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Nonfiction Book Writing

Draft your book with the help of a published author

Course is closed.
Nonfiction Book Writing

WHEN 10 weeks, Thursdays, October 25 - January 10, 7-10 pm

WHERE New York (Soho)

LEVEL Intermediate

PRICE
$599 ($575 for )
more info

Course Details

Even experienced writers can balk at having to fill hundreds of pages with tens of thousands of words. Find out where to start, how to stay motivated, how to write for a specific audience, and how to establish the perfect tone. You'll receive guidance on these topics while receiving invaluable feedback on your writing by an industry professional and your peers.

The class will be a combination of lectures and weekly manuscript workshops. Lecture topics include: Who's going to read my book? How do I manage the roller-coaster of a long-term project? What do I do with my finished pages?

This class will also feature guest lecturers from Simon and Schuster's editing and marketing departments.

In this class, you will learn:

  • How to research your topic efficiently and effectively
  • How to create a comprehensive structure for your book
  • How to find and sustain the right voice
  • How to distinguish your book in a crowded marketplace
  • Insights into the publishing industry that can affect how and what you write

    Read about how Deborah decided to write her lastest book here.

By the end of this class, students can expect to have:
A working draft (75-100 pages), a full outline, and a plan for the completion of your book

Admission Requirements:
Please submit a one to two page description of your book idea as well as a brief work history.

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Instructor Bio

Deborah Kanafani's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Deborah Kanafani
Deborah Kanafani is the author of the upcoming book Unveiled, which will be published by Simon and Schuster in early 2008. Her book provides a first-hand look inside Middle East politics and culture and has been hailed by critics as a must-read. Deborah has been director of international productions for the PBC in the Middle East where she wrote and produced programs on children's and women's rights for the UNDP, UNICEF, and various European countries. She was executive director of Women in Film and Video in Washington, DC, and a consultant for Oxygen Media. She serves on the boards of several Israeli/Palestinian peace organizations and is actively involved in conflict resolution programs for writers and film makers. She currently lives in New York and Los Angeles, where she is producing a film on the life of Queen Dina.

Testimonials


I am totally inspired by Debbie's nonfiction class, and feel that I am making progress on my book in a way I never could have on my own. The class is exactly what I was looking for. --Maggie Dubris

"Debbie Kanafani's courage is palpable, whether when fighting for her children or in standing up to the powerful men standing in her way. The unadorned honesty of her writing is luminescent, eminently accessible and impossible to forget." -- Ernest Thompson, Academy Award winning screen writer On Golden Pond, Forrest Gump

"Deborah Kanafani is an articulate speaker and a skilled writer. She mesmerizes her audience with her words and personality. Her firsthand account of a world we know so little about is a welcome addition, a living experience. Her story is straight forward intriguing and brings the sweetness and the agony of living. Once you open the book you will not put it down till you are done -- and then you are never done." -- Dr. Aida Takla O'Reilly, Hollywood Foreign Press, Former President of The Hollywood Golden Globes

"The class got me thinking about the idea I had in mind for a non-fiction book. It reignited my desire to draft a proposal and sell my book in 2008. It also got me thinking from the prospective of a potential publisher: What sets the book apart and why will it sell? Deborah was both articulate and encouraging. I would recommend her seminar to those who have a book idea and are ready to take the next step in terms of writing a killer proposal and selling it." -- Michele Shapiro

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