scene structure simplified
A three day LIVE workshop to unlock the page-turning power of scenes.
WOO! I'M INWriting scenes can be so frustrating.
When you sit down to the page you're never sure where to start or end one, let alone what should actually happen in the middle. Should the whole thing happen in one place? Comprise a whole chapter?
As a lover of stories you know, in your gut, what a ‘scene’ feels like. You’ve experienced them again and again in your favorite books, movies, and TV shows. At some point you’ve likely said to a friend something along the lines of:
🗯️ "Could you BELIEVE that final board meeting scene in Succession? I was SHOCKED.”
🗯️ "Gosh, my favorite scene of the Pride and Prejudice movie is when Darcy proposes. I know every word!"
🗯️ "Ugh I cannot watch that Red Wedding scene in Game of Thrones anymore. Brilliant, but I can't do it!"
If you can recognize a scene, why can’t you write one!? Why does it feel like every time you sit down to write, it’s not working like you know it should?
Knowing what a scene feels like and knowing how a scene works are not the same thing.
It's like opening up the hood of your car and saying: "I can feel that my car isn't running right and it has something to do with the engine in here." Cool, but do you know what the pieces of the engine do? Do you know how to fix or build the pieces of the engine? Unless you're a mechanic, most likely not. The difference between you and the mechanic is that the mechanic knows HOW the engine makes the car run.
In this three-day, LIVE workshop we'll show you how the 'feeling' of a scene works and exactly how you can break that feeling into 8 replicable beats.
With a mixture of presentation, QA, published work analysis, and direct feedback on your own scene outlines from editor pros you'll unlock the power of scenes, shatter the foggy glasses of confusion, and infuse yourself with a confidence that will fuel you every time you show up to the page.
Become a scene mechanic.
Build your story like a pro.
Scene Structure Simplified workshop, June 17-25
DAY ONE
unlock scene structure
Saturday, June 17
12-2 PM Eastern Time
During this presentation & QA workshop we’ll dissect how readers expect to feel while they read and how that feeling translates to the 8 beats of scene structure.
We’ll look at how scenes tie into character arcs to build cohesive, page-turning stories readers can’t put down. Then we’ll answer ALL your questions.
DAY TWO
learn from the pros
Saturday, June 24
12-2 PM Eastern Time
The BEST way to ensure you grasp a concept is to use it to analyze works that aren’t yours. In this published works analysis workshop we’ll individually identify the 8 beats of scene structure in excerpts from published works and break into groups to discuss together.
DAY THREE
get personal feedback
Sunday, June 25
12-2 PM Eastern Time
You've practiced what you're learned, but IS it working? DO you really get it? Question no more! Getting feedback, and watching others receive feedback, is the single best way to solidify your new skills.
In this live feedback workshop students will receive feedback from the course instructors on their draft scene outlines.
Yes, there will be recordings.
You can keep them forever! BUT the workshops will be highly interactive, so we suggest you commit to coming LIVE if you can.
There will be homework.
We will assign published scenes analyses and scene outline practice between the first workshop and the third. To make the most of the workshop, we recommend setting aside 1-3 hours between weekends to complete it.
You will get PERSONAL feedback.
Every student will have the opportunity to submit a draft scene outline to the course instructors for personalized feedback. Live discussions about that feedback will occur on Day Three with students on a first-submitted-first-served basis.
Scene Structure is the KEY to story structure.
Scenes are the links in the chain of your story. They’re the key to page-flipping pacing and tension. They’re the place where plot and character arcs meet. They’re the root of almost every other craft skill.
LET'S GET NERDYyour workshop instructors
Emily & Rachel from Golden May
Hey hey! I'm Emily.
I’m your resident nerdy, excitable, dirtbag, cat lady coach. I’ve got craft books full of underlines and fantasy novels full of sticky notes, I’ve always got my headphones full of Brene Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert, and I regularly fill notebooks with made up worlds while I’m off camping. I’m also a type-A perfectionist who’s played the hustle game for external validation and burned out because of it—and in my journey climbing out of that ditch, I learned how to love myself, how to get to know myself, and how to build a writing life and process that worked for ME. Now I’m devoted to helping writers like you build a sustainable writing life that works for YOU, that brings YOU joy, and that fulfills you all the way to your bones.
Hey there! I’m Rachel.
I’m your mac n' cheese loving, toddler mom, neurodivergent, book fairy godmother. As a coach and writer with ADHD, I understand how downright confusing craft can be and how much those "rules" can feel limiting. I understand what it’s like to struggle with your process and get hung up with mental hurdles. Throughout my journey, I've learned how to make writing craft work with my brain and I can't wait to help you do the same. Together we'll heal your mindset, develop a writing process that harnesses your unique strengths, and give you every tool you need to finish the book of your freaking dreams. It's gonna be badass. You in?
