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Fall 2019: Writing the Novel: 9 Months Intensive

September 14, 2019 – May 23, 2020 Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm. 28 class meetings Class does not meet November 9, November 30 (Thanksgiving weekend), December 21 – January

$1,200.00

Out of stock

September 14, 2019 – May 23, 2020
Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm. 28 class meetings
Class does not meet November 9, November 30 (Thanksgiving weekend), December 21 – January 18; March 7, 2020

Class is limited to 10 students
Tuition: $1200
Taught by Laura Lampton Scott
Click here for Syllabus

This class for dedicated writers begins in September, with the goal of completing a draft of a novel, or rewriting a draft of a novel, by May. The class is for writers who are seeking a community of fellow writers to support one another in improving one’s writing and getting work done. We will meet 28 times over the course of 9 months.

Class time will include discussions of craft and the writing process. Together, we will closely read three novels as well as supplemental essays, interviews, and a podcast or two. Students can expect to have their work in progress read and discussed 3-4 times over the course of our nine months working together.

There are no staunch prerequisites for joining the class; if you’re unsure if the class is right for you, please contact the instructor for more information. Each participant should have some experience writing fiction, come with an idea for a novel and ready to develop it on paper. It’s important to expect a workshop setting, both giving and receiving constructive critique on work in progress. Though it is not a prerequisite, students who have taken “Writing a Novel in 8 weeks” at Literary Arts should find this class an appropriate next step.

General course outline:

September through November: GETTING STARTED

Topics will include:
• Setting a writing schedule: being realistic with your time and writing pace
• Where to begin when you don’t know the ending
• Incorporating feedback without getting overwhelmed
• To outline or not to outline
• Tackling overwhelm with timelines and lots of Post-its

December through mid-March: THE DARK WINTER OF WRITING A LOT

Topics will include:
• Making our way through the murky middle
• Following the story away from your original idea
• Following inspiration, not a linear timeline
• Making a scene: building a story through a series of compelling scenes
• Developing characters
• Dialog that does work

Mid-March through May: FINDING AND FILLING IN THE BLANKS

Topics will include:
• Getting rid of what isn’t working
• Finishing even though you don’t want to
• Considering your choices: points of view and redrafting
• Strategies for keeping at it
• The path to publication: final two classes will include visits from writers who have been through the novel publication process.

For questions about the class please contact Susan Moore or contact the instructor Laura Lampton Scott

About the instructor: Laura Lampton Scott’s work has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Tin House and the Guardian online, Electric Literature, Monkeybicycle, Okey-Panky, and No Tokens Journal. She has served as assistant and managing editor on books in the McSweeney’s Voice of Witness series, and she’s a MacDowell Colony fellow. Laura has taught fiction at the University of Montana, Literary Arts, and Hugo House in Seattle. She’s currently seeking publication for her first novel.

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CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY:
If you need to cancel your registration for a writing class, the following refund schedule applies:
• 3 days or more before a class: refunds will be issued, less a $35 processing fee.
• 3 days or more before class starts: if you prefer to convert your registration to a credit for an upcoming class, you can receive a tuition credit for an upcoming class for the full amount of your tuition, good for one year.
• 48 hours or less before a class begins: no refund or tuition credit is available.
If Literary Arts has to cancel a class, you will receive a full refund.