MAKING SCENES
A GUIDE FOR FICTION WRITERS
Writing good fiction is harder than it looks.
If writing fiction is your passion but you don’t always feel like you’re making the progress you wish you were, you’re not alone.
Yes, you’ve read the craft books and taken the seminars—but you’re still getting passes from agents and editors. Maybe you’ve lost some motivation as a result.
It’s frustrating. I get it. It’s hard to keep going when you know your work doesn’t quite work, but you can’t put your finger on why.
Or when you get a negative response—or no response at all—and you still have no idea what you’re doing wrong.
It’s time to get out of the frustration zone.
How? Let’s break it down.
Scenes are the building blocks of story.
Learning how to write scenes will transform the way you work and show you how to build the compelling, page-turning books readers love. (Agents and editors love them, too!)
GREAT STORIES ARE MADE OF GREAT SCENES.
A great story doesn't happen by accident. It’s something we writers build—scene after scene after scene.
Writing well-structured scenes is something you can learn how to do. Making Scenes: A Guide for Fiction Writers is a self-paced online course that will help you
- Learn how to think in scenes, not words.
- Understand how well-structured scenes move your story forward and keep your reader eager to find out what happens next.
- Know exactly how to plan, draft, evaluate and revise each scene that you write.
Here’s what’s inside the course:
WHAT IS A SCENE?
We all know books have chapters, but what exactly do we mean by a scene? Learn why it’s good to break our storytelling into chunks.
SCENES MOVE THE STORY FORWARD
Scenes have a job to do—they move the story forward. How? That’s what you’ll learn in this lesson.
THE FIVE INGREDIENTS
If you want to bake a cake, first you gather the ingredients. A well-structured scene has five ingredients. Learn what they are and why they matter.
ALL ABOUT BEATS
Something dynamic and energy-producing happens at the core of every well-structured scene. Beats are the key.
SEE IT IN ACTION
Ever wish you could go through a scene with the author and learn exactly why they did it that way? Here’s where we go step-by-step through a complete scene and see how every concept you’ve learned works on the page.
A PROCESS THAT WORKS
Okay, storyteller. It’s your turn! This comprehensive framework (in helpful checklist form) will remind you exactly what to do as you plan, write, and revise dynamic, storytelling scenes of your own.
TRAINING MATTERS.
Reading is one of life’s great pleasures, for sure. But what we see in a finished book is the end result of a long, complex process of imagining, drafting, and revision.
As readers, we don’t get to see what the writer was thinking when they made the zillions of tiny decisions—no, not this word, that one—that culminate in a finished book.
That’s why training with an experienced writer is essential. You need a mentor who’s able to demystify what writing well really entails, so you can learn to make those zillions of tiny decisions in your own writing.
That’s the pro-level work that makes your finished book seem effortless to your reader, just like your favorite books seem effortless to you.
Making Scenes: A Guide for Fiction Writers is a focused, step-by-step program that will truly flip the switch on how you approach writing scenes.
Once you enroll, I think you’ll discover just what a life-changing impact the right training and mentorship can have on your own development as a writer.
I can’t wait to be your mentor!
“This course is great. I’ll be coming back to these lessons again and again. The six pages of checklists are invaluable. (And wow! A big thank-you to Maryrose for the annotated Big Robot scene. Reading that really, really helped with my understanding of scenes.)”
Bridgett Bell Langson
“This whole course is really transforming my understanding of scenes and storytelling.”
Nancy Partridge
“Thank you for making this course! I now feel as if there is solid ground to stand on when I approach my scenes. It’s a ‘big picture” training I didn’t realize I needed.“
Sara Bowen
I'M MARYROSE.
Like you, I’m a writer. But my path from starry-eyed kid to published author took a lot of twists and turns.
I didn’t grow up thinking I’d end up writing novels, and I never imagined I’d be published by Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Macmillan. But fourteen published novels later (and counting), here I am.
From my earliest explorations in the creative arts (yes, that’s me singing my heart out in that flop Broadway musical!), to years of study and hands-on experience crafting tales that have touched readers worldwide, I've never stopped being fascinated by the deeply human need for story. It’s truly part of us.
My passion for teaching rose naturally out of my own long writing practice and lifetime of study. The archetype of the mentor looms large in stories! You can ask any of my Path of the Storyteller students—my enthusiasm for mentoring my students is real!
IS THIS COURSE RIGHT FOR YOU?
Making Scenes: A Guide for Fiction Writers will change the way you think about how you work. It will turn that long slog to finish a draft into a manageable, step-by-step process of creating dynamic scenes that move the story forward.
I have to warn you, though—this course is not for you if:
- You think good writing craft can’t be taught.
- You’re not willing to learn from an experienced author and teacher who’s broken it all down for you.
- Your goal for your drafts is to let them live in a drawer. You’re not interested in connecting with readers.
But I don’t think that’s you.
I think you’re not only ready, but eager for the kind of expert mentoring that could really make a difference in your writing.
And a focused, engaging course packed with practical, pro-level tools? A course you can take at home, on your own schedule?
Call it a ticket out of the frustration zone.
“MAKING SCENES provides manageable, clear lessons on how to study and write scenes. I've studied writing for a long time, but nothing—not the concepts of desire and obstacle or action and reaction—has helped me to transform my writing from strings of meandering sentences into scenes more than Maryrose Wood's teaching.”
Kristyn Winters
“I am so glad that Maryrose created this course. It’s short yet thorough and beautiful to watch. And when it came time for me to sit down and write a scene, I loved that I had simple guidelines and a clear picture in my head of how to go about the task. The careful attention that went into explaining things simply, making the videos visually stunning, and designing assignments that were targeted, practical, and fun cannot be overstated. Definitely worth the time and cost!
Ann Nelson
GET STARTED TODAY
The world needs your stories.
14-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
If you aren’t completely satisfied with this program, let us know within the first 14-days for a full refund. No questions asked.
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I love what I'm hearing and want more training and mentorship! What other programs do you offer?
