Introduction to Writing Fiction

A course by Sylvia A. Zéleny , Author

Author. El Paso, United States.
Joined April 2020

Learn to write unique stories based on the fundamentals of narrative studies

100% positive reviews (34)
1,078 students
Audio: Spanish
Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Learn to write unique stories based on the fundamentals of narrative studies

According to writer Sylvia A. Zéleny, if you look carefully enough, you can always find beauty in your surroundings. In her works of fiction, she enjoys immersing readers in the wonder and despair of everyday life by creating settings inspired by real places for her characters. Learn how to add depth to your fiction stories by studying the fundamentals of writing.

In this Domestika course, discover the essential tools for writing fiction stories. Explore each concept one by one, from the plot to the characters, and work your way through the entire writing, revision, and editing process until you have a polished text you can use as the first story in a collection or as the intro to a novel.

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What will you learn in this online course?

11 lessons & 14 downloads

Plot: time-space
14 minutes, 1 second
Characters
17 minutes, 45 seconds
Raw material and tools
6 minutes, 59 seconds
Define and conceptualize
10 minutes, 7 seconds
Write, write, write
5 minutes, 58 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (34)
  • 1,078 students
  • 11 lessons (1h 39m)
  • 14 additional resources (4 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Write a story that aims to show the impact a place has on the life of one or more of its characters.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Anyone who wants to learn the fundamentals of narrative writing.

Requirements and materials

You don't need any prior knowledge to take this course, just a notebook, a pen or a pencil, and an Instagram or Twitter account.


Reviews

1,078 Students
34 Reviews
100% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

Sylvia A. Zéleny

A course by Sylvia A. Zéleny

Teacher Plus
Author

Sylvia A. Zéleny holds a BA in Hispanic literature from the University of Sonora and two master's degrees, one in humanities from the ITESM and another in creative writing from the University of Texas. She writes both fiction and nonfiction works and has authored stories like Gente Menuda (Voces del Desierto, 1999) and Otras Manías (Narrativas Divergentes Award, 2014), and novels such as Una no habla de esto (Tierra Adentro, 2008) and El Libro de Aisha (Random House, 2021).

She is the current director and a professor of the online creative writing program at the University of Texas at El Paso. She is the coordinator of Casa Octavia, a residence for writers where she also teaches individual and collective workshops. Similarly, she has taught workshops on fiction and nonfiction discourse across the United States, Mexico, and Colombia, and has coordinated writing workshops for victims of violence along the border between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • Presentation
    • Influences
  • U2

    What do I need to write a story?

    • Plot: time-space
    • Narrator: points of view and language
    • Characters
    • Raw material and tools
  • U3

    How do I write a story?

    • Define and conceptualize
    • Write, write, write
    • Read, review and rewrite
  • U4

    How much more is there after the story?

    • Socialize the story
    • More writing, scenes and summaries
  • FP

    Final project

    • Introduction to Writing Fiction

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Introduction to Writing Fiction. Writing course by Sylvia A. Zéleny

Introduction to Writing Fiction

A course by Sylvia A. Zéleny
Author. El Paso, United States.
Joined April 2020
  • 100% positive reviews (34)
  • 1,078 students