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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)
October Zoom, Query Letter session: Oct. 19
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