AUDITOR POSITIONS ARE OPEN

Hi folks,

Well, our latest bootcamp class session has ended and in about a week (Jan. 17) a new, ten-week session will be beginning. I’ve heard from several people who are interested in joining us, but alas, we only had two openings for writers this time and both were filled from the auditors who were on board last session. This is the first place we always go to when we need new class members.

Our auditor program has been a resounding success for the several years we’ve had it. Basically, auditors have access to everything we do in class at all times. They see how we operate, how we present our work, how it’s critiqued, and are privy to all the many conversations about craft the members have. It’s exactly like sitting in class with the only proviso that they can’t participate actively. Many auditors have told me that they learned more by sitting on the sidelines observing that they did in their university classes on writing. We are a serious group, with but one goal—that every member become published and published well. Our track record in that regard is excellent. And, we expect that goal to continue next session. As many as six writers will have finished the novels they’ve been working on in class and I believe all of them will find a legitimate publisher. A few nearing the completion of their novels have already secured good agents and are just putting the final polish on their manuscripts.

Which means that we will probably have several openings in the following session. Not that many—most who finish their novels opt to remain in class as they work on their next work. People who are already in class always have first dibs on being in the next session. When we do have openings, we’ll solicit from the ranks of the current auditors. If openings are not filled thusly, we then open it up to anyone who applies. This rarely happens.

A few years ago in Scottsdale with some of the class. Holly, Linda, moi, Mary and Maegan.

The purpose of this post is to let people know that we are always open to auditors. There are no limits on the number of auditors who can join us, simply because we don’t have to take any time for their work. It’s that simple. That’s also the reason we maintain class size at 10-12 people each session. That’s the number of participants that we can serve properly and fairly and thoroughly. Any more than that, we would run into a time problem. Both myself and all the class members take significant time to read and comment on the submissions each week, and if we added more to class, we’d have to spend less time on everyone else’s work and we’re just not going to do that.

The way class works, the class is divided into two groups. Holly Love, our class administrator and member herself, assigns each group to a color. Six in each group. Each writer is required to read and make detailed comments on the other five members in his/her group and return those for the class as a whole to view. That doesn’t mean that they can’t read and comment on any writers outside their group—they certainly can and do—but these are their required reads. A few years ago, each class member had to read and comment on everyone else’s work in class, but it got to be too much for more than a few, so we’ve divided the class in two now. I’m the only one who reads and comments on everyone’s work.

What’s different about our class is that we don’t care about placating people’s feelings. We’re not mean-spirited, but our standards are based on helping our fellow writers create a publishable novel. We’re not there to make people feel good or to lavish praise on each other. If praise is warranted, they’ll receive it, but our biggest focus is on what isn’t working and how to fix it.

This is the reason I formed this group several years ago. I’d taught in various universities and other venues, both online and on site, including the UCLA Writer’s Program, the University of Toledo, Phoenix College (the “real” college, not that internet pretend school you see on billboards), St. Francis University, Trine University, the New York Writer’s Workshop, Writer’s Digest Online Classes, Vermont College, and other venues. The reason I quit and opened up this class was that every one of those venues required their teachers to practice the “sandwich” method of teaching. Put simply, you were to provide a bit of praise (the bread), a piece of criticism (the meat), and then another bit of praise (more bread, ala the sandwich method. I simply couldn’t do it any longer. The truth is, often there is nothing to praise and I had to make up something. Mostly to salve their feelings. And, to make sure they had a pleasant experience and would return to take another class.

 

I just couldn’t do it any longer. I kept seeing students who were no closer to being published than when they began and they kept clinging on to the bits of praise handed out with their sandwich as some kind of justification that they were “writing.” Well, many were writing… just not writing well.

It was then I realized that praising someone for bullshit wasn’t a kindness at all. If they didn’t know their writing wasn’t working, they’d never do anything to get better. And, by and large, many didn’t. Many were perfectly happy, sitting in a warm, fuzzy club that kept feeding them these sandwiches. Kind of like more than one local writer’s club. Most people didn’t want to tell others the truth, which often was… “Your writing flat-out sucks.” When you tell someone that, they have two choices. 1. Disagree, often violently. 2. Agree, and do something about it. I only wanted to spend time with that second group. When I first began the classes, I fully expected a huge turnover each new session. We had a class structure and philosophy that didn’t deliver sandwiches to the others. If a writer’s work sucked, we told them that. With no mincing of words. But… and here’s the big “but”—we didn’t just say it sucked; we told them why and we also told them how they could improve it. Don’t misunderstand—we don’t promote “formulas” or anything like that in class. We tell them why it wasn’t working and suggested how they could make it more publishable.

What happened was that I got a huge surprise. People didn’t quit. They forged on and enrolled in a second class. And third… and… Their books began getting published. It turns out people aren’t as thin-skinned as too often thought. It turns out there are a lot of people who actually want someone to tell them why they’re not getting published and offer them tools to actually find a publisher and see their work in print. Some do… quit, that is… but not nearly as many as I figured we’d get. Some truly tough writers, who didn’t believe that genius was the only requirement to see their books end up on bookstore shelves. Who knew that hard work, patience and attitude were just as important and maybe even more so.

Those early folks (some of who are still with us, four years later), created a name for our class. It has become “Les Edgerton’s Bootcamp for Writers.” And, it is a bootcamp. We don’t tolerate sissies or quitters or know-it-alls or needy folks. Just don’t have time for that kind of person. We welcome men and women who are willing to do the hard, hard work of becoming publishable writers.

Anyway, sorry to go on like this, but I’m extremely proud of the writers in our classes. And, I’d like to invite you to join us as an auditor. I wish I could allow everyone who wants to become a working member, but I can’t. But, I think I can safely promise you that you’ll be courtside to a class where you’ll learn an awful lot about how to write a publishable book. And, safely. The class won’t even know you’re there. And, then, if you like what you see every day, when one of those rare openings occur, you’ll have the first shot at filling it.

Class membership is $400. To be an auditor is only $50.00.

If you’re interested and would like to know more about it or to just sign up, just email me at butchedgerton@comcast.net.

Thanks for taking the time to read and consider this. I’m wishing you nothing but profitable writing this coming year. Like that brilliant philosopher, Red Green, says: “I’m pulling for ya. We’re all in this together.”

Blue skies,

Les

Diana Beebe and I meet up in Dallas at the DFW convention. Diana recently won a major writing contest and her work is being looked at by several prominent agents and publishers. She's a member of our class.

My online novel writing class has a couple of openings...

Hi folks,

UPDATE: The class has been filled. Thanks to all who applied. We do have unlimited openings for those who'd like to audit.

Just wanted to let anyone interested know that we have a couple of openings for the next session of our ongoing creative writing (novel) class, which will begin on November 10. Students have dubbed it "Les Edgerton's Boot Camp for Writers." Normally, we don’t have openings, but we have several members who finished their novels in the last class and have secured agents and are taking the time off to work on the notes in their final rewrites before their books go out to market. Some are able to continue the class when this happens, but we have a couple this time who need all the time they can get to get that final polish done. Please contact me if interested or if you’d like more information by emailing me at butchedgerton@comcast.net.

The way our class works is fairly unique. It’s just like being in an “on-ground” class. We restrict class size to ten people so that sufficient quality time is spent on each participant. The way our class works is that each week, members send in up to ten pages of the novel they’re working on. The class is divided into two sections, and when you send your work in, each person in your group is required to read it carefully and provide constructive comments. In turn, that person does the same to his classmates’ work. Each of the two groups will have five members, which means if you join us, you’ll be responsible for reading each week four other writers’ work and providing a solid critique on each of them and they will do the same for you. (You can see the other group's work as well, but only provide crits on your group's work.) I provide comments/critiques on everyone’s work. We don’t subscribe whatsoever to the oft-used “sandwich” method of critique, where you provide a bit of praise, then address a negative, then provide another bit of praise. If the work sucks, the writer is told it sucks. (Nicely, usually...) If it works, he/she will be told it works. It’s a totally honest class and most of the folks in it are extremely knowledgeable about the writing craft. A great many have been with us for several years and have had considerable success with their own work. Nobody is out to be “mean” to a fellow member, but none of us suffer fools gladly. If a writer wants praise and constant pats on the back, our class is probably not for them. It’s not that we don’t dole out praise when it’s earned, but our total focus is on the work and if it’s of publishable quality or not. And, we have an extraordinarily high percentage of success. Most who have stayed the course with us have secured agents and/or book deals. But, it’s only fair to warn those who might be considering joining us, this isn’t a class for sissies or thin-skinned writers. We simply don’t have time for any of that.

I’m probably scaring off folks, but I feel it’s necessary to make potential class members aware that this isn’t an easy class. But, we do end up with almost everyone securing a top agent and/or book deal if they stay the course. For most writers, this will entail at least two or more classes and usually more.

Our only goal is publication. Period. And… legitimate publication by a traditional press.

A new member of class has a large hurdle to overcome. New members are required to submit a particular outline of their novel, which consists of five statements totaling 15-20 words. A handout will be provided which fully describes what we’re looking for and how to write it. New students are only allowed to send in the first five pages of their novel, which must contain the inciting incident that creates and/or reveals the story problem the novel will be concerned with. Seasoned pros who have taken the class and continue to take it each time, have named this “inciting incident hell.” And, it can be. In over four years of offering this class, I have yet to have a single writer escape inc inc hell the first week. On an average, it probably takes three weeks to grasp the concepts we’re teaching and require to be allowed to escape it and graduate to where they can begin sending in up to ten pages each week.

Here’s one of our favorite stories we relate to new folks. Maegan Beaumont took the first class with me several years ago when I was offering it through Phoenix College (accredited class). She came to class with a finished, 700+ page novel. That novel is long gone. The Phoenix College classes were 12 weeks long at that time. Well, Maegan spent ten weeks of the twelve before she escaped inciting incident hell. Which meant that for ten weeks she was required to send in her rewritten first five pages until she got it right. Ten weeks out of a total of 12 for the entire course… Until our last session, she owned the all-time record and finally another writer tied her record. Won’t name that writer, but the quality of the work that person is presently submitting is light-years better than what she began with, just like Maegan did. Maegan’s confessed to me that she absolutely hated me for most of that period. That’s fine. Hate bounces off of me like water off the proverbial duck’s back. I don’t care about people’s feelings—I care about them becoming good writers. (Well, I do care about their feelings, but I try hard not to show it…). Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Well, at the time, I expect Maegan would describe her experience as such. But, little by little she learned to write a publishable novel.

Maegan ended up finishing the novel she began in that first class after several more classes and guess what? She secured a top agent and he got her a two book deal with Midnight Ink, a solid advance, and now they want even more books from her. Her first novel earned rave reviews and is selling tons of copies. Her second comes out this spring. These days, she’s about to begin her third book and is the administrator of our class. What happened is that she decided she wanted to learn now to write quality books and she decided she didn’t need to be coddled or lavished with praise she hadn’t earned. She's also earning a solid reputation in the writing community as the "Plot Queen."

In the class that just ended, we had three people secure an agent with their finished novels, with two or three more about to do the same. All of their novels will be placed with top publishers. Each of them has worked their asses off to get there. Another student who dropped out after being with us for four or five sessions had essentially finished her novel in class and has just signed with a top agent. The only reason she dropped out when she did was for time purposes for a new job (we require a high and serious commitment to the class), but her novel was essentially completed. This isn’t NaNoWrite or whatever that thing is called. In fact, it’s probably the antithesis of that event. There may be other classes with as high a percentage of members getting published, but I’m not aware of any. At this point, there’s not a single writer in class who isn’t writing at a publishable level. Not one. And, probably none of them was even close to that state before beginning. I’m very, very proud of these folks! They’ve all become writers and not a one of them are… typists…

Whatever genre you’re writing in doesn’t matter. We have literary novels, thrillers, YAs, middle-grade novels, fantasy, sci-fi, mainstream, historical fiction, comic novels, and just about every genre you can imagine. Doesn’t matter.

I realize I’ve given you a lot of reasons to not take our class! It’s hard, hard work, it represents a significant time commitment, and there isn’t any semblance of instant gratification. In other words, it’s a class for writers, not wannabe writers who want to have written a book but aren’t particularly crazy about doing the actual work required. If despite all this, you’re interested, please contact me. Openings won’t last long if past classes are any indication.

The nuts and bolts:

Cost: $400 for 10 weeks. Nonrefundable. The reason it’s nonrefundable is because, other than S.S. this is my main source of income. If a person decides after a week or two it’s too hard for them or for any reason they can’t continue, there’s no way to add replacements. I like to eat and make my house payment so I have to make it a nonrefundable basis. I also work privately with clients and that charge is $100 per hour. I give the same level of attention to everyone in class that I do with private students, so this is a much more affordable cost for most. As those who join us will see, I give much more than an hour to each person each week. And, before anyone asks, I’m sorry but I’m fully booked with private clients at present, although that can always change.

Start date: November 10. Ordinarily, we’ll take a week and sometimes two off during the class to recharge our batteries and, in this case, because of the upcoming holidays.

Option: We also offer an auditing opportunity for $50. Auditors have access to everything we do. The only difference is they don’t participate actively with us. Many have found auditing a valuable alternative. I had a young man tell me after he’d audited one of our classes that he’d learned much more during that period than he had in the entire four years of his college years in writing classes. It’s also where we usually draw new students from when an opening occurs. They’re given first choice. In fact, the students who had to take a leave of absence from this coming session to perform the final polish to their novels have chosen to audit the class. There is no limit to how many sign up to audit the class. We also have several editors and publishers and even agents who've audited the class.

If anyone would like to talk to any of the folks who’re taking the class, I’d be happy to put you in touch with any and all of them. Just ask.

Hope this is something a few of you are looking for. If so, please contact me.

And, thanks for reading and your consideration!

Blue skies,

Les

 Top Photo: Maegan Beaumont delivering a talk and a signing at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Phoenix. Maegan's husband Joe flew me out to Phoenix as a surprise to his talented wife. The Poisoned Pen is one of the oldest and best-known bookstores in the country. Maegan knocked 'em dead! (Kind of like her character Sabrina does in her thrillers...)

 Middle Photo: Some of the students who gathered for Maegan's launch for her novel CARVED IN DARKNESS in Phoenix at Harold's Corral. L-R: Kristen Boe (just signed with an agent), Carson Flanders (just signed with an agent), moi, Susana Orozco, Maegan Beaumont, and Linda Thompson (just signed with an agent).

Bottom Photo: More of the students who came from all over the U.S. to help Maegan celebrate her novel launch. L-R: Holly Love, Linda Thompson, moi, Dr. Mary Edelson (just signed with an agent), and our "star" Maegan Beaumont. Joe Beaumont was taking this shot and it was Joe's idea to fly me out to surprise Maegan on her big day.  

I love these folks and all the others in our class. They are all talented and hard-working writers and each and every one of them is destined for big, big things. With all the ones who just signed with agents in the past few weeks... keep in mind what Joe did... I've got my bags packed... Just sayin'...