Great stories are made of great scenes.
Mastering scene structure will make you a better, more confident writer. Here’s why.
Scenes are the essential building blocks of story. Yet most writers think in words, not scenes.
Dictionaries are full of words, but you have to admit: They don’t have much of a plot.
Now, I’ve been a writer for decades, and I have nothing against words.
I mean, I love words! Most writers do.
But stories are driven by what happens.
Why it happens.
And then: what happens next.
Scenes are where we show the reader what happens, step by step, one scene after the next.
That’s why scenes are the building blocks of story.
A well-structured scene moves the story forward. It engages readers deeply and leaves them eager to know what happens next.
Scenes are where the magic happens, but writing powerful scenes is not magic.
It’s something you can learn to do.
In fact, mastering scene structure is an essential skill for every writer.
I would love to teach you exactly how great scenes work—and, importantly, how to write them yourself.
INTRODUCING
Learn It Live: A Three-Part Masterclass in Writing Scenes
With Maryrose Wood
June 27th, 28th, and 29th
From 10 AM to Noon Pacific | Live Online
🏆 BONUS COURSE INCLUDED 🏆
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON FRIDAY JUNE 23RD AT MIDNIGHT
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A BONUS COURSE IN SCENE STRUCTURE IS INCLUDED. HERE’S WHY.
Learning requires both study and practice. In this live masterclass + online course bundle, we’ll do both.
Learn It Live: A Three-Part Masterclass in Writing Scenes is our chance to work together interactively, roll up our sleeves and problem solve, go deeper into the concepts of scene writing, and offer our work for feedback.
To make sure we get the most out of our time together, I’m bundling Making Scenes: A Guide for Fiction Writers together with your enrollment. It’s an engaging online course that you’ll get access to as soon as you register. You can start learning today!
By giving you the online course in advance of our live masterclasses, you’ll be able to go over the basics before we get together on Zoom.
You can listen to the lectures, read examples, and start thinking about how you might put these concepts to use in your own writing.
Do this, and when we gather for our live training at the end of June,
- You’ll be able to ask the questions that most relate to your work.
- You’ll be ready to go deeper into the content with me and your fellow storytellers, to add even more value.
- And you’ll be prepared to participate in group discussions where we put select student work “in the hotseat” to analyze the structure of the scenes you’re writing—and help you get back on track if you’re struggling.
Best of all: When our three days together are over, not only will you have the masterclass replays to watch, but you'll have a detailed, step-by-step course in scene structure in your personal writing library. You can review and make use of the lessons, exercises, transcripts, and a truly epic checklist every time you sit down to write a scene.
I’ve been teaching writers for many years, and I promise you: The combination of online course content plus live hands-on training is pure learning gold.
Remember, you’ll have six hours of live coaching from me during this masterclass. I’ll be there to review the content and answer all your questions. Come prepared with the basics so we can dive deeper into the topic and spend more time on your own writing.
Here’s what’s inside your bonus 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.
“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
I'M MARYROSE WOOD.
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!
“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
REGISTER TODAY
LEARN IT LIVE: A THREE-PART MASTERCLASS IN WRITING SCENES
Dates: June 27th, June 28th, and June 29th
Time: From 10 AM to Noon Pacific time each day (check your time zone here)
MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE
I feel absolutely sure that learning to write great scenes will make you a better and more confident writer. If you attend all three live sessions and still feel you haven’t gotten value from this training, contact me for a refund.
How does the live training work?
How does the online course work?
What if I have questions about the course content?
Is this course appropriate for teens?
I love what I'm hearing and want more training and mentorship! What other programs do you offer?
Registration ends Friday, June 23rd at midnight. Don’t miss it!
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