Plot like a pro

How to plot your novel without losing your mind

I’m now accepting students for my 8-week online course, PLOT LIKE A PRO. In this class, we’ll take the mystery out of putting a novel together in a way that keeps readers interested. Here are a few things we’ll cover in written and video lectures:

• Ditch the outline and dig deep into character and situation, discovering your plot as you go.
• Create a story chart to flesh out scenes, characters, and subplots.
• Learn how to create suspense in literary and genre novels.
• Understand how chapters fit into the bigger picture.
• Discover the secrets of pacing and patterning.

Course Structure: Each week, you’ll receive a video and written lecture, along with supplementary reading and an assignment.

Goals and Outcomes: You will leave this class with a clear understanding of various methods of plot development, as well as a map for completing your book.

Critique options: This course is available either with or without critique. if you opt for critique, you will submit your weekly assignments to me, and at the end of the course you will submit a chapter or chapters of up to 5,000 words. If you don’t choose the critique option, you will still have access to all video and written lectures, as well as discussion forums, but you won’t submit assignments or a final chapter to me. You can always sign up without critique and add the critique later.

Dates: This course begins on January 10, 2017.

Don’t let your novel sit in a drawer!

ENROLL by November 28th to receive $75 off.

This class is an excellent follow-up to NaNoWriMo, suitable for beginning and intermediate writers who want to begin a novel or continue work on a novel-in progress.

About the instructor: Michelle Richmond has taught in the Masters of Fine Arts Programs in Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco, California College of the Arts, St. Mary’s College of Moraga, and Bowling Green State University. She recently taught a similar course, THE ART OF PLOT, for Stanford Continuing Studies. Michelle is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels and two story collections.

Originally published at Sans Serif.