About Paula Guran
Complete List of Writers.com Classes
Self-Editing: Strategies & Skills (10 weeks)
A course designed to help you, the writer, "think like an editor" and
improve your fiction or nonfiction. We'll touch on basic copy-editing
(checking for grammar, spelling, usage and consistent style); learning
to spot your own problem areas and fix them; using some of the mechanics
that editors use to polish a manuscript; clarifying your writing and
more. This is not a basic skills class. (We offer a Basic Writing Skills
course, too.) "Self-Editing" concentrates on learning strategies and
gaining skills to help polish your writing.
Class Outline
Week One:
Introduction: Who and Why?
In an effort to establish the writing level, experience and needs of
those in the class, students will be asked to respond to some questions
about themselves and their writing. We'll also discuss individual taste
in editing and go over a list of reference materials.
*Assignments:
- Answer the survey questions.
- Submit the first page or so (about 250-300 words) of something you've
written. Each student will "edit" another's work in order to start
recognizing the "editing mind."
- Read Lecture #1
Week Two:
The Two of You: The Writer & the Editor
Some people describe it as "wearing two hats." It's much more than that!
It's more like having two different heads -- or at least brains. We'll
discuss learning to "think like an editor" instead of a writer and
analyze the peer-editing we've done to get some insight into our editing
"selves." We'll also start "Personal Editing."
*Assignments:
- Quickly write something and give it a *quick edit*. After "changing
hats" from writer to editor you will be going back over the work
following some general rules.
- Tests! No cheating! You'll take some simple tests -- on punctuation
and capitalization, spelling, and grammar. This will help you identify
some common errors and, perhaps, some personal weaknesses to learn to
avoid.
Week Three:
The Big Bads & Some Small Stuff
We need to get some of the "biggest and baddest" mistakes out of the way
first:
- Is it a story [or the form of nonfiction you have chosen]?
- The first paragraph/first page
- Things that drive editors up walls.
*Assignment:
If working with Fiction: Take any story you've written and
- determine if it is a story
- determine if its first paragraph "works"
- determine if the first page has the needed elements
- check the story for "editor irritators."
If working with Nonfiction: Take a piece of your material and:
- determine if it is what it is supposed to be
- determine if it is structured to "work"
- determine if you have adequately covered the subject and communicated
intent
- check the story for "editor irritators."
Week Four:
Organization
- Thoughts
- Purpose
- Development
- Clarity
*Assignment: TBD
Week Five:
Smooshing the Clay
Words -- choosing the correct one and/or the better one.
Sentences -- stamping out superfluous phrases, choosing simpler
language, clearing up muddy pronouns.
Paragraphs -- make them work for your fiction.
We can't address every grammatical and stylistic issue you face, but we
can find some specific problems and common errors
*Assignments:
- Personal Style Sheet
- Word Choice Worksheet
- Sentence Exercises
- Paragraph Exercises
Week Six:
The Third You: Basic Copy-Editing
You should be acquainted with your "inner-editor," by now. So, now you
can discover the copy-editor within. You can't learn everything about
grammar, spelling, usage and consistent style in a short period of time,
but you can learn to some of the most common errors and how to check on
less common ones.
*Assignment: You'll be asked to copy-edit some practice fiction or
non-fiction.
Week Seven
The Biggest Bads
Time to check your story for the "big stuff":
(Fiction)
- Showing/telling
- Characterization
- Consistent POV
- Dialogue
- Breaks/pacing
- Repetition
(Nonfiction)
- Argument
- Fairness & fact
- Narrative tension
*Assignment: You'll be asked to examine your own work for the elements
above.
Week Nine
Presentation and Formatting
- Looks do count
- ...and so do proper introductions
- Technology
- The Biz
*Assignment: TBD
Week Nine
Polishing & Learning to Spot Your Own Problem Areas
You aren't done yet! It's time for the final check -- general mechanics,
little glitches, making sure it's the best that you can make it!
*Assignment: You'll go over your own work, but you will also be asked to
"polish" another student's work. The instructor will also do some
editing.
Week Ten
What Did We Forget?
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Basic Writing Skills (10 weeks)
Is poor punctuation poisoning your prose? Does grammar get you down? Are
you "spell check" dependent? Do you lack the fundamental skills needed
to communicate effectively in writing or self-confidence in those
skills? Ready to write, but need a brush up on the basics? No matter
what you need to write, if you need the nuts and bolts of a writer's
toolbox - this is the class for you. Along with exercises to test your
skills and point out problems, class members will be able to practice
using their own fiction projects, personal or business communication,
everyday job needs, or other writing and receive feedback from fellow
students and instructor. Your specific needs and questions will also be
addressed. You'll improve your skills and gain tools to keep improving.
Students will need to submit a brief sample of their writing --
creative, nonfiction, or work-related -- the first week of the course.
Class Outline
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Fantastic Fiction: Writing Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror (10
weeks)
Fantastic fiction -- science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, dark
fantasy, horror, all the cross-genre mutations, and various labels --
offers the writer vast opportunities for originality and great freedom
to stretch boundaries. At its best it is significant and enlightening as
well as entertaining.
This course assumes that you have the maturity and intelligence to
accept rigorous criticism of your work. If you are seeking only
encouragement and positive comments -- there's the virtual exit. No hard
feelings. We hope you have a good life. So long and thanks for all the
fish.
The primary goal of this class is to help you improve your writing. It is hoped
that by the end of the ten weeks you will produce one short story or the first three chapters and a short
synopsis of a novel. Since we have no grades, of course, students may
use that structure in however they wish in order to meet their personal
goals.
This is not a "how-to-write" class. There are no magic recipes, no rules
engraved in granite when it comes to writing. Your instructor is,
primarily a genre editor, reviewer, and critic. This is her point of
view. You may find this differs from your past experiences, so it is
best to be aware of it. This may well be to your advantage. Editors work
with many writers and it is their job to help the writer do the best
s/he can do. Many writers tend to know (and teach) only what they have
found "works" for them. That doesn't always mean it will work for you.
Along with reading and discussion, there are two tracks of assignments:
one demonstrating and practicing fundamentals, the other encouraging
progress on your story/novel.
Reading other student work, responding and discussing, and at times,
critiquing fellow students' stories is highly encouraged but not
demanded.
The course works best for those writing a short story, but there is an
alternative of working on three full chapters along with a brief
synopsis of the rest of the novel. You don't have to work on a single
story, but you gain more from the course if you work on a single story.
The outside reading fiction examples are encouraged but we can't force
you to read them. The stories/novellas have been chosen to demonstrate a
particular story element. Creating Short Fiction by Damon Knight is
highly recommended a no-nonsense guide to its subject.
Suggested Reading List (Outside of Class):
Character: "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
Dialogue: "Aye, and Gomorrah" by Samuel R. Delany
Idea: "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov
Plot: "The Minority Report" by Philip K. Dick
Point of View: "Skeeter Junkie" by John Shirley
Setting: "The Dog Park" by Dennis Etchison
Structure: "Down in the Garden" by Tia V. Travis
Voice: "Jeffty is Five" by Harlan Ellison
Style: All of the Above
Class Outline
WEEK ONE
*Fantastic Fiction: What is it? Why do we want to write it?
1. Read Introductory Material
2. Turn in an example of your writing (NOT for peer critique)
3. Read Lesson #1
4. Read Handout #1
5. Assignment: Respond to Introductory Questions
6. Assignment: Write approximately 250-350 words using an assigned
opening sentence
WEEK TWO
*Ideas
"Good/Bad Ideas"
"Turning an idea into a story"
Read assigned material
Assignment (Fundamental+ Story/Novel): Develop one or more short
story/novel ideas and present them
WEEK THREE
*Openings: Hookers & Grabbers
"Where does the beginning begin?"
Read assigned material
Assignment (F): Find at least three examples of story openers that
"grabbed" you. Analyze at least one.
Assignment (S/N): Write the beginning of your story/novel.
WEEK FOUR
*Characters & Plot
"Who is this about?"
"Plot Shots"
Read assigned material
Assignment (F): Adapt a dramatic event from your own life and translate
it to a fictional character of different gender, age, circumstances,
occupation, etc.
Assignment (S/N): Continue with your story/chapters. Focus on using
character development to further the plot.
WEEK FIVE
*Setting & Point of View
"Where? When?"
"POV Basics"
Read assigned material
Assignment (F): Write two versions of the same section of a story (from
150 to 600 words) emphasizing a sense of place and appealing to at least
two senses. In one version use only narrative; in the other version use
another method.
Assignment (S/N): Continue with your story/chapters. Focus on setting
and determine/clarify of point(s) of view.
WEEK SIX
*Dialogue
"In Between Talk"
Read assigned material
Assignment (F): Write a scene in which characters have to confront each
another with dialogue; make sure what they have to say is essential and
dramatic.
Assignment (S/N): Continue stories and novel chapters in progress. Move
toward climax of stories, or toward conclusion of major scenes in novel
chapters.
WEEK SEVEN
*Structure, Style, and Voice
"Framework, Pattern, and You"
Read assigned material
Assignment (F+S/N): Continue stories and novel chapters keeping in mind
good structure, and a chosen style. Novelists: work on
synopsis/proposal/outline
WEEK EIGHT
*Dealing With the Problems
"You think you're the only one?"
Read assigned material
Assignment (S/N): Conclude or rewrite stories/novel chapters
WEEK NINE
*The Biz
"What do you want to know? If I tell you I'll have to shoot you."
Assignment (S/N): Final revisions and completion of story/novel chapter
WEEK TEN
*Now What?
Geared to class needs
Advanced Workshop in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (10 weeks)
Advanced writers workshop is designed for those who have taken Fantastic
Fiction: Writing SF/F/H, the equivalent, or have the instructor's
permission. Unlike the class, the workshop is not organized around
weekly lectures or assignments, but concentrates entirely on
work-in-progress. Reading other participants' work, responding and
discussing, and peer critique is highly encouraged, but not demanded.
Students may work at their own speed and level, but they should expect
very direct feedback and rigorous criticism.
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Alternative Publication: Small Press & Self-Publishing (10 weeks)
Both a "whether-to" and "how-to" class for anyone who is seriously
considering self-publishing or starting a small press. Instructor Paula
Guran has been there and done it or knows people who have, so she'll be
using her own knowledge as well as drawing on the experiences of
successful (and not-so-successful) self- and independent publishers.
Although the focus will primarily be on print media, non-paper formats
(multimedia, e-books, audio, Web) will also be discussed.
Following basic information on various topics, students will be asked
to research, evaluate, and determine what answers and options are best
for them. Through class discussion students will share and build on
these results. By the end of the course, students will have the answers
needed to take the next step toward their individual future.
Class Outline
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Writing for the Web (10 Weeks)
Writing useful, usable, and appealing Web content is an art a well as a skill. Learn how to communicate your message effectively without abandoning the art of text. If you are developing a company intranet, writing your own blog, designing a site and its content, enhancing online marketing, publishing an e-zine, or maximizing your site’Äôs usability ’Äì- you can benefit from this hands-on class. The course will include:
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