Looking for a fun yet challenging writing class for your teen?

Or a course to teach your book-loving teens how to finish those dozen novels they've started?

If so, then you're in the right place.

In this class, students will

• Learn to recognize and apply the techniques of great writing and storytelling by analyzing books they like (and ones I assign).
• Write a short story.
• Improve their grammar and writing skills.
• Learn in a respectful environment that is not going to push progressive ideals or books with sexual content. The books I mention and use as examples will be books with flawed but overall noble characters.
• Learn what being a published author is like and how to get published, if that is their dream. And learn about other ways to make a living as a writer.

But my teen doesn't like to write...

My teen claims she can't make up a story to save her life...

Ironically, you just described me as a teen. I didn't like writing, thought I couldn't do it; I hated the "favorite memory" and "tell us about your vacation" papers. When forced to write a story, I kept changing things so much, I never finished the project. It wasn't until I was twenty-six and was bored stiff at work that I decided to try my hand at writing fiction. To my shock, I loved it, and I haven't stopped writing since.

Maybe that will be your teen's experience during this course (not the bored part but the "I really can write" part), maybe not. But . . . most people like to talk about the things they like. And while I admit I know a few people who just don't get into fiction, most people do love a good story, and this class lets students choose the books they like to read to find examples of story elements, like good dialogue and setting descriptions and so forth. So in many of their assignments, they are analyzing and writing about stories they love - what could be more fun?

As for not being able to make up stories, we're all creators, and I want all the students to realize that. Writing or painting or singing isn't limited to a select few. Creativity is part of who we are. We're made in the image of a Creator God, so it's more logical to think we are creatives than not. But if that is a worry for your teen, never fear. Our short story to write during the course is a retelling of the classic French "Beauty and the Beast" tale. Many, many authors (including this one) got their start writing retellings or fan fiction. There's a good reason for this - a retelling provides a framework for plot and characters that allows authors to build and develop what's there rather than start from scratch. They're training wheels. So if your teen fears the blank page, he can relax knowing the framework is there. There's a lot of flexibility in retellings too, so students won't be confined either.

Will this class help their grammar and writing skills in general?

Yes. The students will read the popular language books Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (Fourth Edition) by Patricia T. O'Conner and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print . These aren't dry tomes but short, engaging, and very helpful books.

But my teen hates literature...

This is a more practical than literary class. My background is science, though I've had a couple of English literature classes and a creative writing class. My bent, as a former lab instructor, and my background and experience, lend themselves to a practical course. I appreciate literature and respect literary criticism, but I'm a self-published author. I talk more about how to sell books than about literary criticism and the philosophies of 18th-century poets (I don't actually talk about these, to be honest). Many, many authors were not English majors. We're teachers and editors and lawyers and homeschool moms and graphic designers and marketers (a very valuable skill to authors) and housecleaners and lawn care providers and whatever else pays the bills so we can do what we're called to do. So if your teen is looking for something literary and esoteric, this class may not be for them. If your teen wants practical training from someone whose books are fun rather than just intellectual (they don't have to be one or the other), whose books sell to the "average reader" rather than just an elite few, then this class is for them.

What is the credit for the class?

It is designed to be a 1 credit course. The course is 30 weeks long, with around 60 minutes of lecture per week plus assignments and reading. This is a pass/fail course.

Who is this class for?

This class is for teens. Adults are encouraged to sign up for the general class.

What are the details of the course? 

Teacher: Elizabeth Kitchens, author and copyeditor

Lessons: 30

Format: Online

Equipment required: Computer with word processor, internet connection

Books required: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (Fourth Edition) by Patricia T. O'Conner and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print .

This option includes:

Video access

Assignments

Workbook (download)

Monthly live Q&As with Elizabeth

--For three years

Mentor option

If you would like instructor feedback (from an award-nominated author and professional editor) on your assignments and short story project, please see the Mentorship option (https://i-write-with-ej-kitchens.teachable.com/p/i-w-r-i-t-e-how-to-write-a-novel-story-track-mentoring).

Class Schedule

This class runs on a Fall, Spring, Summer schedule.

You can purchase the class at any time, however, but the lessons are available on a drip schedule beginning these dates for 2024 (and similar for future years):

Spring 2024 class: January 9

Summer 2024 class: May 1

Fall 2024 class: August 7

Spring 2025: January 7

***You can request full access rather than drip access at any time. Drip access is to help keep students who desire the accountability on schedule, as they will receive an email notice that the lesson has released. Do note that, as of Dec. 2023, only the first sixteen lessons are available, as the rest of the course is still being built and will release week by week from January to April 2024.***

*For homeschoolers, this is a pass/fail course and is worth 1 credit.

(Book links are affiliate links. They cost you nothing extra but help pay for the teaching platform.)

What do we cover in the class? 

The course is outlined according to the acronym I. W.R.I.T.E. I admit I am not a fan of acronyms, but this one came to me out of the blue, and I realized it was very useful, so we’re going with it. Twice, actually. Once for story elements and once for the actual writing. We’ll also look at what readers want in a story so you can create stories with a premise that captures reader interest. There will be assignments throughout the course to help you learn the techniques of great writing, and you'll write a short story (around 20,000 words) and a book proposal. You will also read two books over the course of the class to strengthen your grammar and writing: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (Fourth Edition) by Patricia T. O'Conner (in the fall) and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Rennie Brown and Dave King (in the spring).

Module 1: Story Elements and Knowing Your Reader

I: Introduction Introduction to writing a novel.

I: Ideas Where do we get ideas and how do we decide which ones to use?

W: World The story world (setting) is more than just the place the action happens but influences everything that happens.

R: Readers What do readers expect and want? Learn about genre, tone, book length, story hook, and blurb.

I: "I" (Characters) Who is telling the story? Characters and Point-of-View.

T: Trouble The all-important goals and conflict that drive your story.

E: Events (Plot) What happens in your story? Should you outline or discovery write?

E: Editing Developmental editing and the different types of editing.

Module 2: Midpoint

Midpoint: Book proposals (even if you're not seeking traditional publishing, writing a book proposal will help you become a better author) and tips to overcome "the Resistance" other hindrances to writing consistently.

Module 3: Going Deeper into Story and Words

I: Introduction to great writing. Description.

W: Words or not? Show/don’t tell.

R: Rhythm. Writing scene and sequel.

I: Interest. Capture reader interest with a great first line, a middle that doesn’t sag, and a satisfying ending.

T: Talk. Dialogue and action beats.

E: Editing. Self-editing and the different types of editing.

Module 4: The End.

Wrap up. What being an author is like, jobs for writers, how to get published, how to avoid scams, and references for future study. You'll turn in the final book proposal and short story.

Assignments

Weekly assignments are designed to help students learn to analyze the stories they consume for story elements and good writing technique and so learn from them. There will be a workbook where students can take notes from the video and answer questions to further think about the topics discussed. Students will also work on developing a short story (approximately 20,000 words) throughout the course and will use what they learn to create a book proposal.

The short story will be a retelling of the classic "Beauty and the Beast" story. Why? Because having a framework eases the burden of starting everything from scratch. Retellings and fan fiction are how many of us started out. Retellings are very flexible, however, so you can do a lot with the idea.

Students will also read two books over the course of the class to strengthen their grammar and writing: Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (Fourth Edition) by Patricia T. O'Conner (in the fall) and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Rennie Brown and Dave King (in the spring).

That’s the class summary. If you’re still with me, you may be wondering about me and why I am teaching the course and what experience I have in writing and teaching. Again, I’m Elizabeth (E.J. Kitchens), and I’m a freelance copyeditor, author of clean YA fantasy novels, and an instructor. I come from a family of writers but didn’t discover my own love of writing until I was twenty-six. Consequently, I have a science background and have taught college microbiology labs and community college biology courses. I enjoy teaching and writing and helping others with their writing.

If you want to check out my writing, you can find my books on my website here: https://www.ejkitchens.com.

See you in the course!