One Year Novel

Course Lessons

  • 1

    Start Here

  • 2

    The Big Picture

  • 3

    The Five Elements

    • 4. The Five Elements of Story

    • — Lesson 4: Text

    • 5. Someone to Care About

    • — Lesson 5: Text

    • 6. Someone to Care About, Part 2

    • — Lesson 6: Text

    • 7. Something to Want

    • — Lesson 7: Text

    • 8. Something to Want, Part 2

    • — Lesson 8: Text

    • 9. Something to Want, Part 3

    • — Lesson 9: Text

    • 10. Something to Dread

    • — Lesson 10: Text

    • 11. Something to Dread, Part 2

    • — Lesson 11: Text

    • 12. Something to Dread, Part 3

    • — Lesson 12: Text

    • 13. Something to Suffer

    • — Lesson 13: Text

    • 14. Something to Suffer, Part 2

    • — Lesson 14: Text

    • 15. Something to Suffer, Part 3

    • — Lesson 15: Text

    • 16. Something to Learn

    • — Lesson 16: Text

    • 17. Something to Learn, Part 2

    • — Lesson 17: Text

    • 18. Something to Learn, Part 3

    • — Lesson 18: Text

    • Quiz: The Five Elements
  • 4

    Supporting Principles

    • 19. The Supporting Cast

    • — Lesson 19: Text

    • 20. The Villain

    • — Lesson 20: Text

    • 21. Synopsis, Part 2

    • — Lesson 21: Text

    • 22. Conflict

    • — Lesson 22: Text

    • 23. Disaster

    • — Lesson 23: Text

    • 24. Dilemma

    • — Lesson 24: Text

    • Quiz: Supporting Principles
  • 5

    The Story Skeleton

    • 25. Acts and Scenes

    • — Lesson 25: Text

    • 26. The Four Defining Chapters

    • — Lesson 26: Text

    • 27. Chapter One: The Inciting incident

    • — Lesson 27: Text

    • 28. Chapter Three: Embracing Destiny

    • — Lesson 28: Text

    • 29. Chapter Nine: The Black Moment

    • — Lesson 29: Text

    • 30. Chapter Eleven: The Showdown

    • — Lesson 30: Text

    • Quiz: The Story Skeleton
  • 6

    The Novel Outline

    • 31. Formulas, Plots, and Subplots

    • — Lesson 31: Text

    • 32. Promises, Prophecies, Predicaments

    • — Lesson 32: Text

    • 33. The New World

    • — Lesson 33: Text

    • 34. The Middle Cycle

    • — Lesson 34: Text

    • 35. Failure

    • — Lesson 35: Text

    • 36. Lessons

    • — Lesson 36: Text

    • 37. Achievement and Atonement

    • — Lesson 37: Text

    • 38. The Coming Storm

    • — Lesson 38: Text

    • 39. Denouement

    • — Lesson 39: Text

    • Quiz: The Novel Outline
  • 7

    Writing Act I

    • 40. How to Write a Chapter

    • — Lesson 40: Text

    • 41. Creating Emotion

    • — Lesson 41: Text

    • 42. The Illusion of Reality

    • — Lesson 42: Text

    • 43. Summary (Telling)

    • — Lesson 43: Text

    • 44. Detail (Showing)

    • — Lesson 44: Text

    • 45. Narrative Order

    • — Lesson 45: Text

    • 46. Dialogue

    • — Lesson 46: Text

    • 47. Gestures

    • — Lesson 47: Text

    • 48. To Be or Not To Be

    • — Lesson 48: Text

    • Quiz: Writing Act I
  • 8

    Writing Act II

    • 49. Too Many Modifiers

    • — Lesson 49: Text

    • 50. Sliding Eyes and Grasping Hands

    • — Lesson 50: Text

    • 51. Symbols

    • — Lesson 51: Text

    • 52. Flashbacks

    • — Lesson 52: Text

    • 53. I Saw, I Heard

    • — Lesson 53: Text

    • 54. Raising the Stakes

    • — Lesson 54: Text

    • 55. What's Likely to Go Wrong?

    • — Lesson 55: Text

    • 56. Falling Bodies (What to do when stuck)

    • — Lesson 56: Text

    • 57. The Character Interview

    • — Lesson 57: Text

    • 58. Setting

    • — Lesson 58: Text

    • 59. Character Masks

    • — Lesson 59: Text

    • 60. Character Handles

    • — Lesson 60: Text

    • 61. Unexpected Humor

    • — Lesson 61: Text

    • 62. Unexpected Tragedy

    • — Lesson 62: Text

    • 63. Unexpected Grace

    • — Lesson 63: Text

    • 64. Clichés

    • — Lesson 64: Text

    • 65. Irony

    • — Lesson 65: Text

    • 66. Cliffhangers

    • — Lesson 66: Text

    • Quiz: Writing Act II
  • 9

    Writing Act III

    • 67. Voice

    • — Lesson 67: Text

    • 68. Transparency

    • — Lesson 68: Text

    • 69. Double Disasters

    • — Lesson 69: Text

    • 70. Writing the Climax

    • — Lesson 70: Text

    • 71. Setups and Payoffs

    • — Lesson 71: Text

    • 72. Deus ex Machina

    • — Lesson 72: Text

    • 73. Loose Ends

    • — Lesson 73: Text

    • 74. Parting Words

    • — Lesson 74: Text

    • Quiz: Writing Act III
  • 10

    Revision

    • 75. Revision and Rewriting

    • — Lesson 75: Text

    • 76. Revising by Verb

    • — Lesson 76: Text

    • 77. Formatting Your Manuscript

    • — Lesson 77: Text

    • 78. Sharing and Publishing

    • — Lesson 78: Text

    • Quiz: Revision

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Take your writing to the next level.

It works!

I Owe My Success to Your Instruction!

Ryan Christiansen, Dept. of English, North Dakota State University

I wanted to send a note of thanks for the hard work you put into developing the One Year Novel writing curriculum. I used your program's principles to write my thesis, a novel, in pursuit of my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree. That thesis was published in trade paperback by a university press in 2015. I am now a full-time professor, and I'm using your curriculum to teach novel-writing to undergraduate students; they are completing the curriculum in one semester instead of one year, with the goal of writing a 7,800-word-or-more novelette. I am doing the same work as my students and I'm writing a new novel, as well. What a great experience! I owe my success in creative writing to your instruction!

Invaluable in Shaping My Understanding of Story!

Addison Lucchi, MLIS, MBA

The One Year Novel course was invaluable in shaping my understanding of Story—not only in terms of creative writing, but also in how narrative impacts my work as a librarian and educator. The course has provided me with the conceptual framework from which to apply story structure to my understanding of pedagogy, leadership, and student/faculty development. It is like no other writing curriculum I have experienced. It not only teaches its material in a way that is thoroughly effective, but also inspires writers with a sense of adventure. I enthusiastically recommend One Year Novel as a course that will increase your understanding of Story—while also enlivening your writing process. It couples academic rigor with wonder and creativity.

Highly Useful and Adaptable

Brynn Fitzsimmons, University of Kansas, Chancellor's Fellow

One of my favorite parts about this curriculum has been how versatile it is. The concepts are simply articulated in ways that help you think, rather than giving you answers. Yet, the textbook and workbook offer just enough structure and scaffolding to help you find the steps that will work for you. The lessons are highly useful and adaptable for everything from personal novel writing to teaching narrative in freshmen composition courses to working with writers in informal, community settings. The concepts are simple, but nuanced enough to provoke deeper thought and discussion.

I Wandered Aimlessly in the Wilderness of Creative Writing

Teresa, Writer

You could say I wandered aimlessly in the wilderness of creative writing for forty years before encountering Story Coach. Most stories I started, I never finished. Others I actually did finish, but they were never good enough to publish, and, not having any guidance on how to improve them, I shoved them away never to be looked at again. Story Coach has been truly helpful in enriching my writing experience. It has given me great joy by teaching me that it is possible to finish something I’ve started and showing me what I can do to improve on that work.

One of the high-points of my personal growth!

Angie, Writer

As a middle-aged parent, I had an unfulfilled dream to write a novel. I just didn’t know where to start! The feeling of being overwhelmed coupled with my history of starting projects and not persevering nearly convinced me that I’d probably never achieve this. HOWEVER I had ordered Daniel's fiction course for teens for my children. As I sat through the videos with them, I became utterly engrossed. Excitement bubbled up as I considered that perhaps I could do this. Long story short – I did! Twice! Daniel breaks things down into easily palatable, super-interesting chunks. The journey was incredible. I consider writing the novel under Daniel’s teaching as one of the high-points of my personal growth and one of the most enriching experiences of my life. I’ve recommended his courses far and wide ever since.

Your Instructor

Author / Instructor

Daniel Schwabauer

Daniel Schwabauer, M.A., has taught creative writing to thousands of students. His professional work includes stage plays, radio scripts, short stories, newspaper columns, comic books, and scripting. His young adult novels, Runt the Brave, Runt the Hunted, and The Curse of the Seer have received numerous awards, including the 2005 Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Children’s Literature and the 2008 Eric Hoffer Award. He graduated from the Master's program in Creative Writing, at the University of Kansas, in 1995.