Description

Whether your dream is to write a bestselling novel, design an award-winning advertisement, create inspiring content for your presentation or to simply capture stories from your own life, this course will help you adopt a variety of creative writing methods and narrative styles. Not only will you learn how to write, but also how to think outside the box and develop your imagination.

Creative Storytelling and Creative Writing

“Tell me a story!” Something we all have heard or said so many times. As children, it is through stories we begin to learn how the world works – and that is why we are all so strongly attracted to them. Stories can invite us into an unthinkable reality, they help us learn from the past or even see the future, they offer archetypes of good and evil and can very well play with our imagination as well as logic. A good story can sell everything – not only does this apply to books and movies, but also to everything we do in our professional and personal life. We need a story to design a strong presentation, create an effective post for social media, manage an interview, deliver a business pitch or write an academic essay. While this course focuses on the importance of a story, we will mainly pay attention to the writer (his/her imagination, vocabulary, narrative styles, critical thinking, experience, dreams and memories) – YOU.

Acquired skills

  • Mastering the art of storytelling (“Show Don’t Tell” techniques)
  • Thinking imaginatively, creatively with an “outside the box” attitude
  • Writing for the audience with an ability to make them see your point of view
  • Selling your idea, concept or product through a variety of narrative tools and methods (presentation, advertisement, blog, CV, essay, public speech)
  • Enhancing your English vocabulary, composition and writing style

General information

Course term: 227.07. - 07.08.

Free seats: 7

Price: 800 €

Category: Personal Development & Communication Skills

Status: Available

Deadline: 30.06.2020

Lecturer

Lecturer Zuzi Leskova Creative Writing

Zuzi Leskova

CV

City University of Seattle in Prague

Leading Lecturer and Counselor

Bio

Dr. Zuzi Leskova has been teaching various communication courses at City University of Seattle in Prague since 2015. Here, she mainly focuses on developing students' potential to think, write and communicate creatively and effectively. She currently works as a copywriter, has designed several branding campaigns for big corporations or smaller businesses and published a book as a collection of short stories. She obtained a PhD in marketing communication at Victoria University in Melbourne and worked as a leading lecturer of communication classes at top universities both in Australia and the Czech Republic. Zuzi is a big supporter of dynamic workshops rather than passive lectures, so her classes are based on creative activities and exercises, because – as she believes – when we enjoy what we do, we do it better!

Schedule

  • Day 1Tell me a story about you (students will receive some homework before the class starts)
  • Day 2The importance of a story (historical consequences and their current influence)
  • Day 3The development of a story (main structure, set-up, characters, plot)
  • Day 4Why every story needs some drama (conflicts, problems, arguments and their solutions)
  • Day 5Creative writing techniques (metaphor, hyperbole, oxymoron, plot twist, fiction versus nonfiction writing methods)
  • Day 6Who, Why, Where and When (why you need more than a “what” in your story)
  • Day 7Applying storytelling to academic essays (argumentative, factual, narrative essays)
  • Day 8Applying storytelling to business presentations
  • Day 9Applying storytelling to online advertisements, social media and blog articles
  • Day 10Presentation and discussion about your coursework (share a portfolio of your creative writing pieces with the class)

Course is running: Monday - Friday, 9:00 - 14:00

Course outline

Literature

  • Allan, D (2002). Sticky Wisdom: How to Start a Creative Revolution at Work, Capstone, Mankato.
  • Anderson, C. (2017). TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking, Mariner Books, New York.
  • Bettinghaus, E.P. (1980). Persuasive Communication. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York.
  • Davnes, K. (2009). Creative Writer's Handbook. Pearson, New York.
  • Harcourt, M (2012). The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make us Human. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston.
  • Harford, T. (2016). Messy: How to Be Creative and Resilient in a Tidy-Minded World. Little Brown Book Group, New York.
  • King, S. (2000). On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft. Scribner, New York.
  • Moody, S. (2014). Better English Writing: Improve Your Writing Power (Webster's Word Power) . Geddes & Grosset Ltd, Glasgow.
  • Manson, M. (2019). The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. Harper, London.

Credits

You will receive an official Certificate of Attendance upon completion of your course. Please inform the organizing staff if you require any extra supplements, such as Transcript of Records. The student is eligible to receive up to 5 ECTS credits, however please follow the instructions here and consult the acknowledgment process with your university in advance.

Assessments

  • attendance in class 15%
  • team assignment 40%
  • individual assignment 35%
  • exam 10% (optional, if required by home University)

Course time total 125 hours

  1. Total time of in-class work = 50hours
  2. Preliminary assignment = 10hours
  3. Preparation = 65hours

Price

Course fee includes the course itself, application fee, study materials, Prague public transportation ticket for 2 weeks, afternoon/evening social activities and events, welcome drink and goodbye graduation party. Other expenses, such as meals, accommodation, insurance, personal expenses, extra activities (such as trips outside of town over the weekend and entrance fees), and required equipment (i.e. pencils, paper for illustrations) are not included in the price.

Please note, after the 30th of April 2020 there will be a late enrollment fee charged in the amount of 50EUR on top of the course fee.

Online Alternative -we are fully prepared for an online version of the courses if the restrictions will still take place and your physical presence in Prague will not be possible. If this scenario will occur we will be refunding 200EUR as a discount for the online version of the courses.

COVID-19 Tests upon arrival to Prague you might be asked to take a COVID test to avoid quarantine or you will have to take the test before your departure to Prague at the airport. In that case, we have decided to contribute to the testing and reimburse you in the amount of 100,- EUR. More info here .

COVID-19 Cancellation fee - in case a particular course will be cancelled without an alternative course or the Summer school program will not be happening even in an ONLINE version due to Coronavirus in your country or in the Czech Republic, we will be refunding all amount so cancellation fee is 0,- EUR.

Terms and Conditions - Cancellation fees

Costs of living in Prague

Accommodation

For accommodation options, please visit the dedicated page

*Program/Course Outline is subject to change.