Do you have a story idea but aren't sure how to begin? Do your friends say you write well, but you're not sure how to get started on that first book? Do you have a manuscript, or parts of a manuscript, and need to know how to polish it for publication? Are you a published author who wants to learn techniques to write more effectively and efficiently?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then Advanced Fiction Writing is for you!

In this course, you'll explore all the topics a writer needs to create a successful manuscript, including story structure, plot, character, dialogue, setting, suspense, conflict, action, viewpoint, tense, and even how to get published. Each lesson includes an assignment that will help you develop or polish your manuscript. And in the Discussion Area, you'll have an opportunity to share your work with classmates to obtain their feedback.

In Advanced Fiction Writing, you'll explore the essential techniques that are often overlooked by other writing classes and textbooks. And you'll explore them in a clear, step-by-step fashion that will make it easy for you to turn your story idea into a published book. Join us for the next six weeks, and you'll never look at fiction writing the same way again!

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Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Advanced Fiction Writing were also interested in the following courses:

Beginning Writer's Workshop

Mystery Writing

Romance Writing Secrets

Write Fiction Like a Pro

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

Welcome to Advanced Fiction Writing! During the next six weeks, we're going to take a detailed look at all the aspects of fiction writing, including story structure, plot, character, dialogue, setting, suspense, conflict, action, viewpoint, tense, and even how to get published. It sounds like we've got our work cut out for us! But don't worry. We'll take it one step at a time. We'll begin in this lesson by discussing the three-act story structure and how we can use it to create emotionally satisfying fiction.

Friday - Lesson 02

Where do plots come from? Sometimes an idea pops into our heads, and all of its details play themselves out as we jot them down. Other times, coming up with a good plot is a real struggle. Wouldn't it be great if there were some templates we could use to create plots that would work? Fortunately, there are. In this lesson, I'll introduce you to them.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

The driving force behind whatever you write is character. Without a well-constructed, believable character, your readers won't care about the story. And without a consistent, clearly defined character, you won't have anyone to traverse the physical obstacles of the plot. How do you create well-constructed, believable, consistent, and clearly defined characters? I'll show you in this lesson.

Friday - Lesson 04

Today we'll turn our attention to viewpoint, voice, and tense. You'll have a chance right in the lesson to test-drive the ideas we'll be discussing. These road tests will give you an opportunity to try out your possible choices on sample scenarios and see how they work for you. Then I'll show you how I tackled them.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

What good is setting, anyway? Isn't it just a bunch of set decoration that we can add without much consideration of the story or plot? Oh, no. Setting is actually one of your most powerful tools for conveying emotion. How so? Setting helps establish your story's mood, reinforces your theme, and immerses your readers in the story, which makes all your other words more memorable. We'll explore all these ideas in this lesson.

Friday - Lesson 06

To write your long form, it's vital for you to understand that every sentence contributes to the flow of your prose. Each paragraph relates to those that come before and after. In this lesson, we're going to delve into the internal structure of fiction, called scene and sequel. You'll discover how to use scene and sequel with the checkpoints of story structure, with dialogue, and with an eye to pacing. You'll also have lots of exercises to help you polish your scene and sequel skills throughout this lesson.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Today, you're going to learn about action and suspense. Conflict creates action. And it also creates suspense, which is the possibility of action. As essential as conflict is, it's surprisingly hard to write. Why? Because most of us spend our lives trying to avoid it. As a writer, though, you must immerse yourself in conflict. In this lesson, you'll learn how.

Friday - Lesson 08

We spend a lot of our lives talking, so doesn't it seem like it should be easy to write dialogue? Actually, in many ways, it's the most difficult part of fiction writing. Creating convincing, meaningful dialogue that advances the plot and contributes to character development can be an author's greatest challenge. In this lesson, we'll meet that challenge and see how to succeed.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

There's only one chance to make a first impression—that's as true of fiction as it is of people. So in this lesson, we'll examine how to make your first impression with your first few lines. You'll also see how to make a lasting impact with your story's last few paragraphs. I'll show you lots of great examples that should help you to spark your own creative ideas.

Friday - Lesson 10

Writing is more than a profession. It's also an art. As we begin writing our long form, we have many artistic tools to work with. In this lesson, we'll look at a few of them, including symbols and metaphors, plus techniques for writing "bigger."

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

One of the most common bits of advice to authors is "show, don't tell." In short, it means letting your readers make discoveries through your characters and their surroundings, not because you, as the author, explained it to them. Telling is a trap even very experienced authors can fall into. In this lesson, we'll explore ways to avoid it. We'll also look at the differences between drama and melodrama, and when to use each of them.

Friday - Lesson 12

In our final lesson, we'll explore the steps you'll follow to get your book onto the shelves of your local bookstore. First, you'll need to edit your first draft into a polished second draft. Then it's time to find an agent, a publisher, or a printer. Finally, you need to take the initiative in marketing your book. If that sounds like a lot of effort, it is. But seeing your book in print makes everything well worth it.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Steve Alcorn.

Steve Alcorn is the published author of a wide range of fiction and nonfiction works, including the mystery "A Matter of Justice," the historical novel "Everything in Its Path," the romance "Ring of Diamonds" (under the pseudonym Sharon Stevens), and an illustrated journal of his travels around the world called "Travel Kid." When he isn't writing and teaching, Steve serves as the president of Alcorn McBride Inc., a company that engineers equipment for all of your favorite theme park rides.

Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

Student Reviews:

"After I finished Write Fiction Like a Pro, I finished my first manuscript and an outline for a second. This course has given me a lot of stuff to "fix" in both manuscripts! The sections that helped most were the ones on character development (especially those background noise characters), the advanced scene and sequel section, the section on beginnings and endings, and the section on writing big. Learning how to show and not tell has been a wonderful eye opener as well. All the lessons were a great help to me; the ones I listed were just favorites. The do vs. don't style of your lessons helps me a lot more than dropping vague hints and expecting me to catch nuances ever would. As with Write Fiction Like a Pro, I liked how everything you teach is so straight forward. I couldn't have done this without your instruction, Steve, and I'll always appreciate your help. When I get published, you'll get an autographed copy!"

"A very enjoyable course; knowledgeable and helpful instructor; good experience."

"Before this class, I had read (and even studied) several books on writing fiction. Although several mentioned scene and one spoke of the importance of emotion, not one of them mentioned scene structure as taught here. Scene & sequel is powerful. I'd read about three acts, and even tried to apply them, but the idea of a trigger, crisis and epiphany was most helpful to me. To the best of my recollection I'd never heard of setting the clock, either. Putting these and other elements together helped me see how to improve my writing. I'll be back for Mystery Writing and Write Like a Pro in a few weeks. Thanks Steve."

"Challenging and informative, I'd recommend this class to anyone who's interested in writing a novel or short story."

"Challenging and informative, I recommend this class to anyone who's interested in writing a novel or short story."

"Especially enjoyed lesson 12--great course and fantastic instructor. Please develop a fourth course, Steve!"

"EVERY lesson was invaluable. Story structure was an eye opener for me, especially since I didn't learn that in my undergraduate creative writing major. I also felt that scene and sequel was great, as well as beginnings and endings, which I think was the most helpful for me so far. Thanks!"

"Excellent instructor, wonderful and invaluable course. Am already signed up for another of this instructor's courses. He answers questions very quickly. I would recommend this course to anyone who wanted to get the most out of their writing."

"Fantastic course! Steve Alcorn is a wonderful teacher and mentor."

"For six weeks I've been excited, anticipating each lesson. It would be impossible to pick out what the most valuable thing I've learned would be; there are so many. I'm more determined than ever to complete and publish my novel and this class and Write Fiction Like A Pro have given me the confidence and drive I needed!"

"For the past six weeks, I felt part of a select community. Steve, your course filled many of my knowledge gaps in this authoring gig. I'm certain the fresh ideas you provided will shape my writing now and in the future. I find the scene/sequel approach fascinating and am using it on a regular basis."

"Great class! I would recommend this class to anyone interested. I plan to take other classes by Mr. Alcorn and I will take this one again."

"I am grateful to you for this course. I came into this course frustrated that I couldn't get a literary agent for any of my novels. This course showed me why I had problems. I have learned to rewrite and edit my work. The lessons you've presented have made my writing better! Lesson 12 had the biggest impact on me. I now have a better handle on where to go from here. Thank you again Steve!"

"I am very glad that I took this course. It opened up my eyes to a whole lot of new, useful tools to use in writing. Thanks to this course's wonderful teaching, I have learned a lot, and I already feel more confident in my writing. I recommend this course to anyone wishing to improve their writing - it's an awesome opportunity! Thanks for doing such a great job, Steve!"

"I cannot believe how much this course and the instructor have helped me. I love to write now. I don't feel scared or blocked. I feel I now have tools to move forward and break through any slow down I experience. I feel I have a solid foundation, have a good idea of my strengths and weaknesses at this point, and I really want to keep going. I will take another course with Steve. I like that he is direct, prompt, and informative. This is also my first ever on-line course and I really enjoyed it! The freedom with time and completing lessons is great. I love the discussion posts. The whole thing is a great experience!"

"I couldn't be more pleased. This course and Steve's teaching style exceeded all of my expectations. Thank you!"

"I could write a thousand words of praise for this class and for your insightful encouragement to each of us throughout these past 6 weeks. I feel that I have benefited greatly from both the information imparted by you and by the participating students. I am coming away from this experience with a more thorough grounding in the technicalities of writing. I am also coming away with a better understanding of my own writing. I must confess that I thought, after publishing many short stories in various literary journals, that I was pretty good, but this course opened my eyes. I have been strengthened by this course, and by the valuable input from other classmates. A thousand times, thank you."

"I enjoyed this class so much and I'm sorry to see it end. All of the course material was presented in a way that was easy to understand, and the examples in each lesson were a big help. This class taught me that structure makes all the difference between good writing and bad writing. I understand now that conflict is necessary in any story. I've learned how dialogue can make a scene so much more interesting, and I've seen how it's better to show rather than tell. Many of the questions I had on how to get a book published were answered. Every lesson in this course taught me something to help improve my writings. I enjoyed the class from beginning to end."

"I found this course to be extremely helpful and motivating. There was strong interaction among students and with the professor."

"I got exactly what I wanted from the course; structure of a novel…and more! With Steve Alcorn's generous sharing of his material, his resources and himself, I have learned to clarify my protagonist's theme, to be the best one can, and have the inspiration to apply it to a novel... and my life. Thank you, Steve!"

"I have learned so much and will walk away with such helpful material. Maybe I'll even do you proud and get a book out there someday! (It would be thanks to you.) I really appreciated your quick responses to our postings. It's important for us to feel you are involved in our discoveries and your quick responses proved to us you were. I also am appreciative of your lessons being so incredibly informative, yet easy to read. It wasn't so complex that it was overwhelming. I think you have a natural gift with the way you are able to communicate information. Thank you for a great 6 weeks!"

"I just wanted to thank you for all the advice and critiques you gave in your ed2go class on Advanced Fiction Writing. One of the stories I workshopped with you just won first prize in the National Medical Fiction Writing Competition for Physicians. Your advice and teaching made a huge difference in my writing quality and your support encouraged me to keep going. Now I can keep working on getting that novel published!"

"I made some discoveries about my writing that will really help me. This course, and Write like a pro, have totally (whoops! adverb) changed my direction as a writer. I was really stuck in my style of omniscient until I learned that writing through the protagonist's eyes offers a different perspective on the overall story. The topics that were the most important to my writing were: voice, advanced scene and sequel and the last lesson on editing was terrific."

"I'm glad you encouraged us to go back to our old writing. I found that by applying your techniques to very small sections of the old stories, those sections sprang to life. They improved not simply because of the rewriting techniques, but by virtue of the fact that they were being minutely examined, a task required by the specificity of the exercises. In general, those sections that I worked with expanded before re-streamlining, re-editing for concision. I loved that you provided a technique for getting into that. This class is like giving a knife to a starving man at an oyster roast. I'll be taking your other classes."

"I'm sorry to see this class end. I've learned so much and enjoyed it immensely! The feedback has been so helpful and I'm so thankful to everyone for their input. Steve asked us to write what we learned most so here goes. Every good story has an epiphany and an antagonist. Didn't know that. A very good protagonist should have a flaw. Didn't know that. The lessons on scene and structure, building suspense and writing big were very helpful. Good luck to everyone!"

"In your first course, I completed the outline for a young adult novel. This second course helped me develop some techniques to use to write each chapter. I always had difficulty with too much 'telling.' Now I can avoid that using the tools I learned from this course!"

"I really enjoyed learning how a story is structured. I think that is what I've needed most in my writing. Normally I just sit down at the computer and stare at the screen until inspiration comes. I've wasted a lot of time doing that! But now after taking this course I know how to start with just the idea, with just the fragments and then build them into something more developed and full. Thanks Steve!"

"I really enjoyed this class. It's a very good follow up to Write Fiction Like a Pro. Steve did a wonderful job answering questions, and guiding all my fellow classmates along this course. I highly recommend taking this course."

"I really liked the course. The material built well on what I learned in Write Fiction like a Pro earlier this year. I am glad I took Write Fiction Like a Pro before I took this class because I believe the knowledge I gained in that class helped me get a lot more out of this class. Every lesson went into great detail, and many lessons included helpful test drives. I really had a fun six weeks!"

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I gained much insight into my writing and saw an improvement."

"I took this class to see if I still enjoyed writing. Honestly I hadn't written anything in about a year. Well, I'm glad to say the answer turned out to be a tremendous "yes." The creative juices are once again flowing and I want to thank Steve and my fellow classmates for their contributions and critiques. I'm still amazed at how words on a page can touch another person's emotions. Its powerful stuff."

"I truly enjoyed this class and have gained some very useful tools for my writing."

"I've taken a lot of writing classes, but none this effective. A publisher had asked to see more of my work, but my muse just plain shut down on me, which, of course, I thought was a block. After about three of Steve's lessons, I realized that I haven't been blocked, I just plain didn't know enough about the structure of a novel to write one effectively. Now I intend to track down Steve's lessons wherever I can find them out in cyber-land. Thanks, Mr. Alcorn."

"I want to thank Steve and all my classmates for your help and encouragement during this course! I am more inspired and encouraged now than I have been in years. I am excited about my manuscript coming out because now I know there is no doubt it will come out this year! Thank you for helping to put me on the road to being a professional writer! This is a lifelong dream and it is coming true. I know how to write and edit short stories, articles and long form manuscripts now that I can be proud of and want my friends to read. I even know how to get it on the bookshelves now, so they have to buy it to do so! Thank you. See you in the bookstores!"

"I was surprised to learn how many things I didn't know. I often refer to the lessons as I polish my manuscript and appreciate your pointing out the finer details. Thank you, Steve. I enjoyed this."

"I would like to thank you for a fantastic class. I found the lessons and input to be invaluable. I deeply appreciate the tools offered in this course. You have truly helped me to rediscover the joy that writing brings to me."

"Mr. Alcorn, thank you for providing a practical course on writing. I never felt overwhelmed or that I couldn't accomplish a task. I felt like I was on a journey of discovery. With everything I've read, I find it incredible that I haven't come across many of the concepts before. For the first time, I feel like I know what I'm doing. Once again, it is fun to write! Thanks again!"

"Mr. Alcorn, Thank you so much for this class. I learned so much to improve my writing, tips and rules that I had never dreamed existed. The little things make the biggest differences to set you apart from every other beginning writer out there. This course was a lot of help, and I appreciate all the constructive criticism and comments and compliments you gave. Thank you!"

"People tell me the short story I wrote during the class is my best. Maybe the next run through will be a novel. Thank you, Steve, for offering this course. Very much needed and very helpful."

"Steve, "Advanced Fiction Writing" reinforced what I learned in your other two courses plus many new things. You have reduced the process of writing into small, manageable pieces. My writing is forever changed. Before I took your first course, I used the "brute force" method to complete whatever I was writing. While that got me to the finish, the quality of writing was not what I wanted. Now I can fix that."

"Steve Alcorn is a great instructor and I've learned a lot from his courses!"

"Steve Alcorn's courses should be a literal "MUST" to every single aspiring writer in the entire civilized world. No one should ever go into writing without first mastering the basic fundamentals of construction that he teaches."

"Steve conducted an excellent online course. It was thorough but concise, each lesson full of great information. I found the coursework to be very practical and easy to understand; I was able to incorporate everything he taught right away. He also gave excellent feedback, which was both encouraging and informative. Great course!"

"Steve, Great Class! I can tell you my finished novel is not as finished as I thought. When I am through with all of your suggestions I am sure it will go from 80,000 words to 160,000. Thanks again, (I think!)"

"Steve I just finished the final exam and realized how much I've learned. The most important thing I learned was how to write BIG. And I can't forget the power of scene & sequel (still intrigued by it). So much learned in such few weeks, but it not only improved my story writing, it improved my writing in general. I can't thank you enough for that."

"Steve is a student's dream -- attentive, knowledgeable, and able to present course material in a fun and interesting way. He is admirably meticulous in checking the discussion forums and offering comments on student work, even when work is posted days after more recent lessons have been released. A wonderful instructor and a wonderful class -- both highly recommended!"

"Steve is a wonderful teacher. I have taken many classes with him and always learn something new. Love his teaching style. Great class. I will write for awhile and then retake a class with him. This class was a bit hard for me, but Steve kept encouraging me. Can't wait to take another class with him..."

"Steve is wonderful. I don't know how he does online what so many instructors can't do in a classroom. The content and pace were beyond expectation. His critiques were always immensely encouraging and right on. Thank you Steve."

"Steve made the course very structured and easy to understand."

"Steve, Once again, thanks so much. I have an outline for my book that holds together and I've already written a first chapter full of scene and sequel. Writing used to be drudgery because I didn't know what I was doing. Now I have confidence and I'm having a lot of fun. I've also made some wonderful new friends. These two classes have changed my life."

"Steve - Thanks for a great writing course. Scene and Sequel plus dialogue and the last lesson on editing have really helped. I think now I can complete my book. Thanks again - it was a great six weeks."

"Steve, thank you so very much for this course and for your constant words of encouragement. You have had an enormous impact on both my structuring and my prose. I tried reading books, but nothing stuck. Now your concepts are branded on brain. I'll never forget "Scene & Sequel," or many of the others. Critical as I may be, I cannot think of anything in the course I would change. I believe I have a good novel inside of me but have not known where to begin. As our course rolled along, I fundamentally changed the plot and story, flushed it out, and began structuring it. Probably more than anything, you've given me confidence to start the journey."

"Thanks for a great class. I couldn't resist taking the class even though I knew I would be knee deep in kids and grandkids. I printed all the lessons, read them, and took the quizzes and final. Now that it is quiet, I will go back and really digest the information. As usual, your class was inspiring. There is so much to learn! I will be back for another one of your classes soon."

"Thanks for TWO great courses! You have provided me with the tools and techniques... now all I have to do is put them to use and write the book. I'm taking your advice and pressing forward with my first draft. Thanks, again."

"Thanks for your second course, it lived up to my expectations, after taking your first course. Your presentation is most comprehensive and really answers the questions I have...and some I didn't have at the time. I will be looking forward to taking your "mystery" course. My best wishes to you on your continued success - I hope to see you in November."

"Thanks so much for your feedback and constructive input. I have started a number of short stories over the years. I have also had several courses in both creative and technical writing. However, I was never "satisfied" with my stories. They always seemed to lack something, but I didn't know what. This course has assisted me in taking a critical view of my creative writing and to apply some of the details discussed during this course. The lesson on scene and sequel and its importance to the plot was exactly what I needed in order to create stories that flow. My goal is to edit and re-write my stories by adding the structure and recommendations discussed in these lessons in order to create the kind of stories that readers want to read. Thanks!"

"Thank you for yet another great class. I love your teaching style. I sure learned a lot this time around. I am taking what I have learned and will spend time writing my first draft and then I am going to retake one of your classes."

"Thank you, Steve and everyone. This class has been an eye-opener. It has given me a framework in which to put all my ideas in a structured way. I'll have all my notes by my side next time I sit down to write and this time I'll have a better direction, not just sitting staring at the screen and writing little snippets and paragraphs and hoping I can fit them into a whole later. So thank you very much once again, and good luck and happy writing to everyone."

"Thank you, thank you for this course. It was clear, concise and easy to understand. The examples were helpful and I enjoyed doing the exercises. The course was well laid out. I appreciated your rapid response to assignments and questions. I have learned how to write big with your guidance. You have provided me with many tools. I intend to apply them to my work in progress. Thank you once again!"

"The course exceeded my expectations. The lessons were engaging and useful. The instructor is excellent. I particularly enjoyed the examples and exercises. Most of all, the instructor's prompt responses were helpful and encouraging. I would recommend this course. I will sign up for others offered by this instructor."

"The course is a useful tool in becoming a better writer. The instructor interacted with me and others in a professional and friendly manner. He took the time to answer my questions and he explained his answer in such a way that I easily understood. He gave me confidence in myself to become the writer I want to be."

"The material in this course is enough to fill at least two classroom semesters. The lesson on scene and sequel was great. Just writing the assignment and editing some of my older works I can already see improvement. I will follow your advice and keep the material from this course in a binder, and use it for reference. I did this with the information from “Write Fiction Like a Pro” and it has helped be more than once when a story or article seemed to be on the wrong track. I most definitely will take Mystery Writing in the next couple of months."

"The process of many students submitting examples and seeing the corrections was the world's best teaching method. We learned from our own, and even more from the many others. A true learning experience."

"These classes have been my introduction to both Internet learning and writing. Both have been quite satisfying. Steve responds to your questions and discussion comments quickly and informatively. He is always constructive, helpful and upbeat. I couldn't ask for a better experience!"

"These past few classes have been my introduction to both internet learning and writing. Both have been quite satisfying. Steve responds to your questions and discussion comments quickly and informatively. He is always constructive, helpful and upbeat. I couldn't ask for a better experience!"

"The way you presented this class, fast paced and informative, was inspiring to me. I take writing classes in order to help me teach writing more effectively to high school students. Now I'm considering experimenting more with my own projects. I've never heard an instructor expound on leaving out adverbs before. I've learned how "telling" can be made exciting in expositions. I enjoyed the lessons about creating character and conflict. It helped me to clarify a way to get a story going. The lesson on scene/sequel was eye-opening. This class has been well-worth my money and time. Thank you so much."

"This class gave me exactly what I needed. Not only do I have fresh eyes with which to evaluate my work, I have a full box of tools to help me create a real and solid piece of fiction. I am newly energized and committed to my project and I am now proud to say out loud that I am working on a novel."

"This class was great!!!! I learned so much. I've been writing for a long time and have read countless books on the craft as well as how to get published. In this short period of time I learned more than all of those books put together. It's as though no one wants to tell the real secrets....hmmm. Thanks, Steve, for telling it like it REALLY is and giving me the best advice. I am certain to be published now and will most definitely send you the first autographed copy."

"This class was hands-down the best writing course I've ever taken. I would recommend it to anybody. Most of the writing classes or workshops I've taken in the past never really reviewed fundamental elements that writers often forgo - it usually ended up being a bunch of people giving their opinion, not stating facts about what needs to be done about a piece. This class changed that - really convenient, down-to-earth, practical and HELPFUL course."

"This class went by very quickly. I learned not to be afraid of dialogue. I'd tried writing it before and it always felt wrong, but I couldn't figure out why. I really appreciate what I've learned in this course."

"This course has been instrumental in taking my novel and my sequel to the next level. The chapters that have really helped are viewpoint, beginnings and endings, and bringing my story to life. I will be busy doing a lot of self-editing and looking forward to it! Thank you for making this course, Steve."

"This course has energized and motivated me more than I can possibly imagine. I loved every bit of it and I learned so much. I really got a lot out of lesson 5 with sharpening your descriptions and loved the whole lesson on metaphors and similes. One piece I wrote I read to my husband and he asked which book that came out of!! I felt so great. I can't wait to tackle my original novel and apply the things I've learned and also continue on with my second one. I can't thank you enough Steve, and everyone in the course who gives such wonderful feedback!!"

"This course has enriched my enjoyment from reading, watching plays and movies. Thanks!"

"This course has helped my writing. I learned several new concepts that will apply immediately to improve my writing skills."

"This course more than fulfilled my hopes - a great course for struggling writers, it very much helped put me on track to completing my novel."

"This course was highly worthwhile to me. Instead of just sitting down and writing a story, I found that there are more nuts and bolts to the actual writing process than I realized. I highly recommend this course for beginning and not-so-beginning writers."

"This course was informative and helpful. Mr. Alcorn presented the material in a way that was easy to understand and the assignments gave practice that helped to build skill. I will definitely take another of his courses!"

"This course was very instructional and informative. I have had the idea for a novel kicking around in my head for years and went so far as to try to write up an outline. But this course has given me a clear path to actually writing the book. Steve is a great teacher and I plan on taking several more of his courses."

"This course will help tremendously with fiction editing as well as with writing. I've written about 45,000 words of a novel and am hoping for about another 25,000 to finish the rough draft, and I can see a huge difference in what I wrote because of this class. The main difference is that I've learned to make sure there's conflict in every scene, which I look for as a reader and as an editor but wasn't sure how to inject as a writer. Also, thank you a million times for touching on the issue of vanity publishers!"

"This has been the best writing course I've taken. I really feel like I'm on course to write, rewrite and edit the mystery novel that's tossing around in my brain…Thanks so much, Steve, and fellow classmates. I'll let you know if it all comes to fruition one day."

"This is my first on-line course and I have enjoyed it tremendously thanks to your clear instruction. I sure did learn a lot about scene and sequel, writing big and bringing your story to life. My manuscript is about three quarters of the way finished. Your class has made it clear what I need to do on the rewrite. I would have made the same mistakes again if I hadn't taken this course. Thank you so much."

"This is my second course with the instructor and I will probably return for another one - possibly take this one again. There is a wealth of information that I will be digesting for quite awhile. I will keep the lessons as a valuable source of help as I continue to write. There seems to be nothing missing. All we need is to place the body on the chair and keep on writing. Thank you, Steve. I am sure I will be back in one of your classes soon."

"This is the first online class for me. The lesson material was fabulous! This course met and exceeded my expectations."

"This is the second time I've taken this course and I learn more and more each time. Very useful and well taught course."

"This is the third course I've taken of Steve's. Each one helped me learn new crafts and build my writing knowledge in ways that books couldn’t. Steve’s lessons are chock full of easy to understand and logically laid out information. The lessons are thorough and practical in their content as well as fun and interesting. Thanks Steve!"

"This online course was the perfect solution for me. I could work through it and complete the assignments and quizzes at my own pace and didn't feel rushed. The information I learned has been invaluable. Not only has it improved my writing but has increased my enjoyment of reading. I will definitely be taking more of Steve's courses."

"This teacher was encouraging and direct, helped me a lot to quickly see where I could improve my writing skills, sorry to see the class end!"

"This was a fantastic course! I feel much better prepared to write a best-seller! It pointed out many areas where I was making mistakes that will make the difference between great writing and adequate writing. Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn from such an accomplished author. I will be signing up for another one of his courses soon!"

"This was a great course! I really enjoyed every element. Each lesson helped me to really establish my theme and my characters. The thing that gave me the most confidence is the last lesson. I believe that I will be able to write a great story and now know how to get it to market! Thank you so much for the feedback. It's always great to see what other people can do with what you write. I really enjoyed this experience!"

"This was an excellent class overflowing with useful information. It helped me to polish my writing craft using practical, sensible tools. I highly recommend it to anyone wishing to be more confident in technique. The instructor was diligent in providing timely and constructive feedback."

"This was an excellent course! I really feel as if my ability to complete the long form of my mystery novel has been increased hugely. Too many courses are a bit too elementary for those of us who can write, but are shifting genres and writing styles. This one was hard enough -- it was great!"

"This was my first online course and I was impressed with how much of the instructor's personality came out in the lessons. It was as if he was really lecturing to a classroom of students. This course was very helpful and I look forward to taking more courses."

"Well thought out, well paced, full of relevant content, full of examples and “test drives” to encourage the student. Steve is a very good on-line teacher. He provides factual info and lots of encouragement to jump in and learn – lots of positives. Even a beginner like me was able to learn a lot from this course. Steve’s courses are well worth the time and money."

"What a great writing course! This course presented material much, much, much, much, much BETTER than a regular class. Thanks again!"

"Wow! This has been the best writing course. I really appreciated everything, but the structure part was so crucial. I just finished a local fiction writing course in April that never mentioned structure, plot or theme. It was more a "free writing" course, but I kept getting stuck because I didn't know the tools to more a story forward. I have printed out each lesson and will be reviewing this course over and over again. Thanks for sharing your expertise!"

"Wow, what a pleasant, challenging journey! I've been trying to put all of those exciting tools into a special (checklist) toolbox. With at least 120 entries so far, that's a challenge. This course has planted the seeds for some exciting writing adventures. Steve, thanks again for all of your great ideas and careful nurturing of your students."

"Your system and presentation are remarkable. If one tries to write, the instructions are there, but the submissions by other students and your input taught it by example. We each rejoiced in the improvement and saluted the author's efforts. You handled us with kindness, generosity and insight. We loved it. Thank you and I'll see you again."