Are you ready to finally get that novel out of your head and on the page?

 

Welcome to the Six Month Novel 

Monday 4th March – Sun 1st Sept 2024

Applications closed

Hands up if you swore you’d write your novel last year

But it didn’t quite happen

(again)

There’s no getting away from it. Writing a novel is a lot of work, especially if:

  • You feel guilty for spending so much time on something ‘selfish’, then guilty, frustrated and ashamed for not writing.
  • You’ve lost faith in your ability/the idea, and now your novel just sits there silently judging you.
  • You wrote 26,000 words in then decided they were hopeless and realised you don’t actually know what happens next.
  • You’ve taken so many writing courses but none of them help you to actually finish your draft, so now you wonder if you’re actually capable.

Are you ready…

  • To get clear on what your novel’s about and how you want to tell it.
  • To embrace a new process of deadlines, writing fast without judgement and crummy first drafts process that will help you actually reach the end.
  • To stop making excuses and commit to yourself and your novel.
  • To get support from people who are 100% behind you.

Just imagine

It’s this time next year, and sitting on your desk is a pristine manuscript, ready to be sent to agents.

Next to it is an early draft covered in red pen, and you remember that feeling as you typed The End. You did it! There were moments when it felt like a mammoth task, but you kept writing one word after another, kept submitting your work, and it’s here. It’s real.

It’s your time…

Image showing worksheets and videos inside the Six Month Novel

Join us on the Six Month Novel, a small group online programme to help you finally reach the end, with plenty of accountability and cheerleading along the way.

Applications closed

Testimonials

“I have the greatest of pleasure in recommending the Six month Novel course. With a degree and a Masters in creative writing I thought I knew it all but I was bumbling around and getting nowhere fast.

The ideas, the systematic approach to structuring and planning, the groundwork that is needed to make a start are all invaluable. It’s a course that gets you started, supports you all the way and keeps you accountable for your own deadlines. Before you know it, you have a whole novel in its first draft.

This was the best money I have ever spent towards making my book a reality.

(Okay Charlie and Amie, you can put the whip and pliers down now).”

~ Colleen



“Six Month Novel is life changing!

I know, I know – that’s a very hyperbolic statement but it’s so true. I’d spent at least [mumbles an unspeakable amount of years] working on my manuscript and it never coalescing into something that approximated a beginning, middle and end. I now have a complete first draft with fully developed characters, a narrative arch, and the words ‘the end’.

Charlie and Amie’s brilliant combo of no nonsense practical advice, gentle prodding and firm hand holding when needed, have helped push my project over the line. I can’t recommend it enough.”

~ Fiona



“The 6MN course was a joy to be part of. Both Amie and Charlie were so supportive in helping us to progress from a seed of an idea into a full first draft in just six months. I didn’t think it was possible to get it done, and I loved the process.

The way the course is structured with worksheets and video tutorials by Charlie and Amie, along with support from fellow writers on the course through a Facebook group, turned out to be a wonderful writing experience all round, keeping me excited and motivated right the way through. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to turn their dream of writing a novel into a reality.”

~ Alka

“The 6MN gave me effective tools for prioritising my creativity and structuring my story, along with the confidence to start seeing myself as a writer.

Amie and Charlie’s experience, kindness, encouragement, and step-by-step approach broke through layers of doubts and procrastination. Although our stories covered a range of genres, their thoughtful suggestions felt both specific and applicable to the craft of writing as a whole.

They have a gift for cultivating a relaxed, grounded backdrop for intimate conversations conducive to sharing collective wisdom. Their unshakeable patience and support helped us weather our creative highs and lows and kept us focused when life might otherwise have got in the way.

~ Gabrielle

How does it work?

4-Week Plotting Bootcamp

Comprehensive story exploration and plotting course

Make sure your plot and characters work before you start writing, with videos and tasks that explore everything from character, point of view and setting to conflict, structure and subplot. Most of the course is asynchronous, meaning you can join online from anywhere in the world.

A plot outline that works for you

Build a plot outline that will be your map, saving you from the swamp of saggy middles and that awful ‘but I don’t know what to write’ feeling, done in a way that works with your brain.

Plot outline review

You’ll also get feedback from Amie, our tame editor, to make sure your plot outline is solid with satisfying story and character arcs.

4 Writing Months

Tappity tap tap tap

An average-ish length novel of 80,000 words would take 5,000 words every week. That’s 715 words a day with one day off per week, or one really solid day of work each weekend.

Four months somehow manages to feels like ages and no time at all. Writing a novel in that time is a tall order, but we’ll be there to guide and encourage you all the way.

Personalised targets

We’ll help you plan your writing, break it down into manageable chunks and set monthly targets based on your novel, how you write best and what’s realistic for your life.

Mid-point plot review

Even with the best plan things can change as you write, so we’ll take a week in the middle to make sure you’re on the right track and add depth to your plans for the second half.

Support, Structure and Encouragement

Personal accountability

You are entering a no excuses zone! Nothing motivates a writer like a deadline, and submitting words monthly is a non-negotiable condition of the Six Month Novel (we don’t read them though, don’t worry!).

Weekly motivational emails

Every week you’ll get a pep talk email from us to help you keep going. We may even occasionally tell you to eat cake or take a day off.

Regular video mini-classes

Covering everything from storytelling techniques to mindset troubles, at the time you’re most likely to need them. These all live on a course website so you can watch whenever suits you best.

Weekly accountability check-in

Every week you’ll keep yourself on track by setting goals based on your monthly targets in the online forum, and cheering on your fellow writers.

Group Motivation

Private online group

This is where you and your fellow writers will support each other and discuss the relative merits of hob nobs vs custard creams (chocolate hob nobs every time).

We’ll also be available to answer questions in here.

Monthly online writing retreats (Get It Done Days and word races)

Working alongside other writers will boost your motivation and help you hit those deadlines. Log in once a month on a Tuesday evening or Sunday morning, set yourself a target and write like the wind.

Monthly live online  group mentoring

Once a month on a Tuesday evening we run a live Zoom mentoring call where everybody checks in with their progress. We’ll have space to talk about any concerns you have and answer questions, both general writing ones and specific ones about your work, and send you off with a big dose of encouragement for the coming month.

4-Week Editing Bootcamp

Our logical, overwhelm-reducing editing system

We don’t want you to just spew out words for a few months then throw them away in horror. We’ll help you identify and fill in big-picture gaps before you gradually work in a logical progression down to the final polish. You’ll try out the whole system on your first 3,000 words.

You’ll leave with a system and tips for editing the rest of your manuscript and a plan for making it happen, and we’ll also cover publishing options so you know where you’re going next.

Professional edit of your first chapter

You’ll submit an edited version of your first 3,000 words at the end of the six months for review by Amie, a professional editor.

Bonus agent query letter and synopsis workshop series

We’ll demystify the process of querying agents and walk you through creating your query pack.

Testimonials

“Even though I had written a novel before, I couldn’t get started. Then I signed up for the Six Month Novel course, and by the end of it I had a completed first draft and an editing plan. 

My first novel took years to write because I didn’t know how to create a plan for it. Not so with my second! The Plotting Bootcamp was a revelation for me. Step-by-step, Amie and Charlie’s method helped me create a detailed plan of what would happen to who and when. It made writing the first draft so easy because I knew what I had to write about each day. 

The other most valuable element of the Six Month Novel course was the support. It was brilliant to have Amie and Charlie cheering me on and keeping me accountable, and there were so many touch points throughout the six months that I never felt that I was on my own.

If you are swithering about whether to join the Six Month Novel course, and you want to have a first draft to edit by the end of the summer, jump off that fence and apply. You won’t regret it.”

~ Sam



“6MN was a revelation. Charlie and Amie are absolute super stars.

Whilst the group always felt nurturing, they really focused on pushing us to write and to be accountable. Despite a delicious new baby to wonder at, I ended up writing my the draft of my novel – 140 thousand words – this just quite frankly would not have happened without the course.

It has meant that I now have a writing habit for the long term and that I know I can just sit down and write. This is a magic gift! Thank-you so much!!!”

~ Sarah Lou



“The 6MN course gave me the chance to really focus on an idea and explore it until I could write a complete first draft.

If it wasn’t for the course I might not have finished that story, and it was my first story to go on to get a publishing deal!

I loved the support and accountability throughout the time on the course, it really kept me on track.”

~ Emma Finlayson-Palmer

“The structure, the scheduling, the meetings and emails, everything was geared towards practical advice, accountability and actual, tangible progress. The plotting weeks were especially important to me — I was amazed to see the final outline of the novel materialized, like, it existed, it was a thing, it was right there on the screen!

Even when I fell behind on the writing months and doubted that I could do it, I never felt alone, defeated or left behind — quite the opposite. Amie & Charlie always made sure to cheer me up and get me on track again.

I’ve taken part in other writing courses and workshops over the years and I don’t think I’ve ever found better guides and cheerleaders to have in your corner than Amie & Charlie, nor have I found a kinder, more supportive or dedicated group than my fellow Six Month Novellers.”

~ Renata

“I did the 6MN programme in 2022.  I was new to writing fiction:  I came to the course with an idea for a novel, a very basic plot outline, and commitment.  Six months later I had an 80,000 word draft.

The group aspect of the programme was especially helpful.  Checking in with the other writers every week, reporting my progress, being cheered on, and cheering others on helped me stay on schedule.  Being part of a little community of writers all striving toward the same goal is surprisingly heartening when the work gets tough!

~ Jean

Hi! We’re Charlie and Amie

Think of us as your guides, cheerleaders and personal trainers.

Charlie runs Urban Writers’ Retreat. She’s been helping writers apply bum to chair and just write since 2008. Amie is an author, a professional editor who works with small publishing houses and independent authors, and director of an independent press.

We started The Six Month Novel in 2014 because we couldn’t find a course we were dying to take part in as writers. They all seemed to teach you how to write a novel and get you started, but there was no support to finish the bulk of the writing. We needed something that really supported us through the process of writing a whole novel draft, so that’s what we made.

We’ve worked with hundreds of writers in small groups to make sure there’s personal accountability. We break the process of writing a first draft down to make it easier, then guide you through with loads of tools and support. Oh, and did we mention the deadlines? Carrot and stick, folks, carrot and stick.

2024 Pricing

Looking for the scholarship competition?

We have one scholarship spot available, with applications closing on Sunday 28th January 2024. Click here for the scholarship details and application form (please do not use the main form on this page, you must use the scholarship application form to be considered for the competition). The 2024 scholarship is now closed.

I’m in! How do I join?

Applications are now closed

 

Just fill in this application form. Applications close on 25th February.

We can only work with a small group of writers to ensure that we can support you personally, and we work with you end to end, from idea to a finished draft (and beyond, in the editing bootcamp). This is a big commitment for both you and us, so we want to make sure that the places go to writers who are serious about finishing a novel and that we feel we can genuinely help. We don’t want you to waste your money on something that isn’t right for you any more than you do.

 

Things we’ll ask for on the application form include:

  • Brief synopsis of your novel, 100-300 words 
  • Confirmation that you’ve done/can do all of your research in advance
  • What genre and audience you’re aiming for

 

We’d also like to know:

  • A little about your main characters
  • A little about your setting
  • What your fears and concerns are, what’s holding you back

 

The Mini Synopsis

We don’t expect your ideas to be fully-formed yet (what would be the point in a plotting bootcamp if it was perfect?) but we do want you to have given it some serious thought, and to see that your idea is or can become a workable plot.

This is 1-2 paragraphs (around 300 words max please) outlining the story. Tell us the big-brush strokes of your story, but make sure to include: who the main character is, what they want, what the central conflict/question is, who/what stands against them, what the key things that happen are, and how it ends. The more information about what actually happens within that 300-word limit, the better. You’ll have a separate space to tell us more about the characters, so focus on the story here.

 

Rules:

  1. Please don’t send us 1000 words! 300 should be enough, if you don’t have that many it’s fine.
  2. PLEASE TELL US HOW IT ENDS. We don’t want to be teased; we want to know about your story construction, so we need to know the ending.

 

If you haven’t written a mini synopsis yet, take a peek at our free Novel in a Nutshell idea development worksheets, which gives you an exact formula. You’ll probably want to add some more story detail to it, but the last exercises of this will make sure you include the essential information.

Is it for you?

The Six Month Novel is online and part time (but is a serious commitment, you’ll need to dedicate around an hour a day to your novel). We’ve had writers join us from California to Beijing, Amsterdam to Sydney, published novelists and complete newbies.

But now we know that expecting yourself to overcome all of the practical problems and insecurities of writing through sheer force of will is ridiculous, and that it’s much, MUCH easier to keep going with the right support.

 

This is perfect for you if

  • You’re ready to dedicate the time and do the work.
  • Maybe you’ve completed novel drafts before or even had something published…
  • You know you can do it, but seem to have lost faith in yourself and you’d love a little extra help and support.
  • You’ve done all of your research, or can complete it by the start date.
  • Writing fast, not editing as you go, accountability, a group… all this makes you think yesssssssssss! If it sounds awesome then it’s probably right for you.

We’re not right for you if

  • You’ve already got a draft and really want editing help; this is ideally for novels at the planning stage, though if you’ve done that thing of writing 20,000 words then stalling and think you need to go back and plan it’ll work. 
  • You hate planning. If you always stall though, it might be worth reconsidering your approach?
  • Your creative process is to circle back and perfect small sections before you move on and you are able to finish work this way. If it works for you, keep going, but it isn’t really compatible with writing a draft in four months. 
  • Your aim is to write a Great Literary/non-narrative work. We find that the draft-fast-and-lock-up-your-editor approach isn’t as well suited to this kind of book.
  • You don’t have the time. You’ll probably need to do equivalent to an hour of work every day. Yes. Every day. There are no shortcuts,
  • You have serious mindset/emotional blocks stopping you writing. Trying to logic or power through this stuff without having addressed the root causes just doesn’t work, and you’ll end up disappointed. Only join once you’re ready – we’ll still be here.

Is it what I need right now?

Only you can decide that. Think about it this way… how long have you been wanting to write that novel? Months? Years? Are you going to actually sit down and write it in the next six months?

Our advice is to think about what you want and why, and choose your help accordingly. If you want the kind of literary theory, teaching and workshopping you want from an MA, do that. If you want to focus on getting an agent, look at the kind of course that will help you with that. If what you want is to get support that will help you complete your novel draft, rather than being left with 20,000 words and no motivation to finish, maybe we’re right. We think that what you’ll gain from focusing on actually completing that draft is priceless, and that pushing through and reaching the end is one of the best ways you can learn and improve your writing… but it depends on what you need most at this moment in your career. But you don’t need us to tell you that. If this isn’t for you then you’ll know, and that’s cool. There are many ways to write a novel and we wish you safe travels, friend. If you secretly reallyreallyreally want to join us though, you’ll already know that too. Maybe you just want a little nudge, or for someone to tell you it’s okay to take your dreams seriously.

If that’s the case, then nudge. We think your dreams matter. You should too.