While it has been said that ‘everybody has a novel in them’, it would not be true to say that everybody is capable of writing a novel. There are some people to whom good writing does not come naturally. Just as there are some people who do not have a visually artistic brain, a natural musicality, a sense of rhythm, or physical athleticism. We are all born with different gifts.
In order to be a novelist worthy of publication, it is necessary to have a degree of a natural talent. But as with art, music, dance or sport, that talent can be honed, and skills can be taught. In asking you to submit a short sample of your writing with your course application, our aim is to identify your natural talent and guide you towards implementing it most effectively.
Broadly, the course will incorporate the following:
- Structure and Plotting
- Characterisation
- Description
- Dialogue
- Submitting to literary agents
- The publishing process
STRUCTURE
- Creating your narrative arc
- Peaks and troughs – creating drama and tension
- Chapter breakdown
- Sub-plots
- Towards your denouement
CHARACTERISATION
- Convincing, three-dimensional characters
- Character portrait development
- The Magpie Concept
- Creating emotional investment
- Goodies and baddies
DIALOGUE
- Screenwriting thinking
- Dialogue as action
- Speech distillation
- Plot propulsion
- Tone of voice and verbal tics
- Reading aloud
LITERARY AGENTS
- How to choose an agent
- Submission letters and material
- Positioning your novel
- Dealing with rejection and moving on
- The personal connection
THE PUBLISHING PROCESS
- Acquisition
- Editing
- Cover
- Marketing and Publicity