Lynda: Conquering Writer's Block and Writing a Novel

Stephanie, one of our circulation clerks, reviewed a few of the Lynda classes for writers. You can try them out too - just log in with your library card and PIN.

Having never used the service before, I found the site easy to navigate. With so many options, it was tough to choose a course I wanted to try. Writing is a hobby of mine, so I searched for courses related to that. Some of the courses can be fairly long. A nice feature of Lynda is that it will save your place for you, so that you can return to it later. I decided to look at two courses: Conquering Writer’s Block and Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps, both hosted by author Jessica Brody. 

Conquering Writer's Block

Conquering Writer’s Block is designed to eliminate writer’s block and help overcome obstacles related to writing projects. These tips work for any type of writing: fiction, non-fiction, business writing, blog posts, etc. The two main parts of the course deal with unblocking your mind and unblocking your writing. The first step is a change in mindset: to change the way we perceive writers and to change how writer’s block is defined and how the term is used. This leads into the next section, where tools are listed to help the writing process be more productive and to help overcome issues that can impede the writing process. The host details some of the routines she uses in her writing process, which adds a personal touch. I really enjoyed this course and plan to implement many things from it into my writing routine. 

Rating: 6/7

Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps

The second course I looked at is Write a Bestselling Novel in 15 Steps. The course is for writers looking to explore in-depth the elements of a novel (plot, story structure, character transformation) to discover what makes a novel resonate with readers. The Save the Cat method, originally used for screenwriting, was adapted for novel writing by the host. The Save the Cat method takes the basic three act structure of writing and breaks it down into fifteen “beats,” or plot points, giving the writer more guidance along the writing journey. The rest of the course breaks down each of the fifteen steps into an explanation of the “beat,” examples from novels and films, and a writer’s room exercise. The writer’s room exercise gives the viewer a chance to plot out their own novel over the duration of the course. I found this course very helpful overall. Each of the “beats” were given a good level of explanation. The writer’s room was an interesting addition. This course pairs well with the Conquering Writer’s Block course. 

Rating: 6/7