Postgraduate Certificate Live Online

Achieve professional excellence in creative writing and launch your literary career with a strong, professional foundation.

Limited places available

Start Date

Price

$3,995 (Easy-pay plan available)

Duration

Approximately 9 months

Study Option
Live Online
Course Location
Online
AQF Level
N/A
Entry Requirements
18 years old or over
Assessment
15 practical assignments
Accreditation
The Australian Academy of Creative Writing is recognised by the International Approval and Registrations Centre (IARC).

Achieve professional excellence in creative writing with our postgraduate certificate. Master fiction writing, advanced poetic techniques, and professional-level creative non-fiction.

Designed around 15 practical assignments, you will explore innovative writing styles, understand the intricacies of the publishing industry, and prepare for a career with advanced portfolio development and career planning, enabling you to launch your writing career with a strong, professional foundation.

As a Live Online student, you will attend tutor-led classes online taught by industry professionals. You will also have full access to the Online Learning Centre, which contains course material created by industry experts including instructional videos, written content and assignments.

Our tutors provide all the support, knowledge and in-depth feedback you need to progress through your course and are always contactable through the Online Learning Centre.

On average, a student studying around 15 hours per week can complete the course in 18 months, and a student studying around 30 hours a week can complete the course in 9 months*.

*Completion time is based on the approximate time it has taken past students to complete the course. Students have up to 36 months to complete the course.

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Class Schedule

View the schedule for the evening classes and the weekend classes in Live Online.

Topics

The list below provides an overview of the topics covered in this course.

    • Introduction to Creative Writing

    In this module, you will explore the foundational elements of creative writing across various genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. Learn how to build a compelling narrative structure, create memorable characters, effectively use different settings and atmospheres, and master various points of view to enhance your storytelling.

    • Understanding different genres: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama
    • Basics of narrative structure: beginning, middle, and end
    • Character development: creating memorable characters
    • Setting and atmosphere: using location to enhance storytelling
    • Point of view: first person, third person, and omniscient
    • Writing Techniques

    Sharpen your writing skills with techniques that bring your prose to life. This module covers how to 'show, not tell' to improve descriptive writing, craft realistic dialogues, control pacing, and use flashbacks and foreshadowing. You'll also begin to develop your editing skills with practical self-editing techniques.

    • Show, don’t tell: improving descriptive writing
    • Dialogue basics: crafting realistic conversations
    • Pacing your story: controlling speed and tension
    • Using flashbacks and foreshadowing effectively
    • Introduction to editing: self-editing techniques
    • Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction

    Delve into the forms and functions of poetry, exploring structures from sonnets to free verse. Understand how imagery and symbolism enrich your poems. You’ll also learn to write compelling personal essays and memoirs, conduct research for non-fiction, and discover the pathways to publishing your work.

    • Forms of poetry: sonnet, haiku, free verse, and others
    • Imagery and symbolism in poetry
    • Writing personal essays and memoirs
    • Research for non-fiction: gathering and organising information
    • Publishing poetry and creative non-fiction: avenues and tips
    • Short Stories

    Focus on crafting engaging short stories by understanding essential story elements, developing plots, and creating suspense and drama. This module also covers themes, motifs, and the practicalities of getting your short stories published.

    • Elements of a short story
    • Themes and motifs: enriching your story
    • Developing a plot for short stories
    • Creating suspense and drama
    • Markets for short stories: submission and publication
    • Fundamentals of Dramatic Writing

    Explore the basics of playwriting and scriptwriting, from structuring a play to script formatting. Learn how to develop characters for the stage and screen and use dialogue and subtext effectively to engage audiences.

    • Introduction to playwriting and scriptwriting
    • Structure of a play: acts, scenes, and sequences
    • Basics of script formatting
    • Developing characters for stage and screen
    • Dialogue and subtext in dramatic writing
    • Advanced Fiction Writing

    Develop complex narratives with multiple storylines, create in-depth characters, and use settings to influence the narrative. Dive into genres like sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and historical fiction, blending imaginative elements with realistic settings.

    • Complex plotting: multiple storylines and twists
    • Advanced characterisation: depth and complexity
    • Setting as a character: deepening the environmental impact
    • Writing speculative fiction: sci-fi, fantasy, and horror
    • Historical fiction: blending fact and fiction
    • Literary Devices and Stylistics

    Enhance your writing with advanced literary devices and stylistic techniques, including metaphors, similes, alliteration, stream of consciousness, and the use of unreliable narrators. Explore the unique narrative possibilities of epistolary writing through letters and diary entries.

    • Utilising metaphor and simile effectively
    • The role of alliteration and assonance in prose and poetry
    • Stream of consciousness writing
    • Unreliable narrator: crafting and revealing
    • Epistolary writing: using letters and diary entries
    • Writing for Children and Young Adults

    Understand the nuances of writing for younger audiences, from themes and character development to the structural considerations of children's books. Learn about the children’s book market and how to engage young readers effectively.

    • Understanding your audience: age-appropriate writing
    • Themes in children’s and YA literature
    • Character development for younger audiences
    • Structure of a children's book
    • Publishing in the children's book market
    • Playwriting and Scriptwriting

    Build on your scriptwriting skills with advanced lessons on character arcs, dialogue, stage directions, and screenplay development. Learn how to pitch and sell your scripts to potential producers and networks.

    • Basics of script formatting
    • Character arcs in plays and scripts
    • Dialogue and stage directions
    • Developing a screenplay: from concept to final script
    • Pitching and selling a script
    • The Publishing Process

    Gain insight into the publishing industry, comparing self-publishing and traditional publishing routes. Understand the roles of literary agents, and learn strategies for marketing your book and the importance of cover design and a compelling synopsis.

    • Understanding the publishing industry
    • Self-publishing vs traditional publishing
    • The role of literary agents
    • Book marketing and promotion strategies
    • The importance of cover design and synopsis
    • Experimental Writing

    Push the boundaries of traditional narrative with experimental writing techniques, incorporating multimedia, interactive elements, and cross-genre writing. Explore current trends and future possibilities in storytelling.

    • Breaking conventional forms and structures
    • Incorporating multimedia elements in writing
    • Interactive storytelling in digital formats
    • Cross-genre writing
    • The future of narrative: trends and innovations
    • Advanced Literary Criticism

    Apply critical theories to enhance your writing and analysis skills. Explore text analysis, comparative literature, biographical criticism, and eco-criticism, understanding their impact on creative writing and interpretation.

    • Critical theories and their application in creative writing
    • Text analysis and interpretation
    • Comparative literature: studying cross-cultural influences
    • Biographical criticism: understanding the author's influence
    • Eco-criticism: literature and the environment
    • Professional Writing Skills

    Develop essential skills for professional writing, including grant and proposal writing, technical documentation, effective business communications, and the legal and ethical considerations in professional writing contexts. Learn how to build a successful freelance writing career.

    • Grant and proposal writing
    • Technical writing essentials
    • Writing effective business reports and communications
    • Legal and ethical issues in professional writing
    • Developing a freelance writing career
    • Advanced Poetry and Poetics

    Deepen your understanding of poetic form and contemporary movements. Engage with performance poetry and spoken word, and gain experience in editing and curating poetry collections through practical workshops.

    • Advanced techniques in poetic form
    • Contemporary movements in poetry
    • Performance poetry and spoken word
    • Editing and curating poetry collections
    • Poetry workshops: refining your craft
    • Masterclass in Novel Writing

    Embark on the journey of novel writing, from planning and outlining to drafting and revising. Explore character development, thematic depth, and the unique challenges and strategies of writing and revising long-form narratives.

    • Planning and outlining a novel
    • Writing the first draft: strategies and challenges
    • Character arcs and development over long forms
    • Thematic depth in novels
    • Revision and rewriting techniques for novels

Tutors

All our tutors are creative writing professionals working in the industry.

The Australian Academy of Creative Writing

Our philosophy at the Australian Academy of Creative Writing is to make high-quality education accessible to all by empowering people to do what they love. Through the power of online and blended learning, our students are able to harness their creativity and practically apply it to succeed in their chosen careers.

Pursue your ambition - because the future is today!

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