Rock the Socks Off Your Revision

A intensive novel revision workshop with Jennie Nash, Author Accelerator founder and CEO

Santa Barbara, California, July 16-19 2020 ~ Only 8 students

What You’ll Come Away With

• A watertight Inside Outline that reflects exactly where your novel needs to go. An Inside Outline captures both the plot and the internal story that reveals your protagonists’ desires and motivations, gives your book narrative drive, and keeps your reader turning pages. Think of it like a roadmap for your revision journey. For revision, an Inside Outline can be up to 10 pages.

• A One-Page Book Summary that gives you the words and ideas you need to speak about your book with confidence — a key skill for pitching in person, in online contests, or via query to agents.

• A revised, edited, and polished chapter so you get a feel for exactly how the revision process works and know the high bar you are aiming to hit.

• A detailed timeline plan so you know exactly what to do when as you execute the remainder of your revision.

• A new method and new tools you can use to assess and revise everything you write.

• Rocket fuel to finish your book and finish strong. My superpower is to see the story you envision, which helps you get the clarity you need to see your story and the confidence to finish.

• A cohort of like-minded writers who can support and cheer you on as you go.

About Jennie

The Official Bio

Jennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, a company on a mission to help writers write books worth reading by training book coaches to support them through the entire creative process. For twelve years, writers serious about reaching readers have trusted Jennie to coach their projects from inspiration to publication. Her clients have landed top New York agents, national book awards, and deals with houses such as Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette. Jennie is the author of 9 books in 3 genres. She taught for 13 years in the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program, is an instructor at CreativeLive.com  and speaks on podcasts and at writing conferences all over the country.

***

While all this is indeed true, the real story is that I love helping writers — especially at the critical inflection points in the process , which means at the beginning when a book is taking shape, and at the revisions stage when it is coming into sharp focus. This is where my book-seeing superpowers best come into play. I know how to identify what is working and what isn’t, and how to help a writer see their work with clarity and confidence.

The Inside Outline is a tool I developed to help writers gain this critical perspective. It marries the plot points (the outside) with the internal, emotional arc of change (the inside). It works for pansters and plotters alike. It’s so fun to teach people how to use this tool, and how to take their work from good to great. The Rock Your Revision Workshop is based on the Inside Outline and my How to Revise a Novel Course.

I’m so excited to welcome you to Santa Barbara. It’s sometimes foggy in the mornings in July, but when the fog rolls out in the afternoon, it’s gorgeous!

Workshop Schedule

Before the Retreat

This workshop is based on Jennie’s How to Revise a Novel Course, which is a self-study course you can move through at your own pace. You are required to complete the assigned homework before the retreat. Plan on this taking somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 hours.

You will submit materials for Jennie to review before the retreat and will receive a summary of Jennie’s notes one week prior to coming to Santa Barbara.

Plan on this pre-work to take somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 hours.

Evening of Thursday, July 16

Join Jennie Nash, Author Accelerator staff members, and your fellow retreat attendees for a meet-and-greet at Jennie’s home.

Friday, July 17

• We discuss the revision process, and where each writer is in the process. We will go over what they should be working on, and any questions they might have about the next steps Jennie gave to them. As Jennie helps each writer, everyone will learn from her lessons and suggestions. You will either be working on your Inside Outline, your Chapter One Revision or your Whole Manuscript Audit.

• Working lunch with your fellow retreat attendees onsite at Kiva Cowork.

• In the afternoon, you will work independently on your tasks with assistance from Jennie and the Author Accelerator staff. You are also free to go out and explore Santa Barbara if you need time to think or process.

• Dinner with your small group of assigned writers.

Saturday, July 18

• Quick all-group meeting to answer any questions.

• 25-minute one-on-one meetings with Jennie.

• Continue work on your Inside Outline, your Chapter One Revision or your Whole Manuscript Audit.

• Working lunch with your fellow retreat attendees onsite at Kiva Cowork.

• In the afternoon, you will work independently on your tasks with assistance from Jennie and the Author Accelerator staff. You are also free to go out and explore Santa Barbara if you need time to think or process.

• Dinner with your small group of assigned writers.

Sunday, July 19

• In the morning, Jennie will walk everyone through the development of their personal revision plan.

• 25-minute one-on-one meetings for each writer with Jennie Nash.

• Continue work on your revision plan or revision tasks.

• Working lunch with your fellow retreat attendees onsite at Kiva Cowork.

• Free time after lunch to write/revise or explore Santa Barbara.

• Dinner as a whole group with Jennie and the Author Accelerator staff.

The Fees

The fee for this retreat is $4000.

This fee includes:

• The How to Revise a Novel Course

• Personal feedback from Jennie on your pre-work and throughout the workshop

• Group instruction

• A pass to the Kiva co-working space in Santa Barbara

• Lunch onsite each day

• Snacks and drinks onsite each day

• A welcome reception at Jennie’s home

• A final dinner with all writers, Jennie, and the Author Accelerator staff

Attendees are responsible for their transportation, lodging, all breakfasts, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday dinners. Note that we will be making small groups for these three dinners so writers have a chance to get to know fellow attendees.

Who Will Get the Most Out of This Workshop

• This workshop is for novel writers in any genre who have a finished manuscript. Memoir writers may be welcome, depending on the type of memoir. This workshop is not appropriate for nonfiction writers.

• You are ready to claim your voice, own your authority, and do the hard work to revise your novel.

• You don’t want to waste your time, and you don’t want to write something that falls flat, or fails to make an impact, or — worst of all — embarrasses you.

• You have the time to do the pre-work for the workshop. Please only apply if you are able to invest the time and energy to do this work. Your success is going to depend on that. I can give you all the feedback and support in the world, but if you aren’t ready to work hard and dig deep, this workshop won’t work for you.

• If you’re not sure whether or not this workshop is right for you, fill out the application form and request a 30-minute consultation. The Author Accelerator team will help you figure it out. We’ll only work writers who we know we can help.

• The application is not about judging your work. It’s about seeing that you are ready, willing and able to get the most out of this workshop.

Who Should Not Apply?

• Anyone who needs a guarantee that they will get an ROI on their investment. There are no guarantees in publishing. Luck and timing always play a roll.

• Anyone who wants someone else to do the work for them. This is a coaching program where we teach you how to do the work and support you in the process — but you have to do the work.

• Anyone who isn’t sure they have the time or energy to expend. This will take time and energy.

• Anyone who is not ready to be coached; if you already know everything, you don’t need me.

• Anyone who can’t be compassionate and open to helping other writers. Part of the learning happens by watching other writers learn and grow.

• Nonfiction writers. I have several intensive programs to help nonfiction programs. ➤

How to Apply

• Complete the Q&A so you can tell us about your book idea and your publishing goals. We’ll also ask for a short writing sample.

  • We will evaluate your Q&A. This isn’t about your idea or your ability to write. We believe that all ideas are workable and all people can learn to become writers. This is about whether or not you can take advantage of what we are offering. We want to make sure we can add value to your project, that you are in the right place to get the hard work done.

• We will let you know if you’ve been accepted and send you a payment link within 3 business days.

• NOTE that we will only run the workshop if we have a minimum of three writers. If you are one of the first three to pay, we will alert you NOT to purchase plane tickets of lodging just yet. As soon as we have three, we will let know.

FAQs