Join the StoryCraft Novel Challenge this autumn and develop the book of your dreams!
Have you always wanted to write a novel but you don’t know where to start? Or, have you been trying to write for years but haven’t been able to find a process that works for you?
Welcome to the StoryCraft Novel Challenge. This in-depth, six-week writing bootcamp will introduce you to the StoryCraft method of developing your book using the foundations of craft, as well as some strategic planning.
StoryCraft was born from hours of conversations about what it’s like being both writers and publishing professionals, and how we realized just how many writers out there are lost in their pages because they don’t have a solid foundation of craft.
As writers, we both understand exactly what it’s like to be stuck trying to find the best version of the story while battling jobs and family and whatever else life throws at you. But as publishing professionals, we also know just how competitive the market is and how strong books need to be to stand out.
Thankfully, we came up with a solution. We developed a simple, step-by-step process to work through every element of a great story, all while providing education on the foundations of what we call StoryCraft. It’s a process we know works because we’ve both used it to successfully draft our own novels, as well as supporting those of our clients.
The reality of the publishing industry today is that it’s tough. There are only so many resources available for new books, and everyone is competing for shelf-space. Finding success in publishing is a bit of luck and a lot of work. We can’t do much about the luck part, but we can help you build a process that allows you to find the core of your story quicker and is actually enjoyable. Writing should be fun (most of the time).
Over the next six weeks, we’ll be working through a high-level overview of our online course, StoryCraft: Writing Your Novel. It’s a six-unit course designed to lead you through developing your book from ideation to outline and beyond. The course is currently in Beta, and you can join in now for $150 off with coupon SCBETA.
We’ve also developed the StoryCraft Workbook, available in print or digital formats, which provides a series of exercises designed to lead you through the StoryCraft process. You can find that HERE.
We believe in this process because we know it works. After years of battling writer’s block and creative output issues, we created a step-by-step map through all the critical elements of story: structure, the emotional arc of the protagonist, dynamic subplots, setups and payoffs, finding the voice of the book, and so much more. We will both be working through the challenge with our own new novels, so you can follow along our journeys as well. Find Jess and Lindsay/Theo.
Here’s what the next six weeks will look like:
Week One - Building Concept
Ideation
Creating a Wishlist
Determining Genre, Audience, and Market
Finding Authenticity
Creating a Developmental Logline
Week Two - Structure
How structure can actually free you
Narrative Structure
The main structures - Hero’s Journey, 3-Act, 7-Point
The Emotional Arc of the Protagonist
Building your Protagonist’s backstory
Week Three - Story Foundation
Character roles
Antagonist and Mentor arcs
Your setting as a character
Choosing the right setting
Worldbuilding
Week Four - Voice and Outlining
Narrative structure outline
3-act Beatsheet
Narrative Purpose
Finding your Voice
Character voices and Dual/Multi POV
Week Five - Style and Substance
Perspective and Point-of-view
Tense
Pacing
Experimenting with hook
Writing the Big Emotional Moment
Week Six - Preparing to Write
Setups and Payoffs - Story Clock
Why you should write a full outline
Pushing past writer’s block
Setting good habits
Good luck!
All you need to do to join the challenge is Subscribe to our Substack and social media channels, where we will be posting throughout the week, and work through the exercises for your book. Follow us here: Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok
Use the hashtag #StoryCraftNovelChallenge to post your own progress, and support your fellow writers as we embark on this journey together!
We’re so excited to see the amazing novel you’re going to write! We’ll see you next week when we choose our idea.
Happy Writing,
Jess and L Theodoora