When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Creative Writing: The Craft of Setting and Description

Ends tomorrow! Save on skills that make you shine with 40% off 3 months of Coursera Plus. Save now

Creative Writing: The Craft of Setting and Description

This course is part of Creative Writing Specialization

Instructor: Amity Gaige

70,310 already enrolled

Included with

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,413 reviews

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

1,413 reviews

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

94%

Most learners liked this course

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Creative Writing Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

In this course aspiring writers will be introduced to the techniques that masters of fiction use to ground a story in a concrete world. From the most realist settings to the most fantastical, writers will learn how to describe the physical world in sharp, sensory detail. We will also learn how to build credibility through research, and to use creative meditation exercises to deepen our own understanding of our story worlds, so that our readers can see all that we imagine.

Module details

Writing a great short story is like conveying a dream. As we will see from studying one famous master, a "persuasive" setting is necessary in order to build mood, character, and even plot.

What's included

7 videos4 readings1 peer review

7 videosTotal 39 minutes

Why Do We Write?7 minutes
The Power of Persuasion4 minutes
Moving Through Time and Space4 minutes
Nothing Can Happen Nowhere9 minutes
Shop Talk with Brando Skyhorse11 minutes
Feedback Expectations for the Specialization2 minutes
Assignment Overview: Slow-Motion Moment1 minute

4 readingsTotal 40 minutes

"The Power of Persuasion" by Mario Vargas Llosa10 minutes
"The Odour of Chrysanthemums" by D.H. Lawrence10 minutes
A Note on Assignments10 minutes
Promo Codes10 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Slow Motion Moment60 minutes

Pack your fiction with "vitamin-rich" detail. Looking at the work of both masters and students, we will discuss how funny, meaningful, and powerful details can be.

What's included

4 videos3 readings1 peer review

4 videosTotal 25 minutes

What Is Significant Detail?6 minutes
"Things That Suck"4 minutes
Shop Talk with Salvatore Scibona14 minutes
Assignment Overview: Habitual Ritual1 minute

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Text of "How to Write About Africa" by Binyavanga Wainaina10 minutes
"How to Become a Writer" by Lorrie Moore10 minutes
"Forever Overhead" by David Foster Wallace10 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes

Habitual Ritual60 minutes

Create settings both familiar and unfamiliar to you, while avoiding common missteps. You will be guided through several meditation exercises as you practice "imaginative research".

What's included

4 videos1 peer review

Setting and description works in realist and non-realist fiction, as well as across literary genres. Consider how to write about your own "primal landscape".

What's included

4 videos1 peer review

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(240 ratings)

Amity Gaige

Wesleyan University

2 Courses72,891 learners

Offered by

Wesleyan University

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018

"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020

"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021

"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."

Learner reviews

5 stars
77.76%
4 stars
17.06%
3 stars
4.10%
2 stars
0.42%
1 star
0.63%

Showing 3 of 1413

Reviewed on Sep 13, 2023

This was course was incredibly fun and engaging to do; the skills I've gained are wide ranged, and the assignments and activities were surprisingly helpful in streamlining many of my existing skills.

Reviewed on Jan 19, 2021

This was such a wonderful course. I got to learn a lot about strange lands, imaginative description etc. Generally how to set my world and describe it in a convincing manner. I totally recommend it.

Reviewed on Feb 10, 2019

Each step I take along this specialization gives me more and more to think about. This course continued to expand my knowledge on the writing process and helped me hone my skills a little more.

View more reviews