Free Writing Class

Jennifer Crusic and Bob Mayer are offering a free class on novel writing. Between the two authors, they’ve written about 45 novels……..best-sellers, to boot.

Here’s what they plan:
This is the course Syllabus for the CrusieMayer.com 2007 Online Writing Workshop if you want to get an idea of what will be coming up:
The Heart of the Story (January)
1. The One Sentence Idea: He Wrote, She Wrote Back
2. Situational vs. Character Ideas
3. Protagonist & Antagonist
4. The Central Question & Conflict Box
5. Outlining

Point of View (February)
6. The Camera
7. First Person
8. Third Limited Person
9. Third Omniscient

Character (March & April)
10. Character Types
11. Character Archetypes
12. Internal & External Goals
13. Levels of Motivation
14. Character Flaws
15. Ficelles & Foils
16. Dialogue
17. Community
18. Relationships

Plot (May, June & early July)
19. Narrative Structure
20. Turning Points
21. Climaxes
22. Beginnings
23. Foreshadowing
24. Tightening the Story
25. Subplots26. Exposition
27. Action Scenes: Sex
28. Action Scenes: Violence

(Semester interlude to focus on the publishing business and being an author as the authors’ new collaborative novel is released and they go on book tour and travel to Australia and New Zealand to present at conferences)

Business (July & August)
29. Collaborating
30. Publishing
31. Agents
32. Editors
33. Bookselling
34. Marketing Internet
35. Marketing Bricks & Mortar

Unity (September & October)
36. Unity
37. Goals & MacGuffins
38. Beginnings and Endings
39. Plot Arcs
40. Character Arcs
41. Setting
42. Metaphors & Symbols
43. Repetition and Motif
44. Theme

Editing (November & December)
45. Story Editing
46. Collage
47. Structure as Meaning
48. Beta Readers
49. The Editorial Letter
0. Copy Editing
51. Being an Author
52. Conclusion