4-Week: Seeing the Big Picture—Techniques for Revising Fiction and Nonfiction Books

Ann Patchett has described the process of writing a book as "somewhat akin to a very long police interrogation in which the detective leans over the table littered with the butt ends of cigarettes and cold coffee in Styrofoam cups and says for the 87th time, 'Now let's go over this again.'" We'll discuss techniques to propel us through our latest draft, including tips for making a cause-and-effect outline, trimming or adding words, sharpening character arcs, and creating various props that will help us see the big picture of our story. The aim of this class is to guide you through as much revision as you can check on your own, so that when you share your manuscript with a reader, it's in the best possible shape.