I’m thrilled to chat with Ready Chapter 1 Academy Founder, Fred Koehler, and his team of teachers.
It’s exciting to see all the amazing instructors you pulled together in one place, Fred. I’ve taken so many incredible workshops with experts like Joyce Sweeney, Lorin Oberweger…and YOU. All of you help take writers up a level (or twenty). The rest of the faculty look great, too. What inspired you to create Ready Chapter 1 Academy?
Hi Mindy! So happy to be here with you (virtually, as it were). The idea for RC1 Academy came, oddly enough, out of the pandemic. My local, in-person writers group was showing so much promise. Writers were growing and discovering paths for themselves and their stories. And then COVID put us all into lockdown. I still had all these writers looking for education, connection, and opportunity. And while it was a lot more complicated than catching up at a local library, I knew we could figure out how to meet those needs without meeting in person.
I’ve seen some great programs for picture books…an entire academy dedicated to getting a novel ready from idea to submission within a year is amazing! Who do you think will benefit the most from Ready Chapter 1 Academy?
Great question! We want to make space for anyone who has the seed of a story idea and the hustle to do the work, finish their draft, and turn it into a publishing pitch. This could be picture book authors who have been dying to craft a middle grade novel, YA enthusiasts, or even adult fiction writers. Good storytelling transcends genre, and this year’s faculty comes from both the childrens and adult publishing worlds with some experience from film and animation thrown in. To that end we’ve seen interest from writers working on screenplays, television scripts, and even video games. But our core focus will be on writers taking a single novel from concept to first draft over the course of 10 months.
Wow! That sounds wonderful. What are you and your instructors most excited to teach?
This is literally my favorite thing about the academy. So many times you attend a conference and it’s a mixed bag of classes. At RC1, every class is designed to build on the previous in a complete, consecutive curriculum. With that in mind, I invited every instructor based on what they’re best at. Jonathan Maberry (V-Wars) crafts the most complex heroes and villains and he’ll be teaching us how to create unforgettable characters. Henry Neff (The Tapestry Series) invents incredibly intricate worlds and he’s on world-building duty. Lesa Cline-Ransome’s stories absolutely sing and she’ll be teaching Voice. Every instructor teaches what they love most. I’m geeking out just to think about it.
It’s fantastic that every instructor teaches what they love most! What are some of the biggest issues you see in novels?
I’m going to deflect this question slightly. The issue isn’t about the novel so much as the novelist. We are all naturally gifted at certain elements of writing craft, whether it’s twisty plots, high-octane action, or whiz-bang dialogue. But a novelist who wants to find a place in today’s market needs to grow beyond their natural talents and build up their areas of inexperience as well. This way an editor or agent (and ultimately, a reader) falls in love with the moments that show off a writer’s strengths, and continues to be impressed by the rest of the story.
That makes so much sense! It’s the best feeling when you work on a weaker area enough that it turns into a strength.
What do you think makes the difference between a good or great novel that receives some interest but no yeses…and one that totally dazzles agents and editors?
I once heard an editor answer this question with a response perhaps a bit too colorful for picture book writers, but the essence was “freaking magic.” 🙂 Basically, they were trying to say that there is no silver bullet. No secret sauce. What we can identify, however, and what’s baked into RC1 Academy, is the idea that many brilliant, dazzling, successful novels and writers share common elements. And the three biggest (in my opinion) come in the first half of our workshop series.
Concept – Is it a fresh, unexpected, or original idea? Does it set the stage with intrigue and tension? Does it promise improbable challenges or impossible choices?
Character – Do we see ourselves reflected in the struggles and choices of your protagonist? How does the writer go about exposing deep truths about life through their actions and attitudes? What makes us fall in love and care about the outcome?
Voice – Honestly, this is the X factor in writing. It’s wit and charm. It’s word choice and sentence structure. But it’s also as imperceptible as a song or a painting that suddenly stirs your soul. Voice can be developed, but never faked.
This all sounds amazing! I especially love: Voice can be developed, but never faked. I’ve heard editors say it’s something they must have when buying a book, because it’s the hardest thing to teach writers to accomplish (while it’s easier for them to help sharpen aspects like plot).
Can you all share some writing tips?
Easy answer – YES!
On Getting Started
From Super-Agent / Author / Teacher Joyce Sweeney
“Two beginner mistakes are to narrate too much and not get into scene enough (shorthand, let the characters talk, not you) and also wild jumps of POV, which comes from thinking a novel can be laid out like a movie. The advantage fiction writers have over theater and media is that we can go deeply into someone’s thoughts and feelings. Use that tool! The biggest mistake intermediate and advanced writers make is not raising stakes high enough and not revising enough to make sure the book is truly tight and all threads are completed.”
Read more here.
On World-Building
From Fiction University Founder Janice Hardy
“No matter what the setting, your story will take place somewhere, and that world will appear over and over. Determine the rules and common elements, and how that world might change over the course of the novel. If you’re writing a genre with special rules (magic, science, history), establish those rules before you write to ensure you won’t break your own rules by accident later.”
Read more here.
On Structure
From Author / Independent Editor Lorin Oberweger
“A scene should be in one character’s point of view. It should be centered around the pursuit of some goal on the character’s part, preferably an observable one, which is related to the character’s main goal for the story. This scene needs to feature some form of opposition to that goal, and then must resolve itself in such a way as to move the story forward.”
Read more here.
This is pure gold! Thank you all so much for sharing helpful tips.
Do you have a writing exercise to share?
Jonathan Maberry often shares a simple exercise that has become one of my favorite writing prompts. He calls it “What’s the Story?” and it works like this… Anytime you see something out of place or unexpected, ask yourself “What’s the story?” and then imagine different scenarios to answer the question. Jon’s explanation of the game involves him seeing a pair of mangled glasses on the side of the road that led to an interesting suggestion that ultimately led to the novel titled “Glimpse,” where the protagonist sees ghostly visions through the cracked lenses of a pair of spooky glasses.
So look for something out of the ordinary, ask yourself “What’s the Story?” and use that as the starting point for something unexpected and original!
Ooh, I can’t wait to try this!
In addition to webinars and workshops, you mention having RC1 Writing Tools for members. What kinds of tools will they include?
For sure. We know that every writer may not need world-building tools at the exact moment the live class is happening. So the goal for our toolkit is to summarize the methodology being taught and to be there as a reference for when the writer needs it most.
I’m going to share an example here called Mythic Mashup. In the ideation workshop, I talk about mythic storytelling structure and how you can quickly map out a novel concept using a simplified version of this paradigm. I find this tool really helpful when I’m trying to see if an idea is worth pursuing. This is one of four (I think) tools that will come in the ideation workshop. *My only request is that folks don’t borrow our tools for their own workshops or pass them around like jellybeans. 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing, Fred! I see you have scholarships available. That’s fantastic! Can you tell us more about them?
Many have heard me say that, statistically, I shouldn’t be a successful writer. I started out with no industry connections, less than a thousand bucks in my bank account, and a plane ticket to New York City. Scholarships and hard work opened doors for me, creating opportunities I couldn’t have otherwise pursued. For anyone who is truly dedicated to putting in the work to lift themselves up, I don’t want price to be a stumbling block. It won’t be easy. It takes sweat and sacrifice. But these are also the stories we cheer for.
And even for those who may not win a scholarship, the entire program is still less expensive than attending a single conference. And I’m going to bust my butt to make sure we offer ten times the value.
Scholarships have been a huge help to me, too. I’m so glad you’re paying it forward to help kick-start careers. Plus, your $100 off coupon is extremely generous.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
We are all writers here. RC1 Academy is our love letter to anyone who has ever dreamed of being a writer. There’s a place for you at our table.
Aw, I love how supportive the writing community is. Thank you so much for chatting with us, Fred…and for your two generous giveaways. I can’t wait to see who will win them! You’re an amazing critiquer, and RC1 Academy is an incredibly generous prize, too.
Enter the Rafflecopter below to win amazing prizes!
1 person will win a 2022 Ready Chapter 1 Academy GOLD membership [Winner: Mimi Powell!]
1 person will win a PB or 10 page novel critique from Fred Koehler [Winner: Melisa Wrex!]
**If the Rafflecopter reaches 400 entries, Fred will up the Silver membership to GOLD! I’ll shout out on this page and Twitter and will happy dance with all of you if that happens. 😊
Wahoooo! You soared over 400 entries…so the winner will now have all the amazing extras in the GOLD Academy plan. I can’t wait to see who wins this generous prize. Good luck, everyone!
Ready Chapter 1 is a first-of-its-kind academy designed for career-minded writers looking to develop and sell their stories to traditional publishers. The faculty takes writers from concept to query over 10 months and includes editors, agents, and bestselling authors. There’s unique writing tools, workshops, webinars, a forum for peer review, as well as monthly raffles to win written feedback from the faculty. Registration is open until February at www.readychapter1.com. Blog readers receive a $100 discount with code HG3R4J4!
Winners will be announced here and on Twitter on January 6, 2022. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Fred Koehler is an artist and storyteller whose real-life misadventures include sunken boats, shark encounters, and hurricanes. Whether free diving in the Gulf of Mexico or backpacking across Africa, Fred’s sense of adventure and awe of nature overflow into his characters’ stories. Check out this free enhanced audio recording of the first chapter of Fred’s middle grade novel…GARBAGE ISLAND!
Fred is passionate about encouraging young artists, promoting social justice, and conserving our environment. He lives in Florida with his wife, kids, and a rescue dog named Cheerio Mutt-Face McChubbybutt.
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