A two-day crash course in novel writing that will cover all aspects of novel anatomy, including character and setting, inciting incident, narrative drive, and voice. I’ve raided my files to bring you the best advice I’ve got; the material I return to again and again. If you’ve been putting off writing that novel, then this class is for you. If you’re stuck writing your novel, then this class is for you. Come prepared to get into the thick of your book. You’ll leave with a better understanding of novel components, a deeper knowledge of your characters motivations, as well as good writing habits and publishing tips.

DAY ONE

Character and Setting: We’ll do a deep dive into this critical relationship, look at examples and do a writing exercise that will help you realize one of the most important aspects of your book.

Inciting Incident: Character and setting are great, but something needs to happen. What’s that moment when everything changes in your book? We’ll break it down.

Narrative Engines: We’ll look at what’s driving your novel (aka plot talk) and do some plot exercises.

Voice: How do we find our narrative voice? What’s driving you to write this book? We’ll explore and then take a stab at what makes our stories tick.

HOMEWORK: Take what you’ve learned in today’s workshop and free write one round of 45 minutes. Do another round of 45 minutes to revise and build. Do a third to clarify. This ideally will only be about 1-2 pages. Bring with you to share on DAY TWO.

DAY TWO

Workshop: let’s dig in!

Writing Habits: Embarking on writing a novel is a huge emotional and physical undertaking. We’ll discuss how to set up for success.

Publishing: We’ll talk agents, submission, query letters, editors, comp titles. Yes, it’s early to discuss publishing but it’s on your mind and I find it helpful to get questions about how the system works answered. Then you can focus on writing that first draft!

Liska Jacobs is the author of the critically acclaimed novels “Catalina”, “The Worst Kind of Want” and most recently, “The Pink Hotel” which was a California Indie best-seller and listed as one of the best books of 2022 by Esquire. “The Worst Kind of Want” was long-listed for the Joyce Carol Oates award and optioned by Anonymous Content. “Catalina” was featured as a must read in Huffington Post, Elle, Entertainment Weekly, and Literary Hub. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Literary Hub, Alta, The Millions, and Zyzzyva, among other publications.