Write a novel draft with me in ten months!

I often hear writers tell me, “I can’t write unless I’m in a class with you, Diane,” or “I can’t write unless I’m with a group.” If this is your experience, please know this is not uncommon. And it doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. It’s just how you prefer to write right now. And if this is what you need, I have a class that can help you to complete a novel draft…in ten months.

Novel in 10 is a structured, immersive writing journey designed to help you complete a novel draft–up to 300 pages over 10 months–with guidance, intentional exercises, and community support. This brand-new course expands on my popular “10 Things” Class, offering a step-by-step system to develop a novel with intention.

How it Works

• Monthly Class Meetings (Thursdays, 3:30–5:30pm Eastern and recorded for those who cannot join live.)
• Class Dates: May 1, June 5, July 10, August 7, September 4, October 9, November 6, December 4, January 8, and February 5.
• Each month, we’ll use three targeted exercises to shape different areas of your novel, page by page. Writing will be started IN CLASS. At least half of each class will be spent writing together.

Monthly Writing Goals

• Expect to write 30 pages a month, leading to about 300 pages by the end of the course.

One-on-One Meetings with Me

• You’ll have five private meetings with me throughout the program (every two months or as needed).
• In these sessions, I’ll review your pages, provide feedback, and help you stay on track.

Whether you’re writing your first novel or reimagining that long-shelved project, Novel in 10 will keep you accountable, inspired, and moving forward.

Cost: $2625

Registration: Open now through April 15. Payment can be made via Zelle using dianeyzp(at)hotmail(dot)com or by check.

Limited Spots Available–Let me know you’re interested, and I’ll hold a seat for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will there be workshops? Not in this class. Workshops, when we present our writing to other students for feedback, can be extremely valuable, but I am trying to do something different in this course. I envision this class as a solution for those people who need the support of a community around them to produce pages. The feedback you receive–and there will be a lot of it!–will come from me. This also means that you will not be spending time reading other student work. Your attention is fully on your own book from start to finish.
  
• Do I need to know what my story is before I start this class? So much of writing any book is about discovery as you go. I hope you begin the class with a general sense of the story you want to tell, but even if you feel confident that you are sure what your book is about, I’m going to encourage you to be open to surprises. You may discover 3/4 of the way through the book that you’ve really been writing about hope the whole time you thought you were writing about illness. You may realize the book is not so much about one character but about another. Be open, be free, and you’ll find your way.
  
• We’ll be writing in class? Yes! Each class I will present a lesson that corresponds to one of my “10 Things” (if you have taken that class, you know these are my favorite foundations for writing fiction!). I will then provide three writing prompts that correspond to that idea and the section of the novel you are working on. We will be writing for about an hour together each time we gather. For a certain kind of writer (maybe you?) this can be the key to getting that month’s work underway!
  
• How will the recordings work? We will have a password-protected website devoted to our class, where all of the class materials, prompts, and videos will be housed. You’ll be able to log in after each course and view the class video when the timing is right. You’ll even be able to write right along with us.
  
• When is payment due? For this class, the balance, paid by Zelle or check, is due in full by April 15. I can accept a credit card, but your total cost would be a bit more to offset high fees. Let me know if that is something you want to do.
  
• Are there refunds? Due to the intensive nature of the course and small number of seats, I’m sorry, but I will not be able to offer refunds after the class begins. In special situations, I might be able to convert a fee toward one-on-one coaching or put it on file for other classes, but this must be done on a case-by-case basis in consideration of my schedule in the year ahead.
  
• Am I ready? Only you know that for sure. If you think this is your time to do this, look at the 10 months ahead. Of course there will be unexpected things that come our way, and we can always adjust and adapt class-wise. But if you have a lot of travel or demanding work coming up this year, maybe it would be best to wait for another time.
  
  But maybe you were wondering if I think you are ready, as a writer? Here is what I can promise: I take care in accepting writers only when they are prepared for an intensive experience such as this one. I know almost all of my students from other classes before we begin. I know what kind of group I am putting together–and you can trust that you’ll have intentionally been included among writers with great instincts, smarts, and compassion.

Thank you for considering me to be your guide for your book! I hope we can begin our new books together this May!

Warmly,

Diane