Writing and Journalism Courses

Sharpen your writing and inject commercial appeal

This is a course for people who already have skills in freelance writing, who have perhaps had some minor work published, but need to improve their overall technique and develop a more "commercial" approach to their work. Learn the skills you need to write for profit across a range of writing styles.

Fire children’s imaginations through storytelling

Children’s writing is a specialised craft. It is a rewarding, inspirational, and often demanding, branch of writing. Very few people can easily recall their own childhood, and write in a manner that children can relate to. For most, it takes many hours, months, and possibly years, to write a unique and appealing story that children will want to read. This course is designed to set you on an appropriate course for more successful writing geared to the children's market.

Student Comment:     I never considered children’s writing very stimulating, until now. Janine – Children’s Writing

This course improves your ability to communicate in all situations. You learn to write and speak more fluently. Behaviour, visual communications, language, public speaking, conducting meetings, writing letters and reports, communications technology, and lots more are covered. This course is an accredited Advanced Certificate in Applied Management unit which will earn you credit if you choose to continue studies.

Creative writing is any writing that arouses emotion.

This can be either fiction or non fiction and in any media  from books, magazines, and newspapers to web sites and movie scripts.

This course will enhance your ability to write well and to get your work published. You will learn approach writing with greater sensitivitey and creativity, and will improve everyday writing skills, whether you are writing letters to friends or a community newsletter.

Dan Read, a student in our Diploma in Journalism course has recently had an article published for publication.  He said of the course - "I feel that the course has given me the tools and confidence necessary to make this possible."

What is Dramatic Writing? -To know this, you must first understand what a genre is, and what drama is.  A genre is the pigeonhole into which your novel or story fits. It might be mainstream, romantic, action and so on. A genre is a class, form, genus or kind. This course considers the dramatic writing genre.

Drama is the term used to describe a specific type of fiction that is represented in a performance. It comes from the Greek word for action. Drama tends to be performed on a stage by actors. Therefore, drama in a narrow sense tends to refer to a type pf play, but the film and television industry also make dramatic productions. So whilst theatrical drama is intended to be performed by actors for an audience. Dramas are sometimes written to be read, but not performed.

Editors work for publications both in house, and outside, as contractors.

A good editor is always in demand; and with the internet, today’s editors can often work from virtually anywhere in the world. Alone, this course does not make you into a professional editor, but it can lead to valuable career opportunities when combined with other courses that develop your knowledge and skills in journalism.

This course is designed for self-editors, aspiring professional editors and desktop publishers. Its aim is to develop the student’s understanding of the editing processes.
It develops a capacity to edit a broad range of publishing material including both print and electronic media, text and graphics, commercial and non commercial material.

Dreaming of a career in editing or publishing? This course will give you the know-how to get started, by involving you in the production of an online publication. You will learn from experience what is required, and how to go about it. You will develop your ability to edit both text and illustrations for articles and prepare layout for articles.

This course is particularly useful for people who wish to brush up on their writing skills, or to obtain basic skills which they should have but did not develop properly while at school. It aims to provide an understanding of how to write clearly and efficiently, and to communicate thoughts in the minimum number of words, and without any ambiguity.

This course will develop your knowledge of English grammar and your ability to write in English for business and study. The course is aimed at students who can write and speak basic English and wish to strengthen their English language skills, particularly their writing skills. Students will learn by reading the course notes, completing written and spoken exercises for each lesson, and submitting them for comment and correction. Your tutor will provide ongoing and personalised support.

Many professional writers begin as freelance writers for newspaper, magasines, business, or advertising companies. Learn to tailor your writing to a target audience, plan your writing, and to write what publishers want to publish.  This course teaches you not only how to write, but also what to write, and how to go about selling your work. Graduates of this course will gain:

• improved communication skills, particularly with respect to clarity, conciseness and correct grammar
  
• understanding of the 'writing business' and a clearidea of where opportunities exist for obtaining work as a freelance writer
  
• ideas for approaching potential clients to obtain work
  
• a better understanding of the processes involved in publishing books, magazines and newspapers, from generating concepts to seeing the finished publication on sale.

Here's what one of our students wrote about the course:
"(The course) has helped me focus on writing and increased my confidence. Provided me with valuable information and improved skills so that I can move forward in my ambitions". Justine

Follow your passion and find the poet within.   Develop your ability to write and understand the different types of poetry.

This course provides those interested in poetry with an introductory course into the different elements of poetry and how to write it.

Whatever you write has sound. People hear your words in their heads, and so the sounds you create can draw people's attention to your message. Poets use a range of musical and figurative devices to achieve their effects. Some of these effects relate to the rhythm and metre of the words. The study of rhythm, stress, and pitch in speech is called prosody. In poetry, the meter (or metre) is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse.

Gain valuable journalism experience by writing for a student publication. This course takes you through the processes of writing for a specific publication, submitting work for publication, and meeting the requirements of an editor and publisher. Under the guidance of a mentor (a writing/editing tutor), you will learn to write according to specific criteria, deal with a publisher, and communicate effectively with others involved in the publishing process. And, you will come away with at least one published work (maybe more), which will set you on the path to a career as a writer. No matter what you want to write, you will find this a great learning experience.

Prerequisites

• Freelance Writing, Publishing I, and Editing I, or equivalent
• Medium level computer skills, or higher.

Like Journalism Practice 1, this module gives you valuable experience in writing for a student publication, which will greatly enhance your resumé. Publishers are more likely to employ writers who have already been published! Under the guidance of a mentor (a writing/editing tutor), you will participate in the production of a specific publication. As a feature writer, you will prepare and submit works for the publication and work with other students to produce a polished, professional-looking online publication that you can proudly show to a prospective employer.

Prerequisites

• Freelance Writing, Publishing I, Editing I, and Journalism Practice 1; or equivalent
• Medium level computer skills or higher

Make your mark in publishing

Take a new direction in your career and enter the creative world of publishing. With the demise of unwieldy printing technology and the advent of desktop publishing, it is easier than ever before to become a publisher. In this course you will find out about how the industry works, learn the creative and artistic skills of the trade, learn how to market your work and develop an understanding of the ethical issues and laws relating to the field. You will also have a chance to undertake a stimulating publishing project and implement the skills you have learned.

 Who should do it?

This course provides an excellent start for anyone considering self publishing or seeking employment in publishing. It is equally relevant to electronic or print publishing.

Develop your knowledge of the nature and scope of the publishing industry.
There are all kinds of publishers. Most deal in hard copy or electronic publishing via the Web. Anything printed and disseminated can be described as a publication - a simple flyer or handout, a 500,000-copy-a-month magazine, a scholarly journal, an e-zine, a paper, a book. Anyone who engages in any of these activities might describe themselves as a publisher.
Suitable for anyone with some experience or prior studies who wants to build their knowledge and understanding of opportunities in any area of this industry, irrespective of whether electronic or print media.

Develop your ability to plan and manage a publishing business.

Publisher are continually needing to consider: “What to publish?”
Some establish a limited repertoire of publication activities, focusing on academic books, novels, westerns, romance novels, text and educational books, informative or self-help books or material on specific topics such as health and wellbeing, ostrich farming etc., fashion or gardening magazines, music scores etc. Other publishers will engage in a wider range of activities, publishing books, journals, monographs and newspapers in their different branches. The nature of the publishing enterprise will determine what kinds of texts they will publish, and how they choose which texts to publish.
Whilst it can be taken alone, this course is ideally studied as a follow on from Publishing I and II.

The following steps are a broad guide to getting started as a freelance writer:

1. Identify the area(s) of writing that interest you.

2. Research the market place to get a feel for what other successful writers are doing. Visit bookshops, and buy newspapers and magazines to see what’s currently being published. Get a feel for what publishers want and look for gaps in the market.

3. Develop your writing skills. Start off small and hone your skills by contributing to newsletters published by your school, work or social club. You could enter short story competitions or even try writing short articles for local newspapers or hobby or trade magazines. Don’t be disappointed if your articles are rejected – at this stage the aim is to practise your writing and to get a feel for what is acceptable in the marketplace.

4. Develop a personal reference library. Collect examples of other writers’ work in the areas that interest you. Books, newspaper articles and magazines are not only a useful information resource, they also help you to develop an awareness of how other successful writers write!

5. Develop your selling skills! Build up contacts with publishers and organisations in your chosen area of writing.

Develop skills to write technical information for a variety of different purposes.
Students taking this course should have a basic understanding of technical writing including referencing procedures. If the subject is totally new, you may need to undertake some additional reading, before progressing beyond the first lesson.

Help - I want to be a novelist!

Good fiction has a strong plot or storyline, believable and interesting characters, a unifying theme, and holds the reader's attention. Whether you want to write novels or short stories, this course will give you valuable writing tools, such as the ability to plan and critically appraise your work to achieve the effect you want.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed this course. Thank you for making it available". S. Cooke, Writing Fiction graduate.