Novel 101 is about getting you to a quality draft that actually looks like the story you’re trying to write. That means we go beyond the first draft and practically workout all the problems that the first draft reveals. We have a lot of great ideas for our novel, but when we have to actually sit down and write them out, they are a lot more vague than we realize. In Novel 101, I’ll guide you in sharpening those ideas, troubleshooting the problems, and keep you moving forward. If you are getting along, no problems with your draft and are happy with what you’ve been able to create, then a manuscript evaluation after you’ve completed your draft may be a better fit.

I totally understand! Life can get messy and things always come up. For starters, the aim is to keep Novel 101 as minimally invasive as possible and to prioritize getting you the time you need to be able to write and implement the content. That’s why we only meet once a week, and if you can’t attend, we’ll have the replay after. If you are shorter on time, you can do like I did and go through the stages by writing a novella, aiming for 20-40K words. I was able to do this working 50 hours a week, and it still gets you real time practicing all of the skills you can later take with you for your novel. The stages are the exact same. But the reality is, writing takes time and life is always busy. The goal isn’t being able to write your novel when things ‘finally settle down’ but to cultivate the skills necessary to move your story forward no matter what life throws at you. We get practical on creating a writing practice, how to adjust it based on your constraints, and how to set the right goals so that no matter what, your story never stalls. We have had members write up to 2 drafts of 80-100K words over six months all the while traveling, getting sick, caring for others, even studying for their teaching licensing in a foreign country (Mary is our hero). Whatever surprises may arise, we’ll help you stay on track.

There are two options: If you want to pay upfront, it’s $1997, but you’ll also get a bonus one-on-one call with me before we start. If you’d prefer a payment plan, it’s $397 a month for 6 months. The goal of Novel 101 is to get you to a draft in 6 months rather than writing in circles for 3 years. We’ve had members who have been wrestling over their drafts for years finally see on the page the story they have been struggling to create. If by the end, you’ve attended or watched all the lectures, completed every assignment, participated by asking for help, and still don’t have at least a completed first draft and a revision plan, I’ll coach you for free for two months to get you there.

The goal is that by the end you’ll have a strong second draft, a clear plan for revisions, and all of the skills needed to write your third draft. Novel 101 is about getting you firsthand experience of what it takes to write the kinds of novels that inspired you in the first place. It’s all well and good to know how to write a novel in theory, but when you’ve actually been through the trenches of drafting and solving story problems and have come out on the other side with the story you’ve been wanting to write, you’ll have the confidence and skill for all your novels still to come.

Novel 101 is not a writing or critique group. If you are here, then chances are you have a shared love for the mechanics of storytelling, doing in-depth analysis, scribble tons of notes in the margins of your favorite books, and love learning how authors masterfully weave theme, arc, and plot for a monumental reading experience so you can learn how to do the same. If this is you, then most likely you are one of us. In short, we nerd hard. Novel 101 is about providing group coaching for writers looking to write well crafted narratives for maximum reader enjoyment. If this sounds like you, then you’re probably a good fit ;)