Questions? Feedback?
powered by
Olark live chat software
Autoplay
Autocomplete
Previous Lesson
Complete and Continue
Novel in Nine 2022
Welcome to Novel in Nine
Welcome to Novel in Nine! Please introduce yourself.
Helpful Information
Recommended Books on Writing
If you have a book-in-progress, read this
Books Recommended by the Class
Important Copyright Notice
Live Session Replays & Future Dates
Live Session Dates
February Zoom - Feb 9, 2022
March Zoom Replay (71:40)
April Zoom Replay (70:23)
May Zoom Replay (63:53)
June Zoom replay (61:30)
July Zoom Replay (73:49)
August Zoom Replay (56:50)
September Zoom Replay, Sept. 14 (47:32)
Sept. Zoom 2 Replay, Sept. 21 (37:48)
October Zoom Replay (query letter session) (59:31)
Craft Essays
Petty Expectations - an essay on genre by Ursula LeGuin
Le Guin's Hypothesis (more on genre)
House As Home: Writing the Places That Raised Us
How to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism
Red Herrings in Contemporary Crime Literature
How to Create a Red Herring by Tana French
Powering Through a First Draft by Susan Choi
The Latest Draft by Dinah Lenney
Tips and Tools
A note on software
Digital & Physical Organization & My Personal Recommendations (the NON-Scrivener version)
Ask me anything - answers to your burning questions
Ask Me Anything!
What is a premise, anyway?
What verb tense should I use for flashbacks?
Should You Have a Prologue?
Should I Worry About Overwriting?
What if I have two primary story lines?
POV: Help, my protagonist is unconscious. What do I do?
February, Week 1: Finding Your What-if
Before We Begin
Week 1 Video (7:32)
Week 1 Lesson & Assignment: Situation and Story
Download: The Big Questions Worksheet
25 Quick Writing Prompts
Week 1 Discussion
Week 2
February Live Session: Feb. 9
Week 2: Understanding Your Protagonist
Week 2 Video - Revealing Your Character (8:45)
Naming Your Characters
Week 3
Week 3 Word Count Notes & Encouragement (2:19)
Week 3 Protagonist, Part 2: Obstacles & Influences
Week 3: Writing background: How much should you include? (video) (6:49)
Week 3 Discussion
Week 2 Discussion (continued)
Writing About Real People in Fiction (Video) (8:08)
Week 4
Week 4: Urgency & Change (Video) (5:49)
Week 4: How to find your novel's urgency
Week 4 Process: Do you need special novel writing software? (Video) (7:10)
Week 4 Discussion
February Share Space
March - Week 5 - Setting
Week 5: Setting your novel in time and place (Video) (9:29)
Week 5: Setting - Giving your reader a place to land
Week 5 Discussion
Checklist: Weeks 4 & 5
One-month cheers and check-in (Feb. 28) (0:47)
Week 6 - Research
Live Zoom: March 9
Week 6: Down the Rabbit Hole and Out Again: Enlivening Your Novel with Research
Week 6 Video: Research (9:17)
Week 6 Discussion
Week 7 : Point of View
Week 7: What You Need to Know about Point of View
Week 7: Whose story is it? Zeroing in on Point of View (Video) (8:56)
Week 7: How to handle multiple points of view (video) (18:12)
Omniscient POV: Examples
Week 7 Discussion
Checklist, Weeks 6 - 7
Week 8
Week 8: How to write a scene
Week 8: Showing up on the days you don't feel inspired (video) (5:39)
Transitioning between scenes within chapters without using time
Week 8 Discussion
Week 9
Get them talking
How to Write Great Dialogue (Video) (7:45)
Week 9 Discussion: Dialogue
Download: Checklist Weeks 8-9
March Share Space
Month 2 Word Count Check-in
Week 10
April 6 Zoom
The Secret Structure
Download: Plot Balance Worksheet
Writing Truths That Transcend Genre (Video) (18:23)
Pep talk: Give yourself 30 minutes
Week 10 Discussion
April Share Space
Week 11
Constructing Scenes & Chapters
What You Need to Know About Scenes and Chapters (video) (16:39)
Download: Weeks 10 & 11 Checklist
Week 12
Week 12: 17 Essential Scenes (Video) (2:24)
Week 12 Download: Foundational Scene List
Week 12 Download: Scene Type List
Week 11 & 12 Discussion
April Share Space 2
Week 13
Week 13 Video: Subplot (2:59)
Week 13: Fun with Subplots
Download: Week 13 Checklist
Week 13 Discussion
Month 3 Word Count Check-in
Week 14
Week 14: Tell Me More (Really)
Week 14 Video: Why You Have to Show AND Tell (18:42)
More Writing Prompts for Days When You Feel Stuck
Week 14 Discussion
Week 14 - 15 Share Space
Week 15
May Zoom - May 11th
Week 15: Close Connections & Emotional Intimacy (Primary Positive Relationship)
The Power of Personal Relationships in Fiction (Video) (6:21)
Week 15 Discussion
Week 16
Week 16: Finding Your Novel's Ideal Pace
Week 16 Video - Pacing (5:34)
Turning Summary into Scene and Vice Versa (Video) (9:10)
Download: Checklist, Weeks 16-17
Week 16 Discussion
Week 17
Week 17 Video - Patterning (7:46)
Week 17: Establishing Narrative Patterns
Week 17 Discussion
May Share Space
Week 18
Week 18: Taking Stock
Halfway Point Cheers & Check-in (Video) (1:33)
Download: Week 18 Progress Report Checklist
Halfway Point: Your Questions
Writing the Middle: How to Keep Up the Novel's Momentum (Video) (13:30)
Week 19
Week 19: The Art of the Sentence
What is voice, anyway? (video) (11:00)
Help! I don't know where my story is going...
Audio: Why I Don't Write Every Day
Word Count Check-in
Week 19 Discussion
Week 20
Week 20: Understanding Your Antagonist
Not Your Usual Bad Guy - Dispelling Myths About Antagonists (7:46)
Week 20 Discussion
June ZOOM - MONDAY, June 13
Weeks 21
Week 21: Plot by the Numbers (11:40)
Week 21: Download: Plot by the Numbers PDF
Week 21 Discussion
Week 22
Week 22: What are you trying to say? Notes on Theme
More notes on theme (video) (13:10)
Week 22: Notes on Theme Audio Version
Week 22 Discussion
June Share Space
Week 23
June (Month 5) Word Count Check-in
Week 23: Notes on Process: Discovering your narrative map
Week 23, Discovering Your Narrative Map, Audio Version
Embracing the Mess & Imperfection of Writing (Video) (9:19)
Week 23 Discussion
July Share Space
Download: Weeks 22 - 23 Checklist
Week 24
week 24: The Art of Description and Suggestion
Week 24: What makes a significant detail? (video) (8:45)
Week 24 Discussion
Weeks 24-25 Share Space
Where do you write? (video) (7:06)
Week 25
Week 25: The Art of Suspense: Planting Many Seeds
Week 25: Beyond the Nail-Biter: Developing Suspense in Any Genre (video) (12:05)
Download: Suspense Check Worksheet
Week 25 Discussion
Turning Summary into Scene
Week 26
July Zoom - Mon July 25th
Middle Challenge (Video & Assignment) (13:30)
Week 26: The power of vulnerability in writing
Week 26 Discussion - Vulnerability
Week 26 Share Space
6-month WORD COUNT CHECK-In (2:07)
Week 27
Week 27: "Sudden & Consequential:" The Novel's Most Important Scene
Advice on Writing the Climax (Video) (5:32)
Week 27 Share Space
Week 27 Discussion
Week 28
A Model Climax, and the Denouement
Falling Action (Video) (6:48)
Week 28 Discussion
Week 29
August Zoom - August 17
Week 29: A Sense of an Ending
Week 29: What Your Ending Should Do (video) (6:56)
Week 29: Further Reading on Endings
Discussion
August Share Space
Week 30
Week 30; Chapter Length, Where You're Headed, & More
Finding Inspiration Where You Are: Writing While Traveling & at Home (video) (6:07)
How to Be Kind To Your Writing Self (Video) (3:25)
Week 30 Discussion
Week 30 Share Space
Further Reading: Powering Through a First Draft by Susan Choi
Week 31
Week 31: Deepening Scenes
Week 31 Video: Fleshing Out Skeletal Scenes (7:38)
Week 31 Discussion
Weeks 31-32 Share Space
Video - on saying what you mean, plus a writing challenge (11:39)
August Word Count/Progress Check-in
Editing Discounts for Novel in 9 Writers
Week 32
Week 32 Assignment: The Final Chapter
Week 32: Notes on Genre (Video) (12:48)
Week 32 Discussion
How to handle background (video) (6:49)
Week 33
September Zoom - Sept. 14th
Video: Titles in Publishing, plus Encouragement (10:38)
Crafting an Unforgettable Title
Week 33: Genre-Bending: What is a cross-genre novel?
When to Include a Prologue
Week 33 Discussion
Week 34
Half-hour zoom: Sept. 21, 11:00-11:30 pt
Week 34: Addition, Subtraction, & Stages of Revision
Video: How to Make Your Novel (Even) Better with Revision (13:51)
Week 34 Discussion
For Further Reading: "The Latest Draft"
Week 35
The Reward of Exhaustion: Next Steps for Revision
Inside My Revision Process (Video) (19:03)
Week 35 Discussion
September Share Space
Week 36
Sentence by Sentence Revision
Revision Focus: Point of View (Video) (13:00)
Discussion
Check-in (wherever you are!)
Week 37
Finding and Working With a Literary Agent (Video) (11:50)
Writing the Query Letter
Manuscript Basics (Download)
Week 37 Discussion
Inspiration: The Writer as Protagonist
Week 38: Publishing
October Zoom, Query Letter session: Oct. 19
Query Letter Share Space
Video: How I Found An Agent & Got Published (A Long Story) (26:52)
Do You Really Need a Literary Agent?
The 60-second book pitch
Download: Querying Literary Agents Worksheet
Pitching the Cross-Genre Novel
Week 38 Discussion
Accessing Your Course Workbook
Week 39
Comparing Traditional and Independent Publishing (14:34)
Do Publishing Trends Matter?
What to Look for in a Publishing Contract
How to Avoid Publishing Scams
Submitting to Contests
How to Handle Rejection & Keep Faith in Your Manuscript (Video) (21:27)
Week 39 Discussion
Congratulations! Parting Thoughts
Parting Thoughts (9:18)
Keep going!
Next Steps
January 2023 Check In
Bonus Content
Publishing Serialized Fiction (13:12)
Further Reading: Powering Through a First Draft by Susan Choi
Lesson content locked
If you're already enrolled,
you'll need to login
.
Enroll in Course to Unlock