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Finish Your Book in 12 Months: Swan Huntley’s Comprehensive Novel Writing Program Explained
by Writing Workshops Staff
A week ago
Swan Huntley’s 12 Months to a Completed Novel: A Generative Book Workshop offers a unique opportunity for writers to bring their novel from the first page to THE END in one year.
Swan's novels include I Want You More, Getting Clean with Stevie Green, The Goddesses, and We Could Be Beautiful. She’s also the writer/illustrator of the darkly humorous The Bad Mood Book and You’re Grounded: An Anti-Self-Help Book to Calm You the F*ck Down. Swan earned an MFA at Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell and Yaddo. She lives in Los Angeles.
This comprehensive program, beginning in January 2025, combines craft lectures, hands-on writing exercises, personalized feedback, and guidance from industry professionals to support writers in achieving their literary goals. Whether you're starting fresh or looking to finish a work-in-progress, Swan's program provides the structure and community needed to stay on track and reach the finish line with your novel.
The course is divided into three sections, each designed to guide you through different stages of your novel’s development.
In the first section, writers will focus on generating ideas and creating a solid outline through craft lectures, exercises, and talks from guest authors like Allison Larkin, Ivy Pochoda, Maggie Shipstead, and Jen Silverman.
The second section centers on workshops where students will share up to 5,000 words of their novel three times, receiving valuable feedback from both Swan and peers.
Finally, the last section focuses on the business of publishing, with guest professionals such as agents and editors offering insight into how to navigate the literary marketplace.
By the end of this year-long journey, writers will have a completed manuscript ready for submission and a deeper understanding of how to build a sustainable literary career.
With over 120 hours of instruction, five one-on-one meetings with Swan, and access to an incredible roster of guest faculty, this program is the ultimate resource for writers ready to turn their novel dreams into reality.
Join us as Swan shares her journey and introduces this transformative program, designed for writers at all stages of their craft.
Writing Workshops: What inspired you to create a year-long program instead of a shorter format?
Swan Huntley: I’ve created this year-long program because I want students to feel supported throughout the process of writing a manuscript. In my opinion, the most important thing is to finish a piece of work. I see a lot of people starting and then abandoning projects, and that’s really tough, because it kills confidence. Once you have a complete book, then you can begin to see what it really is.
WW: In Section 1 of the course, you mention craft lectures, readings, and exercises. Could you give us an example of a craft exercise participants can expect during this section and how it can help them in their memoir writing process?
SH: I’ll provide craft exercises that are designed to complement the novel students are writing. An example might be: Write a journal entry from the perspective of your main character. Or: What is in your main character’s fridge? What about their bathroom? What kind of toothpaste do they buy? What are the little details of their life?
WW: The guest speakers you mentioned will talk about how established writers launched their careers. Can you share some topics these guest authors might touch upon and how they can benefit aspiring writers?
SH: Topics will include redefining failure, the importance of commitment, lessons learned from the writing process, and lessons learned from the publication process, among other things.
WW: Peer workshops in Section 2 sound like an essential part of the program. What is your style or method of leading workshops and facilitating feedback? How do you foster meaningful feedback and growth for the participants? What kind of feedback can writers expect to receive from you over the course of tweleve months?
SH: In Section 2, students will learn to give feedback that is both kind and honest. Learning to talk about other people’s work is a very useful way to learn about one’s own work, and learning how to receive feedback is essential. I hope to foster an environment that makes students feel safe, because a certain level of trust is needed to make a good workshop. Students will receive verbal feedback from myself and the group during the workshop, and I will give students more detailed verbal feedback during our individual meetings.
WW: Section 3 focuses on professionalization and understanding the literary world. What are some common misconceptions or challenges that aspiring writers often face in the publishing industry, and how will this section help them navigate these issues?
SH: The purpose of Section 3 is to give students a realistic sense of how the publishing industry works. From afar, it can seem really opaque and mysterious. The goal is to shed a light on the mystery. There are many ways to publish these days, and guest speakers will share their experience from the various realms of publishing so that students understand their options.
WW: The opportunity for students to meet with agents, editors, and published authors is exciting. Can you give us a glimpse of the insights these professionals might share with the participants during their sessions?
SH: Agents will address how to write a good query letter and how to find the right agent. Editors will talk about how they work with writers – which can vary greatly, depending on the editor. Published authors will discuss their journey to publication. By hearing about a broad array of experiences and being invited to ask questions, students will gain a deeper understanding of the roads that are available to them.
WW: As a teacher and mentor, what are some key qualities or skills you hope participants will develop throughout the year-long workshop, aside from completing their manuscripts?
SH: Beyond completing their manuscripts, students will learn to give and receive feedback and improve their understanding of how to write a novel via craft conversations about pacing, structure, tone, and point of view.
WW: Writing a novel can be an emotionally intense and sometimes challenging journey. How will you support students in dealing with potential creative blocks or self-doubt they may encounter during the process?
SH: Writing a novel can be emotionally taxing. It requires stamina and support. Along with discussing craft, we’ll also discuss the ways in which students feel blocked and how to move through those blocks.
WW: The program emphasizes building a sense of community and accountability among participants. How will you foster this supportive environment, especially considering that this is an online program with students from different time zones (and locations around the world)?
SH: It is very important to me to create an atmosphere of kindness in the workshops I teach. I expect that this will become the vibe of our class and that working together over a long period might lead to some really awesome long-lasting relationships.
WW: What are some of the success stories or highlights from past workshops you've led that showcase the positive impact this kind of year-long generative workshop can have on aspiring writers?
SH: I often have students tell me that my 6-week novel writing workshop really benefits them, so I expect this will be that on steroids.
You can learn more about Swan Huntley’s 12 Months to a Completed Novel: A Generative Book Workshop and apply now!
