Developing the Novel

Course Objectives

• Gain a brief historical and structural overview of the novel.
• Produce an outline and four chapters of a novel.
• Develop the discipline of regular writing.
• Understand the importance of revision and develop the ability to revise based on feedback on your work.
• Develop critical skills for giving feedback to others so they can then apply it to their own work.
• Gain a strong sense of future direction for your writing.

What You Learn

• Finding your writing time and place
• Developing your novel's outline
• Defining your genre, novel's purpose, characters and their roles
• Setting, voice and point of view
• Plot and scenes
• Novel openings
• Building conflict, suspense and surprises
• Character arc and raising the stakes
• Climax and the final crisis
• Revising your draft
• Publication of your novel, including the marketplace, how to research potential agents or publishers for your novel and how to write a query letter targeted to a specific agent or publisher

How You Learn

• Reading assignments
• Lectures/modules
• Online classroom discussions
• Writing exercises
• Novel submissions (outline, first drafts and revision)
• Student critiques