This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
This is an advanced fiction writing course that delves into the use of archetypes in what is called “The Hero’s Journey,” the mythic structure that many claims all stories follow. This course will cover the different kinds of typological characters who appear in stories, applying that knowledge to the crafting of your own fiction book and to upper-level literature.
Total classes: 8
Prerequisite: Because many of the concepts in this course dovetail into the Fiction Series courses, it is recommended to have taken or be enrolled in any of the 11-level fiction courses before or while taking this course, but it is not required. Your student will also need Word 2007 or later version or the ability to convert a document to a Word-compatible document.
Suggested grade level: High school; however, those in middle school who have written or are writing their own fiction work are encouraged to enroll.
Suggested credit: 2/3 Creative Writing, Writing, or English. For a full semester credit, continue with daily writing and honing your craft, working with the parent.
Description
This is an advanced fiction writing course that delves into the use of archetypes in what is called “The Hero’s Journey,” the mythic structure that many claims all stories follow. This course will cover the different kinds of typological characters who appear in stories, applying that knowledge to the crafting of your own fiction book and to upper-level literature. The course can be taken in conjunction with any of the other fiction writing courses offered with Homeschool Connections. Whether you plan on going into fiction writing (books, screenwriting, poetry) or simply want to expand your ability to write in advanced styles, this course is for you.
Outline
Class 1: Archetypes and story in fiction writing
Class 2: The Hero
Class 3: The Mentor: The Wise Old Man or Woman
Class 4: The Threshold Guardian
Class 5: The Herald
Class 6: The Shapeshifter and the Shadow
Class 7: The Ally
Class 8: The Trickster
Materials and Homework
Course Materials:
Word 2007 or later version
IMPORTANT NOTE: All of the Aquinas Writing Advantage assignments are to be submitted as Microsoft Word documents only. Google documents and in-system submission of text is not accepted. Thank you.
Book: The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd Edition, by Christopher Vogler and Michele Montez. Get the book here: http://amzn.to/2DzkE1W
NOTE: The same book is used in both the Hero’s Journey 1 (this course) and Hero’s Journey 2 (next semester) course.
Homework: Approximately two to four hours per week of reading and completing coursework, depending on your skills level coming into the course. All homework is graded with personal feedback given by the instructor.
