Killer Instincts -- 2008 October

No Drag, No Sag: Pacing Tricks to Keep Your Readers Turning the Pages

Instructor: Marlyn Jordan

Class Description:

What is it about certain books that causes us to stay up all night reading them?

One key answer is PACING.

Pacing includes every aspect of a story from characters to lively writing to plot. If that sounds like too much to get a handle on, never fear. That’s what this workshop is all about.

Here are just some of the topics the class will cover:

How to come up with a high concept story
The importance of motivation arcs
Devising a story that sets the reader up in the beginning and pays off big at the end
Creating bold, interesting characters
The gentle art of plot twisting
Internal vs external plot and how to maximize both
Incorporating archetypes to ratchet up your story
How to use the Three Act Structure to avoid a sagging middle Enhancing subtext
The vital art of rewriting

Marilyn will be providing exercises to apply to your works-in-progress for those who wish to participate along with instructor feedback, but lurkers are more than welcome.

Bios:

Marilyn Jordan is always happy to root out story sag and drag wherever they occur. Even in her youth, this avid reader used to skip the boring parts. She tried hard to keep up the tradition when she started writing her own books and is happy if she can help others do the same.

Marilyn has published novels with Harlequin, Leisure, and Kensington. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a film librarian, a reference librarian, an editor, and a book reviewer.

Marilyn writes both historical and contemporary romance as well as screenplays. She makes her home in sunny Florida with her husband and a small menagerie of cats and dogs.