Do you have an idea for your story, but you don't know where to begin?

Join us for How to Architect Your Novel, an engaging and interactive workshop designed to nurture the seed of your story idea into the foundation of a compelling novel.

Over the span of four weeks, you'll transform your initial idea into the strong beginnings of a novel. Our comprehensive curriculum will guide you through:

1. Developing Your Story Arc: Master the elements of a big picture story arc scene; learn how to seamlessly integrate them into your story idea
2. Identifying Your Theme: Discover the central theme of your story and create a concise summary that captures its essence
3. Solidifying Your Main Character: Flesh out your main character, giving them depth and dimension
4. Drafting Your First Chapter: Write the opening chapter of your novel, setting the stage for your story
5. Receiving Feedback: Receive constructive feedback from your peers and the instructor, to help you refine your ideas and writing

While we work on your story idea, we'll examine and analyze scenes from acclaimed novels to understand what makes them work. This will provide you with a deeper understanding of storytelling mechanics.

By the end of this workshop, you'll have the tools and confidence to write the rest of your story.

This course is craft intensive, and so get ready to work! Come prepared to dive deep into the art of storytelling and to bring your story to life.

All class meetings will be held via Zoom. The link to join your Zoom classroom will be provided on the morning of your class. Please check spam folders if you do not receive an email confirmation upon registration. For more information on how to download or use Zoom, please click here.

Meet Your Instructor:
Preslaysa Williams

Preslaysa Williams is an award-winning author who writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with an Afro-Filipina twist. Proud of her heritage, she loves sharing her culture with her readers. She is the author of A Lowcountry Bride, A Sweet Lowcountry Proposal, Healing Hannah's Heart, and A Wedding in the Lowcountry. A graduate of Columbia University, Preslaysa is a professional actress, a planner nerd, an avid bookworm, a college writing instructor, and a busy mom who wears mismatched socks.

Course Expectations

• Read selected scenes from published novels prior to class meetings in order to analyze and discuss them
• Complete writing exercises on your own to develop your story idea
• Be prepared to workshop select samples 

Course Skeleton

• Week One: An overview of big picture story arc and developing your story's log line
• Week Two: Creating A Strong Main Character and the Elements of a Scene
• Week Three: Crafting the Major Turning Points of Your Story & Planning the First and Last Scenes
• Week Four: Finishing the First Chapter & How to Complete the Rest of Your Novel

We offer full refunds for cancellation with written notice up until 7 days before your class start date. From 6 days to more than 24 hours before class begins, we offer a 25% refund. If you drop a class less than 24 hours before the class begins or after it has started, you are ineligible for a refund.