Class

Blueprint for a Revision

You did it! You finished a draft of your novel! Congrats! That’s HUGE! All you need is a quick revision pass to polish it up and then – publication! Right!? Wrong. There’s another step, one that many writers skip. It’s called a manuscript audit, and it’s a high-level assessment of the story that actually landed on the page. From character and setting to plot and theme, an audit is a deep dive into the structure of your story, the architecture of it. It asks the question, does my story work? In this workshop, you’ll learn how to do an audit of your manuscript, identifying developmental and structural problems that need to be fixed before you begin copyediting and polishing your story. We’ll work through a workbook of writing exercises designed to help you get your arms around what you’ve written, story element by story element. Then you’ll craft a Revision Plan that will guide you through your next revision with clarity and confidence. Copyediting and polishing a manuscript that isn’t working at the structural level just ends in wasted time and heartbreak. Learning how to audit your manuscript will help you write stories that work, now and in the future.

This class is best for intermediate writers who have a completed, or nearly completed, draft of their manuscript. It can also be helpful to writers with only a few chapters, who are stuck in the messy middle and struggling to more forward.

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.