Finish the Book: A Novel Intensive

Two USF students chatting in the library, surrounding by rows of books

In this seven-month certificate program, complete and revise a manuscript that's ready to pitch to agents and publishers.

In "Finish the Book," you'll join a select community of writers dedicated to honing their craft. With close instruction from a published novelist, you'll get support, accountability, and instruction to help you to make that debut novel dream a reality.

Taught by Bestselling Author

Nancy Jooyoun Kim is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Story of Mina Lee, a Reese’s Book Club pick, and What We Kept to Ourselves, a finalist for the CALIBA Golden Poppy Award. She is a graduate of UCLA and the University of Washington, Seattle. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Guernica, NPR/PRI's Selected Shorts, The Rumpus, Electric Literature, Asian American Writers' Workshop's The Margins, The Offing and elsewhere. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in Oakland, CA.

Why "Finish the Book: A Novel Intensive"?

Join a community of 8-10 writers learning together in a fully online format
Meet one-on-one with your instructor and other writing and publishing professionals
Build a plan for finishing your novel, with deadlines, regular feedback, and the support of your fellow novelists
Finish the program with a revised, polished manuscript ready for submission to agents and publishers

Objectives

Articulate how craft and aesthetic choices create a novel’s overall effects.
Understand the range of the contemporary novel’s aesthetics, trends, and sensibilities.
Practice critical analysis of your writing as a process, developing novel outlines as well as drafting and revision plans.
Cultivate professional practices and insight into the publishing industry to develop your draft into a publishable book.

Details

Dates: February 26 - September 24, 2025
Schedule: Wednesday, 5:30-8pm
Location: Online
Instructor: Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Continuing Education Units: 5
Cost: $5850.00

Structure of the Course

Discover the fires burning at the heart of your novel by identifying its audience, purpose, and central theme. Craft a working outline and synopsis, and workshop the opening chapters to build the best foundation for revising.

3-week break to write and revise
Workshop your complete revised manuscript with in-depth feedback from your instructor and fellow classmates. Drill down into craft concerns specific to your novel with lectures, discussions, and generative exercises.

3-week break to write and revise
Learn the practical matters of finding a literary agent to sell your book, writing author's statements for fellowship applications, and learning how to pitch editors to help promote your novel long after it's published.

Frequently Asked Questions

Course Details

This course is offered in three modules, dates for each are listed below.
- Module 1: Feb 26 - March 26
  - Break 1: April 2 - April 16
- Module 2: April 23 - June 25
  - Break 2: July 2 - July 16
- Module 3: July 23 - Sept 24
The Finish the Book certificate course is offered online with live course instruction. Students are asked to attend the live sessions via Zoom.
You'll receive feedback on your work twice in the course: first, your opening chapter will be part of a group workshop; then, later in the course, one entire class session will be devoted to workshopping your full novel manuscript. In both these workshops, you'll receive written and verbal feedback from both your instructor and your classmates.
That's okay. You need to have written at least 150 continuous pages to apply to Finish the Book. (Applications with fewer than 150 continuous pages will be unread.) Also, the early weeks of the course are focused on finding the scope, scale, arc, and audience for your novel, giving you a framework—and deadlines—to complete the full manuscript at some point midway through the course, in time for you to receive feedback.
No, you do not need to apply for the MFA program in order to enroll in the Finish the Book course.
No, the Finish the Book course will be held entirely online.

Costs & Financial Aid

The enrollment fee for the Finish the Book course is $5850.00. Once you’ve applied for the course, payment can be submitted via your student portal.
Yes, please reach out to lblakeman@usfca.edu if you are interested in setting up an installment plan. Please note that full payment must be received before the course begins in order to secure your enrollment.
MFA Mission Scholarship

In line with the MFA Program's mission, the MFA Mission Scholarship offers a 20 percent discount on the course fee to 1 writer whose work investigates our changing American identity by centering the lives of Black, immigrant, and/or indigenous people and their communities. To be considered for the MFA Mission Scholarship, please indicate your interest in your Statement of Purpose and discuss the ways your novel-in-progress centers the lives of Black, immigrant, and/or indigenous characters.

MFA Alumni Scholarship
The MFA Alumni Scholarship is designed to support graduates from USF's MFA in Writing Program who may be looking for additional support, feedback, and instruction on turning their graduate thesis into a full, revised manuscript. This scholarship offers a 20 percent discount on the course fee for 1 MFA alum. To be considered for the MFA Alumni Scholarship, please indicate your interest and graduation year in your Statement of Purpose. The Scholarship will be awarded to the alum whose manuscript shows the greatest potential for publication.
Due to the structure of the course, we are unable to offer refunds once it begins.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit the following:
- A novel manuscript (up to 350 pages)
- A statement of purpose (1 to 2 double-spaced pages)
- A completed online application form.
Admissions are completed on a rolling basis and we ask that you submit your application as soon as possible. The final application deadline is January 17, 2025 - this allows us enough time to review all submitted applications and materials prior to the start of the course in February.
No. Given the volume of applications, we cannot provide any feedback on work submitted. If you are accepted to the course, you'll begin getting feedback on your work within weeks after the class starts.
If you have more questions on Finish the Book, you can email MFA Program Assistant Kimberly Garrett at mfa@usfca.edu. You can also get more information at our Finish the Book Info Session.