FALL INTO YOUR FIRST DRAFT!
A 12-Week Program mixing Coursework, Coaching, and Community for Writers Who Want to Write the First Draft of a Novel or Memoir in Autumn 2024
Early-Bird Pricing ends: September 15th
Enrollment closes: September 30th
Program begins: October 1st
WHAT:
It’s math!
12 weeks + 1 dose of commitment + 150 cups of coffee = the first draft of your book!
What would your life look like if you finally wrote your book this fall?
Fall Into Your First Draft is an online program that includes coursework, individual book coaching sessions, and a group membership to help writers plan and write the first draft of their novel or memoir over the course of 12 weeks. We will start writing on Day 1!
Writers will not only come out of the program with the first, rough draft of a novel but with a good, workable draft that has structure, plot, and narrative drive–a draft that is ready to complete, rewrite, and revise into a marketable novel. This course is open to anyone who wants to write or finish a novel or memoir. Writers who have never written a book before will get the most out of this course, but even experienced writers will learn how to elevate their prose and take their writing to the next level.
We start working and writing October 1st, and by the time the winter solstice rolls around on December 21st, you will have a solid draft of a novel or memoir that has many of the crucial qualities of good fiction or memoir, doesn’t have many of the problems of most first drafts, and is ready for completion and the rewriting/revision process. You will learn what to avoid. You will learn what to do more of. You will gain confidence. You will learn new skills that you will take with you into the rest of your writing career, to write your next book, and your next, and your next!
WHEN:
Enrollment for Fall Into Your First Draft is open now! You’ll receive access to the first lesson on October 1st.
****Note: Enrollment closes on September 30th or when the program sells out. Because of the significant time commitment I am making to give both group and individual attention to all writers, I am only enrolling a limited number of students in the program, so if you wish to join me, let me know ASAP.
Fall Into Your First Draft!
Join now for only $595!
But wait! 🙂 Early bird pricing through September 15th is only $495!
And there’s more! If you were in my Build-A-Book Workshop last fall, I’ll be sending you a special code for an even deeper discount.
Ready to join? Register HERE.
WHERE:
Fall Into Your First Draft is an online course, so you can enjoy it (and implement it) from wherever you are!
You’ll receive access to the first lesson on October 1st, and subsequent lessons will be delivered each week after that. This way, you can consume and digest the content in your own time.
You’ll also receive access to group coaching calls, the opportunity for several one-on-one coaching calls, personalized written feedback on course materials, invitations to my weekly office hours, weekly email check-ins, and lots of support to help you get the best out of yourself and write your book.
New! This year, I am offering group write-ins plus giving enrolled writers a one-year comped subscription to my Substack website, including 24/7 access to my Substack community, where we’ll chat and I’ll share motivation, prompts, and helps, as well as access to my locked archive of 150+ posts on all aspects of craft and creativity.
***I’m enrolling students right now through September 30th (or until I sell out)!
Limited availability.
WHO:
I created this program after finishing NaNoWriMo several times, but at the expense of my physical and mental health and with 50,000 words that were nowhere near anything that could be called a draft of a book. I basically had to scrap my NaNoWriMo drafts and start over from scratch. My hard work during NaNoWriMo didn’t count for very much without the planning that writing a good first draft takes.
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with NaNoWriMo for nearly 15 years, and this year, I’m leaning into something that I think is much better. 12 weeks is a more realistic timeframe in which to write the first draft of a book. It’s better for you and your life, better for your mental and physical health, and better for your writing experience.
I created this online course, coaching strategy, and community experience to help writers prepare and write the first draft of a book and come out of the program with a solid manuscript draft that is ready to be completed, rewritten, and revised into a publishable book. I also wanted to be able to provide a group of writers with many of the benefits of individual coaching but at lower group coaching prices.
I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo several times. My first NaNoWriMo draft eventually became an award-winning manuscript, and now I’m a certified book coach! But trying to write a 50,000 word draft in a month can be problematic personally and professionally and can provide less than satisfactory results. The draft I came out of NaNoWriMo with was a mess, and it took me more than 10 years off and on to turn it into a viable book. Had I known then what I know now, I would have taken more time planning and writing that first draft, and my book would have already been published. Instead, I’m just now querying it. It took me years to get it to the place where it was ready. It doesn’t take me years anymore, and I can help shave years off that trajectory.
Here’s my official bio:
I’m an award-winning writer, a book coach certified in fiction and in memoir, and a professional editor. I help aspiring writers become professional writers so they can spend more time writing and spend less time NOT writing.
I have worked with dozens of writers over the past seven years to transform their writing and help them achieve their writing goals.
I live in San Luis Obispo, California, where I enjoy photography, going to movies and concerts, and beachcombing.
WHY FALL INTO YOUR FIRST DRAFT?
I created Fall Into Your First Draft for three reasons:
First, I enjoyed many aspects of participating in National Novel Writing Month, but I found that the stress of the challenge affected my mental and physical health. Over time, I realized this was mainly because I didn’t go into it well-prepared and didn’t plan for my own self-care. Plus, while writing 50,000 words in 30 days may be a good jump start to a writing habit, it may not be good for a writer in the long-term. I wanted to create something more sustainable. You can write the first draft of a novel in 3 months. You can do that over and over again. That is a sustainable practice.
Second, I came away at the end of NaNoWriMo with drafts that were so rough, I basically had to scrap them and start over. I’m a reformed pantser–I now understand the importance of laying a solid foundation for any book I want to write, so I don’t waste my time and my energy. Life is too short.
Today, I don’t write a crummy first draft in 30 days. Instead, I write a good first draft in a more sustainable way, over the course of 12 or so weeks. Then I start fleshing it out, rewriting, and revising. I want to teach other writers how to do the same.
Last, I wanted to offer a low-cost course and coaching experience that combines many of the benefits of individual coaching, including one-on-one sessions and individual feedback, with the low cost and community support of group coaching.
My goal is to give writers a better way to approach the challenge of writing a first draft, while taking care of themselves, enjoying the process of writing their books, and ending up with solid draft manuscripts that are ready to be revised into a publishable novel.
If you want to enjoy the process of writing a solid first draft of a novel, with the support of a certified book coach and writing community, and with less stress and anxiety, be sure to join me and Fall Into Your First Draft!
Join now for only $595!
But wait! 🙂 Early bird pricing through September 15th is only $495!
And there’s more! If you were in my Build-A-Book Workshop last fall, I’ll be sending you a special code for an even deeper discount.
I’m enrolling students right now through September 30th (or until the course sells out)! Limited availability: Because of the personal, one-on-one attention this course offers, I’m only able to accept ten (10) writers max.
HOW to get started:
Joining Fall Into Your First Draft is easy!
- To register, fill out and submit this short form.
- Once you submit your form, you will receive an email to confirm your registration. (Please check your spam folder if you don’t see it.)
- When you confirm your registration, you will be redirected to a payment link. Note: You’ve only secured your spot once you’ve completed your payment.
- On October 1st, you’ll receive access to the first lesson, then the work begins! In the meantime, please direct any questions you might have to me: Contact Me. I can’t wait to work with you!
“What does Fall Into Your First Draft include?”
When you join Fall Into Your First Draft, you get:
- My Build-A-Book framework – $ 500 value
- Mini Book Blueprint with feedback – $300 value
- Weekly group Zoom calls and write-ins – $1,200 value (note: I cannot guarantee the amount of group participation on the part of others)
- 3 one-on-one Zoom calls or telephone calls (30 minutes each) – $150 value
- Outline System with feedback – $400 value
- Weekly email check-ins – $600 value
- A free one-year comped subscription to my Substack website, which includes access to my locked archive of 150+ posts on topics including craft, inspiration, motivation, and creating a writing life – $50 value
- Daily access to community chats, including motivation, prompts, and helps, in my Substack community – $1,800 value
- Invitation to my weekly in-person office hours – $600 value
- Access to my weekly virtual office hours (Q&A-style) – $2,400
- 12 weekly video lessons – $3,600 value
- Bonus #1: Evaluation of your first 50 pages in 2025 at half off regular price of $600 if booked by January 31, 2025 – $300 value
- Bonus #2: 20% off a 6-month one-on-one coaching package in 2025 if booked by January 31, 2025 – $750 value
- Bonus #3: Next Steps Video Lesson – $300 value
Total value: $12,950
“How do I join?”
If you’re ready to join Fall Into Your First Draft, click HERE.
Keep in mind: Doors close September 30th – or when the program sells out, whichever comes first. Availability is very limited. Because of the personal, one-on-one attention this program offers, I’m only able to accept ten (10) writers max.
Join today – see you inside!
FAQs:
Question: What is NaNoWriMo?
Answer: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event. Writers log 50,000 words during the month of November. The idea is that participants will come away with a draft of a novel at the end of 30 days. The biggest benefit of NaNoWriMo is that it can give a writer the confidence of knowing they can write a novel, and it can help build a writing habit. There are drawbacks, though. First, it isn’t an easy challenge to knock out 50,000 words in 30 days, so writers who are unprepared for the challenge can come away feeling more frustrated and discouraged than they were before they started. Second, 50,000 words isn’t a novel. A contemporary novel’s word count is generally somewhere between 70,000 and 80,000 words, a little longer for some genres, like fantasy. So writers who win NaNoWriMo usually end up with a little over half a novel. Last, writers who go into NaNoWriMo unprepared for the challenge may end up with half a novel, yes, but will often end up with an incoherent jumble of words that has no structure, plot, emotional throughline, story arc, well-developed scenes, or character development.
My Fall Into Your First Draft program is a more sustainable way of writing a first draft of a novel or memoir over the course of 12 weeks. You may come out of the program with 50,000 words. You may come out of it with 80,000 words. You may come out of it with 25,000 words. But … no matter the word count you end up with, you will have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and you will be well-prepared to flesh out your manuscript and begin the process of rewriting and revising your book into a publishable manuscript.
Question: Do I have to participate in NaNoWriMo in order to join Fall Into Your First Draft?
Answer: No, and in fact, I’m going to suggest that you don’t. NaNoWriMo requires you to write your book in 30 days and not to start writing until November 1st. In Fall Into Your First Draft, we are going to start writing on Day 1, October 1st, and write a book over the course of 12 weeks. You are welcome to join NaNoWriMo if you like, but it isn’t required or even encouraged for this particular program.
And that’s part of the beauty of the program. The things you will learn in Fall Into Your First Draft will benefit any new writer who is setting out to write their first novel or memoir, but even seasoned writers will learn to plan and to write better first drafts. Fall Into Your First Draft will help you come up with a solid writing plan and start executing on it immediately. Whether or not you intend to write all or a part of your book in November, this program will help you write that first draft in a sustainable, consistent, and satisfying way.
Question: Do I have to have a book idea to join Fall Into Your First Draft?
Answer: Nope! Not at all! You and I will work together to come up with your book idea if you don’t have one. If you do have a book idea, I’ll help you sharpen it into a plot with a point. Plot + point = story!
Question: What if I’ve never written anything before?
Answer: Hooray! If you’ve never written anything before, then this is the perfect way to get started! In the Fall Into Your First Draft program, I’ll take writers through every step involved in writing a book: from coming up with the idea, to constructing plot, to creating engaging characters, to finetuning the book’s themes and emotional throughlines, to building a roadmap to guide you, all the way through to writing that first rough draft. This hybrid course offers writers many of the benefits of individual coaching with the lower cost and community of group coaching.
Question: What if the monthly group Zoom calls don’t fit into my schedule?
Answer: No worries! As part of the Fall Into Your First Draft package, you will also receive the opportunity to book three (3) one-on-one coaching calls. During those calls, I can update you on the group calls. You’ll also be comped a subscription to my Substack website and community, including a private group chat where you can talk with and get support and encouragement from group members. Although the group aspect of the program is special, the biggest benefit of this hybrid group/one-on-one coaching experience is the price. You’ll receive many of the benefits of one-on-one coaching, including 12 weeks of lessons and coaching, a few individual coaching sessions, and individual feedback on homework, for less than the price of one month of individual book coaching.
Question: What kind of support will I get after the program ends?
Answer: So you’ve written a draft of a novel. Now what? The days, weeks, and months after writing a first draft can be exhilirating and empowering, but they can be frustrating and discouraging as well. Especially for new writers, it can be overwhelming to know where to go next, now that you have a manuscript in hand. Never fear! We’ll end Fall Into Your First Draft with a Next Steps video lesson and a group wrap-up session to celebrate our successes and plan for what comes next.
In addition, Fall Into Your First Draft comes with two free bonuses that are each worth the cost of the course on their own. Bonus #1: I will provide an evaluation of your first 50 pages of your manuscript for half off the regular price of $600, if booked by January 31, 2025, a $300 value. Bonus #2: You will receive 20% off a six-month one-on-one coaching package, if booked by January 31, 2025, a $750 value. Take advantage of either or both of these bonuses, and Fall Into Your First Draft is practically free!
Question: How do I join?
Answer: If you’re ready to join Fall Into Your First Draft, click HERE.
Keep in mind: Doors close September 30th – or when the program sells out. Availability is very limited. Because of the personal, one-on-one attention this course offers, I’m only able to accept ten (10) writers max.
Join today – see you inside!!!
Leanne Phillips
Book Coach, Certified in Fiction and in Memoir
Contact Me
Creator, First-Draft Fall