On a mission to diversify publishing by helping underrepresented voices write, edit, publish, and market your books. 📚 Tap into your creative spirit, let go of perfectionism, and build writing rituals that fit into your busy life. 🌈 Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look into my journey of publishing my bestselling novel and making six-figures as a storyteller.
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How to create an emotional arc that will keep your audience engaged
Published 18 days ago • 5 min read
School for Writers
with Lauren Marie Fleming
🎭 Emotional arcs keep your audience engaged
Too much drama, they get annoyed. Not enough drama, they get bored. Emotions all over the place, they get confused. This worksheet will help you make sure you strike the right balance.
Dear Reader,
You know what I love about books? The way they take you on an emotional ride. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, the sentiments of a book linger way longer than the action.
Which is why it's important to track the emotional arc of your book.
This month in my Write Your Friggin' Book Already® program (which is opening again very soon to new members!), we're focusing on structure, specifically the emotional roller coaster you take your readers on.
The Hero's Journey Mapped Out (learn about it for free here)
While that whole Hero's Journey is a great one to take your readers on, sometimes it feels like a lot to focus on at once. When you're just starting to write, or doing your first couple rounds of edits, holding that whole roller coaster in your head at once can feel impossible.
That's why I tell my clients to focus on three main points of the book, before getting into the details. They are:
What are your readers feeling in the beginning of your book?
How do their feelings change in the middle?
What is the final feeling your reader is left with in the end?
Keeping these three simple questions in mind as you write and edit your book can help you to make sure your audience has the emotional experience you want them to take away from your book.
I created a worksheet to help you take your reader on an emotional journey.
This worksheet helps you in two ways:
First, it makes sure that each subplot and/or theme in your book has its own overarching story arc and emotional journey. That will give your book depth, intersectionality, and make it feel complete.
Second, it is a great tool for when you’re plotting your book and/or editing it, giving you sections to work on instead of having to look at the whole thing at once.
You can download the worksheet as a Word or PDF file by clicking on the link below:
Sometimes we overcomplicate things, but a book is written through simple steps done consistently. Show up for your creativity and it will show up for you.
My best-seller Because Fat Girl took three weeks to write, but seven years to edit and publish. But now it is in almost every airport and bookstore in the USA.
Simple consistent steps, and camaraderie and coaching to help you when you're stuck.
That's how you get a book finished.
And that's why I make Write Your Friggin' Book Already® a lifetime membership program. Once you're in, you're in. No matter how many bumps are in your road, we're here to help you get your book out into the world through simple, easy steps, and the coaching, camaraderie and accountability to help you take them.
If that sounds like a dream to you, reply to this email and I'll move you to the top of the waitlist for when we open in June.
Until then, I hope this worksheet helps you to start thinking about some simple steps you can take to make your book even better.
Because the world needs your story now more than ever.™
Lauren
P.S. Got questions about the worksheet? Reply and I'll answer them!
📘Helping diverse storytellers thrive.
School for Writers® is on a mission is to diversify publishing by helping you write, edit, publish and market your books.
We want to help you amplify your voice and thrive as a creative being. Check out our website to find some inspiration, grab a freebie, or enroll in a course.
Because the world needs your story now more than ever.™
The bestselling novel that's "warm, open-hearted and utterly inclusive." For everyone who’s ever felt too big, too weird, too queer—or just too much—comes a happily ever after for the rest of us.
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The Writer’s Career Guide: How to Build a Sustainable Creative Life on Your Terms
Want to make a living as a writer without waiting for a bestseller or sacrificing your creativity?
Forget the myth of the starving artist. In The Writer's Career Guide, I show you how to create a thriving writing career on your own terms and reveal exactly how to build a sustainable career that honors both your creativity and your bank account.
Bawdy Love: 10 Steps to Profoundly Loving Your Body
Longing to love your body as it is right now, right here, no exceptions?
Part self-help workbook and part coloring book, Bawdy Love offers practical steps to help you release shame, break free from negative self-talk, and find peace in your own skin.
This empowering book takes you through actionable exercises and thought-provoking prompts, with fun coloring pages of animals and inspiring quotes, illustrated by acclaimed artist Liza Mana Burns.
Looking for other book recs? Check out our faves here.
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My goal is to have you open your inbox and be excited to see an email from me. There are three ways you'll hear from me in your inbox:
School for Writers® – a newsletter hosted on Kit that sends you education and inspiration to help you write, edit, publish, and market your books. (You are reading this one.)
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On a mission to diversify publishing by helping underrepresented voices write, edit, publish, and market your books. 📚 Tap into your creative spirit, let go of perfectionism, and build writing rituals that fit into your busy life. 🌈 Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look into my journey of publishing my bestselling novel and making six-figures as a storyteller.
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