Creative Writing Lab: Experiment with Words
A course by Karen VilledaWriter and Editor
A course by Karen Villeda, Writer and Editor
Overcome the fear of writing by learning to combine literary genres such as narratives, poetry, and essays
Ever wondered if writing could be more fun? In this online course, Mexican writer Karen Villeda shows you her creative process based on experimentation and combining literary genres. She has had more than ten books published, some of which have won awards, and was writer-in-residence at the University of Iowa.
Throughout this course, get ready to be introduced to different creative techniques for tackling the blank page and uncover some amazing ideas in the process. Delve into the world of literary genres and learn to combine them in your texts. Karen talks about key themes like work, perseverance, and planning when it comes to writing. Then wrap everything up by learning to do a critical review of your text.
What will you learn in this online course?
12 lessons & 16 downloads
Creative writing and literary genres
7 minutes, 52 seconds
Why experiment?
5 minutes, 17 seconds
Materials and materiality of writing
5 minutes, 16 seconds
Toolbox
5 minutes, 29 seconds
The narrative
7 minutes, 46 seconds
The poetry
4 minutes, 29 seconds
What's included in this course?
Writer Karen Villeda starts the course by telling you how she got started in literature and writing. She also shares some of her projects and biggest artistic influences.
Then dive headfirst into the world of words and explore a range of literary genres: narratives, poetry, and essays. Karen talks about inspiration, work ethic, persistence, and the harmful notion of originality. Next she shows you various writing techniques which you can begin to put into practice.
Moving on, get to know the importance of planning and time management in your writing. Learn to create with seven senses, the additional two being intuition and research, before combining all the techniques learned to being your text to life.
Discover how to review your texts critically to be able to self-publish. Lastly, Karen stresses the importance of community in writing, to help nourish your craft, find new ideas, and motivate yourself to continue creating.
What is this course's project?
Combine elements from the narrative, poetic, and essay genres to develop a short text.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone with a curious, open mind and the enthusiasm to write.
Requirements and materials
No previous knowledge or experience in writing is necessary for this course.
As for materials, all you need is paper and a pencil or pen. If you prefer, you can opt for a computer with a word processor like Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
Fantástico .
- 4 months ago
Buen curso introductorio!
- 4 months ago
Un curso muy bonito. En lo personal nunca había escrito un texto experimental y de la poesía no soy fan, sin embargo Karen Villeda hace que la creación experimental se convierta en algo sencillo. Por mi parte me gustó que me ayudó a salir de mi zona de confort, pero sin causarme estrés, ya que yo solo había escrito género narrativo y quedé satisfecha con el resultado final. Los ejercicios que propone ayudan a trabajar la creatividad en la escritura.
- 4 months ago
El curso es interesante, pero demasiado corto.
- 8 months ago
Necesitaba escribir y perder el miedo, con este curso lo logré. Da un sistema práctico pero personal logrando conectar con mis búsquedas de una manera totalmente experimental.
She has had more than ten books published, and her book Dodo (Fondo Editorial Tierra Adentro) won the Premio Nacional de Poesía Joven Elías Nandino in 2013 and is part of the Archivo de Literatura Hispánica en Audio. Karen's work has earned her more than fifteen prizes and she has also been writer-in-residence in the University of Iowa. She is currently an editor and gives classes in creative writing.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Presentation
- Influences
- U2
The world of words and diamond mines
- Creative writing and literary genres
- Why experiment?
- Materials and materiality of writing
- U3
The Perfect Diamond!
- Toolbox
- The narrative
- The poetry
- Essay
- U4
Cut and polish the diamond for jewelry
- Fill your blank sheets
- Review and editing
- Where to go?
- FP
Final project
- Creative Writing Lab: Experiment with Words
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Experimental creative writing is about crafting texts that blend literary genres like narrative, poetry, and essay, breaking traditional rules. This course guides you to explore and apply innovative techniques and expressive tools to tell original stories.
The course is designed for intermediate learners, but you don’t need advanced experience. If you love literature and are eager to experiment, you’ll benefit from the tools and exercises offered.
All you need is curiosity, a passion for reading and writing, and basic materials like a notebook, pen, and computer. No prior experience in experimental literature is required.
You’ll learn to combine narrative, poetry, and essay into hybrid texts, exploring innovative structures, poetic devices, and storytelling techniques to create original, personal works.
The course teaches you how to develop complex characters with physical, psychological, and symbolic traits, and how to craft metaphors and poetic imagery using colors, sensory associations, and advanced literary devices.
You’ll work on exercises that blend narrative and poetry, exploring short story structures, verse narratives, and subversive poetry to break conventions and enrich your writing.
Yes, the course includes analysis of works and careers of writers like Virginia Woolf and Elena Garro, exploring women’s literature, magical realism, and formal subversion in their texts.