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One - Fiction: For the opening series of In The Company of Writers webinars, we brought you Brian Jay Corrigan, J.D. Ph.D., Professor, Renaissance Literature, North Georgia College and State University; Georgia Author of the Year, 2006, for his novel The Poet of Loch Ness; Winner of the Georgia Board of Regents Award for Teaching Excellence; and General Editor, The Compendium of Renaissance Drama. |
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Whether you're writing your first, your breakout or your fifth novel, this exciting and highly informative six-weeks* Webinar course, based on a new book, Shape of Words, written by our presenter, Brian Jay Corrigan, J.D., Ph.D., will prove to be a compendium of everything you want and need to know about writing a novel and getting it sold.
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Response from a student after the first session...
Geri,
I'd really like to thank you and your daughter for finding a way for me to join the class last evening. Lucky for me our hospital just went wireless, so I'll bring my own computer. The class was so exciting and highly informative. Where can I find Brian's books? I am so happy to have signed up!!!
All best,
Marilyn Dickerson
Marilyn is a Registered Nurse and an aspiring novelist
Session Dates and Course Description
February 13 - In the first session we covered: Understanding the Trade & The Beginning Questions: Who Speaks?
Preliminaries: Understanding the trade,
book length, word count, Genre, hardbound-trade-paperback, mid list-breakout-bestseller,
and
Beginning Questions: Who speaks, questions of narrative voice;
and how to identify it; what comes first, character or story?
February 20 - In the second session we covered: Character &
Setting
Character: Developing character through description, other characters, dialogue, the vital importance of dialogue.
Setting: Atmosphere, mood, travelogue, blending action with description and moving the story forward in the setting.
February 27 - In the third session we covered: Plot & Structure
Plot: Understanding and creating literary conflict, the all-important Narrative Drive.
Structure: Chapters as single ideas, beginnings, middles, endings and the "through-line" of narrative, the vital importance of Subordination, paragraph length for effect, dealing with multiple action, where a story should begin.
March 6 - In the fourth session we covered: Editing
Editing: Why your writing doesn't begin until your first draft is complete, "Write with fire, edit with ice," avoiding the "Golden Words" syndrome.
March 13 - In the fifth session we covered: Pace and Your Individual Voice
Pace: Writing for the reader, rhythm, and the vital importance of focus.
Your Individual Voice: Special effects and style, blending dialogue with narration and description, showing versus telling, a writer's trick: negative tension.
March 20 - In the sixth and final session we covered: The Business of Fiction
The Business of Fiction:
(Part 1) Understanding the world of agents and editors, writing
the query letter, what is a "good rejection letter", the best
trick to finding an agent in the shortest time, the truths (some hard)
about publishing, getting it all together, the contract, working with
an editor, what to expect, how much control will you have, preparing for
the launch, going on a book tour, what to expect.
(Part 2), How to maximize the effect of your tour, how to behave
yourself in the bookstore.
SOON TO BE AVAILABLE FOR REPLAY IN OUR VIRTUAL CLASSROOM
See also Links of Interest
For questions or additional information email
us: info@inthecompanyofwriters.com