Summer is right around the corner and that means Novel Boot Camp is almost here!
Novel Boot Camp is a month of writing workshops (on this blog) and video lessons (on YouTube) beginning August 1st. If you didn’t participate in Novel Boot Camp last year, you can still check out the blog posts and videos.
This year I want Novel Boot Camp to be better than ever, so I would love to have your feedback.
- What topics would you like to see covered in the videos?
- What workshops would you like to see?
- Do you have any ideas for how to make Novel Boot Camp better than ever?
Please leave your comments down below or send me your suggestions on Twitter @EllenMBrock!
If you want to participate in Novel Boot Camp, all you need to do is follow my blog. If you aren’t interested in the workshops and want to see only the videos, you can just follow my YouTube channel.
I’m so excited for Novel Boot Camp! I hope you’ll join me in making this the best year ever!
Ellen Brock 
I’m already following your blog, so hopefully I’ll actually get to do Novel Boot Camp this year! I think I missed out last year and was disappointed. This is actually just in time for me because I have a couple of unedited manuscripts floating around that I’d like to do something with, so I’m looking forward to it! 🙂
Awesome! I’m glad the timing is so great for you!
I would like to know how to do an outline for my novel, rough drafts(do I just write my story and come back when I am done?).
Awesome! I can’t wait! Last bootcamp helped out a lot!
Looking forward to boot camp. I always get mid way through a novel and can not go further. I have a lot of half finished work.
HELP!!!!!
I hope the boot camp helps!
Missed last year’s boot camp, but I set my writing goals so I’d have a first draft ready in time for this year. Very excited!
Awesome!
Thank you so much for doing this Ellen! I would love some tips on how to make the setting come alive and be more interesting.
In general, what I also love to see and what really helps me are lots of specific examples. So let’s say you’re talking about “show don’t tell.” Maybe you could read a paragraph from one of your favorite books that highlights what you’re talking about. Or give brief hypothetical examples too.
Thanks!
I participated in either last bootcamp, or the one prior (leaning towards the prior), as I had some material that was in a good place to send for a single-chapter evaluation. I’m not certain how this year will pan out for my own ability to submit, but I will at the very least follow the bootcamp and help out others!
I’m currently between writing projects, going from one to the other as fancy strikes, to make sure I’m always doing something productive. So, if all things pan out, I ‘should’ have something to contribute as well.
Your videos and blogs are SO helpful! But it would be great if you could use more examples in your videos. If it’s a block text we can always pause the video to read it if you don’t want to read it aloud. Most of the time examples make things click when I’m not sure the scope of what you’re talking about. So more examples please. For plotting or characters etc I would love it if you used examples for books or movies that everyone has seen, like Star Wars or The Wizard of Oz for movies and To Kill a Mockingbird or Pride and Prejudice for books for example.
I’m really hoping to include more examples in my videos from now on! The main reason I haven’t is simply time – it takes a long time to find good examples and often requires that I rewatch/reread to make sure I’m not steering anybody wrong. I’m so happy you like my videos!
I would like to see some videos and workshops on planning and outlining your novel. I would also love some tips and tricks on how to stay focused on writing the first draft and not constantly trying to edit as you write. I would love to see the relationship between planning and actual writing and how that process progresses from start to finish.
I found your blog/videos about a week ago and I’m so glad not to have missed your upcoming workshop. If it isn’t too late, I have a topic idea to add.
I read your blog on the difference between Omniscient POV and Head Hopping, but when I tried to click on a link you provided to another article, the page was “missing” (https://ellenbrockediting.com/2013/12/04/developing-a-solid-third-person-point-of-view/ ). I would enjoy a little more explanation about the differences between Omni. and Third Person LImited POVs, whether or not they can be used together in a novel where each chapter does one or the other, how to avoid head hopping, and, especially, if you have any suggestions on how to recognize head hopping/POV inconsistencies when I edit my writing.
Thank you! Your teachings have been so helpful, concise, and informative 🙂