Write Your First Novel

COURSE OBJECTIVE

If you’ve ever had the dream, the desire or even just a vague notion that you would like to write a novel, Write Your First Novel is the course for you.

Many people say they have often thought about writing a novel and are planning to do it someday, but very few ever actually do. However, in this course, you will do it. You will learn how to form a basic idea, any idea, into a structure and discipline that will allow you to create, write and complete a fully-realized novel ready to submit for publication.

In Write Your First Novel, you’ll learn to break down your creative endeavor into components and you’ll discover a process that will allow you to do what few have done: produce and complete a full-length work of fiction in the form of a 50,000-word novel.

Writing fiction is a truly beautiful thing. Putting your own words on a page to tell a story that enters your reader's minds and allows them to share the thoughts, emotions, and lives of your characters is a very satisfying, rewarding experience.

COURSE FORMAT

Modules: 20; Lessons: 40

Like all other courses in our curriculum, Write Your First Novel will be taught utilizing the flipped classroom model within an overall gamified Classcraft classroom. Your academy instructor will act as the class facilitator and Gamemaster who will supplement and further enrich the curriculum with other learning materials, writing exercises, class discussions, and group activities.

Write Your First Novel was created by David Wheeler, the Director of Media Sandbox, an interdisciplinary creative community within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University. David's style of teaching the course content is refreshing and somewhat unconventional.

Your academy classroom instructor will also take you through the 15 steps used in Save the Cat! Writes a Novel to create a full novel outline. These are the 15 plot points that makeup almost every successful novel ever written. There's a definite pattern, or structure, at the heart of every successful novel: the secret storytelling code that is the blueprint of what makes a good story in every great book or movie. You'll analyze some contemporary and classic novels as case studies and discuss how they successfully applied this formula, or not.

But overall, this is a creative writing intensive, peer-reviewed course. Every peer review assignment requires a minimum of five reviews and, this way, you will always review the work of the other three or four members of your group and will get feedback on your work from them. This will create the best possible peer review situation in which you will always be familiar with the work you are reviewing and you will all share in the experience of the growth and progress of each other's work.

David Wheeler

David is an Honors graduate of the London Film School in the UK. He was brought to Los Angeles by CBS and worked in film, television and commercials as a writer, director, producer and cinematographer. He directed his first video game, The 11th Hour, in 1995 and has made numerous AAA games since then. David was the Content Director for game publisher Vivendi/Universal and a Senior Creative Director at Electronic Arts. He has founded/co-founded Terra Nova Productions in Hollywood, Aftermath Media in Ashland, Oregon, Digital Circus Entertainment in Vancouver, Canada, Digital Circus Media, Los Angeles and Wide Awake VR (WAVR).

David has taught advanced cinematography at Art Center College of Design, game design, screenwriting and feature filmmaking at Michigan State University, been a guest lecturer at the AFI (American Film Institute), guest speaker at E3 and GDC (Game Developers Conference) and presenter at the World Forum in The Hague, Netherlands.

Industry recognition includes: Writers Guild of America nomination (Best Game Script), MI6 Award (Best Cinematic), ANDY Award (Art Directors of New York), 4 Emmy awards (Documentary) and more.

Michigan State University

Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. University faculty, alumni, and affiliates include 2 Nobel Prize laureates, 20 Rhodes Scholars, 20 Marshall Scholars, 16 Churchill Scholars, 5 Mitchell Scholars, 52 Goldwater Scholars, and 8 Pulitzer Prize winners. Global ranking providers QS World University Rankings ranked Michigan among the top 200 Universities in the world for 2023 while Times Higher Education ranked the university among the top 100 universities in the world for 2022. US News & World Report - Global Universities and US News & World Report - National University has ranked the university at 108 and 77 for 2022 respectively.

MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences is the first college of communication in the country and has been a pioneer in the industry since opening its doors in 1955. ComArtSci is one of the largest and most respected communication colleges in the nation, with over 56,000 alumni. Students and faculty work together to create feature-length films, produce award-winning news features and become leaders in communication research.

The Film Studies Program has cultivated a core faculty of internationally recognized scholars and filmmakers in Film Studies. Film Studies faculty maintain a rigorous publishing record, and in addition, the program also has recognized strengths in film production, with faculty actively teaching screenwriting and production courses, while producing highly successful, award-winning works of their own that have screened at a variety of film festivals.

COURSE TOPICS

INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION BOARD

Each module features an interactive discussion board powered by Discussion Hero, a gamified platform developed by Northwestern University. Students choose between "hero" and "villain" roles and avatars, earning points for their contributions. This fosters a sense of competition and engagement, making discussions even more rewarding.

Benefits of Participating in Discussions:

1. Develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills:  Go beyond memorization and passive learning by analyzing information, evaluating different perspectives, and forming your own conclusions.

2. Enhance communication skills:  Practice clear communication, learn to articulate your ideas effectively, and develop respectful listening and rebuttal skills.

3. Fosters a collaborative learning environment:  Learn from each other, share knowledge, and collaborate on problem-solving, creating a dynamic and enriching learning community.

4. Deepen your understanding of the content:  Actively engaging with the course material through discussion solidifies and expands your understanding beyond lectures and readings.

5. Provides diverse perspectives:  Discussions expose you to different viewpoints and interpretations, encouraging critical thinking and broadening your understanding of the subject matter.

6. Offers opportunities for self-reflection:  Examining your own thoughts and arguments in response to prompts and engaging with others' perspectives helps solidify your learning and identify areas for further exploration.

7. Apply knowledge to real-world scenarios:  Apply course concepts to real-world situations through discussions, enhancing the material's relevance.

8. Build a digital learning portfolio:  Discussions serve as a reference for your learning journey, allowing you to revisit key concepts and track your progress.

9. Develop digital literacy:  Discussions provide a platform to practice online communication etiquette, including respectful disagreement, constructive argumentation, and responsible information sharing.

To actively engage in meaningful learning and reap the benefits mentioned above, participation in each module's discussion board is expected and will contribute to your overall grade. Your instructor will provide a clear rubric within Discussion Hero outlining the expectations for participation and how your contributions will be evaluated. This ensures consistent and transparent assessment while allowing you to showcase your understanding and critical thinking skills throughout the course.

LITERATURE READING LIST

The Western literary canon is a collection of works recognized for their exceptional stylistic quality, cultural significance, and intellectual value. These texts set a benchmark for what is considered exemplary literature, shaping how we think, imagine, and interpret the world. The canon has evolved over time, gaining widespread acceptance in university classrooms, academic journals, and through the influence of curriculum publishers and organizations like the College Board.

While the canon traditionally centered on white, male, and Western voices, it has expanded to reflect broader cultural values. Since the mid-20th century, ongoing debates about diversity and representation have led to the inclusion of more voices from women, people of color, and other marginalized groups. This shift has reshaped the canon to offer a richer, more inclusive array of perspectives and experiences.

Our academy’s literary canon reflects this ongoing dialogue. It comprises over 100 of the most frequently featured texts from the College Board’s AP English Literature exam, sourced from a list of titles maintained since the 1970s.  These works offer students a rich, well-rounded exploration of timeless themes, artistic innovation, and the cultural challenges of different eras. Acting as literary guideposts, they help students navigate the intricacies of language, culture, and history while fostering the critical thinking skills necessary to engage with both literature and society.

Throughout this course, you will read and critically analyze 6 selected works across different genres from our academy’s literary canon. Your instructor will provide the titles and links to their digital formats, which include Read Aloud features and built-in tools for highlighting and annotations. These texts will be available for free or for a small fee. Independent exploration of additional texts and genres is always encouraged.

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COURSE ASSIGNMENTS:

In addition to your routine writing assignments, three major out-of-class assignments will require at least 3-5 hours each to complete. These will be assigned over the weekend.

COURSE OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• A firm grasp on what makes a great story.

• To build a rock-solid outline in just a few hours without wasting time writing ideas that don't have the "legs" for a full novel.

• To review a first draft and know exactly what's missing and where each scene should fall.

• To recognize the problems with other stories, and give helpful, constructive notes on how to make them better.

• Notice the storytelling elements and techniques being used in books, movies, TV shows, song lyrics, and even commercials, giving you an endless supply of inspiration for your own work.

• A whole new vocabulary for communicating about the story.

• Develop ideas and build on them to create a novel from scratch.

• Write and complete a full-length novel of 50,000 words.

• Have a finished manuscript in hand ready to be submitted for publication.

PREREQUISITES

No prior experience writing a novel or short story is required. However, both English Literature and Composition and English Language and Composition are prerequisites.

COURSE CERTIFICATE

The Course Certificate includes:

• The course name

• The lead instructor's signature

• The logo of the Michigan State University

• A verification URL that allows others to check the Certificate's authenticity

• A statement that confirms the identity of the learner who completed the course

The Course Certificate does not include:

• Academic credit from the Michigan State University

• The final grade you got in the course