Your Novel Starts Here is the name of the class I'll be teaching in Asheville beginning mid-September. This is basically the same class I teach every year at John C. Campbell -- the same class that has given rise to a number of completed and published novels.
The class is similar to the one I took back in 2000. Bill Brooks, our instructor, suggested we proceed as though we were writing a novel. He encouraged us to choose a main character, a setting, and to decide what sort of novel we wanted to write.
I chose to write a mystery and decided that my protagonist would be Elizabeth Goodweather, a middle-aged widow living on a farm not unlike ours.
By the time the six classes were over, I had the opening of my novel, some good scenes, a sense of who Elizabeth was, and an idea of how to turn these bits and pieces into a novel.
And I did.
You could too.
The class I offer will include instruction and practice (via writing prompts) in writing realistic dialog and creating three-dimensional characters that move through and interact with a fully realized setting. We'll discuss varying approaches to plotting and I'll help you fill your writer's toolkit with useful tricks for building suspense, insuring continuity, avoiding info dumps, and, as they say, many, many more.
We'll discuss forming or joining critique groups to keep you going and talk about the ins and outs of self-editing. Finally we'll talk about querying agents and discuss the many publishing alternatives available today.
If you've ever thought you might like to try your hand at a novel, this class is for you. Or if you've already made a beginning but haven't followed through, this class could help you sort things out and energize you for the long haul.
The class meets in Asheville on Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30. The first class is on September 11. Full information on registering
HERE (under 10 Week Classes.)All the words are there -- waiting for you to get them in the right order. So shove that cat off your laptop and let's get started!