Writing A Novel: A Six Month Intensive

Writing novels can seem like a mystical process. Write every day, and a novel will appear. The work can feel isolating and disorienting, particularly for a writer’s first book, like stumbling around in the dark. This six-month course is designed to prepare writers for every stage of the novel writing process from beginning the first draft to finding an agent/editor once the manuscript is complete. The purpose of this course is two-fold: to discuss the novel-writing process and to create a community of writers working alongside one another.

There will be weekly lectures on craft, plenty of writing exercises, and lots of discussion around what issues are coming up in our writing at home. This class will primarily be focused on craft and the work of writing, but there will also be several lectures based around the process of getting a novel published and the publishing industry in general. About halfway through the course, there will be class-wide workshops for those interested. Students will leave the course well on their way to a full draft of a novel and a clear understanding of what comes next.

For fiction writers who are at an intermediate level and beyond, will include workshop opportunities.

Weeks 1 – 5: How to Begin? The first five weeks will be a look at how other writers begin their first drafts. Some writers may prefer to outline before writing the first page. Others work by discovering the story as they write it. We’ll discuss how to carve out time and create the space necessary to write a book. There’ll be lots of generative writing exercises and lots of room for discussion.

Weeks 6 – 10: Getting Across the Finish Line. Often, writers can get stuck revising and editing the first hundred pages before the first draft is ever complete. We’ll work through how to move past common creativity jams in first drafts. The goal is not to finish a perfect first draft but to finish a first draft that can be made perfect.

Weeks 11 – 15: Sculpting the Block of Marble. Once a first draft is completed, the real work begins. In this section, the focus will be on how to outline, rewrite, and revise the novel. Students will receive tools so the process can be as efficient and effective as possible.

Weeks 16 – 20: A Reader’s Eye. This will be an opportunity for students to share their projects for workshop. Students will bring a synopsis of their novel and a twenty-page excerpt. Every project will get an hour of class time for discussion and notes from the instructor.

Weeks 20 – 24: What to Expect When You’re Expecting. The last four weeks will look at what comes after completing a tight, edited novel. Topics include: incorporating notes from beta readers and editors, finding the right agent/editor for your work, and what to expect in the year up to publication.

Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.

Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.