An overview

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What’s the difference between Writing Workout and Novel Writing Essentials?
A: Novel Writing Essentials is designed for people who:

• Have a clear idea about the book they want to write,
• Are committed to writing that book now, and
• Have at least 3000 words written of that book.

We find that many people who enrol in Novel Writing Essentials are not quite there yet. They may have an idea for their novel, but they don’t necessarily have all the skills they need to write it. Or, they are not in the position to fully commit to writing a whole book right now, but they want to continue their writing practice. Or, they are tossing up between two ideas and don’t know which to commit to. Or, they just enjoy writing but feel the only way they can do that is write a book (wrong!). Or…there are lots of reasons people aren’t ready to write a novel right now.

If you are one of those people, Writing Workout is ideal: it will improve your skills, keep your interest in writing fresh, deepen your knowledge and understanding of writing theory, and continue your movement into the writing community.

Q: What if I don’t have a novel in mind?/What if I just want to play with writing?
A: This is the course for you! We fully support people who just want to write for the fun of it; for the love of it. So this course can be completed entirely by simply doing the exercises, without any other creative goal.

In fact, we think it would be fun to do it that way!

Q: Will I receive feedback on my writing?
A: Yes, you absolutely will receive feedback on your writing in every class. You’ll also be invited to give feedback to other students. Past students tell us they learn as much by giving feedback as by getting it.

Each module, you will have the opportunity to submit work for feedback. Each module will have a word limit for the work you submit. The last module has a larger word limit so that you can submit a complete scene or story outline.

Q: How does the feedback work?
A: In Module 1, we will have writing exercises and feedback in class.

After that, a week before the next meeting, you will submit either the results of one of the exercises for that module, or a section from a story you are working on.

Your presenter and the other students will read your submission. During the class meeting, each student will receive verbal feedback on their work.

Q: How do the exercises work?
A: For each module, you’ll be given five exercises to complete in your own time. You can choose to do them immediately, or at any time in the future. They are entirely optional.

The exercises are designed so that you can do them even if you don’t have an idea for a story right now.

If you do have a story you are working on, each exercise has an alternative option for you to complete, so that you are improving your connection to and understanding of that story in each module.

You may choose one exercise, or a section from a story of your own, to submit for feedback each module.

Q: How much time should I set aside to do the course?
A: The course meeting (once a fortnight) is two hours in duration. Per module, most students spend two-three hours a module doing the exercises, and about an hour reading the other students’ work. However, since the exercises are not compulsory, how much time you spend doing them is up to you – they are designed so that you can decide how much energy and time you want to put into them.

Because this course has a fortnightly meeting schedule, we are suggesting that students write and submit in the first week, and then read their fellow students’ work in the second week, ready to comment at the class meeting. Just to be clear, you are not expected to submit all of your exercises; only pick one of them, or a section of your story, to submit for each class meeting.

Q: Do I need to log in at a set time?
A: You will need to join the class meeting live via Zoom once a fortnight. But downloading the exercises, doing them and uploading your work for submission can be done at your own pace, as long as you meet the class deadlines.