What We Do at Fiction Refinery
We empower writers to craft captivating stories that readers love by connecting them with trusted, expert guidance and fostering a growth-minded community, helping them build successful author careers.
Our Why & How it all Started:
At Fiction Refinery, our mission is to help writers craft captivating stories that readers love through expert guidance, unparalleled client service, and a growth-minded community, enabling them to build successful author careers.
Our founder, Jennifer, developed a love for reading and writing in high school, which naturally led her to study English in university. During her time there, she immersed herself in literature and creative writing, participating in workshops and receiving critiques on her work.
Despite this, she felt no closer to writing a compelling novel, realizing that the traditional focus on writing itself often overlooked the importance of storytelling.
Determined to bridge this gap, Jennifer embarked on a self-study journey, diving deep into the fantasy genre and reading numerous craft books to uncover the secrets of successful authors.
Through extensive research and reflection, she discovered that great storytelling is the essence of what makes books truly engaging. It’s not just about beautiful writing; a compelling story with well-structured conflict and tension is crucial. This insight led to the creation of Storytelling Mastery, a coaching service that offers feedback and insights for writers that usually cost $1,000+.
At Fiction Refinery, we believe that by focusing on story craft, we can empower writers to create narratives that resonate with readers and achieve success as authors.
Hey there! 👋
I’m Jennifer Flodin—Founder & Story Development Coach here at Fiction Refinery.
I started Fiction Refinery after years (and years—I’m talking about 11+) of struggling with my own writing.
In the beginning, I couldn’t finish a story to save my life. I would get 20,000 words in and realize it wasn’t going anywhere! Looking back, I can see the lack of conflict, tension, agency for the protagonist, and emotional depth.
It was basically a series of unfortunately dull events that meant nothing.
Boring.
At the time, I felt like I just wasn’t cut out to be a writer. It felt like something you either had or didn’t have. While my favorite authors clearly had it, I clearly did not.
But that wasn’t true.
I just hadn’t developed the skill of storytelling yet. (And it would take me years to do so.)
I studied English at a University. I took all of the literature and creative writing classes I could. And while my ability to write short fiction improved, I didn’t learn much that translated to full-length novels.
Instead, I spent my time writing papers about allegories and crafting short fiction that I came up with on a whim.
So I decided to look elsewhere for the answer to my burning question: How the heck do you write a novel?
I started reading craft books. Every one I could get my hands on. I also consumed every book that I could within my favorite genre (romantic fantasy). I started looking at what was happening beyond the words.
After a lot of reading and trial and error, storytelling finally clicked.
(And if I could learn how to tell stories well, then you can too.)
Now I help romantic fantasy writers (like you) combine structural precision with the protagonist’s emotional journey so that they can create a story that is cohesive, meaningful, and impossible to put down.
I’m currently sharing my process for writing the first book I intend to publish. If you’re interested in following along, you can listen here.
