Class Starts Monday, March 11th, 2024

Class will meet weekly via Zoom (Mondays, 6:00PM CST - 8:00PM CST).

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Taught by Dana De Greff, author of Alterations and Words and Wonder: A Guide to Becoming a Creative Writer, this class is all about becoming a more creative writer and living a more wondrous life. Dana has taught Creative Writing classes at the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Miami, among others.

Learn more about Dana in our Meet the Teaching Artist Series.

Everyone loves the idea of writing a novel…until they start it. The truth is, most writers abandon their first novels halfway through, including this instructor, because they don't really know what they're doing, or they don't have the discipline needed to sustain a world for 50-90k.

However, with a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of writing a novel, practical strategies for completing a first draft, supportive mentorship, and a solid writing community, students of all levels will receive the guidance and tools they need to finish a large chunk or a complete working draft.

In this generative 6-week workshop, you will:

• Generate a novel questionnaire to help get you started.
• Outline your project and discover new writing methods.
• Work on character development exercises.
• Work through activities on setting and style.
• Learn tips on building scenes and creating conflict.
• Hone your dialogue practice with new techniques.
• Discover methods for incorporating backstory, flashbacks, and transitions.
• Learn actionable tips for next steps beyond the first draft such as crafting a query letter, finding an agent, and publishing.
  

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1. To outline or not to outline?
We will review the pros and cons of using an outline and the top outlining methods, and spend time creating our own. Even if you don’t end up using the outline, the process of creating one often leads to ideas for plot, characters, themes, and more.

Week 2. Character Development
Some say plot is essential to a novel, and some say character. This week we will go over both and focus on creating characters who jump off the page, add tension, and make a story memorable through craft techniques, model texts, and character questionnaires.

Week 3. Setting
Can a novel live in a no-space? Can we make settings feel real even if they are in imaginary worlds? What is the purpose of setting, and how does it tie into plot and character? These are some of the questions will be working with, as well as determining where and how to establish setting for your novel in order to invite a reader in.

Week 4. Conflict is good
Just as a novel can’t work without a setting, it also can’t work without conflict, or problems. This week we will work through what our characters want and desire, to figure out their hurdles and obstacles.

Week 5. Backstory and flashbacks
This week we will delve into the world of backstory and flashbacks in order to add context and subtext, making our novels have more heft and intrigue. This will also help raise the stakes and add layers of meaning to the story.

Week 6.  What now?
In our last week we will discuss revision techniques, how to write a query letter, finding an agent, the importance of readers and other tools to take your novel beyond the first draft and into publication.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Students will learn how to generate and work on their novel in 6 weeks.
  
• Students will leave with a better understanding of plot, structure, voice, and other essential elements of fiction.
  
• Students will be guided by in-class prompts in a collaborative space.
  
• Students will leave with a complete plan for their novel, if not a full rough draft.
  
• Students will have a clearer and stronger sense of their writing sensibilities.
  
• By the end of the class, you will have the tools you need and a partial or full rough draft ready for the next drafts working towards the goal of publication.
  

By the end of the class, you will have the tools you need and a rough draft ready for the next step.

STUDENTS LOVE DANA:

“I've had the pleasure of taking two separate Novel Writing courses with Dana. Having toiled with a novel of my own for years, I was able to get clarity and inspiration from both experiences. Dana's approach to teaching is fun and lighthearted and allows for creativity and exploration. If you've been working on an idea or are stuck in your writing process, I highly recommend you take one of her classes or use her coaching services. “ -Jeanette R.

"I loved the How to Write a Novel in 6 Weeks workshop with Dana. She was a font of knowledge and really gave tips and practical exercises to make writing a novel a real thing I can accomplish. Demystified this daunting idea and I feel good about moving forward." -Christine G.

"I took the class Writing your Novel in 6 Weeks with Dana De Greff and it was such an informative and inspiring class! We met once a week, for two hours, and in that time, she provided us with tons of information and resources and even personal anecdotes and advice that really helped me with my own writing. It was a joy to be in her class and I will definitely be looking into more courses from her!" -Michelle A.

“I loved taking Dana De Greff’s novel course. In just a few classes, I managed to finish the outline for a novel idea I’ve had stewing in my mind for years. Her writing prompts were productive and inspired me to start writing pages from day one. Her workshops are incredibly nurturing, too. She offers a space where writers can feel comfortable sharing their work and her feedback is always constructive and helpful. I would take more classes with her in a heartbeat!" - Patricia G.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking!

• Instructor: Dana De Greff
  

• Class Starts Monday, March 11th, 2024
  

• Course is fully ONLINE and will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays from 6:00PM - 8:00PM CST.
  

Instructor Dana De Greff holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Miami. She has taught Creative Writing at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Miami, Books & Books, The Loft Literary Center, Austin Bat Cave, and more. She is a Content Editor at Ooni, and a writing coach of emerging and established writers, helping them bring their books to life through creative tools, publishing insight, and mentorship.

Dana has been accepted or awarded scholarships from Tent, Tin House, The Key West Literary Seminar, the Lemon Tree House Residency, and Hedgebrook. Her work appears in Cosmonauts Avenue, PANK, and Gulf Stream Magazine, among others. She’s the recipient of a 2021 Pushcart Prize Nomination and was selected as a finalist for the 2021 Key West Literary Seminar's Marianne Russo Award for her novel-in-progress, EVERYDAY MYSTICISM. Her first book of nonfiction, Words and Wonder: A Guide to Becoming a Creative Writer, was published in 2022. She is represented by Writers House.