Write Fiction Like a Pro

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
6825 Students

A Hollywood writer and author teaches you how professional writers use story outlines to structure any type of story.

What's the single biggest difference between professional authors and novices? Professionals know how to structure novels and stories for maximum dramatic effect. This course helps you develop the same story structuring skills the pros use. You'll understand how your passion, theme, premise, and characters help you create the structure of your story, and you'll discover how viewpoint, dialogue, pacing, and many other techniques are used to build scenes and move your story from beginning to end.

Each assignment in this course helps you develop your own original novel or story. As you apply each technique, your story will take shape, with a clear path from beginning to end. And whenever you have questions or insights to share, you can join your instructor and classmates in the Discussion Area for some interactive brainstorming! Before you know it, you'll be prepared to ...write fiction like a pro.

Courses are delivered to you through expertly executed lessons, online instruction and interaction with like-minded students. Our courses are designed to deliver all of the benefits of studying in a classroom whilst giving you the flexibility to study at a time and place to suit your needs. You can access your classroom 24/7 from any device with an internet connection.

This course has a 3 month duration. You'll complete comprehensive lessons, quizzes and assignments before submitting your final exam at the end of the course to achieve your certificate. Courses must be completed within the 3 month access period.

The name of this course really says it all! For the next six weeks, we'll focus on techniques that professional authors use to write effectively and efficiently and that guarantee a story structure that delivers maximum emotional impact. After all, connecting with your audience is what great writing is all about, right? In this first lesson, we'll explore the idea of story structure, and you'll discover that nearly every piece of fiction that works follows the same fundamental rules. We'll also look at the often misunderstood difference between story and plot, a concept that will be vital throughout the rest of this course.

At the heart of every story are the dramatic elements of passion, theme, character, and premise. Your passion is what drives you to tell your story, and the theme is the underlying message it carries. To convey your theme, you'll create characters who represent that theme—either positively or negatively. Put all of these together and you've got your premise. We'll talk about all of these elements in today's lesson.

Character is what story is all about. Without a character, and a change in that character, there can be no story. In this lesson, you'll discover why the best characters are flawed. We'll explore your main character—the protagonist—and the opposition forces of the antagonist. And finally, we'll take a look at the other characters who round out your story.

Today's is the first of three lessons in which you'll see how to construct a story outline, act by act. In Act 1, you'll learn how to hook your readers. Then you'll fill them in with some character history called backstory. And finally, you'll exit Act 1 with a bang by triggering a traumatic event in the life of your protagonist.

If Act 1 ends with a bang, Act 2 starts with a whimper. Your protagonist begins in crisis, an emotional state brought on by his or her flaw. And because of that flaw, your protagonist will struggle throughout Act 2, as the antagonist delivers setback after setback. Fortunately, at the conclusion of Act 2 your protagonist finally figures out the source of all this emotional distress and how to overcome it.

The epiphany that ended Act 2 has prepared your protagonist for triumph in Act 3. Now it's time to devise a plan. The result will be a final confrontation with the antagonist. In this lesson, we'll discuss the best way to arrange the defeat of your antagonist—it's not what you might guess. Then, with that climax behind you, you're ready to tie up loose ends in the ending.

We've accomplished a lot in the last few lessons. By now you should be pretty comfortable with story structure. In the next three lessons, we'll take the concepts you've learned so far and apply them to the development of a real novel. Today we'll begin by using the dramatic elements to create a character, his or her flaw, and then put it all together into a formal story idea.

In this lesson, we'll expand the story idea for a novel into the nine checkpoints of our three-act outline. This is quite a challenge for just one lesson, but we've become pretty expert at this story structuring stuff by now, so let's go!

Now that you have your outline—and a beautiful one it is!—it's time for that magical moment when you begin expanding it into the long form. Yikes! The actual novel is about to materialize. We'll begin by inserting markers for the scenes that support and develop the outline. Then you'll start expanding those scenes and threading your theme throughout. This is really writing like a pro!

One of the most important choices an author makes is viewpoint. It affects every aspect of the story—from theme, to pacing, to suspense. In this lesson, we'll explore the three most common viewpoints—omniscient, third-person limited, and first person—and discover their advantages and disadvantages. Then we'll dig into techniques for developing characters and establishing a convincing story logic.

In this lesson, we'll look at techniques for refining your plot and controlling its pace. Then we'll unravel the internal structure of every piece of fiction you've ever read, discovering a structure that I bet you never knew existed. After today, you'll never forget it. It's called scene and sequel.

Now that your novel, play, or screenplay is well underway, it's time to think about polishing the final product. In this lesson, we'll look at some techniques for making your writing sparkle, including tips on dialogue and imagery and how to use them to show, not tell. We'll also see how to establish your own unique voice, paying special attention to the aspects of cadence and musicality. Finally, we'll talk a little about the creative process and your role now that you know how to . . . write like a pro.

Steve Alcorn

Steve Alcorn is the published author of a wide range of fiction and nonfiction works including the mystery A Matter of Justice, the historical novel Everything in Its Path, the romance Ring of Diamonds (under the pseudonym Sha... Read more

Read Steve Alcorn's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Online learning is a flexible way to study that fits around your schedule, giving you the freedom to learn at your own pace from anywhere in the world. You'll have 3 months to complete the course and can take the multiple-choice questions and final exam whenever it suits you.

If you need help, you can contact us anytime. You can also join the discussion area where you can interact with other students. The discussion area for each lesson is open for the entire duration of the course.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

We do not offer extensions or transfers for this self-paced course. However, you will have 3 months to complete the course, and if you need to cancel within the first 10 days of enrolment, we offer a money back guarantee.

What people are saying about our courses

If you have an idea for a book, but just can't get it together, this is the class for you. Steve Alcorn gives you the tools and the confidence to pull your ideas together and give them structure. Before you know it, you are inspired and writing. What a class! Steve Alcorn is a gifted instructor.

Verified Student

I have taken both Write Like a Pro and Steve's Mystery Writing course. I have now published three of the stories I worked on in Write Fiction Like a Pro, as a result of the course. Thank you, Steve, for offering it.

Verified Student

Can you see me? I'm giving you a standing ovation! Haven't done this much thinking, rethinking, breaking pencils, and eventually cheering since I graduated from college. Thank you for an inspiring and brilliant class!

Verified Student

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The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Write Fiction Like a Pro you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Ready to get started?

Enrol Now

Our Values

Learn At Your Own Pace

We believe in personalised learning. That's why we provide all the tools and support you need to succeed at your own pace. With flexible learning, you'll stay motivated and retain more information. Plus, you can balance your studies with work and family commitments to make your dreams a reality.

We Won't Break The Bank

Education should be accessible to anyone who wants to learn. That's why we offer some of the most competitive prices in the industry with payments plans for just $25 per week. Investing in your future is a smart choice and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Industry-Led Courses

There's no better way to learn than from experts with years of experience in your field. That's why each of our 200+ industry-led courses are designed to give you a real-life perspective on your industry. With our expert mentors, you'll learn from people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and who are passionate about sharing it with you.

Get The Personal Support You Deserve

At Vibe Learning, we're real people who are dedicated to providing you with personal support every step of the way. Our industry experts are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about sharing their expertise with you. With their guidance, you'll gain invaluable insights and practical knowledge to help you succeed.

Still looking?

Check out the following courses related to Write Fiction Like a Pro:

Fiction Writing Advanced

Writing Young Adult Fiction

Mystery Writing

Research Methods for Writers

Creativity Training for Writers

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Write Fiction Like a Pro

$599

$389AUD

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Decision Making Skills

Now Only

$389

AUD

35% off

$599 AUD

Quick Facts

Delivery Method Online
Professional Certificate
24hrs Suggested Study Time
3 Months Access
Tutor Support
Study On Any Device
1797 Students

Learn how to make excellent everyday decisions from an experienced counsellor and life coach.

Learn how to make excellent everyday decisions from an experienced counselor and life coach. In this self-paced online course, you'll learn about some wonderful abilities we're born with for figuring things out and making good decisions. You'll also see why our instincts and intuition sometimes deceive us and how self-knowledge can help us guard against becoming overly confident. You'll discover the steps necessary to achieve your goals, as well as the power that ordinary, everyday decisions can have over the quality of your life.

You'll learn how to deal effectively with crisis, how to use your emotions as decision-making tools, and how to work with others to make good decisions. You'll develop some important guidelines for when to take risks, when to trust your luck, and what to do if you make a mistake. The goal of this course is to give you the power to live the best life you can and make the very most of every opportunity.

Your brain is amazingly well-equipped with all kinds of tools for making great decisions! Natural skills, such as pattern matching and problem framing, often help you make wise choices. But just owning tools doesn't mean you know how to use them skillfully. In our first lesson, we'll discuss how to make the most of some of your natural abilities and also avoid some common pitfalls, like bias, myopia, and overconfidence.

Did you know that you make decisions virtually every minute of every day, even in your sleep? Just as drops of water, given enough time, can carve out a canyon, all those decisions—even the little ones—will eventually have a huge impact on your life. In this lesson, you'll learn about five kinds of decisions you make every day, as well as the critical difference between actions and intentions!

What's the difference between a goal and a dream? A goal is something you can control through your own efforts, where a dream depends on luck or fate. When you want something, how do you know if it's a dream or a goal? How can you make your wishes come true? You'll find many of the answers in this lesson. We'll talk about short-term and long-term goals, the steps for achieving goals, and how to know when you should change your goals.

In today's lesson, we'll discuss when and how to pay close attention to those little, seemingly unimportant everyday decisions that really do make a difference. You'll learn how to identify three types of decisions—conscious, unconscious, and subconscious—and know when decisions for change need to be made. You'll develop some very useful skills for planning, prioritizing, and dealing with that thief of time, procrastination.

What is a crisis? Is it something that happens outside of you, or is it how you feel? What are the qualities that make a situation critical? How can you make the best decisions possible when time and information are limited but you're under a lot of pressure to take action? Today's lesson will help you cope with uncertainty and prepare for the unexpected. You'll learn techniques that can help you relax and cope better, regardless of what may be happening around you.

Life would certainly be dull if we didn't have feelings! Good feelings—like love, joy, and laughter—give us pleasure. Bad feelings—like confusion, sorrow, and guilt—can help us learn and grow. But feelings often conflict with logic and reason and get us in trouble. How do you know whether to listen to your emotions or ignore them when it comes to making decisions? You'll find some of the answers in this lesson

Like emotions, other people certainly help to make life worth living. But boy—can they ever complicate things when it comes to making good decisions! In this lesson, we'll discuss some important skills for setting good boundaries with others and dealing with disagreement. You'll learn how to develop attitudes that are essential for good relationships and how to work effectively with others to make the best possible decisions.

You've heard the expression "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Sometimes you have to risk a little to gain a lot. But when is it best to go out on a limb, and when is it best to hold on to the trunk? In today's lesson, we'll go over some foolproof guidelines for managing risk. You'll also decide if you're basically a risk-taker, a play-it-safe type, or somewhere in between.

Luck happens. But are we completely at its mercy, blown around on the sea of life by the winds of change? The answer is no! In this lesson, you'll learn how the element of luck affects what you expect from life and how to use that to your advantage. You'll find out how to avoid being misled by superstition and wishful thinking, as well as how to use positive expectations to help steer your life the way you want it to go.

Have you ever made a mistake? Do you expect that you may someday make another one? If so, then the topics we'll explore in this lesson are important! You'll learn about some of the main reasons we make poor decisions, as well as both healthy and unhealthy ways to respond to your own errors. You'll learn how to recover from mistakes, turning them into opportunities to learn and grow.

Habits can be terrific time-savers! They often allow us to do the right thing automatically, without even having to think about it. On the other hand, we all know that there are those other kinds of habits—the ones that lead us to do the wrong things automatically! This lesson will give you power over your own habits as you learn skills for developing good habits and getting rid of the ones you don't need.

Throughout this course, you'll use a journal to help you learn about and practice some good decision-making skills. In our final lesson, you'll learn more about the power of journaling. You'll also get some ideas for how to use other very useful decision-making tools, including notes, lists, and diagrams. Finally, you'll get some good ideas about when to consult experts and when to wing it on your own.

Donna Brown

Since 1983, Donna Brown has been an individual and family counselor. She's worked with hundreds of individuals and families,
helping them improve the quality of their lives by teaching them how to make reasonable, rational decisions. She's ... Read more

Read Donna Brown's Profile

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you've made the payment, we'll send you a confirmation email with a link to start your course. Feel free to get started whenever you're ready!

You'll have 3 months access to your course. In that time you are free to study at your own pace. The course duration is 24 hours.

Of course! We offer a 7-day money back guarantee. As long as you haven't completed the course, you can get a full refund within 7 days of enrolling.

What people are saying about our courses

A dynamite course experience, I learned a great deal from the material, and it gave me exactly what I needed to forge ahead in planning for a new business venture I have been hesitating about for several months.

Verified Student

Thank you for giving this course and presenting all these wonderful ideas, I can tell you honestly that this has already provided me with a life-changing experience.

Verified Student

This is a great class. I found it very interesting and helpful. I would recommend it to anyone.

Verified Student

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The Learning Environment

From the moment that you enrol in the Decision Making Skills you will become an integral part of our learning community. You'll find yourself with the freedom to learn at a speed that suits you, on any device, from anywhere in the world. Achieving your career goals no longer has to mean compromising family and work commitments.

Ready to get started?

Enrol Now