You had the magic moment. You know, the one where you wrote “The End” and actually finished writing your first draft. Maybe you had a big party with all your family and friends after, or maybe you just danced around your living room by yourself to celebrate.
You did it! And you should celebrate. Finishing a first draft is a big deal.
The only problem?
You haven’t touched the draft since.
You’ve meant to, but every time you open up the document, you just end up closing it again. Revision just feels so…big. And long. And complicated. You know you have to fix your plot, round out your characters, and clean up your prose, but you don’t even know where to begin.
And the overwhelm has you continuing to avoid your revisions, ignoring them, procrastinating and telling yourself you’ll start them soon.
But the whole point of being a writer is to be read.
So if you don’t have a novel completed and published and out in the world where a reader can get their hands on it, you’ve still got work to do. It’s time to pull your draft out and get back to work.
Writing a first draft is easy–thousands of writers do it every year. But revising a draft? Tougher. Because now you actually have to be discerning and become unattached from the draft you spent so much time writing.
Now you have to make the changes that will turn the draft you have into the story you want.
Scary! Especially if you’re doing it all by yourself.
And that’s where we come in.
Introducing: Revise Your Damn Novel
Revise Your Damn Novel is 5 weeks of focused revision time to get your draft into a more final state, so you can either hit “publish” or finally send it off to an editor for feedback.
In this workshop we’re doing a deep-dive on the five most common problems we see in manuscripts from the writers we work with. Each week we’ll address one problem and how to fix it, and then you’ll get a checklist to work through for the week as you revise your own draft along with the rest of the group.
You’ll be able to post scenes for feedback, ask questions, brainstorm with us, and get the support and accountability you need to actually FINISH what you started all those months ago.
The workshop runs from October 16 to November 19
What We’re Covering
Week 1: Episodic Narrative (aka: No Structure)
Every story must have structure or it becomes an episodic narrative, which is the day-to-day happenings in a character’s life. Interesting to some maybe, but not technically a story. This week we’ll talk about story structure and making sure your draft has it.
Week 2: Inconsistencies
Whether in the plot or with the characters, inconsistencies can ruin your story. This week we’ll be diving into fixing the inconsistencies in your story.
Week 3: Point of View/Voice/Narration
The point of view you choose can make or break your story. This week we’ll address choosing the right POV for your story and how to implement it.
Week 4: Info Dumps/Backstory Problems
While backstory is needed to fill in the gaps in a story, most writers use way too much backstory and actually ruin the story. This week we’ll fix the backstory in your story.
Week 5: Unnatural Dialogue
Dialogue is such an important part of a story. It can add so much to it and really bring it to life in a big way. But when the dialogue is unnatural or just unnecessary, it takes away from what would have been This week we’re fixing up the dialogue in your story so that it pops and adds to your story.
What You Get
The workshop content will be delivered via email on Mondays during the workshop. Each week you get:
- Weekly MP3 training, delivered on Monday each week, along with a checklist
- Private Facebook group
- Weekly Q&A livestream inside the private Facebook group
- The ability to post scenes/sections from your draft for feedback from Jennifer and Sarah
- Accountability, support and guidance as you go through this five-week revision journey
BONUSES
And, of course, no workshop would be complete without some awesome Bonuses to go along with it! When you join Revise Your Damn Novel, you get access to:
- The Story Revision Kit–the go-to resource for turning the draft you have into the story you want. (a $197 value)
- How To Handle Magic Systems–an MP3 recording all about the biggest no-nos writers make with creating magic systems in their stories and how to fix them. (a $97 value)
Investment
Pay-In-Full: $197
DOORS TO THIS WORKSHOP ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED
Payment Plan: 2 Monthly Payments of $98.50
DOORS TO THIS WORKSHOP ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED
NEW! Extended Payment Plan: 3 Monthly Payments of $66
DOORS TO THIS WORKSHOP ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED
FAQS
1. Will I be able to finish my revision during the workshop?
Honestly, that’s a question only you can answer. Yes, you can definitely finish in the 5 weeks if you’ve given yourself enough time each week to work on your draft and do the assignments. But it also depends on how much work you’ve already done on your current draft. If you draft needs a full rewrite, it may take you longer than the 5 weeks that this workshop includes.
2. What if I don’t finish in the 5 weeks?
That’s OK! Even if you don’t finish, by sticking with the workshop and doing the work each week you will have built some seriously good momentum that you can continue with after the workshop ends.
3. Are there any “live” elements to this workshop that I’d need to be there for?
Yes and no. We will be doing a weekly Q&A livestream inside the private Facebook group, so you can ask questions, brainstorm with us or get feedback and support. These livestreams will have a pre-set date and time. But if you can’t be there live, that’s perfectly OK. We will be recording all of the livestreams so you can watch them later on your own time and you can always pre-submit questions for us to answer on the recording.
4. Will you be doing this workshop again?
We have no current plans to repeat this workshop. So if you want in, now’s the time.
5. How much time do I need each day/week to be successful in this workshop?
We recommend that you clear your schedule as much as possible for the full 5 weeks, that way you can really focus on getting your revision done. But if you’re busy or have a lot going on, you can definitely still participate (and we encourage you to–it will be great motivation and accountability for you). All you need is 30-60 minutes a day or at least a few days a week where you can dedicate 30-60 minutes to doing the work.