Classes & Workshops

TROPES: aka the rocket fuel of genre fiction. Classic story patterns signal the ride ahead so that everyone can find the perfect book to take them where they want to go. Learn to tap the language that attracts the right audience, streamlines your stories, and leaves them needing more. We'll untangle the evolution of timeless story patterns and their power to sell a project, shape a story, and grab imaginations... harnessing reader expectations for pleasure and profit.

INTIMACY: Keep your sizzle fresh at any heat level. Creating chemistry on the page requires a mix of playful art and rigorous craft. Whether sweet or raunchy, intimate moments have always been the beating heart of romance fiction. Fans call them “the good parts” and dogear them for a reason; love scenes are often where authors cut loose and romance gets closest to poetry. Go beyond the mechanics to tackle the interplay of flirtation, seduction, and conjunction necessary for winning fiction.

DIALOGUE: Talk isn’t cheap. Conversations can make or break a book and help your characters pop off the page. In this hour, we’ll unpack an arsenal of tricks you can use to cut the flab in your gab and unleash unforgettable communication. We'll unpack an arsenal of nitty–gritty techniques to turn that chatter into convos that matter.

GOALS: In today’s market, forgettable HEAs and generic endgames won't cut it. No matter your genre, go beyond GMC and backstory with happy endings that break the mold, internally and externally. Whether you're a plotter or pantser, learn to elicit intense empathy and killer word of mouth by shaping scene goals and story stakes masterfully. Amp the emotional impact of any story by focusing on what makes your scenes slick and your characters tick.

COUPLES: Build the perfect duo to dazzle your readers in any genre. Intriguing relationships drive every great story: it takes two to tangle. Bring your fictional folks to the next level with a technique for characterization and dramatization that will strengthen your ideas, your voice, and your projects at any stage. Amp the action, attraction, and interaction between your toothsome twosome with practical, hands­on strategies for making lovers who pop off the page.

ANTAGONISTS: Friction between your main characters should create explosive energy. Whatever your genre, make sure that your adversaries deliver maximum drama and emotion on every page. You'll leave with a fresh handle on the protagonist/antagonist dynamic and an arsenal of simple, language-based techniques that goes beyond quirks and trivia to craft worthy adversaries.

SCENE & SEQUEL: Explaining and exploring Dwight Swain's analysis of popular fiction. Whether you call it “scene and sequel,” "disasters and decisions," or “action and reaction,” this basic storytelling pattern allows you to pace your plot, escalate your action, and find your story’s heat and tone. These old–school genre tools let you manage any story’s natural flow for a book readers can't put down.

WORLDBUILDING: Worldbuilding isn't just for paranormal, fantasy, and scifi; even contemporary fiction and memoir deserve worlds worth visiting. Unforgettable settings can anchor character arcs, drive drama, and fascinate audiences long past the story's end. With a solid foundation, every story locale can do heavy lifting and provide fertile ground for your muse. Dodge the hodgepodge and map an unforgettable environment full of narrative possibility. Whatever your tropes or niche, come develop a way with worlds.

POV: Effective POV is the bedrock of every story; the right perspective can make the difference between unforgettable work and quackerous hackery. Join us for a one–hour session tackling the different types of POV from first to third, from "Deep" to deft, so you can you pick the perfect window on every world you write.

VILLAINS: Audiences expect more from bookshelf baddies. Whether driving the action or lurking in the shadows, your villain maps your story’s moral landscape and telegraph what matters most. So go beyond the MWA-HA-HA to generate real dread and craft scoundrels blessed with depth, drive, and dire resonance. Uncover the evil seed buried in your story and give your heroes someone worth fighting.

VIOLENCE: Getting the fight right is critical, whether it's fisticuffs or verbal sparring. Leararn to exploit the terrain of the tussle, the power of barriers, and the explosive potential in characterizing your combat. Don't let your battles turn bland, skippable, or unbelievable. Tap into the real power struggle that brings fights to life, because great writing has no room for gratuitous violence.

BRANDING: Brand is the core of your promo mojo. In this swift overview, we’ll help you target your genre niche and explore your unique appeal to make sure your brand is doing its job: selling your work and signaling to your unique audience. In this class we’ll skip the one–size–fits–all Band–Aids. You’ll leave with action items specific to your skills, experience, and career goals so you can unleash your A game.

PRESENCE (and PLATFORM):  As an author you are your own best advertisement for your work. A strategic platform and a public archetype can be game changers to attract the right kind of attention for your career. In this look at your professional presence and platform, we’ll talk about how to nail interviews and panels by tailoring your topics, shaping your message, and boosting your signal to expand your audience, and find fun in your promo process.

REVISION: Whether you are entering a contest, pitching to agents and publishers, or connecting with potential fans, few core principles will help your book shine. This class looks at tasks, tips, and tricks to improving your odds in the submission process at every stage. We’ll tackle great openings, savvy hooks, compelling characters, solid structure, and more.

PHYSICALITY: Every time your characters meet is an opportunity for depth and drama. From fights to fooling around, nonverbal exchanges offer authors ample chances to enrich relationships and escalate intensity in any genre. This class unpacks the ways characters generate friction, in word and deed, from sex to violence to mere proximity. Learn to unleash unforgettable communication even when no one is talking.

CAREER PLANNING: Your career should be fun. Establishing personal goals and roles allows any creative to take stock, make strides, and level up so they can navigate the industry with verve. Tailor your professional efforts for your voice, vibe, and vision. Attendees will leave with customized strategies, tactical upgrades, and action items tailored to their skillset and the kind of success they seek.

COMEDY: Being funny is a serious business. Even in the darkest books a dash of humor can make your scenes sizzle because audiences love to laugh. Careful comic plotting and characterization can turn “meh” into mesmerizing. We’ll spend an hour on tips and tricks that will help you find the rib ticklers underneath your story...along with a bag of tricks for adding levity and sparkle to any scene by unlocking the power of laughter.

THE MALE ANIMAL: Genre heroes can be so much more than tall, dark, and ab-tastic. Write past macho nonsense, XY stereotypes, and cookie-cutter gender signaling to develop complex male characters that enrich and deepen your character relationships in any story. Use worldbuilding via gender, emotional expression, and more to plumb your story’s depths by getting your dudes right.