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Six Secrets to Novel Writing That No One Ever Told You, August 10, 2012

Hyannis, MA

Six Secrets to Novel Writing That No One Ever Told You
Friday, August 10, 2012
The Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis, Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Executive Summary
This eye-opening course will reveal subtle secrets to crafting better fiction, improving the flow of your story, and writing clearer, more vivid scenes. Discover the three interwoven forces that mold all stories. Come prepared to participate in writing exercises that will help you develop a deeper, more emotionally-charged story, handle flashbacks, and pace your novel through understanding the true nature of fiction. References to popular literature and movies will help bring these writing principles to life.

Faculty
Steven James has penned hundreds of articles and scripts as well as 30+ books spanning the genres of psychological thrillers, prayer collections, dramas, monologues, YA fantasy, inspirational nonfiction and craft books on creative storytelling. He has received wide critical acclaim for his work, including four Storytelling World Honor awards, two Publishers Weekly starred reviews, and 2009 and 2011 Christy Awards for best suspense. His thriller, The Bishop, was named both Suspense Magazine’s and The Christian Manifesto’s 2010 Book of the Year and won an RT Book Reviews and INSPY award in the categories of suspense/mystery. Library Journal listed his latest action thriller The Queen as one of the best novels of 2011.
Steven is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest, and has taught writing and storytelling principles on three continents. He
earned a Master’s Degree in Storytelling from ETSU in 1997 and is an active member of International Thriller Writers, the
Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and International Association of Crime Writers. He lives in the foothills of the
Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee with his wife and three daughters. When he’s not writing or speaking, he’s trail running,
playing disc golf, or slipping away to catch an afternoon matinee.

TUITION
Tuition is $495 and includes continental breakfast, lunch, breaks, and a seminar handbook.

Cancellations: Conference Cancellations: Conference cancellations received in writing before July 15, 2012, will receive a full refund. Persons canceling after July 15, 2012, will not receive a refund.

Schedule

7:00-8:00 REGISTRATION AND CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

8:00-9:00 STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE
Forget three-act structure. In this session you’ll learn to develop your story the way the masters do. All stories are
transformative events that include an orientation to the world of this particular story, a crisis or calling that initiates the
underlying tension of the story, escalation of stakes and conflict, a moment of discovery and a change in the character’s
life. Whether this happens in one act or three or a dozen makes no difference to the reader—all they want is a great story.
And you can begin giving it to them. Questions & Answers.

9:00-10:00 SCENES, INTERLUDES & ESCALATION
If the building blocks of a novel are scenes, the cement that holds them together is interludes. If you can see the action
onstage in the novel, it’s a scene. If you cannot, it’s probably an interlude. Learn what a scene really is (it’s not what you
might think), what needs to happen in an interlude, why and how characters need to fail their way to success, and how to
gauge the length of scenes and interludes as your story progresses. Questions & Answers.

10:00-10:15 BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

10:15-11:00 BELIEVABILITY & HOW TO CREATE THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS
Multi-dimensionality for all characters (including antagonists and protagonists) depends on varying their status.
Characterization is brought out by showing how a character acts in relationship to other characters. By showing your
characters’ quirks, fears, hopes, goals and attitudes in relation to his environment and to other people you can create
memorable, realistic characters. This will be a hands-on seminar with practical ideas and activities you can use today.
Questions & Answers.

11:00-12:00 PROMISES & PAYOFF (OR GIVING READERS WHAT THEY REALLY WANT)
Contrary to what you may have heard, the problem of readers being bored isn’t solved by adding action but by adding
apprehension. So you don’t increase suspense by “making things happen,” but by promising that they will. Instead of
asking “What needs to happen?” ask, “What can I promise will go wrong?” If readers complain that “nothing is happening”
in a story, they don’t typically mean that no action is occurring, but rather that no promises are being made. Learn what
kind of promises to make, how to pace them, and how to fulfill them at the right time. Questions & Answers.

12:00-1:00 LUNCH (PROVIDED WITH FACULTY)

1:00-2:00 CAUSALITY: THE BACKBONE TO AN ENGAGING STORY
Everything that happens in a story is caused by the thing that precedes it. Therefore, a novel moves forward from cause to
effect, not effect to cause. If you find that one sentence is serving to explain what happened in the sentence that preceded
it, you can usually improve the writing by reversing the order of the sentences so that you render rather than explain the
action. It sounds simple, but truly understanding and mastering the implementation of this principle will transform your
writing forever. Discover how to do just that. Questions & Answers.

2:00-2:30 THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT WILL SOLVE EVERY PLOT PROBLEM YOU EVER HAVE
Learn how to overcome any snag in your story by asking two very specific questions. (No, I’m not giving them away . . . yet) Questions & Answers.

2:30-2:45 BREAK AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

2:45-3:15 INEVITABILITY & CREATING TWISTS THAT SHOCK AND SATISFY YOUR READERS
A great twist will always be unexpected, inevitable, an escalation of what preceded it, and a revelation that adds meaning
to what has already occurred. Readers want to predict how a story will end, but they want to be wrong—yet still satisfied.
Examples from popular literature and movies will help attendees craft great endings for their readers. Discover how to
develop endings that leave your readers stunned, thrilled and panting for more. Questions & Answers.

3:15-4:15 SELF-EDITING SECRETS AND SHORT-CUTS
To tell your story with your own distinctive voice you’ll need to sharpen the prose before an editor begins working on it or an agent agrees to look at it. In this seminar you’ll take away more than two-dozen specific and easy-to-use hints and tricks that will help you dial in your craft and bring it to the level of quality you need in order to get noticed. A handout will be provided. Questions & Answers.

Price: $495.00