CLHUMCW007 - Starting Your Novel
Writing a novel can be a daunting prospect, and the experience is wildly different from writing a short story. The goal of this workshop is to make the process a little less daunting. Together, we’ll discuss some of the common questions and concerns related to starting a new novel, such as word count, maintaining a writing schedule and the benefits (and drawbacks!) of outlines. Then we’ll turn to our own novel projects—and if you don’t have one yet, this workshop is the perfect time to start brainstorming ideas! With a series of fun, customizable exercises, you’ll develop a sense of the novel-writing approaches that work best for you. By the end of the class, students will leave with the seeds of a new novel and a plan for helping them grow.
Course Details
Cassandra Rose Clarke, M.A., is a narrative designer who adapts novels for online gaming scripts. Ms. Clarke is also former acting executive director and instructor with Writespace. She holds a master’s degree in writing from The University of Texas at Austin and has attended the Clarion West Writers Workshop in Seattle. Her work has placed in the Rhysling Awards and been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Pushcart Prize and YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults. Ms. Clarke’s short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons and Daily Science Fiction, and her most recent book is “The Beholden,” a fantasy novel forthcoming from Erewhon Books in 2022.
Online--Synchronous
This course will be delivered in a synchronous format online. Registered participants will receive login instructions to the course page which will provide access to the virtual classroom link and other resources. All online classes are held at Central Standard Time.
- Getting started (choosing what to write about, deciding final word count, developing a writing schedule)
- Developing characters
- Developing settings and building plot
- Approaches to outlining
- Instructor and peer outline critique (optional)
- Drafting strategies and accountability (including getting through the “saggy middle” and finishing the book)
- First chapter peer critique (optional)
This course is suitable for beginning and intermediate writers. No novel-writing experience required.