Current eCourses...

The Structure of Our Courses

When does the next course start?

Our courses run continuously from February through to November each year. You can sign up whenever you like, and enrol in two courses simultaneously or one at a time. There is a 20% discount on course fees after you have completed the first one. (If you sign up for two simultaneously, the discount for the second course is built into the combined course fee.) Members of the Writing4Success Club can enrol in any course (or two courses at the same time) at a flat rate of 25% less than the current fee.

You can read more about the specific content of each course by clicking on the links below, but the basic structure of each course is as follows:

Duration: 5 weeks

Content: Each module homes in on a different aspect (or several aspects) of the main theme of the course. For example, the e-course on characters is divided into the following units: (1) Overview of different character types and how to create your Lead character; (2) The supporting cast - the importance of each character, and how to make each character an individual; (3) Digging deep - all about adding emotional punch; (4) Your characters speak - dialogue; (5) Character creator toolbox - all the little touches that will leave your readers feeling that they really know the characters.

Feedback: 5 tasks are assigned (one for each week) to assess your understanding of the content of each module. Each task will be critiqued by Marg. You have two weeks to complete each task. No extensions are given, but for those who don't have time to send in a task (or don't wish to) a useful "Analyze It!" checklist is provided. This gives you a great yardstick for evaluating your own work (for future stories as well as your work in progress). Your checklist is sent out one week after the main module.

(Why don't I send this checklist out earlier? Because I want you to see if you can thoroughly read and absorb the content yourself first. The checklist will arrive in plenty of time for you to use it to analyze your writing task before you send it in, if you wish to do this.)

You do not HAVE to send in the writing task. You may feel you don't need to, or you would prefer to analyze your work yourself, using the checklist. It's up to you.

End-of-Course "Cheat Sheet": This super-useful tool is provided for every course - a summary of what you need to do to get your story on track.

1. Spotlight on CHARACTERS.

The first e-Course we ever created focuses on your CHARACTERS - for a very good reason.

If your characters don't engage your readers, they won't bother with your book.

OH NO!

Oh yes. :-(

....after all that hard work. You might have spent a year - maybe two years - writing, editing and polishing your book. But if the characters don't come to life, it's all been in vain.

But never fear. There are simple, easy steps that you can follow to create characters that readers will love. (Or, in the case of a villain, love to hate!)

We'll be putting the spotlight on your characters. We'll show you how to coax the very best out of them.

• The way they behave.
• The way they look.
• The way they walk and talk.
• The way they react to their circumstances.

... and a whole lot more!

For Authors Who Want to Create Unforgettable Characters -
the SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS e-Course 

1. Spotlight on PLOTTING.

Our next e-Course is an obvious one - help with plotting. It dovetails beautifully with our "Characters" eCourse, and the two of them combined should help you iron out many problems with your story.

If your plot is too far-fetched, or dull, or predictable, or episodic - then it doesn't matter how much time you have spent developing vivid characters or realistic dialogue, the reader will know that something's wrong.

(If you're not sure what 'episodic' means, don't worry. This is one of the biggest mistakes writers make - and it's covered in Lesson 1, right upfront, in "Common Plotting Mistakes and How to Fix Them".)

What else will you find in the plotting e-Course?

• What plot actually is
• How to plot, and how to work with YOUR plotting style
• Common plotting mistakes and how to fix them
• What editors want
• How to create a working synopsis and an outline
• Sub-plots
• Troubleshooting - how to fix a plot in trouble

... and (as you might expect) a whole lot more...

Spotlight on Plotting - an eCourse from Writing4Success

Question: "Can I sign up for two courses at the same time?"

Yes, if you think you can do justice to both at the same time. It may actually suit you to focus intensively on the twin issues of plotting and characterization to get your novel off to a really good start (or to identify the reasons your story isn't working).

If you'd like us to send you details of all future SPOTLIGHT courses, AND our free mini-courses too, please sign up using the box below.

We'll give you an overview of what was in the first course, and we'll let you know about all courses we run in the future.