Finding the Heart of Your Novel

INSTRUCTOR: Karleen Koen
TIME: Saturday, April 6, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. CDT
PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Sunday, March 31. After Sunday, March 31: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.
LOCATION: Writespace, 1907 Sabine Street, #125, Houston, TX 77007 (map)
LEVEL: All levels
CAP: 15

“One of the hardest things a writer has to learn is that ‘What’s going on?’ means
precisely that….” –Dwight Swain, Techniques of the Selling Writer

Stuck? Writing in circles? Can’t finish? Can’t begin? Written all you can but the story world isn’t real? Overthinking? Doubting? Afraid? Come spend some time with Dwight Swain’s story question concept. If you can articulate the basic ingredients that a novel must contain, you can begin to find your way to the heart of your characters and plot. You can harness your writing impulse in a way that will jumpstart your storytelling again. Class time includes writing, group discussion, and exploration of specific writing problems from class members. The care and feeding of one’s writer and one’s muse will also be explored.

Individual writing will not be critiqued. This is not a critique class.

Karleen Koen is a seasoned and award-winning writer/editor and novelist. Her first novel, Through A Glass Darkly, was a New York Times bestseller. She has written three other novels, Now Face to Face, Dark Angels, and Before Versailles. Former jobs include editor of Houston Home & Garden, managing editor of the University of Houston’s feature magazine, and director of editorial services for the University of Houston. She teaches about craft, creativity, and writing for the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University and has taught at the Writer’s League of Texas and Writespace. She is one of the founders of Women in the Visual and Literary Arts and currently serves the Community for Conscious Aging. Her website is www.karleenkoen.net.