Creative Writing: Write a Novel With YA Novelist Kim Purcell
Students write a novel, improving storytelling and writing skills, taught by a published young adult novelist with two acclaimed novels, and then publish it at the end and/or submit it to the Scholastic Novel Writing Contest. Start anytime!
Kim Purcell MFA
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(275)
Popular
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
2-4 hours per week. If you'd like to share your writing with me, you can paste it in a message to me, and I will give you mostly positive, encouraging feedback, plus one thing to improve. Before you send it to me, you'll need to do a grammar/spelling check using Grammarly Premium or Google Doc TOOLS proofreading function. You also need to add indented paragraphs and make sure that your dialogue punctuation is correct. Look at the grammar section of the guide. Once all of that is done, you are ready for my feedback. You can paste a chapter in the chat...up to five pages. I don't edit your book - that's up to you - but I will tell you what I love and what to work on. For detailed editorial feedback, this takes me a lot of time, so you can book a 1:1 editorial private. I'm a published novelist and a developmental editor, so this is obviously a higher level service, but I do offer it when you're ready. I can cover about 20 pages in that hour.Assessment
I can provide a report if you need an assessment for homeschooling or other reasons.Class Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
Intermediate Level
This class will help you finish your novel, improve your writing skills, and build your creative confidence. My number one goal is to help you feel amazing about your creative work. As a published novelist with over twenty years of teaching experience, I've found this helps improve the quality of the writing more than any other element. This novel writing class is designed to work for intermediate to advanced writers. It is fun and inclusive with a lot of writing time. My goal is 25 minutes of writing in every class because that's what my students want. I'm available during that entire time to help you if you get stuck and I have extra prompts ready to keep the ideas flowing. I will help you finish your novel! At the end, you can print or publish your book, and I show you how to do this. Writing a novel is an incredible way to explore creativity and achieve a huge and rare life accomplishment. For the rest of your life, you can say, "I wrote and finished a book!" It will not only improve your writing in every area, it'll make you a better storyteller. Even if you don't plan on becoming a novelist, most careers require some degree of storytelling. I recommend brainstorming your story idea before the first day of class. I'm attaching a video to this message to help you come up with your two line elevator pitch. This is what would be on the back on your book. Send it to me as soon as you can. -----What is the vibe of the class?----- My style is kind and fun. I've taught novel writing to all levels and all types of learners, neurotypical and neurodivergent, shy kids and outgoing kids, homeschoolers, traditional schoolers. I design the class around the students' needs, teaching in an uplifting way and helping you see your incredible strengths as writers and as humans in this world. Writing is about capturing humanity. I'm a novelist for this age group, and this is why I teach this class - I care about each student and their very important creative life. -----What is the typical structure of each live class?----- For the first part of the class, we talk, I give some examples about the skill of the day, we do some brainstorming on characters/plan, verbally or in the chat, whatever you prefer. You can also stay silent. I want you to feel totally comfortable. We discuss for the first ten minutes and then I give you a five minute sprint warm-up or brainstorming activity. Then we look at other elements for the topic of the day, and examples from your favorite books. After that, you write for 25 minutes straight, and I give some literary devices or challenges in the chat to help you. Most of the teens prefer this solid chunk of time to write. At the end, we have a game. During the writing time, I'm available to answer questions in the chat or jump into your document to help you brainstorm. -----The class has already started. Can I still join? ----- Yes! This is an ongoing class, which means you can start it at any time. For novel-writing, it really doesn't matter. Even if everyone started at the same time, very quickly one person would be in the middle of their book, another would still be at the beginning. You go at your own pace, follow the plot points in the guide, and write your entire first draft in the class. You can take a break at that point or start a new book or work on your second draft. -----I already started my book. Can I continue it? ----- Definitely! I can only read and give feedback on up to five double-spaced pages a week as a part of this class because obviously this takes a lot of time, but you can apply that feedback to your writing as you move forward. Usually, I find most students make the same mistakes throughout, and they also have the same strengths. My goal is to build on the strengths you already have and eliminate some of the problematic areas of your writing. If you have a hard time finishing a book, don't worry, you're not alone. I will help. ------Do we share our writing with other students?------ Yes, if you want! Totally optional. We don't read aloud, but you have the chance to put your book in the classroom once a month and receive positive feedback from other students. The rule is that you can only give positive-only feedback to fellow students, but it should be real. You tell them what you like. But no "constructive" feedback. Peer editing is quite destructive to creative confidence, and I work hard to build up your confidence. If you tell each other what lines you love, or what elements you love, it's helpful in the next draft because the writer won't change it or get rid of that part. ------Can I share my writing with you?------ Of course! I give you positive feedback and something to work on. Any time you'd like me to read something, you can send it to me in the direct messages. Copy and paste it in a message to me. Go to "message my teacher." I don't edit your book - that's up to you - but I will give you advice on how to edit it and I'll tell you what I love. Remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. If you want detailed editing help, for that you need to book 1:1 editing privates because that takes me a lot of time. I recommend working hard to finish this draft fast, and then revise it. Your first draft should not look like a published book - as a published author, I can tell you that most authors go through around 10 or more drafts. ------Do you give us any material or extra workshops to do outside of class?------ You will get a guide along with extra videos to help you brainstorm and work on skills. By improving your skills and learning from what I teach you in class, you will improve your book! ------How long does my book have to be?------ I think it's good to aim for at least ten chapters. Don't aim for four-hundred pages for your first book. A novel or novella can be 50 double spaced pages. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton was 40 pages when she submitted it to publishers. If you plan to submit your book to the Scholastic Book Awards, it should be around 100 pages. Follow the guide and plan your book (even a little) before you start writing so that you can be sure it has legs. ------What if I never finish my books? Will I finish one in your class?------ Most of my students finish, but of course, that's up to you. One thing that will help is a bit of planning. Send me your elevator pitch first so I can make sure it's solid. My weekly guide, if you actually follow it, has a very high success rate. In fact, a version of this guide will soon be published by Penguin: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing a Book in 100 Days. Writing a book takes far longer if you don't take the time to develop characters and think up a basic plan. I also recommend my intense class if you really want to finish - this way your attention won't wander. -----What is the weekly class topic schedule for March to August 2025?----- (NOTE: this schedule repeats in September, but no class repeats for the entire year. I use different examples and discuss different aspects of each one of these topics.) Mar 24-30: Goals and Obstacles Mar 31-April 6: Edit Your Book - Common Writing Mistakes April 7-13: How to Get UNSTUCK, Exploring the Weird, Plot Twists, Show Don't Tell, Psychic Distance, Cures for Writer's Block April 14-20: Tension: Mistakes, Twists, Subplot, Suffering, Mysterious Reactions April 21-27: Character Growth: Trauma, Flashbacks, Misbelief, The Objective Correlative April 28-May 4: Action Scenes: Physical Action, Verb choice, Crowd Scenes May 5-11: Beautiful Language Devices & Emotion May 12-18: Planning Your Climax and Ending (Even if you’ve just started writing your book) May 19-25: Edit Your Book - Common Writing Mistakes and How to Fix Them May 26 -June 1: Celebration of your writing. MOST CLASSES WILL FINISH THIS WEEK AND RESTART IN THE FALL! MONDAY AND FRIDAY (PST) CLASS CONTINUE THROUGH THE SUMMER! June 2-8 - 15: Dialogue Jun 9-15: GOALS and OBSTACLES Jun 16-22: DRAMATIZATION and MULTI-SENSORY WRITING June 23-29: CHARACTERIZATION and YOUR SIDE CHARACTERS June 30-July 6: Key Elements of Every Scene July 7-13: Characterization - Details, Dialogue, Save the Cat, Humor, Wisdom July 14-20: Motivation, Agency, Scene-Sequel, Reactions, Body Language July 21-24: Tension, Anti-Tension, Hooks, Foreshadowing, Reveals, Scene Questions, Cliffhangers July 25-July 31: NO CLASSES Aug 1: Tension, Anti-Tension, Hooks, Foreshadowing, Reveals, Scene Questions Aug 4-10: Dialogue - Core Rules, Subtext, Reveals Aug 11-17: Conflict - Antagonist, Internal vs External Conflict, Subplot, Conflicting Identity Aug 18-24: Specificity and Details - Nouns, Verbs, Listing, Clincher details Aug 25-31: Character Development - Trauma, Misbelief, Love, Power, Secondary Characters
Learning Goals
Students will learn everything they need to know to write a novel. This is listed in detail in the class description, week by week. We will cover all areas of writing craft.
Other Details
Learning Needs
I design this class to appeal to students with anxiety, Dyslexia, ADHD, ASD. I avoid overstimulation and seek to create a low-pressure environment with no reading aloud, cameras can be off, chat for communication, and positive feedback.
Parental Guidance
I will be using examples from mainstream young adult books, classics, and literary novels. None of my examples will have any mature content. I will also use Canva presentations to make it more interesting and to help any learners who are more visually oriented and want to read the examples.
Pre-Requisites
None.
Supply List
Students will need to start a Google Document to type their book. They should also bring a notebook and pen for brainstorming.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
I give students a Google document link after they sign up. This helps them plot their book and write on their own.
Joined January, 2022
4.9
275reviews
Popular
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree from Vermont College of Fine Arts
I'm a published young adult novelist and a writing teacher with over twenty years teaching experience.
I've written two acclaimed young adult novels, Trafficked and This Is Not a Love Letter, published by Penguin and Disney-Hyperion, and I have another book contracted with Little, Brown. This Is Not a Love Letter was one of NPR's top books of 2018 and Trafficked made several state lists for top books. They've both received starred reviews and made top lists for books. If you want to learn more about me, you can always go to my author website, under my name.
I also have a writing guide coming out in 2026. Penguin will be publishing my book for adults and teens: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing a Novel in 100 Days. Many of the materials you receive in this class are included in that daily guide.
Besides writing my own books, my passion is to help kids, teens and adults write their books and achieve their dreams. As a novelist, I've been teaching novel-writing classes for kids, teens and adults outside of Outschool for over fifteen years. I've done author visits at schools all over the United States and Canada. I have over twenty years of teaching experience, teaching creative writing, novel writing and English as a Second Language. I currently run a successful in-person after-school program for creative writing in Los Angeles.
Before I taught novel-writing, I taught ESL and writing of all genres. I've taught homeschooled kids in both New York City and Los Angeles. I was the first curriculum director of the famous non-profit, WriteGirl in Los Angeles, and I helped build it into the multi-sensory interactive writing program it is today.
In terms of education, I have a BA in international Relations from the University of British Columbia, one of Canada's elite colleges, as well as a journalism degree from BCIT and a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from VCFA, which qualifies me to teach at the college level.
More importantly than my education and experience, I think, is that I have so much fun with my students and sincerely care for their well-being. My goal is to make them feel confident about their writing and inspired to write even more or go on to achieve any other creative goal in their lives.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$20
weekly1x per week
55 min
Completed by 431 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
8-16 learners per class
