Daphne Nikolopoulos


Archaeology and Creative Writing

Writing as D.J. Niko, Daphne Nikolopoulos is the author of “The Sarah Weston Chronicles” archaeological thriller series. Books in the series include “The Tenth Saint,” “The Riddle of Solomon,” “The Oracle” and “Firebird.” Her historical novel, “The Judgment,” was awarded a national Bronze Medal in historical fiction from Independent Publishers and first place in the historical fiction category of Royal Palm Literary Awards. A career journalist who has worked in the U.S. and Europe, Ms. Nikolopoulos is currently Editor-in-Chief of Palm Beach Illustrated magazine and Editorial Director of Palm Beach Media Group. A native of Athens, Greece, she holds a degree in international business from the University of Central Florida and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of California, Riverside.

Student Testimonials

  • "Impeccable researcher, respected travel writer, Greek historian, cultural expert and excellent speaker."
  • "She has a fountain of knowledge on Greek culture and her examination was a revelation to me."
  • “Outstanding instructor! She should offer more creative writing workshops.”
  • “I enjoyed her creative writing class. One of the best faculty members!”

Your Novel: Getting Started

A Step-by-Step Approach to Creating Publishable Work

This six-week course will give aspiring writers the tools to get started on a long-form work such as a novel, short story or memoir. It is particularly geared toward fiction and narrative nonfiction.

Participants will receive practical instruction and hands-on practice in a classroom setting; critique from the instructor and their peers; and worksheets with step-by-step instructions for building characters, setting and scenes, and crafting outlines.

Enrollment for this class is limited to 30 students. Please enroll early. Guest pass is $20.

Click here to view the informational flyer for this lecture.
Six Lectures
  1. Story Structure -
    • Elements of a novel
    • The beats of a novel, broken down in four “easily digestible” parts
    • Outlining
  2. Building Characters -
    • What makes great characters
    • Fleshing out the main characters: a guide
    • Point of view
    • Take-home assignment: character worksheet (critique during following class)
  3. Dialogue -
    • Writing realistic conversations
    • When to use dialogue, when to use exposition
    • What to avoid: too much jargon/slang, accented speech and other speed bumps
    • In-class assignment: hypothetical dialogue
  4. Setting -
    • What is setting?
    • Show vs. tell: Tying emotion and memory to place
    • The importance of research
    • Take-home assignment: setting worksheet (critique during following class)
  5. Crafting Scenes -
    • Employing lessons so far to craft realistic scenes
    • Take-home assignment: Chapter 1
  6. Writing Workshop -
    • Readings and critique of Chapter 1 (all students)
    • Lessons learned: a review
    • Final questions and resources
Course # S6T1 — Full 6 Weeks
Place:Room 151 (Annex), Lifelong Learning Complex, Jupiter Campus
Dates:Tuesdays, March 21, 28; April 4, 11, 18, 25 2017
Time:9:45 - 11:15 AM
Fee:$60 / member; $85 / non-member
Class Closed
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 Last Modified 2/12/15