What You’ll Learn

It seems so simple, writing a chapter… So why is it so HARD? No matter how seasoned a writer you are, there are always the chapters that don’t move the story along or are just plain boring. How do you stick the landing if you don’t have a cliffhanger? How do you ensure that the chapter is doing its job while also providing the reader with a satisfying experience? Most of all, how can you ensure your reader will care about your protagonist and the journey they are on?

In this four-part class, PEN award-winning instructor Heather Demetrios will walk you through how to understand the individual parts of a chapter and guide you through the process of writing a pitch-perfect chapter…and recognize one when you see it. No matter your genre or reader age group, you will have a solid structure to build your chapters on—each and every single one of them. Using strategies from her popular Writing Bingeable Characters workshops and taking your own process into account, you’ll have the opportunity to refine a chapter of your choosing over the course of the four weeks and get a critique from Heather on the final draft of the chapter.

Our four weeks together include:

Week One - Charting Your Chapter's Course : We'll be looking at plotting from the inside out and using your character's "objective" from the beginning of the scene to set a strong foundation. By the end of this week, you will have a system for vetting your character's main objective (micro desire) in the scene and know how to use it to keep up the pace and propel your reader from one page to the next.

Week Two - Obstacles: We'll be looking at obstacles from a new angle by digging into your protagonist's Character Keys. We'll look at crafting internal and external obstacles from a character standpoint, and how to test the obstacles to make sure they're strong enough. Bonus: You'll never need to make something "dramatic" happen again - we're making believable, emotionally resonant obstacles that will further both plot and character arcs.

Week Three - Stakes: Obstacles don't help you if the stakes aren't high enough. Here, we'll have a thorough overview of what makes a stake sing (or not), why they matter, and how to show more about your character by revealing the ways in which they pivot and strategize to get what they want. Most importantly: we'll make sure that your reader always cares if your protagonist gets what they want.

Week Four - Sticking the Landing: You will finally, finally, be able to stick the landing of your chapters! No more dud and abrupt last paragraphs. No more notes about there not being drive or profluence, or questions about the point of your chapter in the first place. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and discover how your chapter already has the seeds for a great ending sewn throughout.

Each class will include:

• Multiple writing prompts

• Breakout groups to discuss prompts

• Assigned readings of chapter mentor texts

This Workshop Is For You If

• You’re a published novelist looking to improve your craft

• You’re a published novelist aiming for that starred review

• You’re a published novelist who is feeling stuck with a manuscript that just doesn’t seem to be coming together

• You’re an aspiring novelist looking to hone your skills

• You’ve almost been signed by an agent but keep getting sent back for revisions

• You’re getting good feedback on your novels but haven’t sold one yet

• You keep getting great feedback on your writing but can’t seem to reach your goals
  
  

Workshop Size

In keeping with our commitment to small class sizes, this class will have no more than 14 students.

Refund Policy: There is no refund for our Master classes. All classes are recorded, and students can watch at a later time.