On Ohio, and the novels, and the new class

By Holly Lisle

Just small news here. The new class is finished in first draft, and I’m now (and for the first time ever) doing the complete course bug-hunt and clean-up BEFORE I put the course on sale.

Yes, it will take longer. But it will also guarantee that the class will be less first-time-through splintery.

I’m still working on the Ohio novels every weekday. Read-throughs and clean-ups at the moment.

I bought a wood-burning kit to use so that I can make a real-world version of one of the magical artifacts in the novels. The kit finally arrived, so I can start putting that together.

So now, I’ll have a little fun making one of my main character’s best magical tools. (Well, in HER Ohio, it’s actually magical. In MY Ohio, it’s going to be cool, and attractive to look at, and possibly to some degree useful — but probably not to the degree my MC is finding it useful.)

And finally, I know it’s autumn (and heading hard toward winter) but I just wanted to show of Ohio’s state wildflower, the trillium. The hills are covered with them in spring, and it’s a gorgeous sight.

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And about the New Secret Writing Course…

By Holly Lisle

I discovered there were two essential lessons I left out.

So I wrote them.

And now THEY’RE done.

Now I’m contemplating some sort of bonus for the course, but in the meantime, I’m going to be setting up the new classroom with the lessons, and getting everything ready to make the course available to students.

The guitar-playing dogs are in one of the lessons, by the way.

And once this thing goes on sale, I am looking desperately forward to getting back to the Ohio novels, and getting those out into the world, too.


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The Secret Writing Class is finished… except for bonus course…

By Holly Lisle

Yesterday I finished the final lesson on the new writing course.

So I’m taking today off, and relaxing. I’ll be thinking about the bonus course. I have several ideas, and I’ll be digging through the HollysWritingClasses.com forum for additional ideas.

I have a specific topic — Big Course… Bonus Brainstorming — and if you’re a member (membership is free), just log into the forum and let me know what’s on you wish list for a short course you’d like to get as the bonus for the NEW class when it goes live — something that would help YOU.

If you’re not a member yet, you get a free class when you join, and there is NO membership fee EVER.

You can buy classes, or you can just use the free one, and hang out in the forums and write fiction, and talk about writing fiction.


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NEW SECRET BIG COURSE: Lesson 15 is Started. And finished.

By Holly Lisle

Sat down. Wrote. I knew what I wanted, I knew what I needed…

And I love it when a plan comes together.

Damn!

Granted, I’m out of bed at 6 AM, and hauling ass for five straight hours on just this one thing, so this project is NOT coming together out of magic and fairy dust.

This is butt in chair, hands on the keyboard, don’t-get-up-to-get-a-drink-or-go-to-the-bathroom work.

It’s focused, it’s intense, and when I’m done, I can feel the tired. Seriously.

But I LOVE what I got. I think writers are going to really enjoy the process in these lessons.

Now, however..?

Nap.

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Secret Course Lesson 13 now done, worksheet has to wait until tomorrow

By Holly Lisle

This particular lesson was tougher to break down into pieces — so it took me from 6 AM until just now just to lay out the lesson, and then write it out.

So now I have to stop, but I’ll come back in tomorrow, and do a read-through, and from that, figure out some ways to break the necessary tasks into simple worksheet steps.

Just cannot do anymore today.

1892 words for the day, one long writing session… BUT one lesson written from brainstorming through lesson start to lesson finish (excluding worksheets).

That counts as a good day.

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Update on the new Big Writing Course

By Holly Lisle

I’m STILL in the middle of building my new Secret Big Class. Just finished Lesson 11 — a pretty big lesson. I’m currently looking an about twenty lessons total, so I’m making really good headway. And…

I’m excited about the way this class is coming together.

Had no idea what I was going to offer as the bonus class, though…

And when I mentioned worrying about this to a dear friend who just lost his wife, he came up with the perfect bonus… and told me he was passing it on from her.

It was a good moment. And the bonus for the class when it goes live?

Wonderful!


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And wrapped the new Big Course Lesson 9

By Holly Lisle

Very happy with what I got today on the SECRET TOPIC Fiction-Writing Big Course.

I’m moving steadily through the lessons and worksheets. Finished Lesson NINE of twenty-three planned, so I’m not to the halfway point yet (that will be when I FINISH lesson 12), but I’m making very good progress.

Won’t put it on sale until it’s done, but the folks on the list below will be invited the day before I take it live, and will have the opportunity to get it at the introductory price, which is usually about 30% to 40% below the final price.


HollysWritingClasses.com Member Updates

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Finished Lesson 8 of the new (name withheld) Fiction Writing Course

By Holly Lisle

Got over 2000 words today. I am pushing hard on this class, and looking forward to:

  • A) Finishing all the lessons… and
  • B) Putting the class on sale

I needed to get some distance from the Ohio novels, so I can read back through the books I already have, and take a look at a couple of conflicting story ideas that I realized I was pursuing simultaneously.

Writing nonfiction moves me out of that world for a while, lets me get cold on the writing, and allows me to see where I’ve made mistakes or pursued wrong (or spectacularly right) directions.

Since I’ve done at least two takes on most of the five planned novels (and possible sixth)… I very much want to have the necessary distance when I read through what I have this time.


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Get Holly’s Free Fiction Sampler, plus Weekly-ISH Fiction Updates, and when these books go on sale, get invited to the launch.

•·.·´`·.·•·.·´`·.·•·.·´`·.·•·.·´`·.·•

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YESTERDAY’s work… finished Lesson 5 of the new Big Writing Course…

By Holly Lisle

Got my fiction first TODAY — had to toss a bit of the most recent scene, came in with new words, and even came out a bit ahead. Came out with a net gain of 148 words. Not what I’d hoped for, but I’m glad to be getting fiction. And the RETHINK part of the scene was essential.

I’m going to also include what I got yesterday, which was nonfiction for the new Big Class.

I’m happy with the way the processes I’m demonstrating are coming together.

And while today’s is a subject that I’ve had to cover in every single writing class I’ve done, I’ve had to do that because it’s useful to every writer (fiction and nonfiction), and it isn’t a one-time process. You do it in some for with every single piece of fiction you write.

Every writing project benefits from this, and how you do it is different for every kind of fiction you write.

So… The lesson is done. Five out of twenty-three planned. Still no idea on what the Bonus will be. Just that there will be one.

If you have a question about fiction writing (or writing in general) that I haven’t covered, just reply to this post, and ask. And I’ll read through any replies, and see if anyone asks something I haven’t covered before.

If I can figure out a one-to-three-lesson bonus class from YOUR question, you’ll receive a nice reward as thanks for the question.


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Secret Big Class: Day 2

By Holly Lisle

Today’s objective was 1000 words on Ohio 4, and both starting and finishing Secret Writing Class Worksheet #1.

It always amazes me how much harder it is to build a worksheet than to write the actual lesson it supports.

It also amazes me that I forget this fact. I decided to do the worksheet before my fiction today, because “It’s just the worksheet, and I know what my writers have to be able to do… I can put that out in half an hour, maybe an hour tops…”

And I thought this because it’s been a while since I’ve built any worksheets… and I FORGOT how difficult it is to build a good worksheet that walks someone through a complex process a step at a time.

So… I did not finish the worksheet.

I’m maybe 25% through it.

Which meant that I did not get any words on the Ohio Novel today… because I did the worksheet first, and the worksheet is kicking my ass.

I made good progress on the worksheet.

I’m hoping to be able to finish it tomorrow.

BUT EVEN IF I DON’T, tomorrow I’m not working on it until AFTER I get my words on Ohio 4.

 

Live. Learn. REMEMBER what you learn.

 

My motto for the rest of this time when I’m writing a novel and building a class.

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