The Psychology of Compelling Storytelling

WRITING X 463.7E

Learn to apply concepts that make stories powerful and memorable in this course exploring what readers can’t resist.

READ MORE ABOUT THIS COURSE
Online
Remote
Starting at $720.00
As few as 10 weeks
3.0

What you can learn.

  • Identify what makes storytelling so powerful for readers
  • Understand what processes guide attention and decision making
  • Apply concepts from psychology and communication studies to your writing
  • Learn to craft persuasive, meaningful story elements

About this course:

Novice storytellers tend to associate the quality of a story with the quality of its prose. While a clear and concise style will facilitate understanding, the commercial success of “poorly written” books demonstrates that good storytelling, the kind of storytelling that fascinates and persuades, calls for a different skill: the ability to create urgency. This is not an ordinary writing course. This course explains how it is that stories engage and persuade and provides a theoretical background of the mental processes that guide attention and decision making as well as of the limits of cognition so that students can apply that knowledge to the crafting of more engaging and more persuasive stories. For that purpose, this course takes a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling, borrowing concepts from media psychology; communication studies; social psychology; and even seemingly unrelated disciplines such as cognitive neuroscience and ethology, the study of animal behavior.

Spring 2023 Schedule

Date & Time
Details
Format
 
-
Wednesday 6:00PM - 9:00PM PT
Available
See Details
Instructor: Carlos Allende
391021
Fee:
$720.00
Remoteformat icon
Location: Remote Classroom
ENROLL BY: Apr 12, 2023
See Details
Notes

Enrollment limited to 15 students; early enrollment advised. Visitors not permitted. Internet access required.

This course is held via video teleconference. Instructors use Zoom to offer live class meetings at the designated class meeting time. Students must be present at the course meeting time as each student’s final grade may include scores for participation. 
Please inform your instructor if you will miss a class meeting. You are responsible for any class information you missed. We suggest you arrange with a fellow classmate to share their notes when feasible.

Refund Deadline
No refunds after April 26, 2023
Course Requirements

Internet access required to retrieve course materials.

(Optional) Book: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Schedule
Type
Date
Time
Location
Discussion
Wed Apr 12, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed Apr 19, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed Apr 26, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed May 3, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed May 10, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed May 17, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed May 24, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed May 31, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed Jun 7, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
Discussion
Wed Jun 14, 2023
6:00PM PT - 9:00PM PT
Remote Classroom
-
This section has no set meeting times.
Available
See Details
Instructor: Carlos Allende
391015
Fee:
$720.00
Onlineformat icon
ENROLL BY: Apr 12, 2023
See Details
Notes

Enrollment limited to 15 students. Internet access required.

This online course is conducted through Canvas, a secure website that allows students to log in to access lectures, discussions, and other course materials on demand. There are no required class meetings. Each course is structured with weekly assignments and deadlines. Lectures and coursework are accessible throughout the week. Workshops are conducted in writing via discussion boards with your instructor and classmates.

Refund Deadline
No refunds after April 26, 2023
Course Requirements

Internet access required to retrieve course materials.

(Optional) Book: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
https://uclaextension.campusconcourse.com/view_syllabus?course_id=52622&public_mode=1

Contact Us

Speak to a program representative. Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.
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