Write Your Novel
an online learning community
to guide and support you as you get your story
out of your head and onto the page.
If you could wrangle your story ideas into a solid first draft (you know, instead of hundreds of pages that you know aren’t quite right…)
without being crushed by an overwhelming pile of books, articles, and how-tos from the bazillion people giving writing advice on the internet…
(Not to mention your own inner critic telling you that you should just quit and eat nachos because no one is going to care about your story anyway…)
AND
Do it in the company of other writers who care deeply about stories and know that stories can change the world (and who also struggle with their fears and insecurities because, wait what? That’s right! It’s totally normal!)
Would you feel ready to commit to finally writing your novel with intention, focus, clarity and confidence?
Alone in a cabin in the woods? Or in a community with support?
You’d think it’s obvious, but it’s not.
For some reason we have this image of a “real” writer in our minds, one who sequesters themselves for hours, days, weeks, months or even years with nothing but a typewriter and a thermos of coffee, then emerges with a bestselling novel.
Okay, maybe that happens once in a generation.
But for most authors, this isn’t how it works. Open any novel to the back pages and you’ll see an acknowledgements section full of the people who supported them along the way,
> holding them accountable
> giving them support and structure
> helping them manage their insecurities
> commiserating
> and cheering them on!
Tell me if this sounds familiar.
A while back, you had an idea for a novel. Maybe it was last week in the shower. Or maybe it was 30 years ago.
You’ve sketched out some ideas. You’ve put some words on the page, a scene here or a scene there. (Or maybe you’ve really dived in, hoping that the pieces will come together as you go.)
Perhaps you’ve told a trusted confidante or two that you’re writing a book, but for the most part you feel shy about telling people because, well, you know there’s a chance you won’t follow through or that – gasp – you might fail. (Even though you don’t really know exactly what that would look like.)
Besides, a little voice in your head is saying, who would even want to read this story?
But you keep coming back to it because it is pulling on your heart.
You want to have written a book. This book.
You know that there is something about this story that would impact a reader.
So you keep chipping away at it, with a vague sense of direction and a whole lot of insecurity.
And you have been looking for support, haven’t you? You’ve got a stack of writing craft books, some of which you’ve actually read, and you’ve been taking workshops here and there, and maybe even toyed with the idea of getting an MFA (because isn’t that what “real” writers do?) You’ve joined a critique group, a generative-writing group, a chat-about-writing group.
When you look at it all together like this, you’ve invested a fair amount of time and money into piecemealing a writing support system, haven’t you?
There is nothing wrong with any of this . . . if it’s working for you.
But you might be realizing that what you actually want, what would make this writing journey feel cozier than that cabin in the woods or the thermos of coffee, is …
Clarity about what it is – exactly – that you are trying to say in this novel – and how to get that across to your reader,
Assurance that your plot events have enough oomph to keep the reader turning pages,
Confidence that you are meant to be writing this novel,
Courage to keep going, even when it gets really hard,
Community – other writers right there in the trenches with you, and
Support from an experienced writer and certified book coach to keep you on track toward your personal goals.
You are writing a novel. A novel that matters.
(And yes, I can say that without even looking at it. Your story matters because you matter.)
Okay, but what does it actually look like?
Inside the *Write Your Novel* Learning Community, you’ll have complete access to my signature system, which breaks the novel-writing process into three parts:
Know Your Novel, Draft Your Novel, and Strengthen Your Novel.
It is a unique approach that allows you to focus on what is most important at each stage of the process and tune out the rest, keeping the process as streamlined as possible (because, let’s be honest, writing is messy no matter what we do!)
Consider these your new mottos:
- Your story matters. You deserve to write it and you have a reader out there who needs it.
- There is no “right” way to write a novel (but there are some things that can help).
- Writing a novel is hard, and fear is part of the journey FOR EVERYONE.
- Self-doubt does not need to keep you from writing.
- You can meet your writing goals with a schedule that fits your life.
These are some of the beliefs on which the *Write Your Novel* Learning Community is built. You won’t need this support forever. My goal, in fact, is for you to leave the program, because that means you have a solid manuscript ready for the next stage!
So many writers struggle to just get the story down on the page, and many quit before ever reaching The End. Here is what I know for sure:
If you never actually write it, it will NEVER reach your readers.
And I don’t want that to happen, because your story is important.
Getting it written is the first step toward making the impact you long to make.
Once you have a system for writing AND a system of support, you’ll be off to the races.
FYI: the application is simply to help you get clarity on your goals and to give me some information so that I can best help you with your individual story.
The Write Your Novel Learning Community
will take you from
bits and pieces of writing
to a solid manuscript
at a pace that works for you
and your full life.
The Write Your Novel Learning Community is a combination of three courses and one fabulous online community (think a Facebook group without the Facebook). Here’s what it includes:
1. Self-Paced Courses There are three full courses within our learning portal.
The Know Your Novel course takes you through the steps of making key decisions that will tie the emotional journey of your protagonist to the key plot points in your story. (Pantsers, I see you. Trust me, this is a planning journey you won’t hate!) The process is intuitive and creative and you can make it your own.
The Draft Your Novel course supports you as you tell yourself the story for the first time. Modules include managing your mindset, claiming your time, monitoring the story, and specific writing craft topics that needs attention in the first draft (vs. what you can leave until revision).
The Strengthen Your Novel course (coming fall 2023) helps you make key decisions about how to approach revision to both maximize your time and effort AND make your story as strong as it can be before you start sharing it with beta readers and editors.
2. Online Community Our online community includes a message board where writers can ask questions, offer support, celebrate accomplishments, and more. I’ll be there daily answering questions, offering tips, and cheering you on!
3. Q&A calls Twice monthly I’ll hold open Q&A calls for all members. This is a great opportunity to get your concerns addressed or questions answered live and in person, and receive a bit of coaching on your questions about story and/or process.
4. Monthly special events These events include guest speakers, special topics, webinars, and more.
Ready to make this the year you finally write your novel?
Your investment:
Accountability Package
6 months for $1200
(one-time payment)
Month-to-Month Package
$300 to enroll
then $250/month
(starting the second month)
Hold up! Before you proceed, a couple of things that this program is NOT:
- focused on genre-specific conventions (e.g. romance, mystery, world-building, etc.) – although I am happy to point you toward other resources for those
- for nonfiction writers, short story writers, screenwriters or poets. Memoir is welcome, but let’s chat to make sure it’s a good fit.
- a critique group. You will not be reading any other writer’s work as part of this program, nor will yours be read by other participants.
- a guarantee of publication or even acceptance by an agent
- a resource for publishing methods
Also…
I believe in the power of story to impact both the person telling it and the people receiving it in a positive way. Stories are how we grow to understand each other better and in doing so create a more empathetic and compassionate world. Toward this end, I support all writers, regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, neurodiversity, nationality, size, how they live, who they love, or how they move their bodies through this world. This is what our community represents. If you do not agree with this statement, then this isn’t the best place for you. This will be a community of people who lift each other up, not tear each other down.
Oh! I forgot to mention:
you’ll have the option to add on individual coaching calls with me, as well as written feedback on a limited number of pages, at any time.
Maybe you still have some questions. No problem at all! Here are some frequently asked ones. If your question isn’t answered below, feel free to email me!
How long will it take?
Each lesson contains one video – most of which are under 10 minutes – and one assignment. There are 5-10 lessons per module, and approximately five modules per course.
Know Your Novel involves work to be done before moving on to the next lesson, so whatever pace you take, you’ll be “done” with the work when you finish the course. Draft Your Novel and Strengthen Your Novel are designed as resources while you draft and revise, which will take much longer than it takes to complete the lessons.
All of this to say that it depends on you, your schedule, and how much time you are able to dedicate to your novel on a regular basis. There is no pressure to finish in a given amount of time.
How much time will I spend each week?
Again, it is totally up to you! (See the previous question for more on this.) Everyone works on a novel at a different pace.
Remember, you can meet your writing goals with a schedule that fits your life. Don’t ever compare yourself or your progress to anyone else.
Am I even going to get a chance to get coaching?
Absolutely! I’ll try to get to everyone on each Q&A call who has a question, and if we can’t get to everyone then those folks will get top priority on the next call. Also, a lot can be done through conversation on the message board.
Plus, you always have the option to add on a one-on-one coaching call and/or written feedback on your pages!
Will you give me feedback on my written pages?
It is an add-on service that is always available. If you start to feel like this is something you’d like on a consistent basis, we can talk about moving to one-on-one coaching instead.
Am I even ready to join this program?
The only two qualifiers for readiness are these:
- You have a story on your heart
- You are committed to writing it.
Whether you’ve started writing or your story is still in your head, whether you have lots of ideas or just a nugget of one, you are in the right place.
I have a full manuscript finished. Is this program for me?
It depends. If you’ve written a first draft but you know that it has a lot of gaps and maybe isn’t super-cohesive, then this could be a great fit. Know Your Novel will help with both of those problems, and Strengthen Your Novel will help you figure out your best next steps for revision.
However, if you have gone through a few revisions and/or what you are really looking for is a developmental edit, then this probably isn’t the best fit. But you can feel free to contact me for more coaching options!
How many people are in the program?
We are just beginning (as of April 2023) so we have a small, intimate group for now. I don’t anticipate it ever getting huge, but I’m going to let it grow organically and see what happens. This is definitely the best time to join for maximum individualized coaching.
