How to Write a Novel

This course is appropriate for writers of all levels and backgrounds. Whatever your previous experience and whatever genre you are writing in, it can help you finish your novel.

The course gives you time to learn and time to write. The course is taught through a combination of daily video-led lessons, writing exercises, and a vibrant online community where you can discuss your work with other writers. As soon as you sign up, you’ll have access to video lessons to complete on your own timeline. You can also supplement the video lessons with weekly live masterclasses by adding a Learning Membership.

In short, everything you need to know to write a novel. The themed weeks focus in-depth on the following topics: Preparation, Beginnings, Secret Sauce, Character, Plot Skills, Description, Dialogue, Texture, Middles, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques, Chapters, Plot Skills II, Doubling Up, Endings, and Next Steps.

The course lasts for 101 days — that’s fourteen and a half weeks. Upon enrolling, you’ll also access five bonus sessions that will help you get ready to write. Although the course is designed as a three-month course, you may choose to complete it on your own timeline.

Each themed topic is divided into five sessions, and we recommend studying one topic per week. Each weekday, you’ll get a new video lesson on a specific writing topic, along with optional reading and exercises. On Saturdays, you'll get further videos with our panel of guest writers; some reinforce the week’s writing theme, while others cover the challenges of writing more generally.

Each video master class is 10-15 minutes long, so you can complete your lessons and start writing in as little as 90 minutes per week. If you'd rather take a deep dive, completing the optional readings and exercises will take an additional 45 minutes (totaling one hour of study per weekday session).

To write a 75,000-word manuscript in three months, you’ll need to write around 5,000 words a week. If you’re a regular writer, that’s 1000 words a day, Monday to Friday. You may be more of a weekend writer and do all your work there instead. You may also choose to spread the learning and writing over more than three months.

It’s worth saying too that over the course of the novel, your weekly word count may well change: some writing weeks may be more productive than others, so these numbers are an average to aim for. And of course, your novel might end up longer than 75,000 words! We’ll give you a word count calculator so you can update how much you’ve written and how far you have left to go.

It’s up to you how much time you spend on the course. To complete it in three months, expect to spend 10-15 hours per week on course materials (depending on whether you plan to complete the optional readings). If you want to write at a more relaxed pace, you have complete flexibility.

You’ll have access to all video lessons indefinitely, and you can access the community forum for 12 months from the day you start the course. If you add a membership, you’ll have access to all live events and recordings for 12 months, with the option to renew at the end of your membership period.

If you add a Learning Membership, you’ll gain access to weekly live masterclasses to be studied alongside the video lessons. These include a mixture of interviews with guest authors, further deep dives on various craft topics, and live editing sessions. All live sessions will be recorded, so you’ll be able to watch any that you miss.

While there are no formal feedback sessions available through the course, you are more than welcome to exchange feedback with other students. You can request critique partners and exchange feedback in the community hub, and we’ll provide instructions for giving and receiving feedback.

Individual instructor feedback is not currently available. There are, however, a number of wonderful book coaches and editors on Reedsy should you want further feedback on your first draft.

Before starting Day 1 of the course, we recommend spending some time on the five prep sessions you’ll receive when signing up. You can also purchase these lessons as a separate course, called How to Plan a Novel. This bonus week of lessons will help you assess your ideas, plan your story, and make sure you're ready to start drafting your novel.

Don't worry! We provide five prep sessions when you sign up to help you assess your ideas and plan your story before you begin writing. There is no deadline to complete the course, so if you realize you need more time after completing the prep sessions, you can take a break and return at a later time.

We’ve designed the course to provide the space and support you need to complete your draft on your timeline. If you haven’t reached the word count by the time you’ve completed the lessons, that’s absolutely ok! You’ll have access to the course materials indefinitely, so you can keep writing at your own pace – and return to the video lessons as you revise.

If you’ve changed your mind, you can cancel your enrollment here and receive a full refund up until 14 days after your purchase, so long as you have not accessed any of the course materials.

Help a writer in your life turn their ideas into a finished book by gifting them this course. When you buy a gift card, you’ll receive a PDF containing the gift card that you can print or share with the recipient.

If you’ve received this course as a gift, visit reedsy.com/learning. To redeem your gift card, enter your unique gift code on the payment page.