Novel Writing

Draft a manuscript agents will love

WHEN Materials available starting July 17
Discussions start Wednesday, July 24, 10-11 pm ET - Full Schedule

WHERE Online

PRICE
$675 (or $650 for AvantGuild members - details)

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Details

Join fellow writers in your pursuit of a first draft, under the guidance of a novelist who knows what she's doing -- and what you need to do. You'll learn the lost art of craft, the power of the outline, and how to find the "hook" that will sell your novel.

You'll get lessons on characterization, point of view, style, dialogue, plot, and silencing your inner critic. Students will share their work with the class at least three times and will join the instructor in providing feedback to other students.

In this class, you will learn how to:

Write a strong outline -- and when to change it
Create believable characters
Create a consistent tone and point of view
Understand the secret to dynamic dialogue
Provide and receive useful feedback

By the end of class, you will have:
A working first draft of your novel.

Students who have taken this class have published with:
Simon & Schuster, Voice, Forge, and signed with the McIntosh and Otis agency.

The online classroom has several components:

Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
Discussion: Join a weekly live, interactive discussion via IM and video
Assignments: Complete homework and receive instructor feedback
Forums: Exchange resources, meet peers, and ask your instructor questions

Course Syllabus

Novel Writing (PDF)

View a sample syllabus for the class here.

Instructor

Erika Mailman is the author of the novels The Witch's Trinity and Woman of Ill Fame. She has also published two nonfiction books about Oakland history and is a columnist for the Montclarion newspaper in Oakland. She has taught creative writing at the University of Arizona, the Tucson Open University, and others.

Erika Mailman's Courses
Novel Writing – (Starts July 17)

Testimonials

Erika's example, encouragement, acuity, and good humor inspired every writer in our class and helped keep us focused on our goal. Time and money well spent. -- Bradley Owens

"Erika got me motivated to start the novel that had been in my head for years! By the end of the class, I was 150 pages into my book and had the rest outlined." -- Lian Dolan

"Erika is amazing! She breaks everything down into bite-sized pieces and makes novel writing much less intimidating." -- Alexa Fitzpatrick

"Erika is a dedicated, knowledgeable, fun instructor. She gives solid feedback that really helped me shape my novel." -- Lynn Braz