|
Well, it’s almost back to school season, which means it’s time to start thinking about your next writing project. This season always feels like another “new year” to me. It’s when our team starts pitching new writing projects to publishers, and it’s when I always start thinking more seriously about my next book.
 |
These days, it seems most people want to jump right into working on a book, which is, of course, understandable—and it’s usually the wrong place for most writers to begin writing.
If you never learned to write a proper sentence, and most people never did, or still don’t understand what a paragraph is (most people don’t), then don’t trick yourself into believing a book is where you should focus.
Start with the basics, the fundamentals of writing, and then learn how to put those building blocks together, one piece at a time, to create something compelling and meaningful. It’s the slower route to success as a writer, for sure, but a more fulfilling one.
Which is why I am beginning to offer this fall a set of writing classes and programs for those willing to work on the craft of their writing. These are what I consider the “essentials” and will continue offering these live classes every quarter (or so).
If you have any questions about these offerings, or anything else you’d like to learn, please let me know (via comment or in email reply). That said, here’s what’s coming down the pike in these next few months.
Your Big Idea Writing Class (July 31)
Don’t settle for fitting in when you have the opportunity to stand out.
This is, essentially, my “101” class for how to start writing. Do you have a new book you’re working on? A business you want to launch? A blog, podcast, or newsletter you want to roll out?
It all begins with the big idea.
In this two-hour class, I will share with you my process for making any idea interesting, challenging why some good books and projects fail while others succeed. It turns out that it’s not the best ideas that win, but the most interesting ones.
Although this teaching applies to a lot more than writing, we will be focusing on books, using examples for both fiction and nonfiction, helping you workshop your next book idea so that you can bake the marketing into it as you write it.
The live online class will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday, July 31, from 11:00 a.m. Central time to 1:00 p.m. Central time.
Cost: $99 (special price of $79 for Substack subscribers only—use code: earlybirdbigidea).
Structuring Your Nonfiction Book (August 28)
Without the right structure, everything falls apart—including you.
This is my “201” class for writers. No matter how big the idea, no matter how good the story, you need the right structure to hold it all in place.
In this two-hour class, we will explore the two primary structures most books fall under, how to figure out what genre you write in, and what the best writing routines and schedules are for you.
We will also explore how to be interesting in choosing what writing category makes the most sense for you, and I will walk you through a simple but proven process to begin outlining a book.
Although ideal for nonfiction authors of business, self-help, how-to, and personal development books, this class is also relevant to authors of fiction and memoir. Taking the Big Idea Class is a prerequisite for this one.
The live online class will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday, August 28, from 11:00 a.m. Central time to 1:00 p.m. Central time.
Cost: $99 (special price of $79 for Substack subscribers only—use code earlybirdstructure).
Introduction to Book Writing Bundle
This bundle includes The Big Idea Class and Structuring Your Nonfiction Book, bundled together at a discounted rate.
These live online classes (see above for descriptions) will be hosted on Zoom on Wednesday, July 31, and Wednesday, August 28, from 11:00 a.m. Central time to 1:00 p.m. Central time.
Cost: $179 (special price of $149 for Substack subscribers only, discount applied at checkout).
P.S. Starting in August, I will be leading two small writing cohorts where we will be checking in once a month for a two-hour live Zoom call, plus checking in via email weekly with writing milestones, deadlines, and finished work.
This is a three-month writing program with live writing coaching, email support, and peer accountability. If you have a book or writing project you’re working on and need the help of a coach and/or community to get it across the finish line, this might be for you.
Each cohort will only have a maximum of five students in it, and students will have to submit a piece of writing before being accepted into the program. If interested, please reply to this email and share more about what you’re working on. I’ll let you know if you’re a good fit, and you can, of course, ask questions.
P.P.S. The early bird prices mentioned above are good through 11:59 p.m. CT Monday, July 29.
Thank you for reading The Ghost. This post is public so feel free to share it.
| ||||||||
