Writer U On-Line Courses for October

The Hero's Journey, For Heroines
by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
October 1-26, 2012
$30 at http://www.writeruniv.com/

What happens when a character's journey is more about relationships, with others and with herself, than about daredevil action? Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler have identified 12 popular steps for a hero who explores the outside world and returns with the elixir. But what about a character whose journey leads to flowering change instead of physical adventure? Her challenges, as described in Kim Hudson's 13 steps, will sometimes contradict, sometimes parallel and sometimes compliment the traditional hero's journey...and for writers whose heroine faces her own less-traveled road to discovery, this class offers a fascinating map.

* Establishing the world of dependence
* Moving from dormancy to risk
* Sampling an unrealized dream in secret
* Balancing the old world with the new
* Embracing change, which results in chaos
* Facing self-doubt and the ultimate choice
* Bringing new light to a different world

Laurie Schnebly Campbell always wondered what was wrong with her, not really GETTING the Hero's Journey, until she discovered its feminine counterpart. Then she got excited -- not only by the premise, but also by the chance to create a brand new class for WriterU. She can't wait to see who else shares her enthusiasm for characters making discoveries within themselves, as well as within the world...no matter what their gender.

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Commit the Perfect Crime
by Stephen D. Rogers
October 1-26, 2012
$30 at http://www.writeruniv.com/

Killing people ain't hard. It's the getting away with it that's murder. Whether your protagonist is the criminal who commits the crime or the sleuth/detective who seeks justice, you need to mastermind a plan that will convince readers to come along for the ride. You need to create a sense that nothing can go wrong, and then -- logically -- make it all come apart. Crime may not pay, but writing about it does. In this class you'll learn how to:

* Motivate the various characters to make their actions seem inevitable
* Cripple the first leg of the investigative tripod: motive
* Cripple the second leg of the investigative tripod: means
* Cripple the third leg of the investigative tripod: opportunity
* Plant the clue or trait that causes things to unravel
* Draw out the suspense until the axe falls

Derringer winner Stephen D. Rogers is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society. He judged the Daphne du Maurier (published category) for the Romance Writers of America, Mystery/Suspense Chapter, for four years and has written columns and articles for Dabbling Mum, Writer's Digest, and Writing World. Over five hundred of his stories and poems have appeared in more than two hundred publications.