One of the biggest obstacles any writer faces is writing the first draft of a novel. As Nora Ephron said, “I think the hardest part about writing is writing.” 

Your story matters, and "someday" is not the time to write it. If something has been holding you back from writing your novel—whether it be lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of knowing how to write it, or just plain fear—then Grant Faulkner, former Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, can help you get your creative juices flowing and take the first steps to planning your novel.

The first half will explore what's holding you back, and the second half you'll do a burst of writing exercises to break through your fears and demonstrate how quickly you can not only get words on the page, but also come up with a long list of ideas for character creation, conflicts and plot, so be prepared to write.

The presentation will cover:

• Deep dive into evaluating and overcoming creative obstacles
• How to use small bits of time to write with abandon 
• Develop the main character of your novel
• Writing exercises to help discover story conflicts and plan the basic plot of your novel

What attendees have said ...

"Loved the writing exercises! Instructor was terrific—very generous in sharing his expertise."

"Very useful information was conveyed. The exercises helped tie it all together. He was easy to understand and congenial."

"If you're doing a writing challenge like National Novel Writing Month, or just a personal challenge to push through your first draft, Grant's advice will help!"