Creative Writing

Dealing with Writer's Block

Often, students will ask me about the best ways to deal with Writer's Block. This lecture will take you through some of the types of Writer's Block that have impeded me over the years and the best ways to approach the issue.

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Structuring Effective Dialogue

There are several goals of this lecture. The first is to provide the basics when formatting dialogue. However, the other goals are tied to tips for creating meaningful dialogue along with providing techniques for using dialogue to impact the pacing of the story.

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Introduction to the Poetic Devices

This lecture video covers the basic terminology and techniques related to how your poem can sound. It focuses on such concepts as alliteration, assonance, consonance, repetition, and rhyme. Each concept is then presented by looking at sample poems.

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Poetic Devices Part II

This lecture covers the basic terminology and techniques related to infusing meaning into your poem. It focuses on such concepts as allusion, connotation, metaphor, simile, and rhyme scheme. Each concept is then presented by looking at sample poems.

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Poetry Fundamentals

This lecture covers the importance of strong nouns and strong verbs in your poem. It also discusses how to build upon those images, which is key to bringing your poem to life. Sample poems include "Droplets" by C.K. Williams and "Adam's Curse" by W.B. Yeats.

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Working with Meter

While other lectures touch on meter, this lecture allows us the opportunity to focus on the aspects of the poem that contribute to meter, exploring the terminology while also providing a detailed look at how the use of meter and rhyme scheme are essential to creating a structured poem like a sonnet.

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Writing Science Fiction Coming Soon!

I've discovered over the years that Sci-Fi and Fantasy are student favorites in relation to the exploration of genre. While providing an overview of the differences between commercial and literary fiction, this lecture also explores the various Sci-Fi tropes that can make your story truly meaningful.

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Mystery & Detective Fiction Coming Soon!

I've included this genre because detective fiction, in particular, relies upon an understanding of how to present key details along with an emphasis on plotting. This lecture is intended to be taught in conjunction with Sherlock Holmes and Ray Chandler.

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