Two weeks ago I began an online writing class called Book in a Week. I heard the instructor, April Kihlstrom (www.aprilkihlstrom.com) speak four years ago at the East of Eden Writing Conference in Salinas.
A book in a week? Come on now! I've been working on Nineteen Darby Way for four, yes as much as I don't want to admit it, it's been four years. (My husband says it's taken me longer to write my book than it did to write the bible, but that's another story--not the bible--the comment).
We're just finishing up week two and then we have one more week of preparation before beginning to our week of writing. And, I'm procrastinating by writing on my blog instead of figuring out the flaws my characters have. I figure, if I gave each character one or two of my own flaws, they'll be all set and maybe, just maybe they'll teach me something, like how to rid myself of them.
We'll see, first I have to get to writing.
If you've thought of writing a book, I can't recommend April's class enough. She's written seventeen books, is so informative, answers all emails with suggestions and new ideas, and has the whole class developing characters, plotting, using post cards, and making collages. We're all making progress.
Check her out, again her web site is www.aprilkihlstrom.com
9 comments:
Good luck with your new challenge! You've definitely got the talent. Your task is to use it to the fullest. I'm learning in my memoir class that writing doesn't come naturally to everyone. I so want to tell the other students how to write their story. But I'm leaving it up to the instructor. It ain't easy, though!
Thanks Camille! I'm looking forward to it. Something about having to wait to begin writing until next week--I'm ready to burst! And I feel so grateful that writing comes naturally to me, actually it's easier than talking (that's probably not good, huh?)--the hard part is the organization around the novel. That't the real challenge! But this class is very helpful.
Good luck Cindy! It's always so exciting to set out on a new writing journey. And the structure of this Book in A Week sounds like a great fit for you.
Hey, Cindy--
You Go Girl!!! This sounds like an amazing challenge and one that a true writer such as yourself is ready to take on. I like giving characters a flaw or two you own yourself. Since I write non-fiction, if I followed that suggestion, I'd have character-rich book book in a mere day or two!
Thanks for the kind words about my class. Actually I've had 31 books published. Writing those books taught me, by trial and error, some things that can make writing easier and I love sharing what I've learned.
Very cool! Have you heard of National Novel Writing Month? It's a month of writing to try to achieve 50,000 words by the end of the month. It's in November. I've participated the past 2 years--it's a hectic time of the year which makes it even harder to write the 1600 words-a-day quota.
Good luck with your book!
And thanks for the comment on my blog post :)
HawrHawr
A book a week.
Puh-leeze.
A pam/flet prooo'bly...
LOL Matte. I can understand why it would seem that way but....it really can be done and not just for pamphlets. For example, I wrote the first draft of a number of 6500 to 75000 word books in a week each and they tended to get 5 stars from reviewers at various publications. But if you look into what I do with Book In A Week, I teach it as a way for people to take one week to write as fast as they can because when one does that, one discovers a great deal about oneself as a writer. One doesn’t have time to second guess oneself and what comes out are one’s most innate qualities as a writer. One gets to see what one’s true natural style of writing is, what one’s innate strengths are as a writer and where one will need to go back and layer in elements in later drafts. One discovers whether one naturally writes dialogue or action or a combination. One has less likelihood of inconsistencies occurring because it’s written in such a short amount of time. One learns what works and what doesn’t for oneself and with all the advice out there, sometimes that’s hard to see when one is trying to do what all the “experts” say one should do. Every writer is different. Few people will end up to go on writing all their first drafts in one week but everyone who does it with this goal in mind will discover more about themselves as a writer than they otherwise could—especially in such a short period of time. And some lucky writers will discover this is the best writing they have other done. Writers who used this method have gone on to sell manuscripts, win awards and be far happier and more content in the way they write in the future because now they know what’s most natural for them.
Sorry that should have read 65,000 ton 75,000 word books though those first drafts tended—like all my first drafts—to come in at roughly 50,000 words.
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