Class

8-Week: Novel Writing

We love to sit with characters long enough to know them, navigate adversity with them, and ultimately to be transported by their story. While it’s easy to come up with interesting concepts, honing in on those concepts enough to fill a novel is where the work begins. The world, relationships, concerns must be big enough to build on from one section to another. The reader must ask questions for which they read further for the answers. No, not all questions have to be answered, it’s impossible to respond to everything anyway. But what is necessary for the story to be real enough for us to walk through? Perhaps you’ve had interesting ideas you’re trying out and aren’t sure what to hold onto, or you’re further in and struggling to keep the plot’s momentum, or you’re not sure how to bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. This class is here to help you figure out your next steps, wherever you may be in your writing journey. We will discuss craft elements such as character, plot, scene, dialogue, and point of view. Each student will have 2 opportunities to submit novel excerpts for workshop.

All Classes listed on the Loft website take place in Central Time.

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.