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Last updated on
3 March, 2009

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Romance Novel Writing
with Brenda Hiatt Barber

REGISTRATION:

COST, LENGTH, PREREQUISITES:

No prerequisites.

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

Extended course: $224 / 12 weeks. Click here to register
Extended course gives you two weeks to do each lesson but contains NO additional material.

For questions about this COURSE, e-mail Brenda Hiatt Barber at  

Writing The Romance Novel is a 6-week course covering everything from coming up with a story idea to preparing a completed manuscript for sale. Lessons include prewriting, including research and plotting; writing elements such as dialogue, pacing, and showing vs telling; polishing/revision and manuscript preparation. Each week's lesson will include an assignment, which you will e-mail to the instructor for feedback.

Week 1: Prewriting I -- What is a romance novel? Setting and premise (historical, contemporary, paranormal, etc.)

Week 2: Prewriting II -- Characters, conflicts, goals, motivation. Plotting/outlining.

Week 3: Writing I -- Research, incorporating research. Handling dialogue, characterization.

Week 4: Writing II -- Viewpoint, Showing vs. telling. Action vs. description/ introspection -- pacing.

Week 5: Scenes and scene structure, transitions, chapter breaks. Writing an opening "hook."

Week 6: Revision/polishing, manuscript preparation, basic marketing.

Assignments: Week 1: choose setting & premise. Week 2: developing characters (character sheet). Week 3: dialogue exercise. Week 4: worksheet on viewpoint. Week 5: write an opening hook. Week 6: WTRN quiz.

Brenda Hiatt is the published author of twelve romance novels to date, and the recipient of B. Dalton Bookseller's award for Bestselling Harlequin Regency of 1993, and a finalist in the 1995 National Readers Choice Awards.

Brenda's SCANDALOUS VIRTUE (HarperCollins, June 1999) garnered rave reviews from Publishers Weekly and other major media. The American Book Readers Association named SCANDALOUS VIRTUE its Best Romance Novel of 1999.

Her most recent novel, SHIP OF DREAMS, was published by HarperCollins in April, 2000. Her next novel, ROGUE'S HONOR, is due out in July, 2001.

Brenda has judged in numerous writing contests and provided critiques for various fundraising efforts.

In addition to teaching "Writing The Romance Novel" Brenda has been the moderator of the weekly Novel Workshop on America Online for the past twelve years, fielding questions on every aspect of writing imaginable.