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Creative Writing: Character Building and Story Development (Age 10-14)

An 8 week writing class that will teach the student how to create characters and develop a story.
Jessika O'Sullivan
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(1,144)
Popular
Class

What's included

8 live meetings
8 in-class hours
Homework
1-2 hours per week. The students will bring in a character idea to class number two. The students will be given writing homework three times throughout the eight weeks.
Certificate of Completion
A Certificate of Completion is available upon request for all students.

Class Experience

US Grade 5 - 8
This class will teach the students to create characters and build stories around them. When we work with characters, we trigger our imagination to create stories, worlds, and other characters. In many ways, this process works the same way as when children play freely and use their imagination. The difference is that we will write it all down. 

I encourage each student to write with their own style and voice. This doesn't mean that we can't get better. Writing is just like a muscle. The more we do it, the better we get. At the end of this class, my goal is that each student will have started to write a story that could be developed into a short story or even a novel. 

Lesson 1 will introduce the class and each other. We will do a short writing prompt, talk about the characters, and get to know each other a little in a relaxed way. 

During lesson 2, everyone will introduce their characters, and we will talk about how we can use how characters look to show who they are. 

Lesson 3 will cover what influences a character’s actions, behavior, and decisions. 

Lesson 4 is about outlining or planning our writing. 

Lesson 5 is about how we can use our memories to add details to our writing and dramatic events and how to use these in our stories. 

Lesson 6 is about foreshadowing, our characters’ dreams, and how we utilize these in our writing. 

Lessons 7 and 8 will include information about publishing, book covers, and marketing for writers. 

There will be writing homework three times throughout the class. 

. Bring a pen/pencil and paper to class if you write by hand.
Learning Goals
To develop a character and understand what motivates the character
To use their own memories to add details to their writing
learning goal

Syllabus

8 Lessons
over 8 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Introduction
 The first class is an introduction to the class, during which we go over what will be covered during the eight weeks.  The students also write a bit, and we start talking about characters. 
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Character building
 The students introduce their character ideas in class, and we also talk about what stories our characters' looks tell. 
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
A character's force
 What influences our characters' behavior, decisions, and thoughts? 
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Outline and planning
 Show how outlining or planning our writing can help us write longer and more detailed. The teacher will show two different ways to brainstorm ideas for an outline or plan. 
60 mins online live lesson

Other Details

Parental Guidance
During the class about foreshadowing I will mention fortune tellers and horoscopes as ways to foreshadow in a story. During the seventh class when we discuss book covers I will show a book cover from a book called Alone in Berlin. This book takes place in Berlin during World War II and one of the covers shows the nazi symbol. During class eight I will screen share a literary agency website and talk about Amazon's self publishing service
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined March, 2016
4.9
1144reviews
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am dedicated to forming connections with my students and customizing my teaching to suit their age. I aim to challenge my students while ensuring they never feel like failures. Patience, humor, and kindness are paramount in my approach.

As a teacher, I foster critical thinking through various activities such as research and discussions. The most rewarding part of my job is igniting my students' joy of learning and nurturing their curiosity about the world.

I believe in incorporating play into my teaching whenever possible, as I believe that everyone, regardless of age, has a playful side.

In my creative writing classes, I encourage students to draw from their experiences and thoughts to create unique pieces and share my passion for writing. This passion has been recognized with four awards  for a short story and three poems,  which I hope will inspire your students.

I am an immigrant from Sweden with a master's degree in education from Lund/Malmö University.

I have previously taught social and political science, religion, and geography and have nearly 25 years of experience working with children of different ages.

My diverse interests include folklore, photography, nature, books, and history, particularly on overlooked historical figures. I hope to share these interests with your students, sparking their curiosity and broadening their horizons.

I eagerly look forward to having your student in my class and am excited to embark on this learning journey together!

Reviews

Live Group Course
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$19

weekly or $150 for 8 classes
1x per week, 8 weeks
60 min

Completed by 872 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
1-10 learners per class

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