As I crawl out from between the sheets with another delicious guilty read… I want to, again, I argue vociferously that reading and writing romance and erotica is more than a guilty pleasure. It’s sort of a revolution, really. And, anyone writing in any genre should be learning from what romance writers do (I think, also, this is why the racism and ethics exposure at the RWA is so awful for us–because, goddammit. We should be LEADING the way. We are the goddamn REVOLUTION. But I digress. I want to tell you about my course. Stop writing in parentheses, Jane!). So, my “all the things you can learn from the structure of the romance novel to make your writing better no matter your genre” course starts at the Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. There are still a few spots available, and if you’re in Calgary you might wanna check it out:
More Than A Guilty Pleasure: Mastering the Romance Novel Form to Tell the Perfect Story
Learn to seduce a reader from the first sentence through to the heart-thumping, breath-taking, you-knew-it-was-coming-but-not-this-way! happy ending. Motivated students will be given the structure and support to complete a first draft of a romance novel by week 8; beginning students will learn how to play with tropes, tension, pacing, climaxes (dramatic and other), dialogue, and character development.
Wednesdays, January 15 to March 4, 2020
7 pm to 9 pm
Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society @ cSpace, 1721 29 Ave SW, Calgary AB
WRITING PROMPTS for Week 1’s Homework will be posted on mjanecolette.com as blog posts starting Thursday, January 17 at 4 am MST. You can join in these exercises even if you’re not part of the class! (You don’t have to start writing at 4 am. But I had a crazy early morning owl student in my first class, and that’s when they started writing, so. 4 am it is.)
SLIDE DECKS and resource notes for each week’s class will be posted at mjanecolette.com/awcs each Wednesday night. You need a password to access the week’s slide deck and lessons, which will be given in class, and the class is held in person, in Calgary. Out-of-town folks–sorry! But, I travel–ask me to come visit, or to deliver a webinar. 😉
COURSE SCHEDULE
- Week 1 – Foundation, Writer Math, Making Time, Practice
- Week 2 – 3 Act Structure, Your Idea, Writing Drunk, Your Characters
- Week 3 – To Plot or To Plan, Chunking
- Week 4 – Act 1: from INCITING INCIDENT to first CLIMAX
- Week 5 – Act 2, Part 1: avoiding the SAGGY MIDDLE
- Week 6 – Act 2, Part 2: crafting the DARK MOMENT
- Week 7 – Act 3: towards the HAPPILY EVER AFTER
- Week 8 – Next Steps: from revising through to publishing
WANT A TASTE?
Video of slide deck from the first week of the first time I taught this course at the Alexandra:
WANT TO JOIN THE CLASS?
Last time I checked, there were still a couple of spots available:
Wednesdays, January 15 to March 4, 2020
7 pm to 9 pm
Alexandra Writers’ Centre Society @ cSpace, 1721 29 Ave SW, Calgary AB
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