Novel Clinic: Draft Diagnosis + Revision Roadmap
About the course
Course Fee
395
Course Length
Schedule (May cohort): 4 weekly live sessions on May weekends — 6:00pm UK / 1:00pm ET (75 mins each). Exact dates confirmed on enrolment.
Weekly Study
75 minutes live + optional homework (15–30 minutes)
Testimonial
“Litro Masterclasses pushed me to see my strengths and weaknesses clearly, with honest feedback and detailed critique. The experience helped me develop work I could take beyond my local scene and into international opportunities.”
Course summary
Live on Zoom: May weekends 2026 | 6:00pm UK (1:00pm ET) | 75 mins x 4 | Small-group clinic
This four-week clinic is designed for writers with novel-length work who need clarity on what to fix and a practical plan to do it. Led by Litro tutors, we use a structured editorial lens to diagnose the highest-impact issues in your draft and map a revision path you can execute immediately.
Across four live weekend sessions in May (75 minutes each), you’ll work on revision priorities that matter most for novelists:
opening pressure, stakes clarity, pacing, structure, scene vs summary, and submission readiness.
You’ll leave with a concrete roadmap for the next 4–6 weeks of revision.
- Best for: writers with a draft in progress (any genre) who feel stuck, mid-rewrite, or unsure what to tackle first
- What you’ll produce: top 3 revision priorities + a chapter momentum map + a 4–6 week revision plan
- Schedule: 4 weekly live sessions on May weekends — 6:00pm UK / 1:00pm ET (75 mins). Exact dates confirmed on enrolment.
- Format: live Zoom clinic, small-group, sharing optional
How you will learn
This is a small-group clinic delivered live on Zoom. Each week follows the same practical pattern: a short craft brief, a guided diagnosis tool, and a clear deliverable you can apply to your novel immediately. Sharing is opt-in.
- Week 1 — Diagnosis: pinpoint the top 3 issues holding the draft back and set “fix-first” priorities
- Week 2 — Structure + momentum: map turning points and chapter function to increase reader pull
- Week 3 — Voice + scene control: tighten narrative distance, clarity, and scenes that drift or stall
- Week 4 — Revision roadmap: build a realistic 4–6 week plan (what to cut, rewrite, and leave alone)
You’ll receive a toolkit of templates (diagnosis checklist, chapter momentum map, revision plan). Feedback is craft-focused and actionable.
If you want a structured editorial report on your opening or manuscript, Litro offers a Full Manuscript / Novel Opening Assessment (£99). It focuses on opening pressure, stakes clarity, pacing, scene vs summary, and submission readiness. Turnaround is 10 business days after payment + upload. This is an editorial feedback service — it does not guarantee publication.
The Tutor
Litro Tutors
Litro Masterclasses are built by the editorial team behind Litro Magazine. We publish short fiction and literary nonfiction year-round, and we work with writers at every stage — from first drafts to finished pieces.
Our classes translate real editorial practice into clear, structured exercises: how to generate stronger material, revise with purpose, and make work submission-ready. You’ll get practical guidance, craft tools, and a process you can reuse long after the course ends.
