Foundations of Novel Writing Course
Get Your Novel off the Ground in 8 Weeks
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Build a strong foundation for your novel in this eight-week course taught by a New York Times bestselling novelist.
Do you want to write a novel but aren't sure how to begin? Maybe you have a story to tell but don't yet have a clear understanding of plot, structure, and point of view. Maybe you have an idea for a great protagonist but aren't sure how to bring the character to life on the page. Maybe you read great novels and find yourself wondering, "How did the author do that?"
If this sounds like you, you might enjoy Foundations of Novel Writing. In this course designed for beginning novelists, you will learn the building blocks of narrative and start writing your novel.
Upon the completion of the course, you will have a clear idea of your novel's situation, an understanding of your protagonist and antagonist, and a clear point of view and setting for your story. You will also have a strong first chapter, a working scene list, and a plan for your book.
There are no live classes, so you can complete the lessons on your own schedule.
Course Outline
- Week 1: The Heart of the Novel: Situation and Story
- Week 2: It Starts With Character: Crafting a Compelling Protagonist and Worthy Antagonist
- Week 3: Point of View: Choosing the Voice & Distance of Your Narrative
- Week 4: Setting and Description: Giving Your Reader a Place to Land
- Week 5: Nail Your Genre: How Genre Influences Narrative Choices
- Week 6: Get Them Talking: How to Write Great Dialogue
- Week 7: How to Write Great Scenes: Understanding the Building Blocks of Story
- Week 8: The Shape of the Story: Plotting and Structuring Your Novel
BONUS: What you need to know about publishing: agents, editors, and traditional and independent publishing models
WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU JOIN FOUNDATIONS OF NOVEL WRITING
Weekly Lessons and Assignments: Each week, you will receive at least two written and two video lessons, plus an assignment. You will have access to all lessons and assignments for six months, so if you miss a week or two, you can go back and catch up. Please note that you will not be submitting your assignments for review.
Discussion Forum: Throughout the course, you will be able to interact with the instructor through the discussion forum.
Personal interaction with an internationally bestselling author and veteran writing teacher: This course is taught by an award-winning New York Times bestselling novelist with extensive teaching and publishing experience. Scroll down to see the instructor bio.
Clear progress: If you want to write a novel but aren't sure how to begin, this might be the course for you!
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Your Instructor
Michelle Richmond is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels and two award-winning story collections. Her books have been published in 31 languages and optioned repeatedly for film and television. She has taught in the Masters of Fine Arts programs in creative writing at the University of San Francisco and California College of the Arts and has served as Distinguished Visiting Writer at St. Mary's College of Moraga, Bowling Green State University, and Notre Dame de Namur University. She has also designed and taught novel writing courses online for Stanford Continuing Studies. She is the founder and publisher of Fiction Attic Press.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Important Copyright Notice: All contents of this course, including written and video lectures, course syllabus, downloads, workbooks, worksheets, and course description are under copyright. No part of this course may be reproduced, copied, or distributed in any way, for any purpose. By purchasing this course, you are agreeing to the copyright terms.