A Living Story

Did you know that you’re living a story? Each minute that passes is like another word on a  page. You’re the lead who gets to decide through a series of actions where you want your story--your life--to go next. Like a choose your own adventure book, your story is made up of big decisions and quiet choices that can change the course of your life in dramatic fashion or a more subtle experience.  In literary fiction, especially, plot may be more subdued in relation to its character development counterpart, but it remains an essential piece of the story. In this session, we’ll take a look at your manuscript and define your central and secondary plots. Together, we’ll look at how all of the fiction elements work together to best serve your ideas and keep your plot moving forward.

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Authentically You

Some people remark that there’s no originality left in the world. Everything, they say, is just a recycled version of something else. When it seems like it’s all been done before, it’s a wonder how anything new is created. But just as there are billions of people on this planet with similar but fascinatingly different lives, so, too, are there billions of variations of a single story. While the basic themes may remain the same, it’s our personal experiences that make for the best original twists on old ideas. Strip your story down to the core and it’s a tale as old as time. But wrap it back up by adding your voice, your descriptions, your experiences--your flair--and you’re creating something fresh. Your story, like you, is its own wonderfully unique variation. In this session, we’ll discuss your plot’s originality and determine ways to ensure the story you’re telling is the very essence of you.
 

Back to the Basics - Outlines & Plot

Finished with your manuscript? Get back to the basics and uncover your story’s key elements in its simplest form. Stuck in a creative rut? Experience the freedom of experimenting with your story outside the confines of a written draft. No matter what phase of writing you’re in, the outline is an organizational structure that can benefit anyone and keep the creativity flowing. In this Perfect Pairing session, we’ll discover how the outline can serve as one of the best editing tools there is by identifying plot holes and adding layers to enhance your story.

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Writer Techniques

Deus Ex Machina. Red Herring. Chekhov’s Gun. Dream Sequences. When used correctly, these writing techniques can enhance your story and benefit a stagnant plot, but they can also alienate your readers and demonstrate inexperience as a writer. While plot devices are often effective methods of moving your story forward, developing them within your plot’s framework is vital to crafting a strong narrative that doesn’t feel contrived. In this session, we’ll discuss common plot devices and identify them in your own work and practice useful exercises to use them effectively.

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Create Your Own

Create your own session to help build your plot!