This is the year to write your novel

Novel in a Year: First Draft is a unique opportunity to join a writing cohort, study novel craft, workshop key scenes, measure your progress, meet deadlines, and give and get support for the long slog from plotting to composition and beyond.

APPLICATION WINDOW OPENS JUNE 2023

It’s a chance to devote an entire year to your novel, giving it the attention and effort your work deserves. Acclaimed author Lindsay Hunter (DON’T KISS ME, Eat Only When You’re Hungry, Hot Springs Drive) will help you through the drafting process and provide personalized guidance and feedback on your manuscript.

CLASS WILL MEET ONLINE.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

Students at any stage of novel drafting are encouraged to apply. You may have completed a 500-page draft; others may have nothing more than an idea and a first sentence.

Work of any genre is welcome, though we offer specialized programs for Speculative Fiction and Young Adult/Middle Grade.

This application-based class is selective, and you will find your classmates to be dedicated and serious about their work.

Unlike our other Novel in a Year programs, this cohort will be entirely hosted online, so anyone can participate from anywhere.

PLEASE NOTE: This program is for novelists who are ready to make a strong commitment to their work, and our waitlist for the course is typically very long. Students will be expected to participate in the full program.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Specific topics covered during the class sessions include:

• Going from idea to pages
• Openings
• Structure
• Voice & Perspective
• Character
• Plotting
• Conflict & Resolution
• Endings
• Line edits/imagery/clarity
• You’ve Drafted Your Novel. What’s Next?

HOW IT WORKS

Students will meet on Zoom monthly for three-hour sessions to discuss craft, solve drafting challenges, workshop scenes, and share some virtual snacks and beverages. In between class sessions you’ll have plenty of time to write and generate new work while still staying in touch via StoryStudio’s private online class forum.

We’ve structured this program to provide maximum benefit without demanding too much time away from focusing on your own work. In addition to workshopping short scenes in class, participants will meet individually with Lindsay for 100-page manuscript reviews.

Students enrolled in this course will receive complimentary admission and early registration to three (3) classes from our acclaimed PJ Seminar Master Class series throughout the year. (Recent and upcoming writers include Alexander Chee, Pam Houston, R.O. Kwon, Sara Paretsky, Paul Lisicky, and Garth Greenwell, among others.)

The class also includes optional evening social gatherings via Zoom, to be scheduled between Lindsay and the cohort as desired. As a writer in our Novel in a Year program, you’re considered a “VIP” at the studio with early-bird access to programs and events.

Throughout the course, you’ll have access to a private online forum for exchanging additional work and sharing articles and links of interest. And most importantly, these courses provide accountability check-ins to report your progress and struggles, and keep you writing.

The 2023-24 cohort will begin in August 2023, and applications will open in the summer of 2023. Please subscribe to our newsletter to get the most up-to-date information.