Welcome to the Short Story Writing for Magazines Course at NZ Writers' College.
Learn the skills needed to write saleable short stories for magazines - plus how to stretch your imagination and stimulate your writing creativity! You'll also receive dozens of tips about where and how to sell your work as a professional writer.
Course Details:
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Course cost: $995.00 GST inclusive
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Modules: 9 Modules
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Duration: Course can be completed at own pace: between six and twelve months
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Start date: At any time; applications all year round via our website
Student must complete:
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8 writing exercises (assessment and feedback on each); each is a 1500-word short story
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1 full-length story for possible publication (assessment and feedback)
Admission Requirements:
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Basic writing skills are essential
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Students must be proficient in the English Language
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Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
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No previous tertiary qualification required
Tutor for this course : Ginny Swart
Course Curriculum
Module 1 - Getting Started
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What to think about if you want to sell your story to a magazine
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How much you can expect to earn writing short stories
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Writing for a specific market
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Studying your market
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Knowing your readers
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Studying the house style of the target magazine
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Writing Exercise: Write a warm-up1500-word story, in response to a given prompt.
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Module 2 - Characterization
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Different ways to introduce your characters and make them believable
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The importance of the “back story”
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Making use of all the senses
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Writing a three-dimensional character
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The importance of the right name
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Writing Exercise : In two parts. Part One: A 100 word “back story” about one of the characters mentioned. Part Two: 150 words of dialogue between the two characters. Complete the story (1500 words) for feedback from your tutor.
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Module 3 - Dialogue
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Writing believable dialogue
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Keeping conversation sounding natural and up to date
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The use of “said”
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Using slang and dialect effectively
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How to convey thoughts
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Writing Exercise: 500 words of conversation between mother and son after the son has crashed the family car, taking into account the different age and character of each person. Complete the story (1500 words) for feedback from your tutor.
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Module 4 - Point of View
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How different points of view can shape and alter a story.
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First person and third person writing.
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How writing in the First Person affects your story
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One event = six points of view!
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Writing Exercise 4: Read one girl’s account of something that happened in the office. Then re-write this as seen through the eyes of two other people concerned. Complete the story (1500 words) for feedback from your tutor.
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Module 5 - How to plot your story
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What is a plot?
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Various classic plot patterns (as applied to popular stories)
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Avoiding clichéd plots.
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The Twist in the Tale
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Finding ideas
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Writing Exercise: A ten-sentence synopsis of a plot, choosing a character and a situation from the lists provided. Complete the story (1500 words) for feedback from your tutor.
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Module 6- Setting and story structure
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The definition of structure in a story
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Structural devices to add interest
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Writing style: Using metaphors for maximum impact
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How settings can define your story. Or not.
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Writing Exercise: Think of a story line and write the opening paragraphs. The setting must be seen to affect the story that will follow. Write the story. (1500 words) Optional - complete the story (1500 words) for feedback from your tutor.
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Module 7- Editing your story
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Keeping it clean
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The importance of the word count
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Lean and mean is good
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How to cut for maximum impact
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Tying up the ends
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Writing Exercise: Read a 360-word excerpt from a story and edit it down to 230 words without losing any of the important features.
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Module 8 - Writing purely for personal satisfaction, not financial reward!
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Advice for creative writers
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Outlets for literary work
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Competitions
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Self- publishing
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Writing Exercise: 500 words. Decide on a character. Try to become that person and record his or her thoughts and observations so that the reader has a deep insight into the state of mind of your protagonist. Optional - complete the story (1500 words) for feedback from your tutor.
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Module 9 - Marketing and submitting your story
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Presenting your story
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Writing a cover letter to the editor
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Things to remember when submitting
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Keeping track of your submissions
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Addresses of magazines
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Sample guidelines of magazines.
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Methods of payment
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Writing Exercise: Write a 2000-word short story of any genre aimed at a selected target magazine. The final assignment will also be marked by an outside moderator.
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How does the course work?
The course consists of nine modules. Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students.
At the end of each module, students will be required to complete a writing exercise. In total, the course includes eight short writing assignments, all of which count towards the final result of the student and one 2000-word short story. However they are welcome to turn each writing assignment into a short story for critical feed back if they would like to do so.
Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete. The next module will then be e-mailed to the student.
Please note: Assignments should be returned as attachments, not in the body of the e-mail.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers' College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
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Students must have completed all 9 assignments
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The course must have been completed within twelve months of registration.
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Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
There is no research required for this course, just planning and writing. The speed at which you work is entirely up to you. After studying the modules, the exercises should take between half an hour and two hours to complete. A completed story could take longer.
