DETAILS

While the last several years saw the chick lit-based feature films The Devil Wears Prada, Something Borrowed, and P.S. I Love You, the genre has begun to drift in a deeper direction, drawing closer to women’s fiction standards with Jodi Picoult and Anita Shreve, who consistently dominate the bestseller charts. Whether you call your writing chick lit or women’s fiction, this is the class for you.

Learn how chick lit and women's fiction differ from romance and other genres. We'll discuss where women's fiction is going, how it's expanding, and how to get your book published.

In this class, you will learn how to:

• Create compelling, likeable, realistic characters
• Write great dialogue and resolve conflict
• Revise, cut, and tighten your manuscript
• Find an agent and create a pitch package
• Market your book after it's sold

By the end of class, you will have:
A first draft of your chick lit novel, and the knowledge of how to sell it to agents.

The online classroom has several components:

• Lessons: Learn new skills through written lessons
• Discussions: 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