NEXT: September 9, 2023:

by

Elizabeth Devlin

Emotion on the Page: Scenes, Sequels, and Story Magic

Why do we read fiction? Why does ANYONE read fiction?

We read it for a powerful emotional experience. And we get to that emotion by EXPERIENCING the story. For a novel to work, we need to identify with the characters and live the story through them. 

This workshop is about ways you can ensure your readers get that experience. We’ll focus on how to use Scene structure (and something called Sequels) to ensure the emotion is there on the page.

Pantsers: While plotters can use this method, this is really a workshop for writers who write by the seat of their pants (i.e., pantsers). No one will try to muck with your process or turn you into a person obsessed with structure and craft mechanics. Elizabeth KNOWS you hate that. But this is a way for you to put YOUR CHARACTERS in charge and let them work through the story problem. Even if you don’t use this method writing your first draft, you can use it to revise. Why isn’t a scene connecting with your beta readers, isn’t giving them the emotion you want desperately to convey. This workshop will give you some great tools to figure out what’s wrong with your draft and how to fix it.

To get the most out of this workshop, Elizabeth recommends you read in advance a short article by Randy Ingermanson (https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/writing-the-perfect-scene/).

Speaker’s Bio:  Growing up sailing the waters of Narragansett Bay, Elizabeth Devlin took many detours before writing her first novel. A graduate of Emmanuel College and Oxford University, Elizabeth built a house with a view of the water to write stories about what fires her passion. A longtime member of RIRW, she is an enthusiastic supporter of Save the Bay. Her books are for all who share her devotion to the ocean, to family, and to a belief in a happy-ever-after. Home Waters, the first book in her Narragansett Bay series, was a finalist for a national book award and is available on Amazon and locally in RI. Learn more at ElizabethDevlin.com.