Make your novel a reality in 2010
A convenient and easy weekly teleconference you can take part in from your sofa
Next masterlass series begins April 19th (secure your place at the bottom of this page)
Don’t let another year go by without writing the novel that you know is within you. Make a commitment now and make your novel a reality in 2010.
Join this inspiring four-week course with five of the industry’s top professionals.
This course will fire your imagination and creativity and at the same time equip you with the practical knowledge you need to take your writing to the next level.
You will learn about writing methods, narrative strategies and have access to the insider secrets that will ensure your work gets to the desks of agents and publishers.
If you have ever considered writing novels or short stories, whether you’ve started writing or need the inspiration to start, this is the course for you.
Introduced by Jacqueline Burns, agent, writing consultant and co-founder of London Writers’ Club.
You dial in from the comfort of your sofa on your landline. Calls are charged at 1.7p per minute. (see Conferencegenie.co.uk for more information)
All of the classes will be recorded so if you miss a class you will have the chance to listen again.
The presenter will talk you through the class and ask for input from participants and also give you the opportunity to ask questions.
April 19th 1st WEEK 1: 8-9pm: The start - how to start writing your novel & keep going with author Matt Whyman.
§ How do you know if your idea is working?
§ How to begin and keep writing until you have a polished draft
§ How can you plan your novel at the start?
§ What top tips will help you to avoid writers’ block?
§ What are the secrets that will make your novel succeed?
§ What are the tricks and solutions that other writers use?
April 26th WEEK 2: 8-9pm: How to write a great plot, narrative and story with author, Naomi Wood.
§ How can you structure your novel?
§ How can you ensure your plot works?
§ How do you know when your narrative succeeds?
§ How can you create brilliant characters?
§ How can you find the ‘voice’ of the novel?
§ Who is telling your story? And who is the reader?
§ How to edit - what to take out and what to leave in
May 10th WEEK 3: 8-9pm: How to get a publishing deal with publisher, Emma Rose, ex-publisher of Random House.
§ A brief overview of how a publisher works
§ What are publishers looking for at the moment?
§ What input does a publisher have in your work?
§ What strategies can you use to ensure a publishing deal?
§ Understanding your audience and the marketplace
§ Know your genre - where will your book sit in a bookshop?
May 17th WEEK 4: 8-9pm: How to get an agent - and everything else you need to know but were afraid to ask - with agent Kirsty McLachlan
§ A brief overview of how an agent works
§ How to ensure your work lands on the desk of an agent
§ What to include in the submission package
§ How to ensure you write a winning synopsis
§ How to write a letter that will seduce an agent
§ What are the backdoor routes to an agent?
§ Kirsty will then be on hand to answer any questions you may want to ask.
You will be working with five of the industry’s top experts:
Matt Whyman is a bestselling author of both adult and young-adult fiction. He is also a journalist and an advice columnist for several teenage magazines. He is a graduate of East Anglia’s MA in Creative Writing and has taught Creative Writing himself, both in the UK and abroad (Russia and the Middle East). http://www.mattwhyman.com/
Naomi Wood Naomi Wood debut novel, The Godless Boys, will be published in 2011 by Picador. Naomi has an MA in Creative Writing at UEA and has continued at UEA on a PhD in Critical and Creative Writing. She is supervised by the author Giles Foden. Naomi also works part-time at the Poetry Society in London. Her second novel is about the Hemingway family.
Jacqueline Burns, publishing consultant and literary agent, who has guided, coached and developed many first-time authors. Jacq has worked on the bestselling titles of authors such as Paolo Coelho, Phil McGraw, Tony Buzan, Dr Atkins, John Gray and Suze Orman, as well as many well-known UK business and personal development experts. Jacqueline is also co-founder of the London Writers’ Club. And she has published 3 books under a pseudonym.
Kirsty McLachlan is a Literary agent with twenty years publishing experience. At DGA Ltd. as the Film/TV agent she brokers UK and US deals and represents top TV presenters, including the stylist Nicky Hambleton-Jones and the art historian, Matt Collings. DGA Ltd. represents Booker prize winners, including Arundhati Roy and Aravind Adiga and many other bestselling authors. Kirsty is co-founder of the London Writers’ Club with Jacqueline.
Emma Rose was commissioning editor at Arrow Books, Random House where she worked on a range of bestselling authors, including Katie Fforde, Kathy Reichs, Fiona Neill and Katie Flynn. Emma is currently a freelance editor and full-time mum. She has spoken at the RNA conference and is a graduate of Essex University’s MA in Creative Writing and Literature.
Each class will run for an hour, from 8-9pm. All classes will be recorded so if you can’t make a class, you will have the chance to listen to it again via the link we send after the class.
Places are limited
Price: £97 (book before March 5st and get a free ticket to LWC Live)