Course Information
This course has payment options available, click the Enrol Now link to view the payment options. Pre-requisite: Novel & Script Third Draft course.
The Power of Feedback
You will receive feedback on larger sections of your story and will be pushed to a far greater degree than in the Third Draft course. The feedback is more tailored to your personal needs, is more intense and demanding.
The combination of advanced feedback templates, writing exercises to further develop your craft and more personalised and challenging feedback will uncover what is unique about you, your writing and your story.
Finding your unique voice and take on the world is what will make your story and writing stand out.
The cumulative effect on your writing will be profound and will take your work way beyond where you were in the Third Draft Part 1 as you delve deeper into the art and craft of re-writing and editing.
Getting ongoing feedback makes all the difference.
Ed Catmul, the founder of Pixar, who made such classics as Finding Nemo and Toy Story, said, “All the Pixar writers no matter how smart, talented and well organised they are become lost somewhere along the way.
“We believe in the power of embracing candid feedback and the iterative process of re-working, re-working, re-working and re-working … The story steadily improves with each step of the process. In my experience, creative people discover and realise their vision over time.”
“Alternating between creating and the critique process is the most effective way to learn in any creative field.”
Dwight Swain – Techniques of the Selling Writer
The Process
Pre-Course Work
Before the course starts, you will follow a process to explore and clarify your entire story. Often you will find that the insights you’ve gained through the writing in the Third Draft will impact your character development and story structure.
When doing the re-writing and editing after the first session, it is critical that you are clear about all your characters’ motivations and that your story structure is sound for you to get the most useful feedback on your writing.
You will be given targeted exercises designed to keep you on track and help you further develop your characters, story and writing skills.
Between Sessions
Every month between submitting work, you will be given targeted exercises designed to keep you on track and help you further develop your characters, story and writing. Including, sub-text, subplots, relationship arcs, exploring and developing your theme, fleshing out the antagonists and minor characters and inner character journeys.
For the first three months
You work on 2,500 words every month using Advanced Feedback Templates and you will receive feedback focusing more on your particular style and story than in the Third Draft.
Next four months – 2 x 4,000 words
Every two months you will work on and submit 4,000 words to your tutor for feedback.
As you start incorporating the feedback and what you’ve learnt, your writing will jump to another level.
“As I was reading everyone’s work for this session, I felt that the writing in general has reached a close-to-publishable standard, better than many of the printed books I read.”
Wallace Lee
The end of the course
Towards the end of the course, your assigned editor will read and critique the first 12,000 words of your story and you will have a one-on-one consultation with your tutor.
Receiving objective, targeted feedback on your writing makes all the difference.
“As I was reading everyone’s work for this session, I felt that the writing in general has reached a close-to-publishable standard, better than many of the books I read.
“The voice of each writer is much clearer and confident; there is a sense of finding and settling down with the voice. There is a shift from being a slave to language to owning it. This is really satisfying to see.”
Wallace Lee
Course Review
Kelly Rigby
Kelly Rigby is an editor and coach who is passionate about helping writers tell their stories and polish their words. Over the past 20 years she has developed a unique combination of writing, marketing and teaching experience, and holds qualifications in creative writing, business and TESOL.
Kelly has edited and assessed manuscripts from most genres, and mentored writers at all levels of ability, including two who have gone on to win Varuna Fellowships. She has also written two short films and numerous short stories, and been published in a Louise Hay book – Modern Day Miracles, as well as on the web.
Kelly first came to the Writers Studio in 2004 and discovered she had a natural instinct for story structure. Since then, she has continued to study writing and hone her craft, and is at the final edit stage of her first book in a new urban fantasy series. Kelly works as an editor and tutor in our Advanced Novel & Script courses.