For the purposes of landing agents, enticing publishers, and hooking readers, the first twenty pages of your novel are the most vital. They are the first impression a reader will have of what story they are in for and whether or not they are in good hands with the storyteller. In this workshop, authors will submit roughly the first twenty-five pages of their manuscript (up to 7,000 words) to be read by the group and workshopped two weeks later. Each seminar will be limited to five students and the instructor, and each piece will get workshopped during the seminar, discussing the positives of each piece (what makes the class want to keep reading) and the places where the pieces still need work. Authors will ideally gain new perspectives on the many different ways one can start a novel, how to create a compelling perspective, start building a world, and draw in readers.
Note: There are three instances of this seminar this Fall. Each seminar is distinct. Students may take this seminar more than once but should submit new material each time.
Instructor: Randall Klein