Creative Writing Courses Online

Discover 4 unique ways to tell your stories

Whether you're new to creative non-fiction -- or an experienced writer just discovering these four "outlier" forms -- this course will inspire you to tell your stories in innovative new ways.

Join a small cohort of 10 learners led by award-winning writer, Nicole Breit, for a 6-week exploration into the creative possibilities of flash non-fiction, the prose poem, lyric essay, and hermit crab essay. Students will be encouraged to read and discuss essays by diverse writers working in each sub-genre with an emphasis on craft. In addition to weekly readings, discussions in our private forum, and skill-building pre-writing exercises, learners will submit five written assignments for instructor feedback.

By the end of the course, learners will have gained experience and confidence writing in each of the four CNF sub-genres, with a deeper understanding of how form and craft work together to create compelling stories.

In this 6-week course learners will:

• Examine the characteristics of each form and craft techniques that make our life stories powerful in course readings and assignments
• Explore flash non-fiction, prose poems, lyric and hermit crab essays by Isaac Yuen, Mary Ann Samyn, Susan Olding, Brenda Miller, Dinty W. Moore, Randon Billings Noble, and more.
• Learn from published CNF sub-genre authors as they discuss inspiration, challenges, and process in audio interviews and text-based Q and A's
• Ask questions, discuss readings, and share learning discoveries in our private discussion forum
• Complete pre-writing exercises designed to tap intuition, improve skills, and spark a first draft of each written assignment
• Practice each form with a brief written piece submitted for instructor feedback
• Incorporate revisions in one final piece submitted in week 6 for a more in-depth response, recommendations, and next steps
• Find out how to prepare your work for publication in a Q and A with the editor of a CNF literary journal

CNF Outlier learning goals:

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Identify the characteristics of flash non-fiction, the prose poem, lyric essay, and hermit crab essay -- and what makes each sub-genre unique.
• Understand the elements of craft -- including point of view, image, and voice -- that improve our writing so we can tell our stories to best effect. 
• Continue a writing practice that incorporates new knowledge, skills, and confidence in crafting the compelling stories they want to tell. 

Learner support:

The instructor will be available for "office hours" Tuesdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm PST and Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm PST. At these times, students can expect the instructor to be available for "live" discussions in our forum, communication by instant message, and/or prompt email response.

Outside office hours learners can expect to receive a response to their emails within 24 hours.

Course dates and fee

Next session: January 29-March 12, 2018

Fee: $349 USD via e-transfer or Paypal

What students say...

"Nicole's enthusiasm for and knowledge of these "outlier" forms was inspirational, and allowed me to explore brand new avenues in my writing. I'm so excited about the creative possibilities I've found in these outlier forms. I highly recommend this course to any writer interested in pushing the limits of their creativity, and exploring all of the possibilities of creative non-fiction!"

~ Emily Kellogg

“Before I took this course I had a jumble of stories in my head that I wanted to tell, and no idea how to begin writing them. This course gave me structures to shape my stories. It gave me inspiration. It gave me very healing encouragement and confidence in my voice. It gave me direction for where to go from here so that I can carry on as a writer, not just as an aspiring writer. What a gift! Nicole Breit is just the coach I needed to help me. She's generous with compliments and unflinching with constructive feedback, a trustworthy editor. Her experience and the perspectives she shares of other writers and editors is invaluable in teaching how to proceed from creation to publication. I can't recommend the course enough.”

~ Deanna Partridge-David

“Nicole Breit’s CNF Outliers course is packed with invaluable information for the creative non-fiction writer. Each lesson is presented in a variety of formats, text, graphics, web links, audio files, Q&A with writers and editors, etc. Her feedback is prompt and thorough. The final lesson delves into revision, polishing and publishing. I enjoyed every aspect of this course. Highly recommend it.”

~ Shirley Harshenin

"Love, love this course."
~ Karen Zey

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