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Class Content
Session #1 - The Essence of Story
- Why story trumps structure
- A novelist's five cardinal rules
- The final answer to the "Are stories plot-driven or character-driven?" dilemma
Session #2 - Characters and Characterization
- How to create 3-dimensional characters
- Using varied interpersonal relationships to reveal characterization
- The two essential questions that determine the direction of every novel
Session #3 - Scene work: Causation and Believability
- The most common mistake novelists make and how to avoid it
- Escalation and reorientation--the building blocks to every novel
- Five secrets to grabbing and sustaining reader interest
Session #4 - Story Progression and Development
- Why repetition is the enemy of escalation
- Using genre categorization to your advantage
- How reader expectations affect story structure and resolution
