Mondays 12:00 – 2:00 PM
October 4 through November 15, 2004
D.O.C. House
Have you always wanted to write a book but can’t seem to get started? Have you written a book or short story and are not sure how to get it published? Perhaps you have started a book and lost your motivation to complete it. If any of these—or similar situations-- applies to you, fortunately you have come to the right place.
This course is designed not to teach you how to write, but rather to teach you how to be a writer. This means you will learn how to write like a writer and to think like one. Writing like a writer means, for example, understanding the difference between dialogue and exposition and when to use each; it means understanding character development and how to keep control over non-fiction material. Thinking like a writer means realizing the importance of working every day, of trusting your imagination, and of developing your senses. And since completing your book is only half the story—of course you want to see your book on the shelves--we will also explore the fascinating mechanics of the publishing process.
Each class will begin with a 15 minute “writing slam” to get you warmed up and to exorcise whatever might be coming between you and the blank page. The next 15 minutes we will listen to and discuss some of these short, in-class writings. The remainder of each class will be spent as follows: The first three sessions we will study the basic elements of writing fiction, non-fiction, oral history, and other genres. The next three sessions will be devoted to getting a manuscript into the system and, hopefully, published. This includes: how to write a perfect book proposal, how to find an agent, and what publishers look for in a manuscript. The final session we will discuss and summarize what we have learned.
There will be no homework. We may on occasion have a guest author come to speak.
Class is limited to 11 participants.
INA YALOF is a full-time writer and journalist with a medical background. She has authored or co-authored seven books of non-fiction, numerous magazine pieces, and has edited four books and a host of newspaper articles. Her latest co-authored book will be published by Harper Collins/Regan Books in August, 2004. She is currently working on a novel.
