Barbara J. Webb and I are excited to announce that we will once again be offering in-person summer workshops in Lawrence KS, as well as an online Master Class in September!
Novel Architects 2023
with Kij Johnson and Barbara J. Webb
With in-person and online options, Kij and Barbara are back at the compelling work of showing you how to plan and write your novel. Novel Architects focuses on the craft of writing a speculative novel, especially structure and the perils and pitfalls unique to novel-length projects. These courses are designed for anyone interested in writing novels, at any level of experience. By the end of a Novel Architects Workshop or Master Class, attendees will have learned the tools necessary to create a novel, starting from the first idea generation tthrough brainstorming and organization to the actual writing.
We offer three ways to learn:
- a two-week residential workshop, with daily talks and presentations, and extensive time to work with your peers and instructors to develop and discuss materials specific to your project.
- an intensive two-week online master class: sixteen hours of talks and presentations about the art of the novel, held in the evenings for your convenience.
- a two-week advanced workshop: focused time and interactions to further your progress on a novel. For previous attendees of the Workshop only.
Interested? Take a look!
SUMMER RESIDENTIAL WORKSHOPS
Together, Kij and Barbara have almost a thousand hours of experience leading in-person novel classes for lifelong learners, and after a few years away, we are thrilled to get back to it! Join us in charming Lawrence, Kansas, with its fantastic downtown and free buses.
Intensive Residential Novel Workshop, July 2-14, 2023.
- Limited to 8-9 attendees.
- Dates: Arrive Sunday 7/2; leave Friday 7/14.
- Housing: Stouffer Place Apartments, recently constructed student apartments where everyone has their own bedroom and bathroom, and 2-4 attendees share a kitchen and living area. See their website for details: https://housing.ku.edu/stouffer.
- Tuition: $2000, payable 50% within two weeks of acceptance and 50% by 6/15. Scholarships are available; let us know if you are interested in being considered for one when you apply.
- Housing fees: Not yet finalized, but probably a bit over $600 for the two weeks, including linens and shared spaces. Payment date to be determined.
To apply: Email both Kij Johnson (kijjohnson at gmail.com) and Barbara Webb (bjwebb at gmail.com) before May 1. Historically this workshop has filled quickly, so get your application in early! Be sure you:
- Include “2023 Residential Novel Workshop” in your subject line.
- Describe your experience with workshops, if any.
- Talk about your goals as a writer generally and for this workshop in specific.
- Describe the project you wish to work on: 1-3 pages describing what you think we need to know.
- Include 5-10 sample pages of your novel at the end of your email. (Don’t attach documents if you can help it.) If you do not have pages of the novel, you can apply using other fiction writing, but ask first!
If you are accepted, we’ll contact you with registration instructions and details about housing. Your registration is not complete until you send your first payment.
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Repeat Offenders Residential Advanced Workshop, June 18-30, 2023.
- Limited to former attendees of our novel workshops and master classes.
- Dates: Arrive Sunday 6/18; leave Friday 6/30 unless you are staying for the Novel Workshop afterward. There is a bit of flexibility in this.
- Attendance fee: $1000, payable 50% within two weeks of acceptance and 50% by 6/15. Scholarships are available.
- Housing fees: Not yet finalized, but probably a bit over $600 for the two weeks, including linens and shared spaces. Payment date to be determined.
To apply: Email Kij Johnson (kijjohnson@gmail.com) before May 1. Be sure you:
- Include “2023 Repeat Offenders” in your subject line.
- Describe the project you wish to work on, and give me an idea of what you are hoping to accomplish at Repeat Offenders.
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ONLINE MASTER CLASS
Kij and Barbara have developed a streamlined Master Class that focuses on talks and presentationa that give you knowledge that you can apply to your work.
Online Master Class, September 11-21, 2023
- Dates and Times: 7-9pm Central, Mondays through Thursdays.
- Tuition: $1000, payable 50% within two weeks of acceptance and 50% by 9/10/2023. Scholarships are available; let us know if you are interested in being considered for one when you apply.
To apply: Email both Kij Johnson (kijjohnson@gmail.com) and Barbara Webb (bjwebb@gmail.com), before 9/11. Be sure you:
- Include “2023 Online Master Class” in your subject line.
- Let us know a bit (1-3 pages) about you as a writer: experience, preferred genre(s), workshop experiences, whatever you think we need to know.
- Talk about your goals as a writer generally and for this workshop in specific.
Your registration is not complete until you send your payment.
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FAQs
Who are you?
- Kij Johnson has won the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards, and teaches creative writing and fantasy at the University of Kansas. Barbara J. Webb is a popular online novelist with numerous books. We’ve been teaching live workshops on writing genre novels for more than ten years, and have developed some interesting strategies and approaches that have helped writers like R. F. Kuang, Corey J. White, Marlee Jane Ward, Christie Yant and others.
What’s the difference between the Workshop and Master Class?
- Both experiences include more than fifteen hours of talks and lectures, but the Workshop integrates these with specific discussions of attendees’ projects. If your project is still in the early stages of development with less than 25% (<75 pages) in first draft or still in the idea stage, we recommend the Workshop. If your project is in a later stage of development, or if you have no specific project in mind, we recommend the online Master Class.
What if I want to write short stories?
- We recommend our sibling workshop, the SF Writing Workshop taught by Chris McKitterick.
What if I want to write another genre?
- The talks and discussions are focused for writers of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror and adjacent genres), with sections on worlbuilding and genre, but the online Master Class does have information useful for anyone interested in novel-writing.
I have questions…?
- We have answers! Write to us and we’ll do our best to help you.
