How to unlock the creative writer inside you
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A gentle four-part introduction to the essentials of creative writing
Kessi’s remembered the school essays she used to write with great pleasure – and deeply regretted not having written anything “creative” since. The thought of trying to revive that old passion was daunting.
“But then I stumbled across the Power of Writing course,” she says. “It was perfect – just the sort of gentle, non-threatening re-introduction to writing I needed.”
Now Kessi writes regularly. “Nothing fancy,” she says, “but it feels like I’ve let my creative self out of the cage it was trapped in for so long.”
Who will benefit?
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Anyone with an interest in Creative Writing or who would like to explore their creative side.
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Writers who would like to test the waters before embarking on a more ambitious course.
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High school students who wish to add power and fluency to their writing.
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Recent school leavers or graduates who’ve learned the theory, who wish to write more confidently
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Ambitious salary-earners who want to improve their written communication skills.
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Anyone who’d like to let their creative self out of its cage
How The Power of Writing works
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Each week four weeks a fresh module will appear on our online platform.
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You will read our notes and write the assignment we set for you.
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You will post your assignments on the platform – and we will get back to you within a few days with our feedback.
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Part of the value of the course derives from reading your fellow-writers’ work, and our comments on those assignments.
Course Modules
Module 1
We introduce you to the idea of a writer’s “voice” – and explain how freewriting can help you develop your own unique writing “voice’
Module 2
We stress the importance of accurate observation of both places and people – and help you appreciate the power of precise, significant details to enliven your writing.
Module 3
How to use action, dialogue and conflict to create dramatic scenes.
Module 4
In this final module we introduce you to that fundamental rule of great writing: show, don’t tell – and demonstrate how you can draw your readers into your stories through the application of this principle.
I thoroughly enjoyed the modules and the feedback was wonderfully done. I loved the fact that the modules are balanced.
Melanie du Plessis, Centurion
I enjoyed the introduction to each assignment, explaining what is needed with examples, especially for an online course. The positive and constructive feedback is great.
Alma van As, Welobie
My experience was positive. I enjoyed the challenge and the constructive feedback… I liked writing for pleasure rather than rushing through the normal communications of the day – a bit like “stopping to smell the roses”.
Charles Nesbitt, Somerset West
Who are your course designers and facilitators?
Internationally published novelist, Jo-Anne Richards, has published five books and has a PhD in Creative Writing. Her first novel, The Innocence of Roast Chicken, was originally published by Headline Review in the UK, and has recently been rereleased as one of the prestigious Picador Africa Classics collection.
Scriptwriter Richard Beynon has had a long and accomplished career in the film and television industry. He has conceived, shaped and written scores of documentaries, has written over twelve hundred scripts, and has led numerous storytelling teams in devising story for soaps and drama series.
In 2007, Richard and Jo-Anne established All About Writing and have since then advised hundreds of writers on their work. They’ve helped brainstorm stories for both novice and established writers.
And they’ve helped reshape and restructure stories at all stages of development.
They’ve mentored scores of writers through the writing process – and have won the trust of publishers who frequently call on them for help with both manuscripts and writers.
Money back guarantee
We’ve seen our students get results time and time again so we’re proud to stand behind our courses. But your satisfaction is important to us, which is why we offer a 7-day refund period for our Power of Writing Course. To be eligible for a refund, you must complete the first lesson of the course, and submit your exercises to us with your refund request.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you learn the essentials of creative writing in just four lessons?
Good creative writing involves just a handful of key teachable skills. We’ve chosen four that we believe give you a sound start. Of course this is just the beginning of your creative writing journey – one that could well last the rest of your life – but it’ll give you a taste, and more than a taste, of what’s involved.
How much feedback do you give?
We give you comprehensive practical feedback based on the lessons contained in the respective modules – but also ranging beyond that to other and allied aspects of creative writing. Frequently out feedback is longer than your assignment! (And we strive always to live up to your motto of: Honest but kind.)
I’m in final year of school and my grandma’s in her seventies. Can we both enroll?
Good question! In fact, of course, the hunger to explore our creative selves is universal – and isn’t age-dependent at all. We’ve had students as young as twelve do this course – and as old as eighty four.
I’ve heard of “show don’t tell” all over the place. Is it really such a big deal?
Showing and not telling is a fundamental precept of good dramatic writing. This is as true today as it was when “show don’t tell” was a rallying call in US writing schools seventy years ago. It’s one of those tried and tested principles of good writing that we don’t believe will ever grow stale. So, yes, it is a big deal. Make “show don’t tell” the foundation of your creative writing and you’ll be well on your way to writing the sort of material that feels and sounds truly professional.
