Finish Your Novel and Get It Published

I have been asked to introduce a ‘follow on’ group that leads on after the ‘Write a Novel’ course is over.

As you know, the course I run (assuming you follow the ‘page a day’ format!) only leads to completion of the first draft and the ‘tools’ to take it forward.  Many of my former students have indicated that they would welcome a ‘continuation’ to offer a progression of support and momentum so I am therefore inviting expressions of interest for this.

I am proposing five fortnightly sessions in the first instance, to be held in the function room at the Horse and Farrier fortnightly on alternate Wednesdays. (starting on 24 January)

I will then arrange a further five weeks if these are successful and enough people are attending.   They are primarily aimed at my novelists but there’s no reason why my poets couldn’t benefit from them too as lots of the topics will be universal and there will be the chance for one to one support.  I’m also happy for writers who haven’t done my courses to come along.

My very first group of novelists (now the Otley Bards) have their own monthly peer support group up and running but are welcome if they would like anything additional.

Here’s what each session will consist of:

7.00 – 7.15                           Optional Writing ‘Warm Up’ or continue with your own work in progress.

7.15 – 7.20                          Writer’s news – everyone to share details of local events, competitions,

writing opportunities, etc.

7.20 – 8.05                          Working on own work in progress and opportunity to see me for one of the

four 1 to 1 sessions available each week. (ten minutes)

8.05 – 8.15                          break

8.15 – 8.35                          Writing professionally – each week a different element will be presented                                                               and discussed (e.g. blogging, marketing, contracts, rewriting)  These                                                                    ‘elements’ will be collectively chosen by you.

8.35 – 8.55                          Workshop.  Each week a different writer will have circulated 750 words of                                                             their work in progress for discussion and feedback around the table.  I will manage                                              this and ensure all comments are constructive to the submitting writer.

8.55 – 9.00                          Planning for following session.

It is envisaged that these sessions will offer you the space in which to write and the motivation to keep it going between sessions.  As detailed above, feedback on works-in-progress will be available from the peer workshop and weekly one-to-one access to me.  Both these things are very limited in the ‘first’ courses as there’s so much ground to cover to achieve a first draft.

I am pricing these sessions at £7.00 per person per session to cover the two hours.  If you wish to pay for the five sessions in advance, this will be £30.00, offering a £5.00 saving.

Please let me know if you are interested in attending as I will need a minimum amount of writers for it to be viable.  Once I know whether they are going ahead, I will be back in touch with you all to ‘firm up’ the ‘writing professionally’ and ‘workshop’ elements of the first session.  Email [email protected]