Thayer's Course at the University of Washington Extension School
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"Great class, one of the most useful I've ever had. The lectures were well-thought-out, thorough treatments of tools needed to write popular fiction. Lots of suggestions and advice." --William D., former student.
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Jim Thayer teaches Popular Fiction 1--Intensive, a course on novel writing at the University of Washington Extension School, a two-evenings-a-week for fifteen weeks format on the UW campus in Seattle. He has just completed the 2010 session, and his next course begins in January 2011.
Writing popular fiction in all genres (mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, historical, horror, and others) is the focus of the class. The program uses lectures, exercises, readings, and assignments to help you craft your novel. The course emphasizes creating a strong plot and compelling characters.
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The mechanics of novel writing are talked about: preliminary plotting and researching, and the use of an outline, character lists, tie-up later lists, plot point calendars, and other plotting tools.
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Techniques to make each paragraph of your novel more vivid and entertaining are also discussed, such as the importance of revealing rather than explaining, eliminating filters, and using active sentences. How to craft compelling dialogue and riveting action scenes are stressed.
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"I entered the class unsure of my writing ability. I am leaving class much more confident of my skills and ready to tackle my novel." --Jerry B., a former student.
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Also discussed will be how to avoid prospect-killing mistakes in writing the novel. Prospect killers? Agents say that the most common error that leads to rejection slips is the failure to put conflict early enough in the novel. Other big mistakes include points of view that jump around, protagonists who don't have all five attributes a successful fictional character must have, and telling much of the novel as summaries instead of scenes. There are many more, and the class addresses all of them.
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Each week you can hand in pages of your fiction for Thayer to review. He makes comments on your pages, offering encouragement and constructive criticism to help you sharpen your fiction skills.
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"Just what I needed; pragmatic, accessible and crafted with the student's success in mind. We are all sorry that the course is ending." --Olivia W., former student.
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Editing your own manuscript--what to look for and what to improve--is reviewed.
The business of becoming published--how to find the right agent, the drafting of the compelling query letter, and dealing with publishers--is also emphasized.
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"Unbelievably helpful in advancing my understanding of how to use my writing skills in setting out a more compelling story. Thank you, Jim!" --Lisa R, former student.
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