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Affordable Writing Courses in English Grammar, Punctuation, Fiction, Poetry, and More! |
   New Horizons Academy Course Catalog DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES FALL 2018 TERM HAS BEEN CANCELLED! PLEASE JOINS US AGAIN IN JANUARY 2019 FOR WINTER TERM!  Please read the entire page, including the complete list of courses, before making your selections. General Information About Our Courses  Each course is at least five lessons and no more than eight lessons in length. The number of lessons usually equates to the number of weeks the course is in session; however, we allow the instructor up to ten weeks to complete a course if necessary. Please note in the course catalog how many weeks are expected for the course(s) you choose and make sure you can meet the commitment. Each course instructor has his/her own criteria and expectations for submission of assignments. If a student falls behind in his/her assignments, instructors do their best to give the industrious student extra time if possible. However, a student who falls 2 weeks or more behind, without an extension from the instructor, is automatically dropped from the course. Like college courses in the United States, it is the student's responsibility to contact his/her instructor when an extension is necessary. We currently run three terms a year for our courses. The Winter Term starts in January, Spring Term in May, and Fall Term in late August. All of our courses are based on college-level, professional teaching models and have been personally researched by each instructor. Some courses have "waiting lists" for those who want to take a specific course, but find it is already full for the current term. If you want to be on a waiting list, contact the Head Administrator, Katzendragonz   . Please Note: Our waiting lists are for the current term only once registration opens. We do not have waiting lists for future terms. All registrations are processed in the order they are received and class spaces assigned accordingly. Individual course length and content as well as class size are subject to change, without additional notice, at the discretion of the individual instructor in consultation with New Horizons Academy Administration. Tuition Fees The fee for each course is 10,000 Gift Points (GPs) New Horizons Academy offers partial scholarships (up to one half the cost of one course) for those unable to meet full tuition costs. Contact our Head Administrator, Katzendragonz , to apply for a scholarship. PROPOSED COURSE LIST - WINTER 2019 TERM ** Punctuation Inc. Besides making our work look polished and grammatically correct, good punctuation shapes and colors our writing—it adds dimension. Participate in punctuation. By that, I mean actively choose which punctuation marks do the best job of making your writing say what you want to say the way you intend for your readers to hear it. Carefully choosing which punctuation mark to use is the difference between good writing and powerful writing. Be prepared to actively participate in our forum activities and discussions. Our interaction with each other provides us with a safe place to practice what we learn. I want every student to feel comfortable stepping up to the chalkboard to practice punctuation rules. Much of what you will learn in this course depends on how involved you are in "The Punctuation Inc. Classroom"  .This course is exciting and can change the way you view punctuation. We'll work hard and have fun learning how to make our writing stand out. Though this is a basic class, it is not necessarily an easy class. The concepts are essential to master if you want to become a writer. So be prepared to commit time enough to ask questions when you are confused about a concept and discuss concepts with your classmates in the forum. This is not a correspondence course. I'm called your TEACHER for a reason.  So . . . How big a role do you think good punctuation plays in becoming a writer and what are you willing to do to become proficient with the basic skills of punctuation in order to become a writer?Sign up for an exciting class and actively Participate in Punctuation! PLEASE NOTE! You need to have a strong grasp of basic English grammar concepts and an extensive English vocabulary to be successful in this course. If English is your second language, please contact the course instructor for pre-evaluation before registering for Punctuation, Inc. Course Size: 8 students No Waiting List. 7 week course Instructor: ~Pat~  Assistant Instructor: Winnie Kay  Comma Sense Do you have trouble deciding when to use a comma and when to avoid it? If you question yourself or if others have remarked on your comma confusion, this is the class for you. Comma Sense is an exciting six-week course focusing on the crazy, squiggly punctuation mark that plagues us all. My lessons pinpoint the most recent rules for comma usage. I provide examples to help you understand each of the 30 comma-placement rules as they apply to specific sentence structures. Elementary rules of grammar are interwoven into each lesson in order for you to grasp the logic of comma application. Submission of weekly writing assignments and exercises are required to test your knowledge of the material presented. All homework is evaluated within a day or two and privately submitted to each student with an extensive explanation of any errors detected. This is how we learn! I have designed the course with an inherited sense of humor in a relaxed atmosphere of lighthearted interchange. Participation in weekly forum discussions is a REQUIRED activity and an important part of each lesson. This is an arduous course involving much work on your part. Since there is limited space for each term and no waiting list, please sign up for this class ONLY if you are willing to participate 100%. Come on in and we will put that comma in its place!  Reference/Resource links and one-on-one help are provided in this class. Course Size: 10 students No waiting list available. 6 week course Instructor: Winnie Kay The Exploratory Writing Workshop This workshop is not for beginners who have never written short fiction before. The purpose of this workshop is to give a student who has experience in writing shorter works some developmental time and teaching to get ready to write a larger one. This workshop has two phases. In the first, the student writes six vignettes, one per week using the provided learning prompts. In the second phase, the vignettes are used as a basis for extracting a story line and then expanding the story line to include the dramatic ingredients: character sketches and a synopsis of the vignettes that will be included in the larger work. Come to this workshop prepared to work but also to have fun. Course Size: 8 students One slot waiting list available for those who sign up after the course is filled. Contact Katzendragonz to be added to the Waiting list.8 week course Instructor: percy goodfellow  Spotlight on Character Prerequisite: Reeling in Your Readers Fiction Writing Course. (If you have not completed Reeling in Your Readers, please contact Ms. Katz for an evaluation BEFORE you sign up. Thank you!) Spotlight on Character is an intermediate-to-advanced, seven week course designed to give prose writers of all genres, a foundation for understanding the dynamics of creating well-rounded characters, as well as exercises and examples for doing so. The first part of this course focuses on understanding what a well-rounded character is and ways to begin developing them. The second part explores some of the methods used to reveal characters in our writing, including dialogue, description, setting, and action. Please Note: You must have at least a Basic paid membership in order to participate in this course. A Free membership does not provide adequate portfolio space nor does it allow the level of participation needed to complete the Spotlight on Character course. Each week there will be a discussion, an exercise, and a writing assignment due. The lessons and assignments in this course are designed specifically for intermediate to advanced writers. Discussions are a vital, mandatory part of this course. If you do not have the time or are not comfortable with actively participating in weekly, on-going forum discussions, please reconsider taking this class. We all have so much to teach each other, and in this course, we do it in our discussion forums. We strongly recommend that you not take a second New Horizons Academy course while you are enrolled in Spotlight on Character. This course is time intensive and demanding, but you will learn a lot and grow in your writing skills.Please Note: We do not cover grammar, punctuation, or basic writing skills in this course. You must already be skilled in these areas before attempting the Spotlight on Character course. Course Size: 8 students No waiting list available. 7 week course Instructor: Katzendragonz ** Please Note! Due to unforeseen circumstances, last minute changes may be made to this term's course listing without prior notice.  SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU SIGN UP To qualify for any of our courses we ask that you be at least 18 years old. Younger students, please contact our Head Administrator, Katzendragonz for an evaluation, before registering for classes. We're sorry, but New Horizons Academy does not accept students under the the age of sixteen. You should have at least a Basic level membership throughout the entire term in order to participate in New Horizons Academy courses. Free memberships do not provide enough space or allow the creation of the folders needed to complete the course work for most of our courses. A Basic Membership is only about $10 for a three month period. Go to "The Writing.Com Shop" to learn more and/or to purchase a paid membership. There are also several groups here on Writing.Com that can help with membership upgrades. Please Note: If you only have a free membership and cannot get an upgrade to Basic, please contact the course instructor to make arrangements for posting and storing your course work before registering for your class. We're sorry! Our instructors do not have the time to teach you how to navigate Writing.Com and perform all of the functions and formatting you'll need to complete our courses successfully. You must know how to navigate the WdC site, create static items, create b-item links, post in forums, etc. before you sign up for one of our classes. If you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the various functions and item/e-mail formatting options on Writing.Com there are several organizations and groups that can help you learn more about the site and how to do everything here. Here are two you can check out. Need More Help? Here is the link to a series of videos that will help you learn how to navigate and utilize the great features available here on Writing.Com.
Based on comments from our graduates, each student should plan on devoting at least 3 hours a week to complete each lesson in each class. We highly recommend you only sign up for one course per term. (Maximum of 2 course selections per term per student.) Our courses are challenging and require your dedication and time to learn the material and complete the assignments. Please keep this in mind when selecting your courses. We are here to help you comprehend the concepts and apply the techniques in a practical manner. We will do all we can to help you succeed in the course you select, but it will take dedication and work on your part too. New Horizons Academy is based in the United States of America. If you are an E.S.L. (English Second Language) student, or from another English speaking country, it is important to note our evaluation process is based on Standard American English grammar and punctuation. Some courses have prerequisites for admission. Please, make sure you meet the course requirements before you sign up. For some of the courses, a waiting list is available for those who sign up after the course has filled. Those placed on the waiting list will be notified if an opening occurs within a prescribed time. HERE IS WHERE YOU SIGN UP FOR OUR COURSES! Follow the bitem link below to choose your new course(s) and join the New Horizons Academy student body.
The Following Courses Are Not Being Held During the Fall 2018 Term But Will Return At Another Time The Grammar Garden The Grammar Garden takes us back to the individual components of a simple, complete sentence. The material focuses in-depth on nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. This is a beginning class in grammar only. We do not deal with compound sentences, complex sentences, or compound-complex sentences. The only type of phrase we deal with is the prepositional phrase. Each lesson includes definitions of the components, example sentences, and the practical application of each term listed above. Great as a refresher course, or as additional learning for the English as a second language student. Though this is a basic grammar course, it is a prerequisite to The Master Grammar Garden course (coming soon). We suspect you have a number of grammar issues in your own writing. Bring your questions and issues to the lessons when they apply. Your questions will be answered; and you will finish this course with a stronger understanding of English grammar in the world of writing. We use standard American English throughout this course, so if American English is not your first language, please let us know. We want each of you to feel comfortable as well as successful in this class.Please Note: This course is the prerequisite for the upcoming Master Grammar Garden intermediate to advanced grammar course, coming in the near future here at New Horizons Academy. Though this is a basic class, it is not necessarily an easy class. The concepts are essential to master if you want to become a writer. So be prepared to commit time enough to ask questions when you are confused about a concept and discuss concepts with your classmates in the forum. This is not a correspondence course. I'm called your TEACHER for a reason. So . . . How big a role do you think good grammar plays in becoming a writer and what are you willing to do to become proficient with the basic skills of grammar in order to become a writer?Course Size: 8 students No waiting list available. 8 week course Instructor: ~Pat~ Assistant Instructor: Winnie Kay Course Author: Katzendragonz The Keys to Dynamic Reviewing Exciting Review Course - Learn more than just reviewing! Reviewing is an important facet of the Writing.Com experience. Not only does it help the author to better their work, it helps the reviewer to improve their own writing skills. But the benefit of reviewing is limited by the quality of the review. While many people know the basic techniques of writing a review, we'll explore the ins and outs of writing detailed, quality reviews. We'll learn what to look for while reading manuscripts, how to present constructive criticism, and how to write a review that will be truly beneficial to the author and the reviewer alike. Discussions are a vital part of this course. If you do not have the time or are not comfortable with actively participating in weekly, on-going forum discussions, please reconsider taking this class. We all have so much to teach each other, and, in this course, we do it in our discussion forums.Course Size: 10 students No waiting list available. 8 week course Instructor: Katzendragonz Reeling in Your Readers Come join our film crew and learn about writing fiction. Reeling In Your Readers is an eight week course designed to give prose writers of all genres, a foundation for understanding the dynamics of basic Fiction Writing principles, as well as exercises and examples for doing so. Each week there will be a discussion, an exercise, and a writing assignment due. The lessons and assignments in this course are designed specifically for stronger beginning and intermediate writers. Please Note: You must have at least a Basic paid membership in order to participate in this course. A Free membership does not provide adequate portfolio space nor does it allow the level of participation needed to complete the Reeling in Your Readers course. Discussions are a vital part of this course. If you do not have the time or are not comfortable with actively participating in weekly, on-going forum discussions, please reconsider taking this class. We all have so much to teach each other, and, in this course, we do it in our discussion forums. Beginning writers, please contact course instructor, Katzendragonz for individual evaluation before registering. Please Note: We will not be covering grammar, punctuation, or basic writing skills in this course. We strongly recommend that you not take a second New Horizons Academy course while you are enrolled in Reeling in Your Readers. This course is time intensive and demanding, but you will learn a lot and grow in your writing skills.Course Size: 8 students No waiting list available. 8 week course Instructor: Katzendragonz So You Want To Write A Novel! Open to budding novelists and National Novel Writing Month participants of all writing levels. This course places a strong emphasis on preparing for National Novel Writing Month. PLEASE NOTE! This class will not open and paid tuition will be refunded if less than five students register for it. So You Want To Write A Novel! focuses on laying the building blocks for your next (or your first) novel. It is also designed to give beginning as well as experienced novelists and participants in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) the planning, skills, and encouragement to successfully write the first draft of a 50,000 word novel in the thirty days of November. We'll be Dreaming, Planning, Plotting, and Preparing to write a novel in as little as one month! The first part of the course centers on valuable writers' resources, methods of gaining inspiration in our writing, and blending fresh inspiration with basic writing tools for enriching plot, developing strong characters, writing believable dialogue, creating lush settings, and polishing and honing writing style and craftsmanship. The second part explores a variety of methods and tools to break up writer's block and help keep it away, as well as establishing, and sticking to, daily writing schedules and commitments. Throughout the course we weave in an introduction to and information and hints for successfully conquering and winning National Novel Writing Month. Each week there will be a discussion, a noveling exercise, and/or a NaNo exercise, and a writing assignment due. Because this is a condensed (five weeks only) course, the lessons are longer, and students should plan to spend four to seven hours each week on studies, readings, discussions, and assignments. The five-week format gives students the ability to complete the course before October first and still be able to participate in that year's October NaNo Prep event here on Writing.Com without conflict. Please Note: Participation in class discussions is mandatory. If you are not comfortable doing so, or do not have the time, please do not sign up for this class. This course is only offered during Fall term in anticipation of National Novel Writing Month in November. For additional information on the class and National Novel Writing Month please contact the course instructor. Course Size: 8 students No waiting list available. 5 Week Course Instructor: Katzendragonz COMING IN THE FUTURE! The Master Grammar Garden All finished with The Grammar Garden and wondering where to go next? The Master Grammar Garden takes us to the next stage in our grammar studies. We'll be looking at compound sentences, complex sentences, and compound-complex sentences and phrases, as well as many of the other mysterious and confusing grammar functions and terms you may be asking about as you continue your writing education. Each lesson includes definitions and explanations of the components we'll be covering that week, example sentences, and the practical application of each lesson's material, as well as a discussion where we'll talk about everything we're learning about writing. We suspect you still have a number of questions and grammar issues in your own writing. Bring them to class. We'll discuss them when we cover the lesson that provides your answers, and we'll all finish this class with a stronger understanding of grammar in the world of writing. We use standard American English throughout this course, so if American English is not your first language, please let us know. We want each of you to feel comfortable as well as successful in this class. This is a demanding, detailed, and time intensive course. Students taking The Master Grammar Garden will not be allowed to sign up for a second course in the same term.Please Note: In order to participate in The Master Grammar Garden course you must first successfully complete The Grammar Garden course. Sorry, there are no exceptions to this prerequisite. Course Size: 8 students No waiting list available. 8 week course Co-Instructor: Katzendragonz Co-Instructor: ~Pat~ Co-Instructor: Winnie Kay For more information on who we are and how we came to be New Horizons Academy go to:
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