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Writers Bureau Courses
<p><a href="http://www.writersbureau.com" target="_blank">Home Study Creative Writing Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.wbjournalism.com" target="_blank">Home Study Freelance Journalism Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.writingforchildrencourse.com" target="_blank">Home Study Writing for Children Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.writersbureau.com/competition" target="_blank">Poetry and Short Story Writing Competition</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.poetrywriting.co.uk" target="_blank">Home Study Poetry Wirting Course</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.writing-course.com" target="_blank">Home Study Biography Writing Course</a></p>
People's Lives Make Great Stories
Writing about people's lives is exciting, lots of fun and, in some circumstances, financially very profitable. It's also a great place to start your writing career.
People are fascinating - and fascinated by each other. And, it's not just stories about the rich and famous that intrigue. Tales of adventure, overcoming adversity, a fall from grace, love, scandal, crime, murder - all grip the imagination. Accounts of our forebears and how they lived never fail to appeal.
The public's appetite for the exploits of others is insatiable. Biographies and autobiographies are rarely out of the bestseller lists. Millions of tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines are sold every week. Editors and publishers will pay good money for the right stories.
On an more personal level, writing your memoirs can be a very enlightening experience for both you and those close to you. You'll be surprised at how interesting your life has been - particularly to your family and friends.
Discovering who we are and where we come from - our roots - is becoming very important for a lot of people. A well-researched and skilfully written family history will be treasured by generations to come.
So, people's lives offer a wealth of material and inspiration to writers. And, the stories of real people are a good place to start developing your ability as a wordsmith. Unlike a novel, the plot and characters are ready made for you - all you have to do is bring them alive on the page. This is where The Writers Bureau home study course can help you.
Learn to Write Like A Professional
Whatever you write it's important that your words engage the reader. Your audience may be family, friends, a publisher or the public at large. It doesn't matter whom you're writing for - but it's important that you capture and hold their interest.
Don't worry if you've never written more than a shopping list before. Writing is a skill that can be learnt. One of the best ways to learn is with help and support from experts like ourselves. Not only will we help you with your writing, we will also show you how to plan, research and publish your work.
You don't need any special background or education to start. Time and time again our students have proved that writers come from all walks of life - housewives, teachers, civil servants, business people, factory workers, senior citizens, teenagers - all types of people who have, under our guidance, developed their writing to a publishable standard.
If you want to write a biography, your memoirs, your family's history or develop a writing career this is the place to start.
Your Course
The Writers Bureau Course covers three distinct genres of non-fiction writing: biographies, memoirs and family histories.
Your course is divided into 18 modules with a supplementary section on Punctuation and Spelling. During the course you will complete 15 writing assignments, which your personal tutor will correct.
Your course shows you how to:
* develop your writing style
* structure your approach
* choose which genre to write - if you don't already have a project in mind
* analyse the potential commercial success of your book or project
* do your research
* avoid infringing copyright and libel laws
* conduct interviews
* contact publishers
* self publish and avoid falling into the clutches of vanity publishers
* go about ghost writing and writing for others
* plus much more
There is a detailed outline later in this booklet, which we suggest you study carefully.
Now we come to what, in our opinion, is the most important part of your course - YOUR PERSONAL TUITION. This is the individual advice, help, guidance and encouragement that you receive from your tutor.
Your Personal Tuition
Undoubtably, the best way to develop your writing is under the guidance of an expert tutor. Your tutor's job is to give you constructive comment, encourage you, but above all to be objective and realistic. Through this firm but gentle approach your tutor will help you develop your writing skills.
You may already have a project in mind and would like assistance with its development. We can advise you on how to plan your research, organise your material and then help you write it. Therefore your assignments are kept very open to suit your individual needs. However, if you would like a more structured approach to your assignments simply let us know. Or, if you would like to have a taster of all three genres, so you can decide which is for you, we can cater for this as well. We do our very best to see that you receive the personal guidance that suits your requirements.
You are assigned a tutor who will stay with you throughout the whole of your course. This gives you the chance to develop a good working relationship. In fact, some of our students take this relationship a step further and get to know their tutor as a real friend.
As we have said before, the guidance from your tutor is, in our opinion, the most important part of your course. It's just like having private lessons all to yourself. Not only do we promise you high quality tuition, but we actually GUARANTEE it. If you feel an assignment has not been corrected properly and thoroughly by your tutor, we will examine it again and if we agree, then we will GIVE YOU A £10 REFUND. We do not just make claims about your tuition, we are fully prepared to back them up with cash. That's how seriously we take it.
Our ability to help you depends on the calibre of our tutors. Each one is a successful, published writer. Each one is an experienced tutor who has been specially trained by us to help you overcome the difficulties, and avoid the pitfalls, all writers face. From their own experience they can help you to start writing, develop your ideas and produce a piece of work of which you can be proud.
Selling Your Writing
The commercial potential of your work will depend on who you are writing about. But, financial gain is not everything - there are also the personal benefits to consider.
If you want to make money though, biographies are for you. Biographies are an important part of the publishing world with thousands being published each year. This is one of the most accessible areas of non-fiction, creating many opportunities for writers - especially if you're new on the block. And, as a biographer, there is a very good chance you could achieve a steady income for yourself. There are also openings as a ghostwriter giving you the chance to meet and write about the people you most admire.
Your personal memoirs are unlikely to interest a publisher unless you are a celebrity or you have done something extraordinary with your life. However, don't let this put you off. Everyone's life is unique and the personal rewards of writing your own life story are priceless. It gives you a chance to review your life, share your thoughts and feelings, pass on advice and warnings or can even help you overcome traumatic events.
If you feel you don't have enough material to write a book, you could make some money from your life experiences by writing nostalgia pieces and recent history articles for local papers and magazines. This is a good area to try when you are just starting out.
Writing your family's history is a very personal project. You will gain a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction from it as well as creating a treasured family heirloom. Once you've written your own family history you could write for other families who don't have the time or inclination to do it themselves. Judging by the number of websites offering such a service, and the growing interest in genealogy, this is an expanding and lucrative market.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to write - be it commercial or personal - you can rest assured that we will do our very best to help you develop your writing to its full potential.
Your Guarantees
We have complete confidence in the course and tuition service we give you. So much so that we are able to make your enrolment as risk-free as possible with our double guarantee.
This clearly states:
* You have your course on 15 days inspection. If you are not completely satisfied with it, just return it within 15 days of receipt and your money will be refunded in full.
* We will give you a £10 refund for every written assignment that is not assessed properly by your tutor (failing agreement between us arbitration is available).
These guarantees are your safeguard of a fair deal from The Writers Bureau and they are set out clearly on your enrolment form. They also ensure that we maintain high tuition standards.
The Course That Can Help Make Your Writing Come Alive
As you will see from the synopsis overleaf, the course modules cover each genre in depth. But, it is in the writing assignments - 15 in all - where your tutor will really help you develop your skills.
The tuition we offer you is very flexible. It doesn't matter where you live - you can study from anywhere in the world. You can work to your own timetable - starting when you are ready, studying when it suits you and taking as long as you like to complete your assignments. We feel this is important as some people have more time to devote to their studies than others.
Your studies are designed to suit your individual needs. You can focus on one genre or have a go at all three. If you have a project in mind we will give you all the help we can to make it a commercial or personal success. If you don't already have a project in mind we can help you decide what to write and then develop it to its full potential. You decide on the approach, which suits you best. You can also adjust your study programme at any time to match your progress and inclinations. This is all part of the personal service we give you and is one of the big advantages of such a flexible system.
In addition to your course modules and assignments you have the supplement on Punctuation and Spelling. This are a great addition to your course and gives specialist advice that will help any writer.
Your full course is sent to you as soon as you enrol and comes in an attractive easy-to-use ring-binder.
Finally we suggest that once you have studied the course synopsis overleaf you read this booklet again. You will see how we can help you develop your ideas into a successful piece of work.
Synopsis:
Introduction: How to use the course
Module 1: Making A Writer Out Of You
When and where to write - how to start writing - coping with writer's block - basic equipment - getting organised - reading widely - personal qualities you need - coping with rejection.
Module 2: Developing Your Style
Writing complete sentences - subject/verb agreement - avoid ambiguity - use prepositions correctly - the five Cs: correctness, conciseness, clarity, coherence and completeness - sentences and paragraphs - using linking words and sign posts - choosing the right word - things to avoid: verbosity, cliché, repetition, slang and obscenities, jargon, foreign words in English - adjectives - similes and metaphors.
Biographies
Module 3: Preparation
An often overlooked market - making your subject a living, breathing character for the reader - picking your subject - celebrities, historical figures and "ordinary" people - madmen, murderers and monsters - the dark side of biography writing - whether your subject is interesting enough to make a commercially successful book - angles to consider.
Module 4: The Celebrity Profile
What the public wants - a living subject or a dead one? the pros and cons of both - do you need the celebrity's approval? - putting together an unauthorised account - how to locate and contact celebrities - interviewing stars - ghost-writing.
Module 5: The Historical Figure
Recent surge in interest - a new approach - making the past three-dimensional - debunking myths and making judgements - spotting trends - fascinating, but less famous historical figures - looking at women in history - doing your research: primary sources, secondary sources, the Internet, talking to experts - writing historical biographies for the young.
Module 6: "Ordinary" People
Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances - finding the right subject - finding the right publisher.
Module 7 - Writing The Book
Selecting the right material - trying to find a new angle - bringing your subject to life - staying clear of libel and copyright problems - structuring your book - giving the edited highlights (life with the dull bits left out) - the "extras" that make your work more commercial - tone (how familiar should you be?) - polishing the text: an 11-point checklist.
Module 8 - Selling Your Biography
Polishing the text: structure, content and expression - finding a publisher - what publishers are looking for - preparing a synopsis - the covering letter - choosing sample chapters to send - the presentation of your manuscript - pitching in an electronic age - do agents make a difference? - payment for your work.
Key Points To Remember
Biography Reading List
Memoirs
Module 9 - Making A Start
Why write your autobiography? Your autobiography - a window on the past. Have you got what it takes to interest a commercial publisher? Have you got enough material? Alternative outlets if your life story won't fill a book.
Module 10 - Organising Your Research
Getting yourself organised - hunting out material - finding out what others remember - tapping your memories: the cluster approach verses the dump approach - choosing a theme for your memoirs.
Module 11 - Planning The Book
The chronological or pot-pourri approach? Putting together an initial synopsis - being selective in what you use - taking an objective approach - how much should you reveal? Introducing yourself and starting with dramatic impact - getting the style and tone just right - avoiding the nostalgia trap.
Module 12 - The Writing Phase
Getting it down on paper - don't edit or get second opinions before it is complete - dealing with writer's block - revising your manuscript - getting feedback from others - structural survey: a 13-point checklist.
Module 13 - Publishing Your Book
Avoid vanity publishers - self publishing: the various options - getting your work into print cheaply - how to produce a proper book: cost, quantity, creating a professional image, registering your book, sales and promotion - the electronic alternative.
Module 14 - Putting It All together
Excerpts from two self-published autobiographies.
Key Points To Remember
Family Histories
Module 15: Organising The Project
The benefits of compiling a family history - alternative ways of structuring your family memoirs - organising the project: who you will be writing about; what period the project will cover; who will tackle the various research and writing; how long the project will take.
Module 16 - The Genealogical Memoir
Getting information from family members: visits, questionnaires and interviews - tapping into your own knowledge - starting the paper trail - going back to old records - widening the search - additional sources of information - Internet resources - photos.
Module 17 - The Snapshot Memoir
Looking at your family here and now - possible topics to cover - looking at things from a multiple viewpoint - family portraits - miscellany of memoirs - preparing a dateline - photos - effective interviewing techniques.
Module 18 - Assembling Your Material
Making decisions on what to include (and what to omit) - dealing with skeletons in the cupboard - structure - the options: (1) Archives (2) Genealogy charts (3) A webpage (4) A book - sharing your work with the family - final thoughts.
Key Points To Remember
Supplement - Punctuation And Spelling
If you have ever had doubts about your ability to spell and punctuate properly this excellent guide will help you.
Your Certificate
This handsome Certificate of Completion is awarded to students who finish all 15 assignments. It is a pat on the back for all your hard work.
Hopefully, by the time we issue your Certificate your book or project will be completed as well. However, if you'd like to continue working with your tutor this can easily be arranged for an extra fee.
You'll Only Succeed If You Try
With our specialist help, guidance and encouragement you will increase your chances of producing a commercially successful book, fascinating memoirs or a treasured heirloom for your family. You could even develop a successful writing career.
All too often people let their ideas and dreams go to waste. Usually it's because they don't know where to start, claim they haven't the time or simply just never get around to it. Don't let this happen to you. With our help you will learn where to begin and how to plan your time. All you have to do is create a small space in your life for your writing. Even with only half an hour a day you'll be surprised how quickly your writing develops and your project comes together.
If you really want to write then there is no time like the present to start. It would be a great shame to do nothing and then look back in a few years time and say, If only . . . On the other hand, you could take action right now by enrolling today. Simply complete the enrolment form or pick up the phone and let's start working together.
How To Enrol
Anybody can enrol on The Writers Bureau Biography, Memoir and Family History Writing Course. You don't need any special qualifications or background other than an average standard of written English. And, because this is a home study course you can start anytime you like. Simply complete the enrolment form and send it to us, together with your fee or deposit, and your full course will be sent to you straight away.
If you wish to pay by credit or debit card you can enrol over the telephone on our FREE fast 24 hour enrolment facility.
0800 389 7360
So, we now look forward to hearing from you and hope this is the start of a long and happy relationship between us.
10 Reasons Why You Can Enrol With Complete Confidence
1. A first-class Biography, Memoir and Family History Writing course from professionals.
2. Caring constructive help from expert tutors (all published writers).
3. Double Guarantee to make your enrolment as risk free as possible:
1. You have your course on 15 days inspection
2. £10 refund for each assignment not properly corrected.
4. Flexible study programme to suit YOU.
5. 15 individual writing assignments to work on and develop the project of your choice.
6. Specialist help on selling your writing. Your tutor will give you further advice on this.
7. Your full course is sent to you as soon as you enrol. This is attractively presented in an easy-to-use ring-binder.
8. You can complete your fees by instalments if this will help you.
9. There are no time limits to your studies.
10. You are awarded a Certificate of Completion at the end of your course.
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