Course Description for

Jump-Start Your Novel

with Joe Nassise

Registration Fee and Course Length

Prerequisites

Standard course: $180 / 6 weeks. Click here to register.

Extended schedule: $224 / 12 weeks. Click here to register.
Extended course is designed for busy people and gives you two weeks to do each lesson but contains NO additional material.

No prerequisites.

Course Contacts

Course Description

The Jump Start Your Novel course focuses on how to plan your novel before you start writing it to make it as effective and intriguing as possible. By the end of the course you will have a variety of tools to help you in the writing process from character and setting sketches to scene outlines to a complete plot roadmap.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to teach the student how to organize their novel-length project for maximum effect and efficiency.

Lesson One - Character and Plot Sketches, Summary, Outline. We'll start by writing a short (one sentence) summary of what your book is about and then expand that into a one paragraph and one page summary, both of which will be used for other purposes later. We'll also create character sketches of each major character, being certain to understand the motivations that drive each of them forward throughout the story.

Lesson Two - Settings and Research. Next we'll create setting sketches of the major locals within the story and identify any areas of information we are going to need to research before we actually begin writing.

Lesson Three - Scene Structure What is a scene? Why are scenes important? How can you construct your scenes so that each one appears vital to the reader? We'll answer questions like these during this lesson.

Lesson Four - Story Evolution and Timeline. The bestselling stories often follow the same basic structure and understanding this structure and applying it to your work is vital to creating a story that keeps the reader wanting more. We'll identify the key story elements and how they evolve throughout your tale, then create a writing timeline for you to keep track of story events through the writing process.

Lesson Five - Beginnings, Middles, and Endings. This lesson dissects each of the three major parts of the story - beginnings, middles, and ends - and provides tips to make certain that your tale doesn't sag in any of these important areas.

Lesson Six - Revisions and the Final Roadmap. The final lesson in the seminar covers writing the final working roadmap for you to use in the actual writing process. By having this prepared from the start, you not only know that your story can stand on its own two feet but it also gives you a working plan to get your project written within a particular timeframe.

PLANNED HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS BY WEEK:
Week One – Character Sketches and Basic Plot Sketch
Week Two – Setting Sketches and a Need to Research List
Week Three – Scene Summaries
Week Four – Complete story timeline
Week Five – Edited Story Timeline
Week Six – Final Roadmap

Preparing to write a novel is a difficult process. While the actual writing portion will only be about 2 hours per week, it will require considerable thought and analysis of what you intend to do.

My teaching style involves asking questions to be certain you fully understand the implications of the choices you've made for your novel. I'll critique your work, make suggestions, but I won't rewrite the material for you. Critical editing is an essential tool in the writer's toolkit and this will help you hone that skill in addition to the others taught in the class.