(via Chloe Rose)
I’ve had a good few weeks with my class schedule. Had to adjust things here and there because hey, life happens, right? I thought I’d share some of my curricula with you and how the schedule looks for me now.
First off, you’ll note that the majority of my “class time” is spent honing my reading, thinking, writing, and storytelling abilities. There’s little doubt why this is. (Probably because my main goal in these next four years is to become the best agent I can possibly be!) I also have a few things around my agenting that I am focusing on (writing my own stories and helping to develop both stories of my own and my clients’ stories on an omnimedia level). I realize that each college term for me has to focus on what I am most interested in. It wouldn’t help me or my clients to study, say, architecture, at this point in time. We don’t need to know how to build a better building. We need to know how to build better books.
So, as you see my list, note what you would put in place of a “class” of mine. What do you need to learn this term? What classes should be on your list so that you can “graduate” in four years fully able to handle the life work or career you’ve envisioned?
Fall Semester
English class (MWF): The focus is on learning to think clearly, narration, outlining, research, taking better notes, reading and really discovering what you’re reading and how it impacts your life, learning to read better (Curriculum and courses: Writing with Skill and Well-Educated Mind by Susan Wise Bauer)
Fiction class (MWF): The focus is on writing daily as a practice, writing better rather than faster, revising like a master, story and plot structure, better character development, playing with themes and setting (Curriculum and courses: How To Revise Your Novel and How To Think Sideways by Holly Lisle)
Nonfiction class (TR): The focus is on writing better pitches, applying lessons from English and fiction class into my daily work: emails, blogs, social media (Curriculum and courses: Blogging from the Heart by Susannah Conway and Your Big Beautiful Book Plan and The Firestarter Sessions by Danielle LaPorte)
Art Class (TR): The focus here is learning to use my right brain better. Doodling/drawing is the best way to do this as reading too much can shut a brain off (Curriculum and courses: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards)
Marketing Class (TR): The focus here is thinking about positioning, strategy, the art of the deal, complex salesmanship, and mindfulness in the most stressful situations (Curriculum and courses: Brain Audit by Sean D’Souza and Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port)
Agenting Class (MWF): The focus here is applying what I’ve learned in Art and Marketing class into my daily work: learning about how the industry is changing, how my work will change, how I can best prepare and position and inspire my clients and colleagues. (Curriculum and courses: Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, The Writer, Poets & Writer, the blogosphere)
Next post, my goals for this semester. 
Always the fun part!
