Plotting Your Novel

In week 1, we will confirm the basic information of your novel from the genre to comparative titles, which will provide you with a better sense of the novel you wish to write. From there, we will delve into characters and how to craft them in an intersectional manner so as to build an authentic, complicated protagonist(s) or secondary and tertiary characters. You'll learn about grounding characters and how character development -- such as learning about a character's strengths and flaws -- can contribute to the arc, plot, and conflict of a story.   
 

We will start week 2 considering the 12 elements of setting and how they can contribute to world building, the plot, and character. Alex will speak to various tactics for writers of different genres such as historical accuracy for historical fiction and magical/technological systems for science fiction and fantasy writers. Equally as important will be the discussion on how to sparse out world building throughout a text rather than world dumping in the opening chapters. Through visual imagery and opening scene exercises, writers will get a better feel for building a scene or crafting specific details in a world. 

In week 3, we'll begin with study on plot and subplot and the different types of outlines that can be used to guide a story forward. Discussions on pacing and tone will then lead to editing tips and strategies to smooth out a novel and punch up the text on a macro and micro level. Alex will also provide insights from her craft book, Writing An Identity Not Your Own, in this section. She will end the class by helping attendees create a writing plan that will lead them to a finished novel.