We all know what it’s like to pick up a book and be sucked into the fictional world. You sense that you can trust the author and suspend disbelief to go on a journey. But how do your favorite authors do that? You’ll work with Laura one-on-one on your first chapter, and  you will walk away with a solid, compelling, well-polished start to your novel.

The forest of your story is as important as the individual trees, but sometimes we get so focused on a line, a word, a sentence, we don’t take the time to see the overall picture we’re creating. With developmental editing, we focus on the forest — the overall development of plot on both the scene […]

Expanding time is a brilliant tool that most writers don’t empower as much as they could. An expanded time passage that’s written well locks the reader in the POV character’s emotions. Writers can use those strong emotions to keep the reader immersed in the story from one high emotion scene to the next.

Learning what elements to include and deep edit analyzing helps you learn how to expand time and add power. But wouldn’t it be great to have Margie’s help with your expanded time passages?

You can schedule a one-on-one session with Margie to deep edit your expanded time passages. These private Zoom sessions are $50/hour. They’re scheduled at times that work for writers all over the world.

Those first 500 words of your manuscript are the most important to hook any reader. Together we will work through your opening to make sure you have the basics to really grab your reader’s attention and make them want to read more.

Deep content and developmental editing as well as plot analyses, structural builds, and one-on-one skills mastery in show not tell, point of view, and scene and sequel.

One-on-one query coaching experience with Laura Drake coordinated via email.

This month-long coaching opportunity has been created for writers who are new to Story Structure Safari and haven’t been able to take the online class.

The difference between the Safari class and Coaching is that the coaching will take place totally through email and not in a classroom setting.

You will be given the same lessons and expected to complete the activities that will be submitted to me by email.

I will respond to student work with similar insights and suggestions as those I give in the Safari classroom.

With the Safari class, you are not expected to have a fully developed story plan or draft but the more you have, the easier class will be.

This month-long experience includes five one-hour Zoom meetings and email exchanges in between. The first Zoom meeting will be the initial discussion of student goals for their story and the Expedition experience. This will be followed by a weekly Zoom meeting. One for each of the four Zones of the story. Weekly or more often email exchanges will be expected for submission of ideas and work progress by students. I will provide suggestions and feedback. Each week the student will commit to work goals.

Prerequisite is Story Structure Safari online class or lecture packet.

1 month via email – Just starting out or well into writing and finding that your critique partners are questioning development of character, setting, plot, craft? Mentorship allows you to chose your path, focus on your needs and get timely, in depth feedback—chapter summaries, in line comments, an overall developmental letter—as well as provides specific […]

Regardless if you’re a beginner or a well-published author, every writer needs someone to give your work a hard look. With your words, your characters developed, and your plot rocking and rolling, substantive editing not only allows you to discover if your readers are reading the story you created, but also helps to make sure […]