Hello future novelist! 

Are you ready to finish a novel? This flex class will guide you from brainstorming to writing your book at every stage. I'll be right here with you. You'll send chapters every week, and I'll encourage you and give you feedback and ideas any time you're stuck. I give feedback on up to five double-spaced pages per week - a total of 100 double-spaced pages. 

Note: if writing on your own is hard for you, join one of my live classes. 

At the end, I'll give you videos on how to revise and publish it. Yes you can publish your book on Lulu.com or Amazon.com! It's so exciting when you receive your very own book in the mail. 

I've written and traditionally published two acclaimed novels, Trafficked (Penguin) and This Is Not a Love Letter (Disney-Hyperion), and I have more on the way. My first non-fiction book is also being published by Penguin: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing a Book in 100 Days. Many of these lessons are part of this guide. I've helped many kids, teens, and adults finish novels, so I know you can do it!

For this class, I recommend writing a shorter novel. I read and give feedback on up to 100 double-spaced pages, but don't worry, you don't need to write that much! Many published books are shorter. In fact, the classic, The Outsiders by SE Hinton, was 40 pages when she sold it...and she was just sixteen when she wrote it. 

If you want feedback on more than 100 double-spaced pages, you can pay my editor 1:1 rate, which is 100 dollars for 45 minutes. This is also a very good rate compared to what you'd pay for a top novelist with my experience to look at your work. I can usually read and give feedback on 25 pages in 45 minutes, so, you see, this class is quite a good deal. You get 100 pages plus videos and instruction and answers to your questions. I do not give line edits. I read and tell you what's strong, so that you do more of it, and then I also give you something to work on. I expect you to do a grammar/spelling check using technology before you send it to me using Grammarly Premium or Google Doc Spelling/Grammar check. I am not your editor for grammar/spelling. Technology does a great job of this. I will help you improve your storytelling and actual writing abilities. 

I am here to help bring you closer to your dreams of being a published author.

I will be with you the entire time, guiding you through each step. The goal is to finish an entire book, at least 20 chapters. Yes, you can write more, but each week, I know everyone can write a chapter of five double-spaced pages. If you write fast, that can take you an hour. Read the guide, watch the videos, and brainstorm: this will take about 30 minutes. So, you'll need to schedule at least an hour and a half per week if you want to finish a book in 20 weeks.  

In these short videos, I will give you examples from popular middle-grade and teen books: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Ghost by Jason Reynolds and many more. I'll also give some examples from literary adult books, and I'll help you use examples from your own favorite novels.

Your novel can be as long as you want it to be. Every week, I suggest writing at least one short chapter. I give you my Teen Author's Guide to Writing a Book, exclusive for my students. This guide gives you lessons for each week and videos to accompany them. 

Here's what we'll talk about each week in terms of subjects:

Before the class starts or in the first week, Brainstorm story ideas, characters, worlds, and plots. You will receive brainstorming videos as soon as you sign up. Look for the email! On the first weekend of the class, I meet individually with students to discuss their story ideas, answer questions, and help them create a good plan. 

Week 1: Brainstorm and Write Chapter One
Skills: Act One of a Four Act Structure, Brainstorm your chapter, hook the reader, POV, Verbs, Multi-Sensory Details, Humor, Kindness, Theme	

Week 2: Write Chapter One
Skills:  Foreshadowing, Dialogue, Voice, External/Internal Conflict

Week 3: Write Chapter Three
Skills: Use Specific Nouns, Reactions: Thoughts/Action, Desire Line – Want & Need, Characterization

Week 4: Write Chapter Four
Skills: The Sense of Touch, Create an Opposite Scene, Obstacles & Problems, Scene-Sequel

Week 5: Write Chapter Five
Skills: Act Two of a Four Act Structure, Scene Questions, Dilemmas and Decisions, Body Language of Comfort, The Antagonist

Week 6: Write Chapter Six
Skills: Similes/Metaphors, Strong Verbs, Power Body Language, Reveal the Subplot

Week 7: Write Chapter Seven
Skills: Hook with smell and sound, character challenges, objects and emotions, tension in dialogue

Week 8: Write Chapter Eight
Skills: Hook with Dialogue, Conflicting Identities, Fears, Flaws, Failures,  Reveals

Week 9: Write Chapter Nine
Skills: Foreshadow the Turn, A Happy Scene + Love, Subtext in Dialogue, Sentence Structures

Week 10: Write Chapter Ten
Skills: The Midpoint or Turn, Hook with Sound, A Changed Setting, Stakes & the Turn, Unnecessary Words

Week 11: Write Chapter Eleven
Skills: Act Three of a Four Act Structure, Reaction to the Turn, Character Growth, Desire Line After the Turn

Week 12: Write Chapter Twelve
Skills: Listing, The Bad Plan, Playing In The Mud, Physical Needs

Week 13: Write Chapter Thirteen
Skills: Personification, Losing Safety, Plot Complications, Clincher Details	

Week 14: Write Chapter Fourteen
Skills: Color = Emotion, Character Arcs, The Muddy Middle & Allies, Hidden Fear and Needs	152

Week 15: Write Chapter Fifteen
Skills: The All Is Lost Plot Point, Imagery and Rhythm, YES/NO Scene Ideas, Mistakes, The Subplot Complications	

Week 16: Write Chapter Sixteen
Skills: Act Four in a Four Act Structure, Putting Love on the Line, Physical Difficulty, Patterns of Thought

Week 17: Write Chapter Seventeen
Skills: Past Trauma, Overcoming the Flaw, Preparing for “Battle," Repetition in Stress

Week 18: Write Chapter Eighteen
Skills: Short Sentences. Crowd and Action Scenes, Writing the Climax/Battle, Physical Action

Week 19: Write Chapter Nineteen
Skills: Hook with Contrast, the Falling Action, Hidden Sides, A Long Sentence

Week 20: Write Chapter Twenty
Skills: Your Ending, A Repeat Object, Theme & the End, Character Growth

I want you to feel encouraged, optimistic, and confident about your writing. When you finish, it will be a wonderful feeling. You can create a hardcover book online, and you'll very likely keep it forever. Please ask me any questions you might have.