Recently Angela Mackintosh was telling us a group of us about the amazing class she is taking. It is Jordan Rosenfeld’s Scene Crafting Masterclass. There are video lessons and a workbook. One of the things that Angela likes best is that the instructor does the lessons as well so that you get to see how her scenes develop. Hmm. I’m getting ready to revise a piece of fiction. I bet my scenes could use some work. To take this course, you must be a member of the Writing Mastery Academy which costs $29/month or $289/year.
I’m in the middle of a series of deadlines so I decided to think it over.
Meanwhile an email dropped into my inbox. I could sign up for Write Way Better Scenes with Anne Hawley and Rachelle Ramirez. It is part of Pages and Platforms. For $159, I would be able to attend three live sessions with video replays for a year.
Was the universe trying to tell me something?
Still, I had a deadline to meet. When I needed a break, I got up and looked around my office. Despite approximately 3.5 board-feet of how-to books, I didn’t have anything specifically on scenes. So I popped over to my library’s site and Amazon, curious about what I would find. The list included:
The Writer’s Guide to Vivid Scenes and Characters by S. A. Soule
The Writer’s Guide to Characters, Plots, and Scenes by S. A. Soule
Fiction Writing Tools by S. A. Soule
The Craft of Scene Writing: Beat by Beat to a Better Script by Jim Mercurio
Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham
Scenes and Sequels: How to Write Page Turning Fiction by Mike Klaasen
As I looked at the list of books I was finding, I realized that most but not all of them focused on scene. Maybe some of the books I have here also have sections on scene. Sure, I focus on writing nonfiction, but a lot of the books I have in 3.5 feet of shelf space are on fiction writing. And there are an embarrassing number that I purchased but haven’t read, haven’t read in their entirety, or haven’t read in a very long time.
In reality, if the universe is trying to tell me something, it is that I have a lot of options. There are a lot of things for me yet to learn about writing. And maybe just maybe I might start that study with what I have here in my office. Not that that reality is going to keep me from signing up for WOW! classes on mystery writing, first chapters, or self-publishing. Let's be serious. I like taking classes.
What are your favorite ways to learn?
--SueBE
- To find out more about her writing, visit her site and blog, One Writer's Journey.
- Click here to find her newsletter.
Sue Bradford Edwards' is the author of over 60 books for young readers.
She is also the instructor for 3 WOW classes which begin on the first Monday of every month. She teaches:
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