Writing with Hobbits
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Introduction
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Lesson 1: Scene-Setting and the Inciting Incident2 Steps
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Lesson 2: Dialogue2 Steps
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Lesson 3: Travel Writing2 Steps
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Lesson 4: Narration and Point of View2 Steps
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Lesson 5: Grammar and Sentence Structure2 Steps
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Lesson 6: Creating Distinct Voices2 Steps
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Lesson 7: Some Thoughts About Plot2 Steps
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Lesson 8: Freytag's Pyramid2 Steps
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Lesson 9: Character Development2 Steps
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Lesson 10: Creating Problems, Solving Problems2 Steps
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Lesson 11: Managing the Reader's Attention2 Steps
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Lesson 12: Choosing to Tell Instead of Show2 Steps
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Lesson 13: Conversational Dynamics (Part 1)2 Steps
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Lesson 14: Conversational Dynamics (Part 2)2 Steps
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Lesson 15: Some Thoughts About Description2 Steps
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Lesson 16: From Rising Action to Crisis2 Steps
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Lesson 17: Disordered Loves, Reordered Loves2 Steps
Introduction
Welcome to Writing With Hobbits. You are about to learn a lot about writing—not just from a rulebook, but from one of the most beloved works of fiction taught by a master-teacher.
The first question we get from users of the course is “Do I need to read the book along with the course?”
The answer to that is…it depends.
For instance, Jonathan will present a passage of the book, and then analyze it from a writer’s perspective. He’ll provide the immediate context of the quotation, but won’t recap the whole plot of the books at any specific point.
If you’ve read The Hobbit at some point in the past and it resonated with you (how could it not?), then Jonathan’s selection of passages and themes in the work will bring the plot to your mind. You should be able to enjoy the course and maybe dip back into chapters that are referenced in specific lessons.
If you are using this course to supplement an English credit, you could (re-)read the book and maybe keep a journal while you watch the videos. Then, complete the Supplemental Writing Exercise. That way you get the benefit of the literary study alongside the creative writing class.
To keep up with the videos while you read the novel, we recommend the following plan:
- Lesson 1: Chapter 1
- Lesson 2: Chapter 2
- Lesson 3: Chapter 3
- Lesson 4: Chapter 4
- Lesson 5: Chapter 5
- Lesson 6: Chapter 6
- Lesson 7: Chapter 7
- Lesson 8: Chapter 8
- Lesson 9: catch-up
- Lesson 10: Chapters 9-10
- Lesson 11: Chapter 11
- Lesson 12: Chapter 12
- Lesson 13: Chapters 13-14
- Lesson 14: Chapter 15
- Lesson 15: Chapter 16
- Lesson 16: Chapters 17-18
- Lesson 17: Chapter 19
All to say, there are a couple of ways to enjoy this content. Now get started!