Any questions about the workshop? Contact us or send us an email: contact@fictionrefinery.com.

Once a reader decides to pick up your book, you don’t have long to convince them to keep reading. In fact, most readers can decide if they’re interested in continuing well within the first scene, making it crucially important to your book’s success.

But at the same time, the beginning of every story is less interesting that the middle. That’s just the nature of it. You have to set up a lot in order to deliver the conflict and tension the reader ultimately wants.

So how do you balance creating a gripping opening scene with setting up the mundane details that are necessary to support the rest of the story?

That’s what we’ll be exploring in the upcoming worshop.

During the workshop, you’ll discover:

• How to structure your first scene for maximum impact.
• The most effective ways to grab your reader’s attention (and never let go).
• How to show the protagonist’s normal world while also hooking the reader.

Rebecca Hartwell is a developmental editor who helps authors go from feeling lost, overwhelmed, or uncertain around their writing to having a clear, grounded, and actionable plan for their story’s success. 

She is an indie author herself, and her passion for learning more about how stories work, her love of reading in the genres that inspired her to write, and her own experiences getting her work developmental edited pushed her to start the full-time career she is now in love with. Rebecca has been a proud Story Grid Guild member for four years now, and is delighted to have worked with dozens of authors across nearly forty books. 

Rebecca lives in Maine with two cats and a ridiculous amount of craft supplies, and can often be found swing dancing, singing and playing Irish Trad, or finding every excuse she can to play dress-up, often through historical reenactment.

Hour 1: Lecture & Analysis of Detailed Example.

Hour 2+: Prompts & Q&A.

This workshop will be held LIVE over Zoom. If you cannot attend live, that’s okay! You’ll receive a recording of the workshop. All those who purchase a ticket will receive lifetime access to the recording.

• The Workshop will be held on September 19th, 2024
• Live via Zoom from 6:00 PM (EDT) – 8:30 PM (EDT)
• You will receive access to the workshop recording

If you have any questions, please send us an email by clicking here.