WRITE

YOUR NOVEL

Ditch “discipline and willpower” and write your novel with joy and purpose, using the Mindset + Mechanics method developed over 12+ years by workshop co-founder and award-winning author Susanna Daniel.

Mindset + Mechanics = Manuscript

WYN is a practical framework for guiding writers through the novel drafting process, thoughtfully and painlessly.

Each WYN chapter includes nuts-and-bolts craft lessons you can put to use right away, actionable advice for tackling common challenges, and accountability check-ins to keep you motivated.

WYN is the guidance I needed when I was writing my first two novels, and it’s the approach I’ve used to coach 100+ novelists to The End.

— Susanna Daniel, author of STILTSVILLE + SEA CREATURES (HarperCollins) and co-founder of the Madison Writers’ Studio

Get writing. Keep writing.

Strong Mindset Toolkit

Strategies for overcoming common creative challenges like imposter syndrome, busy schedules, fear of failure, and uneven craft skills.

Craft Skill Workshops

Concise, concrete craft lessons on point of view, dialogue, characterization, plotting, pacing, and more, with advice you can put to use right away.

Accountability Check-ins

Earn points and unlock chapters by making informed choices, completing writing assignments, and increasing your word count.

Community Support

Engage in the WYN community forum and attend weekly office hours to get answers to your pressing mindset and mechanics concerns.

Hi, I’m Susanna.

“I can’t recommend Susanna and her approach enough.”
— Curt Hanke, author of EVERYTHING IS SO STUPID

I believe that writing is an act of bravery.

I've been helping novelists finish their books since co-founding the Madison Writer's Studio and leading my first Book in a Year workshop in 2013.

WYN includes everything I know about starting, getting through, and finishing a novel.

After earning my MFA at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2001, it took me a grueling 10 years to finish my first novel.

In 2023, I finished my 4th novel in 8 months.

Mindset + Mechanics made all the difference.

The Mindset + Mechanics framework tackles everyday challenges like imposter syndrome, busy schedules, fear of failure, and uneven craft skills, and delivers smart, practical advice you can apply to your own work right away.

I'm the author of Stiltsville, winner of the PEN/Bingham prize, and Sea Creatures, a Target Book Club pick. My third and fourth novels, Battersea Road and Girlfriending, are represented by Emily Forland of the Brandt Hochman Agency; the publishing part of their story is just beginning.

You can do this. I can help.

If you’re not sure whether WYN is the right fit for you, feel free to schedule a chat with me to discuss your project goals.

“Susanna continually dazzles me with her quick yet comprehensive grasp of story and craft.”
— Ingrid Andersson, author of BREED

Have you struggled to start or finish your novel? I have.

Do you struggle to make time for your creative work? I do.

With the Mechanics + Mindset approach, writing can be a satisfying, meaningful experience, and one of the bravest things you’ll ever do.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Think of WYN as an interactive workbook organized into mindset lessons and mechanics lessons, shaped in a way that’s meant to hold you accountable to your own creative goals. WYN offers a few modes of support, including videos, assignments, worksheets, and visuals. How quickly you can move forward depends on how quickly you finish each chapter’s lesson and check-in requirements.

    For example, you can’t move from Chapter Three to Chapter Four without finishing your novel’s beginning and stress-testing it according to principles of great beginnings.

  • WYN is a portal to my coaching. Every time you finish a chapter, you’ll submit an accountability check-in, which comes straight to me. I’ll be in touch to check on you and your goals throughout your WYN experience, and you can also schedule a meeting with me when you feel stuck or unclear.

  • You'll have access to WYN for one year. Whether you're able to write your book in 3 months or need the whole year will depend on your life circumstances.

    In Chapter One, we'll get honest about real-world challenges and expectations, and in Chapter Two we'll set some personal progress goals.

    Remember: Any and all progress is progress.

  • Wonderful! This course is geared toward writers of all genres, with a focus on plot, character, and language. Our goal is to keep the reader fully engaged in any genre.

  • If you determine that the course isn't a good fit for you after enrolling, I'll refund your investment within 10 days.

  • WYN is right for you if you have a story you want to tell, but you don't know where to start. Or if you're looking to get unstuck or simply write a little faster.

    WYN is NOT right for you if you already have a dedicated, flourishing creative life.

  • Nope! Writing a novel is hard. But it doesn't have to be isolating, and you don't have to get through the hard parts alone.

  • After looking at the many course builders, I chose Esmerise, a streamlined CMS that's easy to use, comes with app so you can work on the fly, and includes a leaderboard and point system. (Not that writing is a competition!)

  • Chapter 1 and 2 are available immediately to all writers starting on 10/21/2024.

    Starting with Chapter 3, you'll have to write forward to unlock the rest of the chapters. This means you'll need at least a week and as long as 4-6 weeks before moving on.

Testimonials

  • “Susanna has a unique ability to zero in on a manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses and to offer concrete, constructive feedback, always in a cheerful, supportive way. Her suggestions and gentle motivation have helped immensely to move my work forward.”

    — Jane Hall, author of BLUE GEM

  • “Susanna was instrumental in shaping my manuscript, guiding me to tighten up my long-winded chapters while pushing me to dive deeper and add crucial details where they were needed. Thanks to her support, I was able to consistently produce 25 pages a month for a year—pages that were far stronger than anything I could have accomplished on my own.”

    — Joshua Feyen, author of OUT WITH IT: THE THINGS WE DON'T TALK ABOUT

  • “Susanna raised my writing from base to credible. I was new to creative writing and held lofty ambitions. Susanna absorbed roles she hadn’t necessarily offered. She became teacher/mentor/editor/supporter and helped craft my story into publishable form.”

    — Kerry Ames, author of WE THREE

  • “Susanna continually dazzles me with her quick yet comprehensive grasp of story and craft. Her feedback has been invaluable in meeting my story where it’s at and helping me take it where it wants and needs to go.”

    — Ingrid Andersson, author of BREED

  • “For six months, I was banging my head against a wall trying to edit my first draft alone. Now that I’m working with Susanna, the revision process is (mostly!) fun, and with her guidance I’m starting to be able to understand the mind of my future reader and carve away so many unnecessary details, tangents and words!”

    — Jessie Lerner

  • “Amid the inevitable ups and downs of the creative writing process, Susanna is a consistently encouraging, thoughtful and wise writing mentor. But more than that — Susanna is a true partner on the journey, helping writers learn, grow, take chances, cultivate their own voice and find joy throughout the messy path from start to finish. I can’t recommend Susanna and her approach enough.”

    — Curt Hanke, author of EVERYTHING IS SO STUPID

  • “Susanna guides her students with empathy, encouragement, and practical, result-based planning. She identifies the strengths to use to good advantage and the weaknesses to correct or eliminate. She is the most inspiring teacher I have ever had!”

    — J. R. Roberts

  • “I’ve been working on this novel for approximately two years and eight months now. I’m so excited to have a complete first draft, and perhaps more importantly, to have enthusiasm for moving forward and confidence in doing so. I don’t see how I would have arrived in this same place without Susanna.”

    — Patricia McConnell, author of AWAY TO ME, THE EDUCATION OF WILL, and THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH

  • “Susanna was critical to the development of the first draft of my novel - I couldn’t have done it without her! Her feedback was always insightful and her intuition spot-on. She’s also very kind, sensitive and approachable and makes the effort to really listen and understand your writing concerns when you are stuck, leaving you in a place where you feel you can be productive once more. I would absolutely work with her again! ”

    — M Stoenescu

  • “Susanna is an incisive editor with a fantastic eye for story structure. She’s also passionate about helping writers become better at their craft, which really can’t be quantified and for which I will be forever grateful.”

    — Charity Eleson, author of WAYWARD HOME

The WYN Curriculum

24 video/audio craft lessons +

12 writing exercises +

12 custom novel blueprints +

12 accountability check-ins

  • Your Mindset Toolkit

    8 Keys to a Strong Mindset

    Writing Exercises

    Your Personalized Mindset Blueprint

    Accountability Check-in

  • The Most Crucial Writing Habit Is Also the Simplest

    Writing is Math

    A Book is the Sum of Its Parts: Get Organized

    Your Personalized Weekly Writing Plan

    Accountability check-in

  • 3 Early Choices to Start Strong

    Elements of a Great Beginning

    Great Beginnings Examples

    Your Novel's Narrative Drive Blueprint

    Accountability Check-in

  • Why POV is More than POV

    Narrative Distance: Inside, Not Beside

    Omniscience: Getting it Right

    A Study in Effective 1st Person

    Accountability Check-in

  • Situation vs Story

    Guide to Plotting

    Scene vs Exposition

    Narrative Modes: Your 3 Options

    Accountability Check-in

  • Is Writer's Block Real?

    Creating More Creative Space

    The Unblocking Tool You're Not Using (Yet)

    Your Creative Life Blueprint

    Accountability Check-in

  • Writing Vivid Characters

    How Autofiction Works

    Keeping your Narrator Reliable

    Writing Hard Stuff

    Your Novel's Character Blueprint

    Accountability Check-in

  • Making a Great Scene

    Vivid Scene Analysis

    Great Scene Examples

    Scene-building Exercise

    Accountability Check-in

  • The Messy Middle plot beats

    5 Messy Middle Road Signs

    Common Messy Middle mishaps

    Your Novel's Messy Middle Blueprint

    Accountability Check-in

  • Dialogue Best Practices

    Choosing Verbatim vs Summarized Dialogue

    Dialogue Attribution Guide

    Dialogue Writing Exercise

    Your Novel's Dialogue Blueprint

    Accountability Check-in

  • Why Setting Matters

    Understanding Pacing

    Scene v Exposition

    Writing is Sedimentary

    Your Writing Strengths Checklist

    Accountability check-in

  • Writing a Great Logline

    Theories of Revision

    Revision Prep and Timelines

    A Guide to Beta Readers

    Savoring Your Finished Draft

    Map Your Novel's Plot Beats

    Clean Page Revision

    A Guide to Querying

    Your Revision Strategy

Get writing. Keep writing.

START YOUR NOVEL

$199 includes

Chapter 1: Your Strongest Mindset

3 short videos + 3 Mindset Myths + 8 Essentials of a strong Mindset + Accountability Check-in

Chapter 2: Prep Smarter, Not Harder

3 short videos + The Most Crucial Writing Habit (Also the Simplest) + Busting the Free Time Myth + 2 Accountability check-ins

Chapter 3: Your Novel's Great Beginning

5 short videos + 3 Starting Choices+ Elements of a Great Beginning + Examples of Great Beginnings + Agents Weigh in on Great Beginnings + 2 Accountability check-ins

WRITE YOUR NOVEL

$1750 includes

12 Chapters, 24+ short videos, 12+ writing exercises and worksheets, 12+ accountability check-ins

Chapter 1: Your Strongest Mindset

Chapter 2: Prep Smarter, Not Harder

Chapter 3: Your Novel's Great Beginning

Chapter 4: The Power of Point of View

Chapter 5: Your Novel's Plot

Chapter 6: Why Can't I Write Sometimes?

Chapter 7: Vivid Characterization & Writing from Life

Chapter 8: Anatomy of a Scene

Chapter 9: Your Novel's Messy Middle

Chapter 10: Writing Sharp Dialogue

Chapter 11: Understanding Setting & Pacing

Chapter 12: Your Resolution & Revision Strategy

Subscribe now to get my 3 Writing Mindset Myths in your inbox.

. . . or make an appointment with me to see if WYN is the right fit for you.