Year of the Novel with Amy Lovat

Writing a novel is exciting and gratifying, but it can seem like a daunting task. From knowing how to start, to overcoming writer’s block, to editing your completed manuscript, there’s a lot to consider. In Year of the Novel, writer and tutor Amy Lovat will guide you through three phases that coverthe stages of writing a novel from beginning to end. At the end of the year, there will be an evening of celebration at which friends, family, other writers, and industry insiders can hear you read from your novel.

In the first phase, you’ll work on getting the idea of your novel down on paper (or screen). You’ll talk about idea generation and planning, and look at the basic elements of fiction – point of view, voice, narration, character, plot, dialogue, and setting.

In the course’s second phase you will start developing your novel, by considering structure, style and theme, and going deeper still with character, voice and plot. As you approach the year’s halfway mark you’ll also talk about how to stay focused and motivated to see this thing through to the end.

Finally, in phase three, you’ll work on turning your very good novel into a _brilliant _one. You’ll kill some darlings, bolster any threadbare sections, and refine and finesse the language. You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to launch your fully-realised novel into the world.

Throughout, Amy will use examples from a wide variety of contemporary fiction and from students’ work-in-progress to explore the topics covered, and guest speakers will share their insights to further expand your understanding of how published writers do what they do.

Each week during the course, a new lesson will be posted online. Participants will have the week to work through the content and post responses to exercises designed to put the theory we’re learning into practice. Participants will engage in giving and receiving peer feedback on writing exercises and receive some limited tutor feedback. 

Participants will meet with the tutor each week on Zoom to ask questions and discuss the online lesson content. Sometimes, those Zoom sessions will involve a guest speaker talking about their writing life. 

As you work through the lessons online, you’ll also be working offline to write your novel. To this end, you’ll be encouraged to set specific, achievable writing goals each week and have the opportunity to share your successes, discuss your challenges and help others with theirs, in our class forum. 

You should come to the first class with a specific work-in-progress or idea for a novel. Sharing and discussion will be encouraged, and there will be ample opportunity for you to speak to the group about how various techniques and lessons may be applicable to your specific project. However, one-on-one detailed feedback from the tutor will be limited.

To benefit from this course, you should be working on a novel and have an existing writing practice. You can contact us with any questions before enrolling.