So you have a killer novel concept—now what? In this mentorship, Los Angeles author Anna Dorn will help you structure, organize, and develop your novel — whether it’s just a loose concept or a rough first draft. Each student will submit work to Anna each week over email and she will provide feedback. Assignments include: developing a logline and 3-act outline, answering Francesca Lia Block’s 12 questions to structure your novel, producing the first and last pages of the novel, writing a query letter, and lingering questions and the path-to-publication. See the deadlines and a detailed explanation of the assignments below, including page limits and expectations.
Submission deadlines: May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18, June 25
Price: $450, $400 for Members
Capacity: 8 students
SYLLABUS
Week 1: Logline and 1-page 3-act outline. Synthesizing the central conflict of the work and creating a 3-act outline are useful in conceptualizing your novel. Email me your logline and outline, preferably in Google docs or a Word document. Try to keep it to one page, single-spaced. I will respond with feedback.
Week 2: Modified version of Francesca Lia Block's 12 Questions to Structure Your Novel. These questions are designed to further hone the arc and structure of your novel. Email me your answers in Google doc or Word doc, and try to keep responses under two pages. I will respond with feedback.
Week 3: First page of novel. The first page must be designed to hook a reader, agent, and/or publisher. A reader will decide whether they are going to keep reading in an instant. Start with a hook. Establish the genre, tone, and writing style. Introduce the lead. And try to establish the want, or at least a want. On the first page, your character should want something and there should be something in the way. Email me the first page of the novel, single-spaced, one page. I will respond with feedback.
Week 4: Last page of novel. My idea is not that you necessarily know the last page of your novel, or that this will be the actual last page. The goal is to get you to think about how you want your protagonist to change and where you want them to end up. The idea is to come up with an endpoint to work towards in the writing process. One page. I will respond with feedback.
Week 5: Query letters. A query letter is a one-page letter sent to literary agents in an effort to get them excited about your book. You have one page and 300 words (or less) to woo a literary agent into requesting your manuscript. I will respond with feedback. (Optional: compile a list of agents and/or editors to query.)
Week 6: Lingering questions. This week, email me lingering questions about your novel, the writing process, and the path to publication. No limit, and I will answer them the best I can!
Anna Dorn is the author of three books: Exalted (Unnamed Press, 2022), Bad Lawyer (Hachette Books, 2021), and Vagablonde (Unnamed Press, 2020). Her next book Perfume & Pain is forthcoming from Simon & Schuster. She’s also an associate editor at Hobart Pulp. http://www.anna-dorn.com/
What people are saying:
“Anna’s knowledge about different techniques and styles of writing makes it so she is always ready to narrow down ideas that will best compliment your tone, target audience, and mood.”
-Yvette Aguilar, WriteGirl mentee
“Dorn’s narrative is intoxicating, particularly in its depiction of the existential ennui that’s stemmed from our insatiable consumer culture… Dorn may have written the horror novel we deserve.”
-Kirkus Reviews