Frequently Asked Questions
about
Learn to Write the Novel Way
•What is Learn to Write the Novel Way?
•What are the course objectives?
•Composition
objectives
•Grammar
and spelling objectives
•Publishing
objectives
•How does it work?
•The Big
Picture
•Each
Step
•How much time does it take?
•Yearly
•Plan A
•Plan B
•Weekly
•When is my child ready to Learn to
Write the Novel Way?
•Can I use it again?
•What materials will I need?
•What if my language skills are
atrocious?
•Why do students learn better this way?
•They get
excited about writing
•They
produce real books
•They
aim for excellence
•They
build confidence in writing
•They
can do it again
•What do others say?
•What is the price?
•Special
offer
•How do I order?
•Where can I get further information?
What is Learn to Write the Novel
Way?
Learn to Write the Novel Way is a language arts curriculum for grades 5-12
that:
• Teaches all language arts skills in writing one project
• Provides a finished novel for the student's portfolio
• Is multi-level (review for more advanced students and is introductory
for the less proficient in writing skills)
• Reveals the gaps in a student's writing ability and provides specific
practices for areas of weakness
• Motivates students to want to write and write correctly
• Encourages independent work by "nuggetizing" the task into
a thirteen-step process
• Is easy to use for the "coach" (teacher/parent) with clear lesson plans
• Can be used with a group
• Costs only $50 for the whole year
As parent/teacher we refer to you as "coach" since the best way to learn writing
is through the coaching process. You will work along with the student to instruct, oversee
the practices, and enjoy together the finished writing assignment each week.
What are the course objectives?
General objectives
By the end of this course, your student will have written an entire novel with excellent
style, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. All of these skills will transfer to his next
writing project. Look also for the smile when he presents a finished piece of work that he
knows is stellar.
Specific objectives
The scope of this course is creative writing, but this college-preparatory
course equips your student to plan and execute any written piece. He will
become well-acquainted with the 13 steps of fictional writing, practice all
standards of excellent English usage, and have a finished product to
demonstrate proficiency. See the following charts for specific course
objectives.
Composition objectives
To learn, practice, and apply the following:
• The 13 steps to write any fictional work
• One's own preferences and styles of writing
• Pre-writing (coming up with story ideas)
• Characters and scene description
• Appropriate use of person (point of view) and tense
• Plot and sub-plot outline
• Sequencing
• Titling
• Paragraph division
• Computers in writing
• Ways to get "unstuck" when writing
• Picture writing
• Detailing
• Dialogue
• Communicating abstract concepts
• Simile and metaphor
• Word choice/vocabulary development
• Concise language
• Active voice
• Positive form
• Connecting ideas
• Sentence variety
• Word variety
• Spotlighting
• Flashbacks
• Foreshadowing
• Openings and endings
Grammar and spelling objectives
To learn, practice, and apply the following:
• Whole sentences
• Subject-verb agreement
• Parallelism
• Correct use of pronouns
• Correct use of verbs
• Correct use of modifiers
• Homonyms and other common mix-ups
• Spelling rules
• Capitalization rules
• Common abbreviations
• Use of numbers in writing
• Punctuation rules: periods, question marks, exclamation points, quotation marks,
underlining/italics, apostrophes, commas, semi-colons, colons, dashes, hyphens, ellipsis
points
• Editor's marks
Publishing objectives
To learn, practice, and apply the following:
• Publishing terms
• Book reviews
• Front and back material: title page, copyright page, dedication page,
acknowledgements, table of contents, author description
• Layout
• Illustrations and book cover design
• Printing and binding
• Presentation
How does it work?
The Big Picture
The course is divided into 13 steps. Steps 1-7 cover drafting (writing), steps 8-10
revising, step 11 editing, and steps 12-13 publishing.
Step 1:
Come up with a story
Step 2:
Develop the story
Step 3:
Choose person and tense
Step 4:
Try the story
Step 5:
Organize the story
Step 6:
Write, write, write, write
Step 7:
Get unstuck
Step 8:
Write vividly
Step 9:
Write strongly
Step 10: Keep
the reader's interest
Step 11:
Write
correctly
Part I: Standard usage
Part II: Spelling
Part III: Capitalizations, abbreviations,
numbers
Part IV: Punctuation
Step 12:
Publish
the novel
Step 13:
Present
the novel
Each Step
Each step has three sections - Learn, Practice, Apply.
The Learn section is for you, as coach, to do WITH your student.
The Practice section is for the student to do independently, as
reinforcement of what he learned.
The Apply section is for him to apply what he has learned to his own
novel.
Once a week you, the coach, and your student meet to introduce the Learn
section. The student then does the assigned Practice and Apply
sections. When he has completed each activity, he checks the box next to the assignment.
At the end of each week you and the student review and refine his work. When all the boxes
of a step are checked, he is ready for the next step.
Each Step
Each step has three sections - Learn, Practice, Apply.
The Learn section is for you, as coach, to do WITH your student.
The Practice section is for the student to do independently, as
reinforcement of what he learned.
The Apply section is for him to apply what he has learned to his own
novel.
Once a week you, the coach, and your student meet to introduce the Learn
section. The student then does the assigned Practice and Apply
sections. When he has completed each activity, he checks the box next to the assignment.
At the end of each week you and the student review and refine his work. When all the boxes
of a step are checked, he is ready for the next step.
How much time does it take?
Yearly
You can cover this course in one year or one semester. It is designed for a full year's
credit in English composition. Which approach you choose depends on other required work
during the school year. Generally, younger students will require the whole year. Older
students, who need less practice with grammar skills, can complete the course in one
semester.
Plan A: The Slow Approach
(one year)
Sept. Step 1: Come up with your story
Oct. Step 2: Develop your story
Step 3: Choose
person and tense
Step 4: Try your
story
Nov. Step 5: Organize your story
Dec. Step 6: Write, write, write, write
Step 7: Get
unstuck
Jan. Step 8: Write vividly
Step 9: Write
strongly
Feb. Step 10 : Keep the reader's interest
Mar. Step 11 : Write correctly -
Part I: Standard
usage
Step 11 : Write
correctly -
Part II: Spelling
Apr. Step 11 : Write correctly -
Part III:
Capitalizations, abbreviations,
numbers
Step 11 : Write
correctly -
Part IV:
Punctuation
May. Step 12 : Publish your book
Step 13 : Present
your book
Step 8: Write vividly
Step 9: Write
strongly
Feb. Step 10 : Keep the reader's interest
Mar. Step 11 : Write correctly -
Part I: Standard
usage
Step 11 : Write
correctly -
Part II: Spelling
Apr. Step 11 : Write correctly -
Part III:
Capitalizations, abbreviations,
numbers
Step 11 : Write
correctly -
Part IV:
Punctuation
May. Step 12 : Publish your book
Step 13 : Present
your book
Plan B: The Fast Approach
(one semester)
Sept. Step 1: Come up with your story
Step 2: Develop
your story
Step 3: Choose
person and tense
Step 4: Try your
story
Oct. Step 5:
Organize your story
Step 6: Write,
write, write, write
Step 7: Get
unstuck
Nov. Step 8: Write vividly
Step 9: Write
strongly
Step 10 : Keep
the reader's interest
Dec. Step 11 : Write correctly -
Part I: Standard
usage
Step 11 : Write
correctly -
Part II: Spelling
Jan. Step 11 : Write correctly -
Part III:
Capitalizations, abbreviations,
numbers
Step 11 : Write
correctly -
Part IV:
Punctuation
Step 12 : Publish
your book
Step 13 : Present
your book
Weekly
Plan A (The Slow Approach) requires 2-3 hours of work with the student, and 1-3 hours of
independent work each week. Plan B (The Fast Approach) requires 3-5 hours of work with the
student, and 3-5 hours of independent work. The amount of time spent is variable,
depending upon your student's level of competency, his speed of writing, and his ability
to focus. There is a wide spectrum here. Take the time that is needed for proficiency. Put
aside time for writing every day. If more time is needed for a particular step, by all
means, take it. This program is designed to fit every student's uniqueness. Adapt
accordingly.
Weekly
Plan A (The Slow Approach) requires 2-3 hours of work with the student, and 1-3 hours of
independent work each week. Plan B (The Fast Approach) requires 3-5 hours of work with the
student, and 3-5 hours of independent work. The amount of time spent is variable,
depending upon your student's level of competency, his speed of writing, and his ability
to focus. There is a wide spectrum here. Take the time that is needed for proficiency. Put
aside time for writing every day. If more time is needed for a particular step, by all
means, take it. This program is designed to fit every student's uniqueness. Adapt
accordingly.
When is my child ready to use
Learn to Write the Novel Way?
Once a student can write a short story of one or two pages, he is ready to write a longer
piece. Remember, he has a whole year to write his book. For some students, much of the
mechanics of writing is new; for older students most of it will be a review. Lower level
students will spend more time during the week practicing, and applying the principles of
writing, while upper level students will spend less time on the mechanics and will write
longer novels.
Can I use it again?
Absolutely. We recommend using the same worktext at LEAST twice -- once in
middle school (as an introduction to all the steps and rules of writing) and
again in high school (as a review). Several students have repeated the course
three times. The same steps and skills are used by ANY author, no
matter what his age or amount of experience.
What materials will I need?
This is the only language arts curriculum needed for the year. Continue the spelling
program you are already using, if spelling help is still needed. Some teens may still need
grammar instruction, but first check the scope of Learn to Write the Novel Way.
It is comprehensive in all the language arts requirements. If additional practices are
needed for basic grammar rules, we recommend Daily Grams and Easy Grammar
by Wanda Phillips. Additional resources are listed in the Bibliography. Advanced
high school students should also refer to an English handbook. All students should
continue vocabulary studies. Use KONOS unit studies vocabulary lists and/or Wordly
Wise (Educator's Publishing Service). Every family should own a good dictionary and a
thesaurus (both in computer and book form).
For this course, students will work directly in the manual Learn to Write the Novel
Way. Principles they learn will then be applied to their novels, which should be
typed (double-spaced) on white bond paper. Each student should have a binder to contain
all work in progress. If you wish, take this manual to a printer for three-hole punch.
The teacher should purchase the separate Teacher's Guide, which contains answers
to all Practice exercises and tests as well as general suggestions for teaching
this course.
What if my language skills are
atrocious?
We can all improve our writing ability. Learn along with your student as you, too, Learn
to Write the Novel Way. Use the workbook to take your student (and you) from bungled
beginnings to a polished, published piece. Correct answers to technical grammar questions
are provided in the Teacher's Guide. You don't need to know it all before you
start.
Why do students learn better this
way?
•They get excited about writing
Intelligent students are not excited about grammar drills UNLESS they see their meaning
within the whole. In other words, the ingredients are not what make writing so exciting.
Let me use stew to illustrate. My favorite foods are not raw meat, flour, bouillon cubes,
raw potatoes, and canned tomatoes. Can you imagine eating any of those? Each on its own
could qualify as downright distasteful. Once gathered, selected, measured, and assembled
correctly, however, they make up a stew. Add some creativity, and it becomes a favorite
stew. Likewise, spelling, adverbs, and punctuation are not favorite activities. Each on
its own is downright boring. Compiled correctly and creatively, however, they make up our
favorite books.
[My daughter] took guitar lessons. I remember how
excited she was after her first lesson. She couldn't wait to share "her song."
She strummed those two monotonous chords and sang her song. She smiled....That pride in
producing a whole composition of her own was her motivation to continue and practice. Had
her guitar teacher given her a quiz over the parts of the guitar? Had he told her to learn
the names of the strings or to practice a chord until she got it right? No. One strums a
guitar to produce a song.... No approach to writing that forgets the joy of writing your
own song will work with novice writers.
(from Liner and Kirby, Inside Out, p. 4)
Imagine your child writing a novel, a good novel, a novel that has appeal, a novel that is
written correctly, a novel that is publishable. This is far more motivating than writing a
series of papers, which are later tucked in a file or thrown in the trash. Learn to Write
the Novel Way inspires students.
•
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3) Order from your favorite supplier.
Where can I get further
information?
Contact us:
by phone: 800-780-6827
by fax:
770-632-0892
by e-mail: info@konos.org
Home page: www.konos.org
Retailers:
770-632-0771
info@konos.org
For KONOS Curriculum Unit Studies products click here.