What is Early Drafters

Meet your workshop host

Hi, I'm Andrea!

I'm a book editor and writing coach and the owner of The Final Draft. I love watching writers have lightbulb moments where everything clicks and they have new inspiration!

My passion is to empower writers through compassionate instruction and supportive

challenge to improve their writing craft and bring their book dreams to life.

My experience in tutoring goes back to college. I work to help your student writer up their creative game, learn the foundations of writing quality fiction, and feed the fire that is their drive to write stories!

Your Student Loves to Write...

Fuel their inspiration!

They've always got their head in a book.

They love crafting wild adventures and have the imagination to match.

Maybe they participate in roleplaying or D&D, or they dabble in fan fiction.

They've written stories for as long as you can remember. Maybe they even talk about wanting to be a writer or a published author someday!

Whether your student has one or many stories to tell, has a lot or a little experience, Early Drafters Creative Writing Workshops are exactly what they need! Early Drafters is a program for high school-aged students that teaches young writers the building blocks of quality storytelling, from crafting empathetic characters to dreaming up a whole world to nailing down the pacing of the conflict. In our workshops, we cover it all.

When your student completes their Early Drafters Creative Writing Workshop, they'll gain writing experience, confidence, skills, inspiration, and an understanding of revision, the process of sharing feedback with other writers, and what to do with received feedback!

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Collaboration is Key

Peer-to-Peer Feedback

In a round-table discussion, students share their new stories each week and practice giving and receiving feedback.

Students learn the importance of critical feedback and how to share critiques that are constructive and receive them with humility.

Interactive Lessons

Live online lessons each week are interactive, encouraging students to ask questions and apply their own reading and writing experience to each module.

With real-life examples, students will be able to see each concept in action in a wide array of age-appropriate literature.

Learn from a Pro

On top of the feedback they'll receive from their peers on each story, every student receives custom-tailored feedback on each and every story they turn in from me, personally!

This is the same style and depth of feedback I give to my private clients! Each comment is written clearly and is built around concepts we learn throughout the 6 weeks.

Early Drafters Creative Writing Workshops

How it works

We'll meet once a week across 6 weeks for 2-hour live classroom sessions. Each week, we'll exchange new stories, give round-table feedback on each story, cover a new writing topic, and receive the next writing prompt.

Sessions are held over Zoom

Your student is probably already well-versed in using Zoom for online schooling. And if they haven't given it a try before, it's incredibly user-friendly and doesn't require software downloads. I'll just send a link to our meeting, and they'll be ready to jump on at class time!

Feedback exchange

Class notes, session replays, stories, and student feedback will all be exchanged across email in preparation for each week. Students can choose to either print and perform feedback on paper and then scan and send, or they can perform it using commenting tools in the word processor.

Coursework

Each week, your student will receive a writing prompt, feedback from their peers and myself, and a sample reading that highlights the lesson. Students are expected to participate in class and come prepared each week with a completed story responding to the prompt and implementing what they've learned and with completed peer feedback for each story submitted the week prior.

Students will write 3 short stories and have the opportunity to revise one of them.

What's Inside

Week 1

In week 1, we'll focus on establishing a strong setting, with a brief introduction to worldbuilding.

We'll also cover the basics of writing short stories, establish expectations, and learn how to give quality feedback with care and receive it with grace.

Story 1 assigned.

Week 2

Week 1

Week 2 will focus on creating strong characters who are relatable, empathetic, and who drive the plot forward.

We'll also discuss point of view and a concept called narrative distance to assist in expositional narration.

Students turn in Story 1.

Stories 2 and 3 assigned.

Week 3

Week 1

Week 3

We'll begin week 3 with a round-table discussion of Story 1, where students practice providing feedback to one another for potential revision.

Week 3 lesson covers dialogue and story pacing.

Students turn in Stories 2 and 3.

Week 4

Week 3

We'll begin with feedback for Stories 2 and 3.

Revision is so much more than fixing typos and grammar mistakes and using a thesaurus! In Week 4, we'll dig into what true revision requires of writers.

Students are assigned revision of the story of their choice.

Week 5

Week 4

Week 5

Week 5 is all about worldbuilding! Whether we write in a totally fantasy world or use our contemporary world as the setting, establishing the universe of a story is a critical stage in fiction writing.

Students turn in their revision.

Week 6

Week 4

Week 5

Our last week is the most exciting week! Students will receive feedback on their revised stories, taking into account all the lessons we've covered.

Then we'll discuss a topic that dogs writers everywhere: writer's block, and how to break through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach us at contact@tfdediting.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.

Who is Early Drafters Writing Workshops for?

Early Drafters is a writing program created for high school-aged students attending both mainstream schools and home school.

What age should my student be?

Early Drafters is a writing program created for students learning at the high school level, generally ages 14–19. Sometimes a student a little younger or older than that range is ready for this level of learning. If you think your student may be a match, let's talk! Email me at contact@tfdediting.com.

What if my student can't make a week?

Your student will receive all the materials they missed so they can still learn the lesson and be prepared for the next week. All sessions are recorded, so your student will receive replays every week, as well. Stories and feedback are submitted via email, so your student can keep up with exchanging feedback and turning their story in on time for review the following week.

Why are groups limited to 6 students?

Sessions are broken into small groups of 4–6 students. This is a good size for round-table discussion and ensures we have ample time to address each student's story and questions.

Is this in person?

No. Sessions are live but take place on Zoom. Communication outside of our class times is via email.

What's your return policy?

If your student attends week 1 and decides this isn't for them, you can request to cancel their participation in the rest of the course for a refund of $110.

Delinquency from sessions is not equated with cancellation. There is no refund for students simply not showing up.

If for any reason the session you registered for does not end up running, you will receive a full refund.

Early Drafters Creative Writing Workshops

Meet your workshop host

Hi, I'm Andrea!

Your Student Loves to Write...

Fuel their inspiration!

Collaboration is Key

Peer-to-Peer Feedback

Interactive Lessons

Learn from a Pro

Early Drafters Creative Writing Workshops

How it works

Sessions are held over Zoom

Feedback exchange

Coursework

What's Inside

Week 1

Week 1

Week 1

Week 2

Week 1

Week 1

Week 3

Week 1

Week 3

Week 4

Week 4

Week 3

Week 5

Week 4

Week 5

Week 6

Week 4

Week 5

What students have said about Early Drafters:

Your Investment

$150

Join the Waitlist

Frequently Asked Questions