Friday, 19 September 2008
Season of Inspiration online creative writing course
Just putting final touches to our Season of Inspiration online writing course that starts October 6th. I love teaching these courses as online spaces are really brilliant for writing workshops and students respond well to one another. We use Moodle of course. And we have another set of brilliant exciting materials - well they encourage me to write anyway. This time both Sharon and I are well and raring to go!
A few places still left for anyone who'd like to join us :)Season of Inspiration is back again with our trademark supportive, friendly, online writing community and all-new inspiration!
Yet again we will be dipping into a variety of sources of inspiration, from nature to music to landscape. From mesostic poems to mystery stories, there’ll be formats and genres to experiment with. We aim to provide inspiration for writing that’ll see you through the rest of 2008. We offer support, exercises and creative bolstering.
Come whether you’re bursting with ideas to try out or whether you want to rediscover your creativity. Designed so that you can work at your own level (whether you’re starting out as a writer or seeking inspiration for your next publication) with the support and encouragement of a writing community and two tutors. This is the online equivalent of a writers’ workshop, not a lonely self-study course. Students are welcome from anywhere in the world (the course is run in English).
http://reachfurther.com/index.php/courses/soi/Labels: creative writing, online writing courses, online writing school
posted by Helen Whitehead 8:51 AM
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Last few places still left on our online writing course Season of Inspiration
My latest writing course starts next Monday 18th February 2008 for 9 weeks.
Season of Inspiration is back again with our trademark supportive, friendly, online writing community and all-new inspiration!
Yet again we will be dipping into a variety of sources of inspiration, from nature to music to landscape. From mesostic poems to mystery stories, there'll be formats and genres to experiment with. We aim to provide inspiration for writing that'll see you through the rest of 2008. We offer support, exercises and creative bolstering. Come whether you're bursting with ideas to try out or whether you want to rediscover your creativity. Designed so that you can work at your own level (whether you're starting out as a writer or seeking inspiration for your next publication) with the support and encouragement of a writing community and two tutors. This is the online equivalent of a writers' workshop, not a lonely self-study course. Students are welcome from anywhere in the world (the course is run in English).
Co-tutors: Helen Whitehead (Nottingham, UK) and Sharon Rundle (Hunter Valley, Australia), both editors of Kids on the Net.
Cost: UKP£150 / USD$300 / AUS $370
Please register immediately for one of the last few places at info@kidsonthenet.com
The course takes place in Moodle.
More information on the course website at http://www.newmediawriting.comLabels: online writing courses, online writing school, season of inspiration, Sharon Rundle, trAce online writing school
Link: posted by Helen Whitehead 12:06 PM
Monday, 21 January 2008
Feedback from Season of Inspiration course
One is allowed to blow one's own trumpet occasionally, yes?
Here is some of the feedback from my last writing course...
"Though I am a published writer (I have an anthology of Short Stories in my name) I must say I have benefitted from the Season Of Inspiration course in a big way. Can creative writing be taught? It is a much-debated question. Story telling, they say, is a gift, not a skill which can be learnt. Helen and Sharon have proved this wrong.
Having participated in Season of Inspiration I feel there is neither a magic moment nor a magic wand which can transform you into a writer. A story teller however gifted she or he may be must also be a wordsmith. You may have most original and inspiring ideas. But all stunning ideas do not end up as stunning stories or a stunning poems. Why? It is here that a course like SOI can come to your rescue. Perfectly and comprehensively structured, SOI gives-- as it should-- equal importance to concept and technique. I particularly liked the way Helen and Sharon used images and visual metaphors as prompts to get you set on a narrative. This is a subtle but extremely effective device or a ploy on the part of the instructor, which urges you to go beyond and beneath the surface and arrive at insights and epiphanies which, incidentally, is the dream of every writer. SOI is a road map to aspiring writers.
It is a truly inspiring course. I felt the nine weeks I spent with Helen and Sharon and the fellow participants in SOI were over too soon. Though hectic and demanding it was a refreshing and enjoyable experience."
Student, Oct 07 (Haryana, India)"This was the best online writing course I have ever done. Writers were given the freedom to be creative without the unnecessary restrictions of other online courses, but whilst also respecting the feelings of other course members (and the instructors). The feedback was useful and constructive - I was praised for the aspects of my writing that worked well whilst being given advice on how to improve my work (exactly what I expect from a top notch course). The technical aspects of the course were excellent in terms of layout, ease of access to lessons and general use of the forums. The other students were amazing. I loved the chat sessions and the terrific effort by Sharon and Helen to accommodate all students' time zones. The support I received from everyone when I experienced major technical problems with my computer was fantastic and really made me feel part of a community of writers. Lastly and not of all least, the exercises we were given each week were fabulous and very much encouraged my creative spirit. I have learned so much from this course."
Student, Oct 07 (WA, Australia)"I have found Season Of Inspiration better each time I took part. Both students and tutors were keen and enthusiastic. The interactions have been helpful, stimulating, forthright, and most importantly, honest. The materials were more than ample and well diversified to cater for different students' individual needs. There was no pressure but a lot of pleasure and fun to be in the SOI course. It has been very productive for me even when I was away overseas for 4 weeks. As a bonus I have improved my English through interacting with the others. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who aspires to be a writer and to writers who want to be better writers. I certainly would recommend it to potential students who are not born with English as their mother tongue."
Student, Oct 07 (NSW, Australia)"The course really was inspiring. The tutors were knowledgeable, supportive and flexible and I enjoyed communicating with other writers from around the world. I would wholeheartedly recommend a Season of Inspiration course to anyone looking for prompts and encouragement to explore their own writing and develop their critical faculties, particularly if the time they have available to write is limited or variable, or they aren't sure how to get started. Season of Inspiration gave me a whole lot of new beginnings."
The next course Season of Inspiration online writing course starts 18th February - plenty of time left to sign up! More information about the course
Student, Oct 07 (Bath, UK)Labels: online writing courses, season of inspiration, writing class, writing tutor
posted by Helen Whitehead 3:06 PM
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Discovery: topicality of e-learning materials
I love it when materials in a course turn out to be relevant and topical. In my Season of Inspiration writing course at the moment we are this week writing about caves and other underground spaces.
We already have great inspiration from some fabulous photographs from Nottingham's Papplewick Pumping Station Victorian underground reservoir on the day it opened to the public, and Aborigine cave art from my co-tutor's Australian property.
Today, the BBC reports on the discovery of what is thought to be the Lupercal, a mythical Roman cave, the long-lost underground grotto where ancient Romans believed a female wolf suckled the city's twin founders.
And here is the e-tivity which we have offered to our writing participants this week...
E-tivity 7.6: Discovery
Purpose: To write about the thrill of discovery.Task: Something marvellous is found in a cave or subterranean space, it could be rock art, engravings, smuggled treasure, prehistoric artefacts, a mummified animal or person. Describe your discovery and its significance to the local population. What will the discovery mean to those who found it? Will this important discovery end happily or will it end in conflict? Write a poem or story about this marvellous discovery.
Respond: Give a reasoned critique to at least two of the stories posted.
Labels: cave, discovery, e-learning, e-tivities, elearning, etivities, learning design, online writing courses, underground, writing
posted by Helen Whitehead 7:48 AM
