Novel Workshop with Jean Kwok: Getting from 20 Pages to a Novel

This four-day workshop will be offered as a part of Catapult and WME’s Writer’s Winter Break this coming January 2020

“Many fiction writers begin by writing short stories and yet, at some point, either an inner voice or an external one (i.e. your agent or editor) will whisper, ‘How about writing a novel?’ The problem is, it’s not that simple to go from writing 20 gorgeous pages to building a novel of 300 pages or more.” – Jean Kwok

For writers accustomed to working with shorter fiction, the prospect of starting on a novel can be daunting, if not overwhelming. With the help of a bestselling, award-winning novelist, this course will offer a comprehensive guide on how to shape your novel into its best form, whether you are in the early pages of a draft or if you already have a full manuscript.

Many writers stumble when they attempt to write their first novel because of structural issues. These problems can’t be solved by simply writing more; rather, you need to write differently. This course will discuss the craft involved in novel writing, with an emphasis on character, narrative, and structure, and also provide emotional tools for traveling that long road from page one all the way to The End.

This four-day workshop will also pay close attention to each participant’s novel submission and provide supportive and honest feedback. This class will offer a rare opportunity for participants to receive help from a celebrated novelist, so that they, too, may realize their novel’s full potential.

Applications will be reviewed and selected on a rolling basis. To apply for this workshop, please enroll in Writer’s Spring Break by January 1st and complete the registration form sent to you by Catapult staff. Workshops and related programming take place January 22nd through 26th, 2020, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

– Support and feedback from fellow dedicated, aspiring novelists

– A chance to get specific feedback on your novel’s structure, characters, overall coherence, and story

– A rare opportunity to receive one-on-one advice from distinguished novelist Jean Kwok as you figure out the next steps for your manuscript

COURSE EXPECATATIONS:

– By January 1st, participants are expected to submit 5 to 10 double-spaced pages from the beginning of their novel. These pages should be whatever the reader will read first, whether they are from a Prologue, Chapter One, or something else

– Participants are also expected to submit a 3-to-10-page double-spaced synopsis or description, describing what will happen in the novel from beginning to end, or as much as they’ve determined so far. (Go ahead, spoil the ending if you’ve got one!)

– Participants are expected to provide constructive verbal feedback on each other’s work

Jean Kwok is the award-winning, New York Times and international bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee, Girl in Translation, and Mambo in Chinatown. Her work has been published in twenty countries and taught in universities, colleges, and high schools across the world. An instant New York Times bestseller, Searching for Sylvie Lee was selected for the Today Show Book Club and featured in the New York Times, Time, Newsweek, CNN, the New York Post, the Washington Post, O Magazine, People, Entertainment Weekly, and more. Jean has been chosen for numerous honors including the American Library Association Alex Award, the Chinese American Librarians Association Best Book Award, and the Sunday Times Short Story Award international shortlist. Jean immigrated from Hong Kong to Brooklyn when she was five and worked in a Chinatown clothing factory for much of her childhood. She received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard and completed an MFA in fiction at Columbia University. She currently lives in the Netherlands.

Questions? Please email us at classes@catapult.co