Module 3: Writing
By now, you know what to expect when publishing your book—you’ve set some writing goals, you’ve planned your story, and you’re still here. In this module, you’ll start putting words on paper. You’ll hear advice on the essential elements of a great story and the writing pitfalls to avoid, as well as writing tips on developing your characters, plot, and setting.
Writing Your First Draft, Part One
Module Three, Video 1 (5:32)
Jim Menick, an editor from Reader's Digest, kicks off this session about writing your first draft. In part one, you'll learn the five essential elements of a great story, including protagonist, antagonist, action, conflict and resolution. Following this advice should bring you closer to a first draft that you can edit and improve. After all, you have to start somewhere.
Writing Your First Draft, Part Two
Module Three, Video 2 (7:52)
Jim Menick, an editor from Reader's Digest, introduces part two of "Writing Your First Draft," which is all about developing characters. People want to hear about people, so your characters are the most important element of your book. You'll learn how to flesh out main characters and secondary characters, and you'll also learn what writing pitfalls to avoid in order to keep your readers engaged.
Writing Your First Draft, Part Three
Module Three, Video 3 (5:54)
Join Jim Menick, an editor at Reader's Digest, as he eases you into part three of "Writing Your First Draft," which is a lesson on plot development. You'll learn writing techniques that will help you create a compelling story, including narrative pacing, and you'll hear about the endless plot possibilities available to you as a writer.
Writing Your First Draft, Part Four
Module Three, Video 4 (8:02)
Join Jim Menick, an editor at Reader's Digest, for the final session on "Writing Your First Draft." You'll learn how to write realistic dialogue for your characters and how to conduct research for your settings and references. Whether you are writing nonfiction or fiction, dialogue and research are critical pieces of your book that you should not forget.
Polishing Your Work
Module Three, Video 5 (6:25)
Join Andrea Levitt from Reader's Digest as she introduces a lesson on gathering feedback and applying it to your draft. You'll learn about the different ways that you can receive honest and helpful critiques of your writing. You don't want to wait until your book is published to ask for someone else's opinion, so take the opportunity to make your work the best it can be.