Class

The Art of the Outline: Novel Writing Clinic

Are you looking to kickstart a novel idea that has been stuck that way for ages? Are you a "pantser" looking to reform your novel-writing process? Are the existing story formulas not working for your project? In this generative course, students will create outlines, develop characters, organize research, and generally prepare for the long road of a novel-length project in the future in a cohort of fellow writers also at the beginning of their draft.

This class is friendly to experimental forms and mutli-genre novels; at its end, students will have developed a toolbox of outlining and drafting strategies tailored to their own process that will support them through not just the long arc of their project, but the smaller pieces of the whole. Each student will have a 1-on-1 opportunity with the instructor, Alysandra Dutton, with the goal of feeling ready to begin their project as the course ends.

By the end of the course, students will...
- Have a completed outline that covers the broad strokes of their story from beginning, middle, to end.
- Have a developed toolbox of strategies to carry them through the sticking points, especially having practiced "outline loops"
- Have met fellow writers at a similar stage of the process they can create accountability community with
- Have a strong sense of structure, expectation, subversion, and experimentation, and when to rely on each in the novel-writing process

Students will be expected to have ideated at least the beginning seed of a longer project when they attend this class.

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.