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The main focus of the class will be on the urban/paranormal fantasy genres, but anyone interested in writing a fantasy novel is welcome!
Over the course of the year, we will cover, in detail, all the craft elements of writing, while working on a draft, moving into the revision process, and ending up with a manuscript that is ready for submission.
Don't forget - we're lining up editors and agents eager to read your manuscript and consider it for publication upon completion of the course! View list of SavvyU Sponsors.
FOCUS
Primary: Urban/Paranormal FantasySecondary Focus: FantasyAny and all fantasy writers are welcome!
TRACK
Intermediate – Will cover topics in detail, with the assumption that the student has a basic understanding of the craft elements of writing fiction.
COURSE DATES
Jan 24, 2011 - Jan 23, 2012 Click Here to Register!
COST
$75 per month, or save 10% with lump sum payment!
SPACE IS LIMITED TO ONLY 30 STUDENTS!
Got Questions?
Check here first to see if someone else has already asked, or post your own questions and Ask June!
COURSE APPLICATION PROCESS & TUITION:
Due to the intensive nature of this program, all prospective students must first submit an application plus a 5 page sample of their writing. An application will be EMAILED to you once you complete the initial course registration here. Admittance is at the instructor's discretion, and Ms. Diehl will be evaluating applications as they are received.
COURSE DETAILS EACH STUDENT WILL…
- Work independently to complete a novel - roughly 593 words per day/2963 words a week (5 days) which gives an 80,000 word manuscript (the student can increase the number of total words, which will give different daily and weekly totals). NOTE: This is for the 27 weeks during which the draft will be written.
- Work in Small Groups – five to six per group – giving feedback on assignments for the course work which relate directly to the novel writing; and during the revision phase – giving feedback which each writer will use to revise his/her novel.
- Work with a Writing Buddy – on assignments and feedback (and support!)
- Finish readings and writing assignments which cover intermediate topics
- Complete a synopsis
- Finalize a query letter
- Complete a submission package
- Learn about the publishing business
- Understand how to submit a novel
- Learn aspects of market your novel.
The student will:
- Actively participate in his/her small group by posting assignments and writings, and giving feedback to others in the group for both the assignments and other students’ writings.
- Post word counts weekly to the instructor and daily to his/her assigned group.
- Meet with his/her writing buddy at least once a week.
- Meet with his/her instructor at least once every three months.
The instructor will
- Schedule individual meetings with each student at least once every three months.
- Review and give feedback as indicated:
- Assignments based on the readings – The instructor will give general feedback for assignments concerning the topic covered.
- Writing which the student posts (pre-revision) – The instructor will give feedback based on the writing topics covered, including any other major issues noted with the writing in general.
- Revision work done by the student – The instructor will give detailed feedback based on all topics covered during the course and any other issues found, including grammar and punctuation.
- Small Group Chats
- Private Chats with the Instructor.
A one week break is given every four to five weeks, on average. You may use this time to catch up with readings, assignments, and writing or revision your novel. SYLLABUS
- The following subjects will be covered during the course of the year:
- Introduction to Fantasy – Urban and Paranormal Fantasy (Features and characteristics of urban/paranormal fantasy, forms and structures, also including: evaluation of your novel idea; research; basics of craft elements and novel structure as they pertain to writing fantasy).
- Fantasy World Building (Exploring the elements that make up creating a believable fantasy world).
- NOTE: All the following topics will include focus on urban/paranormal fantasy writing and on the elements of world building as appropriate to that topic.
- Characters & Novel Openings (Covers both human and fantasy characters, types of characters, complexity, direct and indirect methods of character presentation, what makes for a great novel opening, and evaluating your possible openings)
- Plot (Includes novel form & structure concentrating on fantasy, how to move through conflict, crisis, and resolution, the types of plots and how to develop and deepen your plot)
- Building Scenes (Including the structure, type, and purpose of scenes, when to use summary instead of scene, transitions, and organizing scenes within the novel)
- POV & Novel Middles (Explores the concepts of narrative voice, tone, authorial distance, and reliability, the impact of the chosen story form on POV, the differences in POVs, including distance and perspective, how to pick the right one for your story, reliable and unreliable characters, and techniques to keep the story moving through the middle of the novel)
- Setting & Mood (Examine how to use the setting as a secondary character, harmony & conflict between character and setting, symbolic settings, including alien and familiar settings, building underlying themes and add foreshadowing, narrative time)
- Description (Including filtering, the active voice, prose rhythm, mechanics, and detail, when, how, and where to include description in a way that doesn’t slow the pace of the novel)
- Dialog (Probe speech versus dialog constructs, subtext, format and style including the inclusion of thoughts, aspects of writing dialog so the reader finds it realistic, enhances and moves the story forward, and what can be conveyed in dialog)
- Conflict & Comparisons (Unearth the multiple layers and depths of conflict that are needed to make a strong novel, character and story motivation versus conflict, the use of comparisons: metaphor and simile, and allegory and symbolism)
- Subplots (Seek out possible subplots that enhances the main plot, types of subplots, and analyze where and how to place them)
- Theme & Pacing (Discover the meaning behind your story, idea & morality, how fictional elements contribute to theme, how pacing is used to benefit the ups and downs of story structure)
- Novel Endings (Explore ways to end a novel, which one works for your story, and how to achieve a satisfying ending for you and your reader)
- Backstory & Flashback (How and when to introduce these elements into your novel and what to avoid, how to tie these elements into theme and other fictional elements)
- Foreshadowing (The importance of using foreshadowing, how and when to use it to enhance the theme and associate it with other fictional elements, and accessing if you have enough foreshadowing to create a satisfying story ending)
- How to Revise (How revision should be re-visioning your novel, ways to revise your novel, and choosing a method that will work for you)
- Your Revision Plan (The focus will be on planning the aspects and elements of your story for revision, partly based on the feedback received from your small group work)
- Synopsis (The ins and outs of writing a synopsis that will summarize the most important parts of your plot and show off your characters)
- Query Letter (How to write a one page query that will present your novel in the best light)
- Submission Package (Including how to format your manuscript and developing your marketing plan)
- The Publishing Business (The business behind the publishing industry – how it works and what’s expected from you)
- Submitting Your Novel (Pointers on finding agents and publishers that are right for you and your novel)
- Marketing Your Novel (What to do once you begin your submission process and what you need after your novel is accepted for publication)
- Taking Advantage of Rejection What Do I Do Now? (How to take rejections and turn them around to your benefit).
P. June Diehl is the Editorial and Senior Editor for Virtual Tales, the Senior SF Editor for ePress-Online, and also coaches authors. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Education) degree from Madison College, a Masters of Education from James Madison University, and has taught in several public schools systems.
Author of THE MAGIC & THE MUNDANE: A Guide for the Writer’s Journey, she teaches and mentors writing classes online at Writer’s Village University and for Pearls of Writing as well as having conducted workshops on various elements of creative writing both online and locally. She is enrolled in UCLA’s Writing Program, focusing on long and short fiction.
SCHEDULE
| MONTH/Week | Course Readings & Assignments |
Novel Work |
JANUARY 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Introduction to Fantasy – Urban and Paranormal Fantasy (Including: your novel idea; research; basics of craft elements) | |
| Week 2 | Fantasy World Building | Sketch the fantasy world |
| Week 3 | Characters, Openings | Sketch characters Create possible openings |
| Week 4 | Opening chapters | |
FEBRUARY 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| Week 2 | Plot | Opening chapters |
| Week 3 | Building Scenes | Opening chapters |
| Week 4 | Opening chapters | |
MARCH 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Opening chapters | |
| Week 2 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| Week 3 | POV & Middles | Middle chapters |
| Week 4 | Setting & Mood | Middle chapters |
APRIL 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 2 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 3 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| Week 4 | Description | Middle chapters |
| Week 5 | Dialog | Middle chapters |
MAY 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 2 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 3 | Conflict & Comparisons | Middle chapters |
| Week 4 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
JUNE 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Subplots | Middle chapters |
| Week 2 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 3 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 4 | Theme & Pacing | Middle chapters |
| Week 5 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
JULY 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Endings | Middle chapters |
| Week 2 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 3 | Middle chapters | |
| Week 4 | Backstory & Flashback | Middle chapters |
AUGUST 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Ending | |
| Week 2 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| Week 3 | Foreshadowing | Ending |
| Week 4 | Ending | |
SEPTEMBER 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | How to Revise | Ending |
| Week 2 | Your Revision Plan | Ending |
| Week 3 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| Week 4 | Revision | |
| Week 5 | Revision | |
OCTOBER 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Synopsis | Revision |
| Week 2 | Query Letter | Revision |
| Week 3 | Submission Package (including formatting a manuscript) | Revision |
| Week 4 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
NOVEMBER 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | The Publishing Business | Revision |
| Week 2 | Marketing | Revision |
| Week 3 | Revision | |
| Week 4 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| Week 5 | Revision | |
DECEMBER 2011 |
||
| Week 1 | Submitting Your Manuscript | Revision |
| Week 2 | Taking Advantage of Rejection | Revision |
| Week 3 | Revision | |
| Week 4 | ~~ BREAK ~~ |
Catch up with assignments and novel writing |
| JANUARY 2012 BONUS | ||
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