Welcome!

I am so happy you're here!

Before we get started, I want you to pat yourself on the back for taking this step. Signing up for a course and deciding, yes, I'm going to write a book is a BIG HUGE DEAL. So many people say they want to write a book, and almost none do. If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me, "Oh, I've always wanted to write a book" or "I have a great idea for a book you could write" when they find out I'm a writer, I'd be retired already. Those people like the idea of being a writer but don't actually want to do the work of writing.

The fact that you're here, paying your hard-earned money and giving your precious time to learn to be a better writer, means you are already way ahead of almost everyone else who says "I want to write a book one day." Give yourself a gold star for that!

And I'm honored and humbled to be the one teaching you this course. I don't take your trust in me lightly. I think we can all suffer from a bit of Imposter Syndrome sometimes, and I have hit moments in this journey to launching courses where I questioned--who am I to be teaching anyone about writing? In those moments, it doesn't matter that I've won major awards or have bestselling books or a 12+ year writing career. That imposter feeling can be stronger than logic. I'm telling you this because you may hit your own Imposter Syndrome bumps along the way in this course. "Who am I to think I can start a book/finish a book/write a bestseller/be a writer?" If those thoughts bubble up, call your friends or loved ones so they can yell at you about how great you are. Or talk to me and others in the Facebook group we'll have for this class if you need a pep talk.

Here's my first pep talk: You are here. You are a writer. You don't need permission from anyone to call yourself that.

Now, are you ready to be an even better writer?

In this course, I have poured what I've learned over the last decade of my own writing journey into what I hope is a clear and helpful format to give you a comprehensive look into what it takes to write a romance novel and how to get a solid first draft under your belt. It's not going to be a quick or easy journey, but I hope it will be an exciting and creative one for you! Let's get to the nitty-gritty details.

How this course will work

This course is divided into 7 modules. A new module will be released each week, and you can go at your own pace. If you have a lot of time to dedicate to this, you can conceivably get through a module a week. If you're squeezing this course in between a lot of other things, it will take you longer. (Note: The course will run for 8 weeks but there are only 7 modules, so one week there will be no video, which will allow some space to catch up.)

Any live sessions I do will be recorded, so you're not going to miss anything if you've fallen behind that weekly schedule. I don't want you to rush yourself. Give each concept adequate time so you can absorb it. But I also caution you not to take it too slow. Make a schedule for when you're going to work through this course. If you don't, you risk letting it fall by the wayside. If you need someone to hold you accountable, find a friend to check in with you or buddy up in the Facebook group.

In some of the lectures, there will be worksheets you can download. I also encourage you to take notes or print out the lectures and highlight key points to help assimilate the information. We're going to be covering a lot, and it can all start to run together if you don't take the time to work through each lecture. If you're going to be printing things out, you may want to set aside a binder to keep everything in.

There will also be assignments at the end of some lectures. These will be labeled and in green print. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TURN ANYTHING IN. These assignments are for you. They will help you practice the concepts you are learning and will help you get a jump start on writing your book. I strongly encourage you not to skip them. If you need an accountability partner, I bet there will be others in the facebook group looking to pair up.

Any live Q+A or interviews will be done using the Zoom website. You do not need a Zoom account to participate in those. And introverts, don't worry, you won't be on screen or audio. Any questions will be asked through text chat.

Lastly, there is some homework/pre-work I'd like you to do before you jump into the modules. Go to the next lecture to get the details on that.

A note about book links

Any book links within the lectures are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you purchase through that link, I get a few cents in affiliate credit. It does not cost you anything extra. The books referenced are ones that I have found genuinely useful. They are not "sponsored content."

A note about dates/times of live calls

The dates listed for the live calls are tentative. The calls will almost always be on weekends because I know that's easiest for most, but sometimes the dates are adjusted to accommodate unexpected events in my work or family life. In addition, I sometimes have guests and need to accommodate their schedules as well. I will try to give at least a week's notice if a call date/time is going to change. However, ALL live calls will be RECORDED and posted within the class. So if you can't make it during the live time, you won't miss anything.

A note about sharing/copyright

This course is a private course and copyrighted material. Please do not post lectures anywhere outside of this course or share lectures with others. Thank you!

Let's Get Started!

Go to the next lecture to get your pre-work and then you'll be ready to start the course! The live course and first module will start September 10. A new module will open each week after that.