PATH OF THE STORYTELLER™

PUT ME ON THE WAITING LIST
 

There are stories only you can tell.

 

Path of the Storyteller is a small group program taught by Maryrose Wood (that’s me!)

My goal? To give you all the tools you need to get unstuck once and for all. We’ll banish the confusion and frustration that writers often struggle with.

Instead, you’ll learn how to write fiction that really works: the kind of writing that’s built to last.

Over a single transformative semester—from January through mid-May—we’ll dive deep into story structure and writing craft.

We’l also explore how to keep your mindset in the thriving writer zone, where your writing becomes and remains the joyful, creative, and deeply personal expression you want it to be, while knowing that the work you create will earn its place in your readers’ hearts.

When you know how to do that, agents and editors sit up and take notice, too!

An MFA in a semester—really?

 

No, this isn’t an MFA program, but some of my students have compared it to one. We do cover a lot of ground! This is practical training that respects your time and your budget. If you’re serious about leveling up as a writer, you won’t find another experience like it.

WE MASTER WHAT WE PRACTICE.

 

Good training and consistent practice lead to results.

Writing really good fiction is something you can learn how to do. The Path of the Storyteller program is designed to give you the tools you need on your journey to mastery, based on these three principles:

  • Great fiction is based on great storytelling. Learning to tell a story is essential for writers.
  • Each word you put on the page has the power to draw your reader into the fictional world you’ve created, or toss them out of it. Every word matters.
  • All writers go through similar challenges as we develop our craft. Self-observation is part of the work, as we stir up our deepest personal reasons for wanting to write in the first place. Just like the heroes of our books, writers go on a journey of transformation too.

Here’s what you’ll find inside the program: 

STEP-BY-STEP TRAINING

Everything you need to know to write like a pro. Story structure. Writing craft. Mindset. Revision. A complete training that you can revisit again and again.

SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY

Our private forum offers support, accountability, and friendship, too! Here’s where you get and offer feedback on your weekly assignments.

PERSONAL MENTORSHIP

Every week we gather live on Zoom to review the week’s lessons, answer all your questions and keep you moving forward. Replays available.

PROMPTS AND TRANSCRIPTS

Every lesson gives you downloadable prompts and exercises to help you practice what you just learned. Written transcripts of each lesson make it easy to review, study, and formulate questions.

LIFETIME ACCESS

Even after our sixteen-week semester is done, you retain access to all your online course materials. You’ll be able to review the entire program on your own timetable and revisit your course materials whenever you begin a new project.

A CHANCE TO GO DEEPER

Once you complete the program, you’ll be invited to join Storytellers’ Circle. This tight-knit community meets weekly for accountability, feedback, and mentorship with Maryrose and your fellow storytellers.

Amazing! How can I enroll?

I have read so many stories that I thought I knew how to put one together, yet my desk drawer was full of unfinished manuscripts that trailed off in the middle. Using Maryrose’s description of story structure as a blueprint, I can see where my foundations had gaps, shore up my supporting walls and make sure I have everything in place for the climax when it comes. I loved it.

 
Hillary Quinion

This was the perfect course for me to push my writing dreams forward. From the beginning of facing my own resistance, to learning the building blocks of story structure, I have learned so much. Maryrose has taught new concepts to me in a way that I can remember, using great examples from literature. The quality and content is excellent. The lessons are just the right length of time. The online format can be watched over and over, and the transcripts can be read and written on which allows all learning styles to succeed. I like the homework assignments, even though some of them have pushed me out of my comfort zone. The live Q and A has been a delightful bonus that I have looked forward to every week. Not only do I get to have some classmates to see and interact with, the information shared from the questions asked has been extremely valuable.

  

Patricia Hinely

MENTORSHIP MATTERS.

 

Reading is one of life’s great pleasures, for sure. But a finished novel 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 published 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.

Path of the Storyteller is a focused, step-by-step program that will truly flip the switch on how you think about writing fiction. 

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!

I kept receiving the same feedback about my writing: The voice was great, but something seemed to be missing. The thing is that no one could say exactly what it was that was missing except to vaguely suggest plot or structure. Maryrose Wood’s course really opened my eyes to what that missing piece was. I feel like I have been let into the secret club of storytellers. Now I have the tools I need to move forward and finish writing my book.”

 
Chris Go

For the first time, I feel the very real possibility of being a writer. This program is clarifying my understanding of writing fiction in ways I could never have imagined. In addition, having a community of writers has made me feel like I’ve found my tribe. Maryrose is a generous, loving mentor, who will challenge you to become the writer you always knew, or at least hoped, you could be. She cracks open the fundamental laws of storytelling and then shows you how to use them. It’s pure magic!

 
Nancy Partridge

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! 

Maryrose is an excellent teacher: straightforward, humorous, encouraging and experienced. I looked forward to her lesson videos, which were packed with information. Those were backed up with a transcript and opportunities to immediately use what you had learned. The live Q&A sessions and a forum in which student writers could read and critique each others’ work were also extremely valuable. The weeks flew by and I could see my own progress. What a pleasure to learn all this, in this way.

 
Terri Risdon

The format is fantastic; the lessons really feel like sitting down in Maryrose’s living room for a chat with a sage mentor, and I love the prompts and the ability to share them to the forum. It’s helped me make time for my writing and shaken the dust off my long-dormant creative energy. There was a great deal of guidance but not with a heavy hand, so it felt applicable to any genre of writing. This has been a fantastic way to bring writing back to the forefront of my days, and has really helped direct and grow my storytelling.”

 
Katherine Cullis
I want this training & community too

IS THIS PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOU?

 

Path of the Storyteller™ will change the way you think about writing. It will teach you not only what good writing craft is and how to achieve it, but why it works the way it does to deliver a great experience to the reader.

I have to warn you, though—this course is not for you if:

  • You think good writing 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 an engaging, in-depth, one-semester course, with content you can consume on your own schedule, prompts to show you exactly how to practice what you’re learning, a small group of fellow storytellers to cheer you on, and a skilled mentor to support you and answer questions every step along the way?

It’s time to get on the path. 

Life changing, one of the best decisions I’ve made, worth more than I paid, a magical experience... these are all true. I came here knowing I want to write—this cemented the deal. I also came here knowing what holes I had in my writing ability. This program provided tools and then gave other tools I didn’t even know I needed. I am so grateful that Maryrose is my mentor!”

 
Kathryn Rizzo

To learn the difference between good storytelling and good writing is exactly what I needed to move on with my work. Through Maryrose’s practical and generous instruction, not only do I see a path through the novel-writing woods, but I have a map, flashlight, compass, and snacks to take with me on my journey. I can’t describe how grateful I am for the Path of the Storyteller program. I now have a lifetime of storytelling strategies and renewed energy to invigorate my writing practice. This program will remind you why you fell in love with story and why you write.”

 
Cynthia Grady

SEATS ARE LIMITED

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There are stories only you can tell.

Get on the path today.

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