I love a good fiction writing guide. There are many excellent books to choose from written by some very insightful writers. I have several favourites on my own shelf!
So, why did I bother writing another one? What makes The One Week Writing Workshop: 7 Days to Spark, Boost or Revive Your Novel different?
From my perspective as a writing workshop facilitator and coach, I saw a need for a more deliberately action-oriented, spark-YOUR-own-creativity-focused type of book. You can use my book on its own, prior to reading other guides, or in conjunction with any of the other writing books out there. But with its focus on action—and frankly, on the joy of creating—it may just be the missing piece that helps rev up your writing journey!
Let me walk you through my reasons for writing The One Week Writing Workshop and some of its unique features.
Process Over Product
In my experience, I’ve found that many guides have a product-centered strategy for teaching writers how to write. They begin with the polished, finished novel as the model (i.e., the product). They break the novel down into components and explain their features.
Story structure, character archetypes, point-of-view, setting considerations—these are the things that many writing guides analyze and draw our attention to so we can try to shape our fledgling novels to contain the same characteristics. Well-known novels and literary masterworks are often used as exemplars so that we can learn to spot the features of a successful, properly-delivered story.
This is of course a time-honoured way to teach a subject: take the best examples of what you are ultimately trying to achieve, break them down and analyze them to understand how they work, and then use this analysis as your guide.
In The One Week Writing Workshop, I’ve chosen to flip this model on its head. Instead of a product-centered guide, I’m offering you a writing resource that is process-centered.
The Workshop Approach
So, what is a process-centered approach? Why might you choose it over a traditional type of writing guide?
First—which will be obvious from the book’s title—I come from a writing workshop background. I’ve been leading writing workshops since 2010. As you might expect, when people come to a workshop they are expecting to be active; writing exercises as opposed to a mere presentation about writing. I’ve seen folks walk into a workshop with zero writing confidence and “no ideas”, and leave with the start of something very special (sometimes more than a start!).
The reason this happens is that they don’t just come to hear me talk about writing. With a bit of guidance from me up front, they spend the time actually writing. There’s magic (and momentum) that can only be stirred up by doing. My workshop exercises are all real things I do in my own writing practice to coax my creativity to life and move my stories forward—my real writing process. I thought it was time to gather all this real writing action into a process-centered book!
Second, I’ve realized that there is a potential creative and emotional danger in holding up our fledgling ideas against the perfect, finished product (never mind literary masterpieces). For some of us, it can be difficult to see how we’re going to go about adding “turning points” and “rising actions” and “epiphanies” to our still-too-green story concept. We might start to think our story must include certain features and details that just don’t seem to fit. We might start shaping it in ways that don’t seem right or natural for our particular project—at least not at this early stage. That can be frustrating. There’s even a risk here in losing interest in what we were so excited about creating.
Product-centered writing guides aren’t intending to discourage you. But for some writers, when we’re in an early or vulnerable place with our project or our self-image as writers, they might do just that. My workshop or process-centred approach walks with you as you learn. It’s like having an encouraging mentor at your side as you create!
Don’t Just Read About Writing—Get Active!
In The One Week Writing Workshop, we focus on the process instead of the product. Instead of mostly reading, notetaking and then writing your story, with my book you start working with your own ideas and plunging into a series of writing activities almost right away. I show you how to grow your story organically. We experiment, build, explore, and build some more. Certainly, we discuss the essential features of story, but you’re learning as you try things out. I’ve been really careful not to overburden the book with examples to avoid unduly influencing or confusing you as you grow your unique ideas. You get to see firsthand how the “theories” of fiction writing apply to what you are creating!
When I write, I don’t merely think in the abstract about story structure and character archetypes and then draft a manuscript. I make webs and maps. I doodle and draw. I use sticky notes to make plans. I let my characters speak to me and tell me about themselves (really!). I go for walks to let my imagination wander. I sometimes stand in front of my mirror and act out dialogue. I take deliberate breaks and give my writing a true rest. These things are all part of my process, and the sorts of things I invite you to try in The One Week Writing Workshop. My chapters don’t start with ideal models—instead we start with a purpose, like “to get to know my character better”. Then we do real-world activities to take our own ideas and help us to do just that.
Use the Guide that Helps YOU!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with product-centered writing guides. If they help to guide and motivate you—use them! Many of them are rich in writing and story wisdom. They may also be the ideal resources to turn to once you already have a first draft completed, offering ideas for where you can improve and go deeper. (See my article How to Plan a Story…for Pantsers?!? for more on this!)
But if you’re the kind of writer whose shoulders get tense when reading a writing guide and you find yourself doubting the worth of your novel-to-be, then please give The One Week Writing Workshop a try. My aim is to help you dazzle and delight yourself, and to create amazing things. You can do it, writers!
Karin 🙂
The One Week Writing Workshop is the bestselling fiction writing guide by author and writing coach Karin Adams. The book has received numerous awards, including Winner of the 2025 Eric Hoffer Book Award (Best Reference Book). Available in paperback, hardcover, and all e-book formats wherever books are sold. You can find it here: https://books2read.com/one-week-writing-workshop
