This is only tangential to the forum's subject, but given how little conversation we have in here... [headshake] Some people local to me (Pittsburgh PA) have been talking about starting a novel-specific series of writing workshops. I would theoretically be co-teaching this with another writer (ideally a published male one who likes combat and horror and is great at plotting, to balance put my weak points and biases). At the moment I'm roughing out a syllabus. Anyone have suggestions for what topics should be included, or what order topics should be presented in? Also if you know of webpages which describe existing similar classes please link to them. [smile]

Quote: Extremely tentative syllabus: PART I: Clarifying the goal, roughing out a plan - Instructor(s) and students introduce themselves, self-identify their writing strengths and weaknesses, and describe their current project and major problem with it. Instructor talks about what a novel is and does, and why we want to write them. Genre, Target length, Course schedule, and Students' responsibilities for doing exercises and constructively critiquing toward each other. - Overview of the elements of writing and Brainstorming --- The elements of writing: character, plot, and setting, and how they are woven together to create a story. ---What really resonates, Envision the book, Finding examples and other resources, Analyzing examples, Triangulating between multiple examples, Working from what you know to fill in what you don't know, Identifying problem areas for particular students and attempting to remedy them, Recommendations of how-to-write books - Character ---Character Arc, Motivation, Personality, Techniques for creating/choosing, Archetype and role in the plot - Plot ---Plot templates and structures, Typical plots by genre, Teleology and theme, Suspense resolution and reader emotions, Target length, Outlining, acts, chapters, scenes, and motivation-reaction units - Setting ---Metaphysics and magical or technological what-ifs (as informed by theme), Technology level and culture, Plausibility and consistency - Motivation of the Writer ---Finding inspiration, Making time, Butt-in-chair, Tell a friend or keep a secret, Identifying mental blocks and self-sabotage, PART II: Once the plan is established, move on to details of style and pacing - What belongs in the first 3 chapters --- Hook, Establishing Setting, Introducing character, Initial incident, Contract with the Reader, Destabilizing the universe, Setting up a relationship between characters ----- Dialogue, Naming, Exposition, Protagonist, Antagonist, Love interest, Mentor, other topics as requested by students - Thickening the Plot and making tension rise --- Developing characters, relationships, theme. Plot twists and complications. ----- Other topics as requested by students - Bringing strands together, building toward an explosion --- Consolidating factions to 2 (usually). Developing their irreconcilable opposition. Making confrontation inevitable. ----- Other topics as requested by students - Climax and resolution --- Separate climaxes of internal conflict, external plot, and relationship plot. PART III: Revision - Identifying and strengthening plot strands and themes - Tightening, condensing, and cutting - Steady stream of answers and new questions, removing or adding foreshadowing to increase suspense - Consistency checking and proofreading - Researching markets, writing queries and synopses, mailing the manuscript

I think it's important that you dedicate a portion of the course to important works in other media. Oftentimes, the best way to illustrate a point is to take a cue from another medium. Many screenwriters are influenced by Catcher in the Rye (great tips on creating character) and many novelists borrow from Star Wars (excellent mythology). It's important to think outside the box when it comes to inspiration and presentation, and showcasing great achievements in other art forms can help to drive this point home. However, this shouldn't be a focal point of the class, just a small lesson among many others.

Hmm yeah I think that fits under brainstorming.

I saw your post on Absolute Write. I figured it was something for gamedev.net.

Anyway, I think it's a good idea because often writers will want to express themselves in more than one medium. I intend to pursue my writing in such mediums as novels, screenplays, and games. I'm sure there are other writers on the forums here with similar interests.

It's cool to know there's some crossover between the population here and the one at absolute write. :) But no, this once my plans were for real life not gamedev. Given the utter, crickets-chirping lack of response though it seems like a workshop won't happen. :/

I myself write about my night to night dreams, usually all fantasy/gory and stuff. I'm in the process of writing a short story about a post apocolyptic nuclear fallout with many types of elements, as in a layout, and many more EX. to start out the chapter you introduce a qoute or a idea of yours that fits the actual storyline then continue on with the story. But anyways I think this workshop would be great for the community!

2 thumbs up from me!...yay.

If you need any help in this let me know.

Hmm. It's always so dead in this forum I didn't think there would be enough people for a workshop. And, last time I tried to run a workshop, people seemed really unwilling to do actual writing assignments. It would be completely impossible to run a novel workshop if people weren't willing to write character descriptions and plot outlines and first chapters and, eventually, a novel.

Quote: Original post by sunandshadow
Hmm. It's always so dead in this forum I didn't think there would be enough people for a workshop. And, last time I tried to run a workshop, people seemed really unwilling to do actual writing assignments. It would be completely impossible to run a novel workshop if people weren't willing to write character descriptions and plot outlines and first chapters and, eventually, a novel.

I'd be interested in such a novel workshop. That's kind of what I'm building up to, at my university; there's this awesome-sounding "Fiction Workshop" course that I really wanna take, but it has a bazillion prerequisites. Almost there, just one more class. :)

As for the presented syllabus, seems thorough enough. Your biggest problem will be, as you hinted at, an unwillingness to work. Or rather, to follow through with the entire novel, as such an endeavor can be very taxing on time and can often end up being more than the writer originally bargained for (assuming this writer has never written a novel before). On that note, I think the "motivating the writer" portion of the workshop should receive some extra attention.

Well, there's really no getting around the fact that a novel is a large, complicated, mostly-solitary project, and no one is going to finish one without strong internal motivation. If you're particularly lucky you might find a friend to cheer you on. And of course some parts of writing a novel will be fun - a handful of hours here and there when the inspiration is flowing and you're grinning madly at what your characters are doing and saying. But a lot of it is work, and psychologically difficult work at that. A book can reassure and compliment you and help you get through blocks and back into that good inspired space, or a workshop can encourage students to support each other, but ultimately the drive to create the novel already has to be there.

At any rate, if there are actually people interested in doing a series of novel workshops, I'll type up the first one. But if at least 3 people don't complete the first assignment there will be no second one.

Here: You can use this to show how not to write a story (for a game).