Class Description

Writing a novel can seem like a big, mysterious process, but at its heart, it's just story telling. And telling a compelling story comes down to paying attention to a handful of basic story-telling principles. In this 3 session class, we'll review those principles, i.e. how character desire shapes plot, how to make sure your secondary characters are pulling their story-telling weight, what an emotional climax is and where should it fall in your ms, scene versus summary, and how not to misuse flashback and backstory, using examples from published work, and in-class writing exercises. There'll also be homework, to keep you motivated and make sure you have a good working knowledge of how and why to use these principles. We'll also talk about revision, when and how to find beta readers, and how to go about getting your book out into the world. All sessions will be recorded, and the recording made available to all registered participants. Instructor bio: Janis Cooke Newman is the author of two award-winning novels, 'Mary; Mrs. A. Lincoln,' with was an LA Times Book Prize Finalist and USA Today's Historical Novel of the Year, and 'A Master Plan for Rescue,' which was named one of the best books of the year by the SF Chronicle. She is also the author of the memoir, 'The Russian Word for Snow,' which was translated into several languages. Newman is the found of LitCamp and Page Street.