Novel Revision: Understanding the Craft

Taught by:

Sign in to enroll

Overview


The first draft of a novel is just that — the first stage of a process. It's where you get all your ideas out onto the page. After you're done, the real craft of writing will kick in with the revision. As Hemingway once said, "the only kind of writing is rewriting."

In this course on rewriting novels, author and editor Alexander Steele will show you the big-picture elements you should focus on throughout the rewriting stage. Each lesson will include a practical activity that you can apply to any story you're working on. If you're looking to develop your writing skills while reworking a novel, this course is a perfect match for you.

What you'll learn in this course

The elements that will be covered by this course include:

  • Crafting the perfect opening
  • Refining your protagonist's journey
  • Honing your narrator's voice
  • Fleshing out the world of your novel
  • Building on theme
  • Working towards your climax

Brought to you by:

Alexander Steele is the president at Gotham Writers Workshop. He is the editor of the Gotham books Writing FictionFiction Gallery, and Writing Movies (all Bloomsbury USA). He is the author of numerous children's books, including titles in the Wishbone series (Lyrick Publishing) and the Hardy Boys series (Pocket Books). 

Find out more about how Gotham Writers Workshop can help you on their website.

Start this course
scroll icon

10-day writing and publishing courses

bulb icon

Learn in quick five-minute lessons

message icon

Lessons are sent to your inbox each morning

Continue learning

People who enjoyed this course also looked at the following:

How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro

Don't let a manuscript full of common mistakes turn off an agent or publisher! In this course, Lisa Lepki will show you how to self-edit like a pro.

Taught by

View course

Novel Revision: Practical Tips for Rewrites

The key to a great novel often lies in rewriting. This free course will teach you how to do practical rewrites that can seriously boost your book's quality.

Taught by

View course

Story Editing for Authors

In this free 10-day course, best-selling author and CEO of Fictionary will take you through 17 story elements to help you perform your own story edit.

Taught by

View course

The Mechanics of Writing Dialogue

Editor Tracy Gold teaches you how to punctuate, tag and present dialogue in a way that your readers will thank you for.

Taught by

View course