Courses

Writing a novel is often compared to running a marathon, and for good reason. The challenge of sitting down day after day for weeks, months, or even years to craft an engrossing and dynamic manuscript is one of the most demanding literary feats—especially for debut novelists. Created for writers in the early stages of writing a book, this supportive and practical workshop will help you to structure a manuscript you’ll be able to see through to completion. We will begin by discussing novel-worthy ideas, helping you to create or refine premises that will grip readers from the first page. We’ll examine strategies for creating multidimensional characters with clear motivations and arcs and pair our craft discussions with excerpts from novels by authors including Joan Silber, Penelope Fitzgerald, and Juan Martinez. You will each be able to workshop up to 4,000 words of the opening pages of your work in progress, in order to ensure that you have an engaging, immersive beginning. This course offers a craft-focused, practice-driven foundation to help you make meaningful progress on your debut novel.