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- Course name
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Write Your Own Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story (X-19)
- Category
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Writing ➤ Advanced Fiction Writing & Literary Form (11 and X Series)
- Grade
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High School
- Semester
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Recorded
- Summary
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Imagine, design, outline, and finish your own science fiction or fantasy short story in this how-to high-interest writing course -- and grow your writing skills with a dynamic, fun adventure that can make your writing engaging and exciting!
Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course for $127!
See the sidebar to the left for signup information.
Be sure to click “Open Course” (top left), then click the “Instructor Access” button (located under the course photo).
Scroll down to read the biography of each Instructor Access instructor.
Video Instructor: Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA
Read what a student has to say about the course...
This class has been so amazing; the support and constructive criticism have been really effective in teaching me the ins and outs of writing a great story. You [Professor Brown] and Professor Davis were great teachers! Thank you for the awesome class, and God bless! - William M. (Student, Spring 2021)YOUR SPECIAL GUEST CO-TEACHER...
Multi-book author Russell Davis -- who is also the former Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America President, former Director of the Western Colorado University Creative Writing Genre Fiction program, and international speaker on science fiction and fantasy -- joins us each week to share his wealth of knowledge on craft!
RUSSELL DAVIS has written and sold numerous novels and short stories in virtually every genre of fiction, under at least a half-dozen pseudonyms. His writing has encompassed media tie-in work in the Transformers universe to action adventure in The Executioner series to original novels. He’s published short fiction in anthology titles like Under Cover of Darkness, Law of the Gun, and In the Shadow of Evil. In addition to his work as a writer, he has worked as an editor and book packager, and created original anthology titles ranging from westerns like Lost Trails to fantasy like Courts of the Fey.He was the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) from 2008–2010, and has been a member of numerous other writing organization including the Western Writers of America (WWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and the Romance Writers of America (RWA).
His most recent releases are a re-issue of the four-book Jenna Solitaire series (WordFire Press), and he’s currently working on a new collection, Written in the Scars on Our Hearts, and a middle-grade novel with Fran Wilde.
Video Instructor: Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author EB Conroy/Erin Brown Conroy)
Course Description: Do you want to write a science fiction or fantasy short story? Then this is the course for you! With science fiction and fantasy author Erin M. Brown, learn what makes a great short story in the high-adventure genres of science fiction and fantasy! You’ll read, analyze, and discover the magic of famous short stories, while you create your own short story with all of its essential, gripping elements -- including a heart-thumping plot, memorable characters, a wild world with compelling landscape and details, and a twist that makes your reader want more. Become a writer of clear, compelling text through storytelling. Writing has never been so much fun!
©2021-2026 Homeschool Connections and Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author EB Conroy/Erin Brown Conroy). All rights reserved. This course is designed by Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA (aka author EB Conroy/Erin Brown Conroy).
This material is only to be used for its intended purpose by active subscribers of Homeschool Connections. Any other use without explicit permission is in violation of the seventh commandment (yes, the 7th commandment) and in violation of US and International copyright laws.
You may print or download to local hard disk extracts for your personal homeschool and non-commercial use only. This is not to be used for homeschool co-ops without express written permission from Homeschool Connections.
Class 1: What Defines Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Stories? Famous Short Stories -- and Why They’re Famous; Outlining your Short Story -- What it Needs to Succeed; Beginning your Worldbuilding and Setting
Class 2: Refining Your Story’s Plot Points; The Different types of plots and how they can advance the story; Writing How-To’s; Your Voice, including mimicry, voice, and the challenge young writers face (and how to avoid the obvious problems)
Class 3: Refining Your Story’s Characters; Writing How-To’s; The Advantages of Jungian Archetypes and How to Handle Villains and Antiheroes
Class 4: Your Story’s Details: Crafting Amazing Worldbuilding and Details; How to Know the End of the Story
Class 5: Your Story’s Details: Crafting Dialogue; adding description and detail for vividness
Class 6: Your Story’s Twist: How to Make your Reader Love your Story
All materials are provided FREE by the instructor. Students must have the ability to turn in assignments in Microsoft Word format (either through purchasing Word or using Google Docs (free) or another format, then downloading the document into Word format before uploading it into the grading system).
- Course name
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Write Your Own Science Fiction/Fantasy Short Story (X-19)
- Instructors
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Russell Davis, Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA, Andrew Wright, MFA
- Semester
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Recorded
- Category
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Writing ➤ Advanced Fiction Writing & Literary Form (11 and X Series)
- Grade levels
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High School
- Editors
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Aubrey Heki, Sharon Hamric-Weis, Bonnie Donlon, Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA, Donna Graziose, Daniel Massett, Sara Keefe, MA, Geralyn Rea, ME
- Start time
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May 11th, 2021 at 8:00 PM ET
- Course type
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Recorded, free with subscription
- Relative due dates
- Enhanced quiz security
- Enhanced assignment security
Special notes
Instructor Access (optional grading support) for Unlimited Access families is available for this course for $127!
See the sidebar to the left for signup information!
Total classes
Duration
Prerequisites
HS 9-1. Suggested HS 9-2 and the HS 11-7 Short Story course.
Suggested grade level
Suggested credit
Outline
Course Outline:
Materials
Homework
Written assignments are given each week. The average weekly time estimate for homework (including both brainstorming and writing time) is one to four hours, depending on the student’s abilities and commitment.
Andrew Wright, MFA
awright.hsc@gmail.com
Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA
ebconroy@homeschoolconnections.com
About Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA
Erin M. Brown, MA, MFA, is the creator and Director of the Aquinas Writing Advantage program. She is the author of 22 books (including Simplified Writing 101: Top Secrets for College Writing Success) and has been a professional author, editor, and university professor for over 30 years. Professor Brown has been coaching professional authors and writers worldwide, speaks at conferences and webinars often, and is a writing judge for multiple fiction writing/novel writing contests each year.
Professor Brown has been designing online writing courses for students of all ages since the 1990s and has designed the online writing program for three universities. She taught at two universities for 17 years (writing courses, interpersonal communication, management and leadership, and critical thinking). Professor Brown was also the General Education Communications curriculum development lead (writing, communications, critical thinking) for Western Governors University and served almost 20 years as a Senior Global Strategist in writing and as a marketing director.
Professor Brown has a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing/Genre Fiction from Western Colorado University, a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Rehabilitation, and a Bachelor of Music (BM) degree in Education from Western Michigan University. Professor Brown was a homeschooling parent for 34 years and homeschooled 10 children. She lives in Michigan and enjoys writing Science Fiction and Fantasy books in coffee shops, speaking online and at conferences, and walking her dogs.
Russell Davis
writer@morningstormbooks.com
About Russell Davis
Russell Davis, MFA, has written and sold numerous novels and short stories in virtually every genre of fiction, under at least a half-dozen pseudonyms. His writing has encompassed media tie-in work in the Transformers universe to action-adventure in The Executioner series to original novels. He’s published short fiction in anthology titles like Under Cover of Darkness, Law of the Gun, and In the Shadow of Evil. In addition to his work as a writer, he has worked as an editor and book packager, and created original anthology titles ranging from westerns like Lost Trails to fantasy-like Courts of the Fey.
He was the president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) from 2008–2010, and has been a member of numerous other writing organizations including the Western Writers of America (WWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), and the Romance Writers of America (RWA).
His most recent releases are a re-issue of the four-book Jenna Solitaire series (WordFire Press), and he’s currently working on a new collection, Written in the Scars on Our Hearts, and a middle-grade novel with well-known author Fran Wilde. You can find Mr. Davis co-teaching the science fiction and fantasy short story course here at Aquinas Writing Advantage.