That's a Wrap! Thank you, UW.

Thanks again to the university's continuing studies program for having me.

Thursday, October 3rd marked the final day of teaching for my first course through the University of Wisconsin's Department of Continuing Studies in Writing. The course I was teaching was "Write Your Novel Now - Plotting Your Way to Success," a series of classes based on material I created from my own experiences in preparing to write a novel.

Over the course of four weeks, those enrolled worked as a team to outline their individual novels from the ground up. After spending the first week developing their concepts, they shifted into structuring their plots and scenes. We also emphasized the importance of our protagonists by focusing on their wants, needs, fears, and how far they were willing to go to achieve that which they desire most.

Every student in the class had a wonderful concept, and I'm confident they left the course with a map to the story they seek. I want to thank them again (publicly now) for their participation and their engagement with the course material.

Beyond their excellent contributions to the course, I was additionally grateful to have this opportunity for personal reasons; as a University of Wisconsin alumnus myself, returning to campus to teach meant a great deal to me. There's nothing quite like finding oneself amid the throng of foot traffic crossing Library Mall and Langdon to take in the Red Gym ("Bowser's Castle") and Memorial Union on the way to the Pyle Center.

If you're in the Madison area and were unable to enroll in this course, rest assured it will be offered again in other formats outside of the UW or through it in 2020. Stay tuned to my newsletter for updates on future iterations of this and other courses.

Thanks again to my students, to the UW, and to the writing community at large for making this possible.

Write on and write well!