Creative Writing

Novel Writing

Finish the novel you keep starting

12 lessons4 modules9h 35m durationbeginner level

Instructor: StretchLearn Faculty

About this course

Most aspiring novelists stall somewhere between a great idea and a finished book. This course gives you the architecture (Save the Cat beat sheet, the Three-Act and Hero's Journey skeletons), the character tools (want vs. need, the lie the character believes), and a repeatable scene-and-revision system that working novelists use. You finish with a structured draft, a developmental edit plan, and a submission-ready query and synopsis.

Curriculum

Module 1: Story Architecture and Premise3 lessons

From Idea to a Premise That Can Carry 80,000 WordsPreview45m
The 15-Beat Skeleton (Save the Cat for Novels)🔒50m
Choosing Your Method: Outliner, Pantser, or Plantser🔒40m

Module 2: Character, Voice, and Point of View3 lessons

Want vs. Need: The Engine of Character Arc🔒50m
Point of View and Narrative Distance🔒45m
Voice and Dialogue That Sounds Like People🔒50m

Module 3: Scene Craft, Pacing, and the Sagging Middle3 lessons

The Scene-and-Sequel Engine🔒50m
Pacing: Controlling Speed on Purpose🔒45m
Fixing the Sagging Middle🔒50m

Module 4: Revision and the Path to Agents3 lessons

The Three-Pass Revision System🔒50m
Feedback: Beta Readers and Critique🔒45m
Querying Agents: The Letter, Synopsis, and Submission🔒55m