Edit Like a Pro – YA Edition
Who should take Edit Like a Pro – YA Edition?
· Authors with shiny new YA manuscripts in need of edits.
· Authors who have gotten requests from agents/editors, but have yet to land a contract.
· Adult romance authors trying to break into the YA market.
Young adult fiction is hotter than ever, but penning a successful book for teens (and teens-at-heart) is more than plugging young protagonists into your story. With the YA market in mind, Heather will walk you through the standard “three pass” editing method used by most publishing houses, teaching you to spot weaknesses and showing you how to fix them. By the end of the class, you will have everything you need to submit your book to a publisher or agent.
OBJECTIVES:
· Learn how to assess and edit your manuscript on a macro level, ensuring your plot fits commercially successful parameters, your stakes and conflict are compelling, YA-appropriate, and “high-concept,” and that your characters develop organically.
· Learn how to assess and edit your manuscript on a micro level, analyzing the GMC of individual scenes and sequences, the effectiveness of your point of view, pacing issues, and the voice of the piece.
· Learn how to line edit like a pro, which includes tightening prose without over editing, empowering your language, and effectively managing white space.
· Have fun while developing new writing skills!
COURSE APPLICATION PROCESS & TUITION
Due to the intensive nature of this mentoring program, all prospective students must first submit an application plus a 5-page sample of their writing which has NOT already been critiqued or edited. The instructor needs to be able to assess the shape of your manuscript as a whole, not the first thirty pages or so which may have been heavily edited for contest submissions.
A completed synopsis or outline (even if rough) will also be required to make sure no student’s manuscript is going to require more than a 50% rewrite.
Admittance is at the instructor’s discretion. Ms. Howland will be evaluating applications as they are received, and once an application has been approved, the student will have 48 hours to complete the downpayment.
An application will be sent once registration is completed.
Tuition will consist of one non-refundable $175 deposit to be applied to your last month’s tuition and two additional monthly payments of $175 each. If you choose to enroll in the optional fourth month, an additional payment of $175 will be required.
Cancellation Policy: Any student may cancel at any time after the course begins and forfeit the non-refundable deposit.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Winter Track – OPEN
This track will begin on December 1st, 2011 in a special area of the Savvy Authors forum and end on March 15th, 2012, with a two-week break during the December holiday season and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time. Perfect for authors with a freshly-penned Nano book in hand who want to jump into the Spring submission season.
Spring Track – OPEN
This track will begin on March 1st, 2012 in a special area of our Forum and end on June 15th, 2012, with a two-week break mid-session and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time. Perfect for authors pitching at summer conferences, and those gearing up for the busy Fall submission season.
Summer Track – OPEN
This track will begin on June 1st, 2012 in a special area of the Savvy Authors forum and end on September 15th, 2012, with a two-week break during the beginning of July for students to catch up, and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time.Perfect for authors pitching at summer conferences, and those gearing up for the busy Fall submission season.
Fall Track – OPEN
This track will begin on September 1st, 2012 in a special area of our Forum and end on November 15th, 2012, with a two-week break mid-session and an optional fourth month for those who need extra time. Perfect for authors in need of guidance after a tough submission season, and those gearing up for the new year submission crunch.
COURSE FORMAT AND PACE
This course will be taught using a combination of forums, email, chat, and live webinars (held twice per month). Students can expect one to two lessons per week, each of which requiring several hours of time to complete.
INSTRUCTOR BIO
As Managing Editor of Entangled Publishing—as well as one of the company’s four Senior Editors—Heather Howland plucks the brightest new voices from the slushpile, mentors Entangled’s Editors and Associate Editors, and edits roughly twenty-four books per year. In her spare time, she loves to teach new authors the secrets of craft and voice, whip soon-to-be-self-published manuscripts into shape, and devour YA romance. She is firmly entrenched in the YA community as an editor and agented author, and holds a BS in creative writing and psychology.
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COURSE OUTLINE
Month One: Macro
The first month of class will be devoted to editing your book on a macro level. We will identify and master:
· YA tropes—what works and what you should avoid
· Commercially viable three-act structures
· Air-tight, high-concept plots with compelling stakes
· Characterizations that are both believable and relatable
· How far is “too far” in YA on a macro level
· World building, info dumps, and backstory
By the end of this month, you will have read your entire manuscript with the eye of an editor, completed a beat sheet, and begun executing the necessary changes.
Month Two: Micro
The second month of class will be devoted to a scene-by-scene analysis of your manuscript. We will identify and master:
· YA voice and why it’s so important to get it right
· Goal, motivation (as it relates to your characters’ psychology), and conflict, and how these things lead to perfect pacing, thrilling chapter hooks, and readers who can’t stop turning the pages
· Pervasive craft issues that lead to rejection
· Scenes vs. sequels vs. sequences, and why you need all three to create tension
· POV blunders and successes
· How far is “too far” in YA on a scene-by-scene level
By the end of this month, you will have read your entire manuscript a second time, completed a scene chart, and begun executing the necessary changes.
Month Three: Polish
The third month of class will be devoted to line edits. We will identify and master:
· Dialogue and dialogue tag abuse
· Weak language and loose prose that needs tightening/empowering
· Evocative language and word choice as it relates to YA
· Effective usage of white space and text placement
· Lingering craft issues
At the end of this month, I will personally edit the first act of every manuscript, provided you’ve successfully implemented the three-act structure we’ll study our first month together. This should be roughly 20 to 50 pages of your writing.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints, I am unable to line edit complete manuscripts. Instead, using excerpts from class manuscripts and the first act of your manuscript, I will teach you exactly what editors look for and how they correct problem spots, thereby equipping you to be a successful, independent author.
Month Four (optional): Catching up and queries
If anyone needs more time or would like to hone a submission package, I will be available for one additional month. During this month, we will continue to work on assignments, craft compelling query letters, chat about the YA market, and discuss where/with whom your manuscript might fit. In lieu of webinars, we will utilize Savvy Authors’ chat room several times over the course of this final month.
