Have a manuscript draft that feels impossibly close, but you can't seem to finish it? Are you tired of reworking the same 200 pages even though you're still 75 pages from the end? Would it simply be nice to have some writers to meet with every week to discuss issues you come across while finishing your manuscript?

Part-support group, part-craft class, this four-week course is designed to help you finish that draft of your manuscript. We'll read craft essays about drafting a book, set aside time each week to discuss problems we're having with manuscripts, and design a schedule for each student to ensure everyone addresses the issues specific to their draft.

This class will be craft focused with practical applications for finishing a draft, but we will also focus on many of the psychological issues that can come up when nearing the end of a draft of a large project.

WEEK ONE: WHAT WE KNOW. We'll discuss how to go over what you've already drafted so you can identify what needs to be written to complete the manuscript. We'll also talk about techniques to ensure you have the time and space set aside over the next four weeks to finish the manuscript.

WEEK TWO: IT KEEPS CHANGING. One week into our nicely written schedule, and I'm sure changes abound! We'll discuss how to adapt our timeline and scene list to fit the ever-changing manuscript. We'll also discuss the shape of the book and how rereading it may have offered new insights into what is needed.

WEEK THREE: IT'S NOT PERFECT. This week we'll focus on how to avoid the pitfalls that keep us from finishing a draft, we'll learn how to overcome the hurdles that come with nearing the end of the draft, and we'll share techniques for keeping our eyes on the prize: THE END.

WEEK FOUR: WHAT COMES NEXT. By now, we've either finished our draft or have hopefully come very close. We'll talk next steps. How do we find readers to offer notes? How do we incorporate those notes? How do we edit the manuscript so that it's ready for the next step (such as finding an agent or going on submission). And the big question: When do we know it's done?

Note: This class is best suited for students with a draft manuscript that is close to being finished, BUT that is not a requirement. We'll learn tools and techniques that will be carried past the single draft and into the wider writing practice.

• A finished draft (although not guaranteed)
• Tools and techniques for getting past writer's block
• A clear outlook of what the draft needs to be finished, advice and support from a group of writers