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Introduction to Fiction Writing (Online at your own pace)


Adult Enrichment / Writing -
Online Certificates and Courses 2025

Designed specifically for those with little to no fiction writing experience, find your pathway towards your fiction writing goals. Learn the basic building blocks of story: character, plot and setting. Then find out the different forms of fiction writing and some of the genres you might like to explore.

Whether you’ve never written a word of fiction, or haven’t written since high school or college, you will complete the course with the skills you need to get started. Create a new work of fiction, or revive an old one that’s been sitting in your bottom drawer.


Courses are online and asynchronous, meaning students may login to the classroom anytime during the course session, day or night, 24/7. For more information, go to our Online Professional Development Certificates & Courses FAQ


Class details:

Unit 1: The building blocks of story
  • Character
  • Conflict
  • Setting
  • Plot and story structure
  • Short story versus novel
  • Who are we writing for?
Unit 2: Character and conflict
  • Protagonists and antagonists
  • Secondary characters
  • Character archetypes
  • Character desires, conflicts and stakes
  • Dialogue
Unit 3: Setting and plot
  • Contemporary versus fantastical and historical settings
  • Setting as character
  • Three act plot structure and the hero’s journey
  • Time jumps and flashbacks
  • Prologues and epilogues
Unit 4: Putting it all together
  • Strategies for outlining
  • Character-driven versus plot-driven outlines
  • Overcoming writer’s block
  • Researching markets
  • Creating a marketing plan
Instructor

Jacqui Lipton


Jacqui Lipton specializes in teaching fiction writing and the business of writing to local and national audiences. She holds an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has taught fiction in libraries and community organizations.

Jacqui works as an editor to the writing community. She is a reader for the Young Adult Review Network, as well as interning at a literary agency in New York. She has completed the fiction writing certificate programs at Stanford Online and the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, as well as majoring in playwriting in college.

Her short stories and flash fiction have placed in a number of writing contests.

OE-13110a-ugc

  Jacqui Lipton


Online
Sun-Sat, Feb 3 - Feb 28
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
OE-13110b-ugc

  Jacqui Lipton


Online
Sun-Sat, Apr 7 - May 2
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
Registration begins  
Jan. 7th at 9:00 AM
OE-13110c-ugc

  Jacqui Lipton


Online
Sun-Sat, Jun 2 - Jun 27
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
Registration begins  
Jan. 7th at 9:00 AM
OE-13110d-ugc

  Jacqui Lipton


Online
Sun-Sat, Sep 2 - Sep 26
12:01 AM - 11:59 PM

Su
M
Tu
W
Th
F
Sa

Min Age   18 yr.

Price: $ 195 00
Registration begins  
Jan. 7th at 9:00 AM