Naked Writing: The No-Frills Way to Write Your Novel!
With Glenys O'Connell
All over the world, at this very moment, thousands of writers are starting a novel, full of enthusiasm for their ideas. But the vast majority of those novels will fizzle by Chapter Three, and their disappointed creators will put their work away and give up on their dream. It's not that they aren't talented, and it's not that they don't have good ideas—what they lack are the basic tools for writing and finishing a novel. Writing is hard work. Hard, wonderful work—and there are no shortcuts. Successful writers write. You can light candles, decorate your desk with cut flowers and crystals, choose the perfect mood music to court your Muse. But when it comes right down to the nitty gritty, it's just you and that glowing computer screen. That's when you need to know the basics of writing and finishing your novel. And that's what this course is about—the no-nonsense, no-frills writing that will give you the tools to finish that novel and start submitting to publishers.
This intensive five-week course consists of two lessons a week, posted Saturdays and Wednesdays. We'll get your writing muscles in shape with writing exercises at the end of each lesson—exercises designed to help move your novel along. By the end of the course you should have a clear understanding of the components of a novel, have created a logline, a brief outline, and started on the path to a workable, chapter by chapter, first draft.
You'll learn how to:- Identify the kind of novel you want to write, and understand the elements of a good, workable idea
- Understand story structure and how to use it to make your novel flow
- Create an outline that will get you through the dry spells
- Know the important elements you must have at the start and end of each chapter
- Build characters you'll love to work with-- and readers will love to read about
- Points of View—just who's telling this story, anyway?
- Develop plot points and sub-plots to add texture to your story
- Understand the two different types of character motivation—and how to use them
- Tap into the magic of dialogue, and learn when narrative and backstory can help, or hinder, your story
- Keep your story flowing to a satisfying ending with all the loose ends tied up.
Duration:Five weeks
Start Dates: Now open
Cost: $195
Materials: Just bring your enthusiasm and your ideas—other materials are supplied with each lesson.
Enrollment: Minimum three participants; maximum 12.
How it works:Each Saturday and Wednesday, you will receive a lesson by email. At the end of each lesson there will be a short writing exercise which you will complete and email back for critique. We'll have a forum where participants can discuss the exercises, share experiences and help each other. You have a week to do each assignment, but the faster you work, the faster you move along. You can email questions and I'll respond, either individually or to the group, depending on the type of question. By the end of the five weeks, you'll be on your way to a workable first draft for your novel.
About Glenys O'Connell:
Glenys O'Connell has been teaching creative writing at the adult education level for more than five years, and is proud that a number of her students have gone on to see their work published. She started her writing career as a journalist, and learned early that telling an editor you couldn't write the front page lead because you were waiting for inspiration was to risk an invitation for yourself (and your Muse!) to join the lineup at the local unemployment office. She's had literally thousands of articles published, and her first full-length romantic suspense novel was published in 2000. She has also written a number of children's novels, interactive CDs, and nonfiction books. She has had two plays produced, one of which won awards in the All-Ireland One Act Plays Festival 2003. She has written in many areas of adult nonfiction, from hypnotherapy scripts to travel articles, and is currently contracted to write a travel and culture book. Also in the works are a murder mystery novel, and a book on writing to be published later this year, titled Naked Writing: The No Frills Way To Write Your Novel! Glenys divides her time between suburban Ireland and remote and rural Eastern Ontario, Canada.
Testimonials
"Excellent course and inspirational teacher. After a number of years of no activity, Glenys motivated me, through this course, to get back to my writing. This course was the catalyst that allowed me to complete my play and start working on my first novel." - Patrick Hughes
"Glenys' Creative Writing course gave me good, practical tools and guidance on how to structure different genres of writing and how to get your writing 'out there' but, more importantly, Glenys provided support and encouragement with humor and compassion to give me the confidence to 'put pen to paper'."
"Glenys gave a good insight into the tools that are available to a writer to capture the reader's imagination and maintain their interest" - Michael McLean
"I attended a creative writing class taught by Glenys and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt it was of great benefit to me. She is such a positive person and it is so obvious she loves writing and anything to do with writing. Her enthusiasm was so infectious that she instilled in me the motivation to write. As a published author with varied experience she can give great practical advice and honest criticism." - Una Keating