Dream to Draft 2023

How this experiment will work

Welcome!

For the past few years, I’ve had a big dream: to turn my successful writing course, Dream to Draft, into a nonfiction book. Why would I want to do this?

Having taught this material multiple times and seen dozens of writers benefit, I want the lessons to reach a much wider audience. Not everyone’s budget has room for a three-month writing course, but a book is much more attainable.

Up to now, balancing my writing with teaching and running courses hasn’t left me the time to pursue this project.

However, having written the Oh! Murder substack starting in 2022, I found a solution. I will write the Dream to Draft book, section by section, in these posts. As a subscriber, you can peek behind the scenes at my writing process and support writing the book, all at a more affordable price than the original course.

The schedule

Starting January 9, subscribers to From Dream to Draft can expect the following:

A section of the manuscript in your inbox Tuesdays and Thursdays. These will not always be the same length, and they will address topics I plan to include in the order I write them. I will use the original course material as a reference outline, but there is so much that happens in the live calls and in the forum of the course that I want to address themes often present there, too.

The posts I plan to share here are thoughtful first drafts. This material is seasoned from multiple rounds teaching it, but making it into a book is a new way of stretching and growing.

When I come to the end of writing the book, I will revise it. The revision process will also appear in posts on this site. And then, once it’s ready, I’ll get it ready for publication and put it out in the world. That stage will also become lessons here, should people be interested in the topic.

Once the book is finished and available, I’ll re-evaluate what next steps are for the site and where we’ll go from here.

How to participate

While I created this project because I want to make the material available to a wider audience, I have also decided that all posts for the book will be available for paid members only.

As writers, we’re often pushed on decisions like these. The world has built a model where everyone expects to read things online for free. However, this model is not good for writers, who spend every bit as much time as other professionals building experience and skill. Just as a lawyer or doctor is paid for their time and expertise, writers deserve this, too.

The final book will be available for sale once it’s finished. If you’d prefer to wait until then, please subscribe to my newsletter. I’ll be shouting from the rooftops once it’s ready.

However, if you’d like to come along for the ride, and help support me as I write material I’ve seen change lives over and over in the classroom, please join this community. You’ll see behind the usually closed door into my writing room. I can’t wait to share this experience with you.

Trust your gut. No one knows better than you what your writing needs. Keep going. Happy writing.