“How to Begin: Embarking on Your Novel’s Journey” with Natalia Sylvester
January 22, 2022 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM CST
$49.00 – $109.00
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This Event is for Members only.
Click here to learn more about benefits of membership
$49 for Members
$109 for Non-Members
All registrants will have access to the class recording for one month.
This class is a part of the “Novel Essentials” Class Package.
Wondering how to start—and sustain—the journey of writing a novel so that you actually finish?
Depending on the type of writer you are, beginning a novel is either the most daunting part of the process or the easiest. But whether you are fueled by a shiny new idea or feel overwhelmed by those first blank pages, starting your story is a thrilling step full of possibilities. In this workshop, we’ll focus on the role beginnings play in your story’s present and future. They’re unique in that they must capture a reader’s imagination while also laying groundwork for the rest of the story. With a mixture of lecture and in-class exercises, we’ll explore different ways to start a narrative and how to plant the seeds of character and plot in ways that will sustain you as a writer from the beginning to the end of the story.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF
- You’re starting a new novel.
- You have a new idea for a novel but don’t know how to start.
- You’re considering a rewrite or a revision of your novel.
- You have too many ideas and aren’t sure which one to begin writing.
The deadline to register for this class is Friday, January 21 at 5:00 PM CST.
Instructor
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Natalia Sylvester is an award-winning author of fiction books for adults, teens, and children. Her young adult novel, BREATHE AND COUNT BACK FROM TEN, was named a Pura Belpré and Schneider Family Award honor book, and her adult novel, EVERYONE KNOWS YOU GO HOME, received the Jesse H. Jones award for Best Book of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters. Her first picture book, A MALETA FULL OF TREASURES, illustrated by Juana Medina, was released in 2024 from Penguin Random House, and her debut middle grade novel, NO WAY NEVER SISTERS, co-authored with Chantel Acevedo, will be published in 2026 by Simon & Schuster.
Born in Lima, Peru, Natalia came to the US at age four and grew up in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. She received a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, was a 2021 Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and has taught fiction as a faculty member of the Mile-High MFA program at Regis University, VONA, and Tin House.
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Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
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Accessibility Policy
Closed captioning is available for all online classes and special events.
The WLT is committed to making its programs & services accessible to all writers. Please contact us at wlt@writersleague.org or at 512-499-8914 for more information or to discuss accommodations you may need.
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Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.