From Writer to Author - Foundations Course
From Writer to Author Foundations: A 6‑Week Guided Writing Course for New & Unpublished Writers
If you’ve felt the pull to write a book but don’t know where to begin, this course will give you the clarity, confidence, and structure you need. Over six weeks, you’ll learn how to define your audience, outline your book, strengthen your voice, build a writing rhythm, revise effectively, and understand the publishing world.
This course is taught by Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rainey — editor, publisher, clergy, and teacher — who brings decades of experience helping authors find their voice and shape their stories with purpose.
Whether you’re writing memoir, fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, this course will help you finally begin the book you’ve been carrying in your heart.
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Full 6‑Week Curriculum (High-Level Overview)
Week 1 — Purpose, Audience & Calling
- Why you’re writing
- Who you’re writing for
- What transformation your book offers
- Clarifying your book’s “promise”
- Spiritual grounding: writing as vocation
Week 2 — Structure & Chapter Flow
- How to outline a nonfiction or fiction book
- Chapter arcs
- Avoiding tangents
- Creating a “reader journey”
- Template: The 12-Step Author Blueprint
Week 3 — Voice, Tone & Confidence
- Finding your natural voice
- Writing without fear
- Overcoming perfectionism
- Exercises to strengthen voice
- Spiritual encouragement: your story matters
Week 4 — Drafting Practices & Momentum
- How to write consistently
- Building a writing rhythm
- How to write when you’re tired, busy, or discouraged
- Drafting vs polishing
- Template: Weekly Writing Plan
Week 5 — Revision & Self-Editing
- Developmental editing vs copyediting
- How to revise for clarity
- How to cut 20% without losing meaning
- How to prepare a manuscript for an editor
- Template: Revision Checklist
Week 6 — Publishing Literacy & Next Steps
- Traditional vs hybrid vs indie
- What publishers look for
- How to avoid scams
- How to prepare a submission
- How to work with an editor
- Spiritual encouragement: your book is a gift
Instructor: Rev. Dr. Evelyn Rainey, CEO ShelteringTree.Earth, LLC, Director August Isley Books, Award-winning published author
Duration: 6 weeks, 90 minute session each week
Time: Wednesdays 8:00 pm EST
Place: Zoom
REFUND POLICY: There will be no refunds or make-up sessions for any missed classes unless due to Force Majeure (ie. catastrophe - fire, flood, war, terror attack, weather, pandemic, mental or physical incapacity requiring hospitalization or funeral).