Hook ’em Dano: How to write a strong opening line, well-paced middle, and enticing ending chapter
with Sharon Struth
Jun. 2nd - 14th, 2019
FREE for all members and those who join RWF before the workshop.
Workshop Description
You only get one chance to make a great first impression….
The phrase is cliché, but something to think about as you write your manuscript. In the first thirty seconds after a reader or agent/editor picks up your story, they’ll make a decision to keep reading or move on to something else. Even if you snag them with a catchy start, if the world you’ve built starts to slow down on page two and continues to drag, you can wave goodbye to a sale or an offer for representation. An author’s goal should be to write a book so compelling, the reader schleps into work blurry-eyed the next day because they couldn’t put your book down the night before.
Doing this is no easy task, but it’s not impossible if you focus on some key elements. This course will talk about strong starting hooks, why chapter/scene pace matters, and where to end a scene/chapter so the reader needs to turn the page. We’ll also take a look at why strong story goals and conflict making that goal unattainable keep the reader engaged. Combine these elements and turn your manuscript from peaceful to page-turning in no time at all!
Presenter Bio
Sharon Struth believes you’re never too old to pursue a dream. She’s the author of the popular Blue Moon Lake Novels (Kensington) and Sweet Life Novels (Kensington), romantic women’s fiction that includes Willow’s Way, a Readers’ Favorite Book Award Winner. Her debut novel, The Hourglass, was a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards for Best First Book.
When she’s not writing, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail, travel the world, and enjoy spending time with their precious dogs and two grown daughters. She writes from the friendliest place she’s ever lived, Bethel, Connecticut. For more information, including where to find her books and published essays, please visit sharonstruth.com or visit her blog, Musings from the Middle Ages & More at www.sharonstruth.wordpress.com.
**Please allow up to 24 hours for confirmation email**