Master plotting techniques, from basic structural concepts to plotting to breaking writer's block.
Description:
Plotting is one of the more difficult disciplines to master in writing. Some writers have an innate sense of what makes a story work, but most writers, particularly those early in their apprenticeships, will benefit from plotting. This seminar focuses on various plotting techniques, from basic structural concepts, initial plotting and eventual refinement, how to break the dreaded writer's block and how to avoid it in the first place.
Learn to shape a plot when you have less than 10,000 words to tell the entire tale! It takes a special set of skills to forge a plot that works in short fiction, and we'll tell you how to do it.
Not every hero needs to save the world! Learn to write exciting stories that take place on a small scale, and discover tips for getting readers engaged even if the events aren't earthshaking.
Learn to make a group of characters more than just a bunch of people in the same room, and explore how the team is impacted by the growth of the individual characters in it.
Discuss types of tension, as well as ways to maximize them to keep your reader glued to the page
Description:
Tension is one of the basic building blocks of modern day fiction. If you know how to lay the seeds of tension, and how to coax them, you can transform your fiction from merely noteworthy to exceptional. In this seminar, the different types of tension are discussed, as well as ways to maximize them to keep your reader glued to the page.
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents the Rules of Writing. The insider tips and tricks that you'd pick up in the first five years of your career presented in an hour.
Description:
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents the Rules of Writing. These are the insider tips and tricks that you'd pick up in the first five years of your writing career, all presented here in an hour. Gleaned from personal experience and the experience of writers dating back to the 1930s, these tricks will cut three years out of your development as a writer.
Learn everything you need to know about structuring scenes to create compelling stories.
Description:
Well structured scenes make for compelling story telling. How can you construct powerful scenes for a novel or short story? And how do you string scenes together to create a vivid and stirring piece of writing? Learn everything you need to know about the art of structuring scenes.
Explore the difference between twists that make stories interesting and gimmicks that make readers groan. Tips and tricks for walking the thin line between interesting surprises and tired tropes.
In this introduction to writing, we cover everything from the grammar basics to punctuation. It's a one-hour crash course that's perfect for new writers or authors looking to brush up their skills.