She wrote a new one, which I told her was good, but there was something about the story idea. “It won’t get you in,” I said. She felt discouraged and said she had quit.
“We haven’t come this far to quit,” I said. “Quitting is not an option.”
This Was Three Days To The Deadline.
The next day she emailed a story she had woken up at midnight to write. I opened the attachment and read it and absolutely loved it.
I called her and said, “We can work with this.” I revised and suggested rewrites in different places to make the writing shine.
I advised her to show through description or dialogue where there was too much telling.
She effected the edits and tightened the prose as suggested and managed to send in her entry about forty minutes before the deadline.
Two weeks later, she phoned in and screamed excitedly. She had been invited to the workshop. She went on to win many more writing awards.
Here’s What She Said About Her Experience
Before I met Chioma Iwunze-Ibiam, I couldn’t tell what was wrong with my writing. But it sure wasn’t good enough. Chioma helped me through my stories, and her input helped a great deal in getting me into the Farafina Creative Writing Workshop.
Some of the projects I have helped edit in the past include Search selected by Bailey Prize award winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie, for the Farafina Trust Writing Workshop.
Another project is Social Studies, named Finalist of the Witivism Prize 2015.
And The Dream by Charles Opara which was nominated for The Fiction Desk Newcomers Awards and for which I provided developmental feedback.
Do you want more information about me, the facilitator? Follow the About Me Link.
