It’s time to get the story in your heart
out of your head and onto the page!
Introducing
A self-paced, online course that gives you practical guidance as you research, plan, and draft a historical novel that will keep readers turning the pages!
Join today! Doors close soon.
Tell me if any of this sounds like you:
➠ You really want to write a historical novel that people will love to read. ★
➠ You need practical help and guidance—actionable steps—so you aren’t endlessly wondering,
“AmI on the right track?” ★
➠ You have all the will in the world, but too many different directions to go.★
➠ You’ve tried other online writing courses,
but none of them really addressed the problems specific to historical fiction.★
➠ You’re tired of having people ask you, “When will your novel be done?”
and want to cross the finish line.★
➠ You wish someone would guide you in a way that encompasses both the challenges of research and the techniques of storytelling—without having to figure it all out for yourself.★
Good news!
I help my clients with those same problems every single day.
And if you’re like any of them, you’ve probably had many of the same challenges and been confronted with the same discouraging myths.
Myths such as…
It’s easier to write historical fiction than contemporary fiction because you already have the story in the history.
NO WAY!
In fact, in many ways it can be harder. Why?
Because history doesn’t arrange itself in satisfying story arcs. You have to do the detective work, or have the imagination to create one. I show you how to look for those nuggets that can help you construct a good historical novel.
You have to be an expert in your period to write
historical fiction.
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
All you really have to know is what’s necessary to telling the story you’re writing—which means learning how to target your research to the point you’re making, the characters who populate your novel, and the specific time frame of your actual story. By asking the right questions, you can dramatically limit your research time so you can get to the page and start writing!
You can’t change anything that’s a matter of historical record, no matter how small.
WRONG AGAIN…
The most important part of a historical novel is the STORY and the CHARACTERS. The history is very important, but it won’t matter unless you engage your reader. And sometimes that means you have to change things. Putting words into the mouths of historical characters is an act of invention and imagination. But you will invariably have to do it.
Imagine if…
➮ You could finally focus your research in a way that will integrate with the story you’re telling, so you can get to the page faster.
➮ You could finally type “the end” on your manuscript and be confident that it hangs together, you’ve honored the history, and you’re ready to take the next step to submission or self-publishing.
➮ You could finally get that story out of your head and into readers’ hands!
All that’s possible inside
The HISTORICAL NOVEL COURSE!
JOIN TODAY!
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Who is this course right for?
First-time Historical Novelists
Want to take on the challenge of writing your first historical novel? Great! This course gives you a solid basis for structuring your research and your story in a way that will help you get from page one to done.
Experienced Authors
I don’t know about you, but I take a LOT of online courses, even though I’ve got 14 published novels. There’s always something to learn, a different way of approaching things, that can help unlock a knotty problem or a stuck place in your manuscript.
Academic Historians
I get you. I started there. Turning your scholarly research into engaging stories presents different challenges—and believe it or not, telling the story can make you do research you never even thought of before. Think fashions, food, and footwear!
Basically, this is for you if:
You’ve started your research, maybe even your manuscript,
and you’re overwhelmed by how to put it all together.
You’ve got a complete draft of a historical novel, but you’re not certain
where to start revising and what needs doing.
You’ve read all the structure books (Save the Cat, The Hero’s Journey)
but don’t see how it will apply to your historical story.
You want guidance from a seasoned, multi-published, award-winning author of historical fiction—without paying thousands for 1:1 coaching.
This is NOT for you if:
You want a fast, corner-cutting way to write a historical novel.
You aren’t interested in doing the work to create a protagonist
and a story that will appeal to modern readers.
You’d rather spend hours/weeks/years
researching your topic than writing your novel.
The wisest thing I’ve ever done was to recruit Susanne Dunlap to be my book coach. She helped get me out of my rut and writing again.
Susanne brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her coaching. It is so helpful to sit at the feet of someone who has climbed the mountain.
Hi, I’m Susanne!
I’m an award-winning, multi-published author of historical fiction and an Author Accelerator Certified book coach who works with new and experienced writers. I help them get their historical novels out of their heads and onto the page—so that they can realize their dream of writing a book they can be proud of.
I have an impressive-sounding PhD from Yale University in music history—but the stars didn’t align for me to get the job teaching at college level that I had dreamed of.
Why that matters is that, faced with that certainty, I began thinking about how I could turn all that wonderful history I’d absorbed into something I could share with a wider audience—and I started trying to write historical fiction.
TRYING being the operative word! I eventually succeeded, and what I love now is continuing to research and write those compelling stories, and helping other writers achieve their dreams as well.
Why I created this course:
I’ve been working as a book coach for five years now, after being certified by Author Accelerator, and I’ve loved every minute of working with my 1:1 clients on their stories. But not everyone can afford this kind of coaching, and I knew there were many more aspiring historical novelists out there who I could help if I created an online course.
Because when I went looking around, the novel writing courses I found didn’t address the particular challenges of historical fiction—challenges that I’ve spent more than twenty years working to overcome in my own work.
I wanted my long experience as a historical novelist and my passion for teaching to reach writers who, for one reason or another, couldn’t do 1:1 coaching with me. I believe that everyone who really wants to write a historical novel can achieve that goal. Not quickly, not easily, but less dauntingly with the strategies in The Historical Novel Course.
This course pulls together just about everything I’ve learned as a historical novelist and book coach!
Susanne Dunlap is a warm, encouraging book coach who emphasizes what is good and special in your work, and then works with you to bring the story into its best and most marketable form.
What’s inside The Historical Novel Course?
In this course you’ll find lessons and exercises that harness powerful planning and drafting tools—the same ones I use with my 1:1 clients!
Module 1: INFORMATION
Get to know the Historical Fiction Landscape
What kind of a historical novel will you write? Historical fiction takes many different forms. This module takes you into the sub-genres, what distinguishes them, and gives you examples of each one. For instance:
Biographical Fiction—What are the benefits and pitfalls? What kind of subjects should you tackle?
Historical Romance—How historical does it really have to be? What makes it different?
Alternate History—Historical accuracy is still really important!
And more! It’s important to know where your novel will fit in this competitive publishing landscape.
Module 2: MOTIVATION
Introducing the 5W Process
This is my proprietary process that helps you lay the foundation for drafting or revising your historical novel—with more confidence and fewer road blocks!
It guides you through answering the essential questions that will lead to a protagonist readers care about—and a story that will keep them turning the pages all the way to the end.
These are the questions that lay the foundation for suspense, tension, narrative drive, and more—Always keeping the historical setting in mind!
Module 3: INSPIRATION
Build out your foundation with powerful planning tools
Once you have the basic building blocks, putting them together gets very exciting. This module is all about seeing the big picture of your story.
🔥 Identify your story and character arcs.
🔥 Blueprint your big picture by answering a few simple—but thought-provoking—questions.
🔥 Get to know the Inside Outline for Historical Fiction—a method that combines storytelling and history to plan out your complex plot.
And don’t worry if you’re a pantser! So am I, and I’ve adapted all the processes I use so they work for both planners and pantsers.
Module 4: ACCELERATION
Roll up your sleeves and write!
By now you’re itching to get to the page, and full of enthusiasm. This module helps you channel that into developing your first draft.
👉🏻 Craft a beginning that grabs—and orients your reader to the time and place.
👉🏻 Write dialogue true to the time but not stilted or melodramatic.
👉🏻 Choose your POV and tense with an eye to how it impacts the history.
Plenty of examples and exercises to inspire you as you get that first draft written!
Module 5: REITERATION
Rewrite, revise, edit!
It takes more than just going back to the beginning and plowing through the text to make revisions that strengthen your story. This module helps you:
✍🏻 Analyze your manuscript with the as-is Inside Outline.
✍🏽 Prioritize the revisions you need to make from story-wide to line level.
✍️ Plan your process for maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
It’s all about embracing the changes that will turn your first draft into a polished draft that’s ready for beta readers!
Module 6: ORGANIZATION
Use all the tools!
Keeping track of your research when you get into the weeds of writing is a constant challenge.
I introduce you in this module to some tools that can make it easier to have quick access to research, but that’s not all.
With Scrivener you can not only keep your research right with your draft, but you can see the big picture as you write, so you never lose sight of it.
And if ever there was a tool designed for historical novelists it’s Aeon Timeline.
Add Scapple for visual people and you’ve got powerful allies in your historical fiction project.
Module 7: COMPLICATION
Embrace the challenge of multiple timelines
This popular form is very tempting for historical novelists. After all, we’re looking at history’s echoes through the ages—even to the present day.
This can also be a way for someone well versed in contemporary fiction to ease into the historical genre.
Here I share some techniques and strategies for approaching this form, as well as analysis of a few of my favorite multiple timeline novels.
This course includes content I sometimes use when I work with clients who pay thousands of dollars for my 1:1 work with them. My most basic package, DISCOVER, DRAFT, DARE TO SUCCEED! is $1,800. With this course, you get the benefit of my years of experience as a book coach and an author of historical fiction—without paying thousands.
Included in the course:
Real-world examples—including excerpts from novels with analysis and famous author interviews—a $1,600 value.
Included in the course:
The 5W Process—my proprietary process for laying your novel’s foundation—Value: $1,800
Included in the course:
Powerful planning tools—including the Inside Outline for Historical Fiction—a $900 value.
Included in the course:
The Protagonist Profiler—adapted for historical fiction—Value: $699
Total Value: $4,999
Cost to you: $499
for lifetime access to all material and updates!
JOIN TODAY!
Doors are closing soon.
Got questions? I’ve got answers!
Q:
I haven’t even started my manuscript.
Will this course help me?
A:
Yes! The course starts by helping you decide or figure out what kind of historical novel you’re writing, then takes you through the research, drafting, and revision phases.
Q:
I have a complete manuscript.
Would I still find this course useful?
A:
This course provides powerful tools that can be used at the revision stage to help you see things like pacing, tension, and story logic. It’s a great way to start on that big revision you know is ahead of you.
Q:
How long will this course take me to finish?
A:
Because this course is self-paced—and all writers are different and work at different rates—it’s hard to answer that question. Like any good course, what you get from it depends on what you put into it, so be patient and do all the exercises.
Q:
Will this course teach me how to write?
A:
This isn’t technically a writing course. I don’t teach grammar, dialogue, description, and other craft elements. The focus of this course is on crafting a novel—the bigger picture than the words on the page. There are plenty of online courses that teach writing, including my 5 PRO CRAFT SKILLS EVERY WRITER NEEDS.
Q:
How long will I have access to the course?
A:
All students have lifetime access to all materials in the course, including any future updates.
Q:
Can I still use my favorite outlining system
if I take this course and use your tools?
A:
It’s easy to overlay any of your favorite story beat and structure systems on what you learn in this course. For instance, the Inside Outline for Historical Fiction easily accommodates story beats from SAVE THE CAT, THE HERO’S JOURNEY, or STORY GRID.
14-day Money-back Guarantee:
If you’ve done the first two modules of the course and you decide it isn’t for you, within 14 days I’ll give you a refund. Simply email me your completed exercises from those two modules and I will issue you a full refund.
If you’ve read this far…
You have two options:
1. Continue to be aimless and haphazard trying to figure out how to get that novel written on your own…
Or
2. Finally have a proven process for pulling together all the elements of a good historical novel, so you can achieve your dream of writing a novel readers will love.
Ready to stop losing yourself in endless research that doesn’t help your story?
Ready to start creating characters, amping up suspense and tension,
and making it all work in a historical context?
Ready to get on the path path toward writing a manuscript you can be proud of?
Ready for knowing that you CAN write that novel
that’s been in your head and your heart, itching to get out?
Then you’re ready for The Historical Novel Course!
JOIN TODAY!
Doors are closing soon.