SavvyAuthors' Accountability Group

Struggling to stay on track with your writing goals? SavvyAuthors' Accountability Group is a supportive group designed to help writers stay consistent, overcome procrastination, and make real progress on their projects.

We will focus on:
  • Goal Setting & Check-Ins: Set writing goals and track your progress.
  • Weekly Accountability Check-ins: Share wins, challenges, and next steps.
  • Encouragement & Support: Connect with like-minded writers to stay motivated.

Whether you’re drafting a novel, editing a manuscript, or just trying to write more regularly, this group will keep you accountable and inspired. Join us and turn your writing dreams into reality!

Unlock the Block: A Brainstorming Group for Stuck Authors with June Diehl

Feeling stuck in your story? Struggling with plot holes, character motivation, or the dreaded writer’s block? Unlock the Block is a supportive brainstorming group designed to help authors break through creative roadblocks and get back to writing with confidence.

This group will help authors:
  • Work through tricky plot points with group feedback.
  • Help develop compelling, well-rounded characters (including root fear, emotional would, and misbelief).
  • Get fresh perspectives on any craft story elements.
  • Overcome any other writing block challenge.
  • Connect with fellow writers who understand the struggle.
Writers can sign up to "share" their story or writing challenge with the brainstorming group each month and get feedback.

Whether you need a simple push or a story overhaul, we’re here to help you find the answers and reignite your creativity. Join us and get unstuck!

SavvyAuthors Writing Craft Book Club (FREE for Subscribers!)

Want to sharpen your writing skills while discussing the best books on the craft? The SavvyAuthors Writing Craft Book Club is a space for authors of all levels to dive into insightful books on storytelling, style, and technique.How it works:
  • Recommendations will be taken and members will vote on the craft book that we will read.
  • Read and discuss books on all things writing, from plot structure to character development. Join a bi-monthly video chat to discuss the book of choice.
  • Share key takeaways and how to apply them to our own work.
  • Engage in writing exercises inspired by each book.
Whether you’re refining your prose, strengthening your storytelling, or seeking fresh inspiration, this club is for you. Join us as we learn from the masters and grow together as writers!

During the bi-monthly video sessions, cameras do not need to be turned on, and there is no pressure for anyone to do so.

SPRING SESSION: Mentoring and Coaching with Editorial Director and Author June Diehl

Are you seeking a coach and mentor who listens? Doesn't squash your writing style? And who provides positive, constructive feedback to meet your goals?

As a certified coach with a background in education and over a decade of working with writers, my goal is to offer you an individualized mentoring/coaching program to help guide you through the writing and publishing process. No part of your writing process is too small or too large for us to tackle together.

We will work as a team on the writing goals that you wish to accomplish during the three-month program.

I am as comfortable working with new writers as with those who have multiple publishing credits. I also read and write across multiple genres and have worked with writers who write fantasy, science fiction, mystery, historical fiction, horror, romance, etc.

The direction of the mentoring and coaching is founded on the goals you wish to accomplish. I am flexible, if the needs arises, in changing the mentoring and coaching to suit your needs and wants. You should come willing and able to work on your writing and be prepared for honest feedback.

Your personalized mentoring/coaching program can include, but is not limited to:
  • Unlimited access via email for brainstorming, coaching, specific questions and regular check-ins,
  • Regular private online chats in the Savvy Authors chatroom, by phone or Skype (schedule and time to be mutually agreed on). NOTE: Most are weekly and from 30-60 minutes.
  • Reviews of your notes, outline and draft or revised manuscript with feedback targeted to take you to the next step with your story, tailored to your current goals,
  • A writing schedule to complete your draft or edits with prompts to remind you of deadlines and regular check-ins to help keep you on track,
  • Mini-lessons, articles, resources and recommended reading as appropriate,
  • Includes coaching on the pitch and the synopsis,
  • Discuss and brainstorm path options for your writing career.
This program is not a workshop or class but those elements may be present at the discretion of the mentor based on the needs of the students. Students should be prepared to engage in regular discussion with the mentor in order to get the best out of this experience.

Enrollment is limited to five (5) students so I can give the attention needed to each writer.

Why Aren’t You Writing Action-Adventure? with Beth Daniels

According to the Gitnux report of September 8th, 2023 (https://blog.gitnux.com/book-sales-by-genre-statistics/), the most popular fiction genre books, based on sales, land in the mystery, thriller and crime niches. Grouped together, they account for 32% of all fiction sales, followed closely by romance with a 30% share of our marketplace. Considering romance alone annually generates over $1 billion in sales, the mystery related titles likely top that. Possibly more since James Patterson personally rakes in $90 million, nearly 70% more than his nearest competitor. But science fiction and fantasy clock in with $590 million, so neither are doing badly either.

The math seems to indicate that there really is only one bestselling genre category out there: action- adventure with niches that include mystery where it isn’t merely a crime to be solved but someone to be found and/or protected, treasure hunts for possibly mystical items or at least long lost ones, ticking clocks, political situations, main characters requiring near super (or at least special forces) one-on-one (or four or five) fighting techniques, then maybe salt with a sprinkle of romance or broken family life.

Yeah, it’s a long list of ingredients. And it can get even longer!

Which is why breaking things down into the elements you write best then ensuring that the story baked up fits in the cake pan is important.

Join me for a month of deconstructing and evaluating those “ingredients” to sort out what type of action-adventure story might have been on simmer in your muse’s kitchen.

Things we’ll look at are:
  • what recipes the writers landing on the bestseller lists (and using metaphorical armored trucks to deliver mega royalties to their bank accounts) use when spinning their stories
  • what percentages of mystery, treasure hunt, political, and pacing rates high on the list
  • how ticking clocks, historical artifacts, and possibly magical realms or practices are worked in
  • and, of course, possibly a bit of romance.

Writing Dialogue with Tere Michaels

Dialogue is an important part of books—whether it’s lighthearted banter revealing character or stoic words hiding real feelings. Characters must sound real and yet talk in a way that conveys their feelings, thoughts and moves the story along—and the truth is, that can often be at odds!

How do you write dialogue that seamlessly blends everything together?

Great dialogue starts with a deeply drawn character. As we build these fictional souls, we cannot leave out how they communicate and how it varies from person to person, emotion to emotion.

We’ll discuss a character’s dialogue profile, including how they handle themselves with friends, loved ones, enemies and strangers. We’ll discuss things like accents and regionalisms, slang (among other things) and the ways they impact HOW a person speaks.

And finally, we’ll talk about the rhythm of writing dialogue, and how we can vary that from scene to scene, to get the most from every word.

Burning Ink: Writing Steamy Romances with NY Times Bestselling author Angela Knight

In this class, a New York Times bestselling author of erotic romance explores how to write romance hot enough to burn the pixels off the screen.

Angela discusses the creation of characters with the kind of intense sensuality needed in erotic romance; building a believable erotic attraction that gets them into bed without turning either of them into a slut; designing a plot in which sex plays a major role in the plot without morphing into porn; and crafting an evolving romance with intense sexuality.

She’ll cover the use of everything from setting to sensual detail to BDSM. Most importantly, she’ll discuss how to give readers something they haven’t seen before.

* Critique include

Page to Pitch: From Idea to Pitch-Ready Manuscript

  • Start Date: Monday May 5
  • End Date: Sunday October 19
Get ready to roll up your sleeves and bring your story to life in this intensive, bootcamp-style writing event designed to take you from a spark of an idea to a polished, pitch-ready manuscript for SavvyAuthor’s Autumn Pitchfest.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or reviving a dusty draft, this event will guide you through every step of the writing process—planning, disciplined writing, editing, and preparing your book for pitching in our October event.

Show Don’t Tell: The Writer’s Golden Rule with Cynthia Owens

Show Don’t Tell: The Writer’s Golden Rule looks at different techniques of putting your readers into your story, and how to use them.

We will cover:
  • Show vs. Tell?—Examines the difference between telling a story and showing it.
  • The Five Senses—How to use the senses effectively.
  • Action!—Using strong, active verbs past.
  • Actions Speak Louder Than Words—Using Body Language.
  • I Second That Emotion—Action, reaction, and inner thought.
  • The Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue—The unique voice and speech tags.
  • The Devil’s in the Details—Using details while avoiding detail overload.
  • Where in the World?—Using setting to show your story.
  • Final Lesson – Show me your show-don’t-tell!

Included in the workshop is a workbook with assignments, checklists, worksheets, and more.

Effortless eBook and Paperback Formatting for Indie Authors with Terri Main

You don’t have to know code or learn complicated programs to format your book for publication. You can format an eBook in a matter of a few minutes just using a word processor. Using a free program, you can format your print volumes in under an hour. This course shows you how

  • A Quick and Easy Method of Formatting an eBook in Minutes
  • Getting Started with Kindle Create
  • Setting a Theme
  • Setting up a Table of Contents
  • Setting up Front Material
  • Finishing Up
  • Uploading to Kindle

Jumpstart Your Platform: Build Bold, Launch Fast with Lori Walker

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about action. Whether you’re starting from scratch or revamping what you’ve already built, this one-week intensive will help you get your platform in shape—fast.

You’ll build (or refine) a functioning website, a newsletter, and social media plan that fits your creative voice and goals. Perfect for writers who are tired of overthinking and ready to actually get their platform live. No matter where you're starting, this course will help you cut through the noise, clarify your message, and make your platform work for you.

Love, Drama, and Storytelling: What Romance Writers Can Learn from K-Dramas with Romy Sommer

Korean dramas have captivated global audiences with their emotionally rich storytelling, slow-burn romances, and unforgettable characters.

In this workshop, we'll explore the narrative techniques that make K-dramas so addictive—such as heightened tension, pacing, deep character development, and masterful use of tropes—and how romance writers can incorporate these elements into their own work.

Whether you're crafting heart-fluttering love stories or high-stakes romantic drama, this workshop will provide inspiration and practical strategies to elevate your writing.

Writing a Paranormal Romance Series with Robin Jeffrey

Interested in penning the first of a paranormal romance series but not sure where to start? This course can help!

We’ll explore the paranormal romance genre, talk about tips for building a series, and workshop your ideas for paranormal romance plots and scenarios in real time!

Will include:
  • What makes a romance paranormal?
  • Paranormal Romance: Challenges and Opportunities Heat Levels
  • A Plots and B Plots From Book to Series: Creating a Series Bible Getting Started and Finally Finishing

Killing Your Darlings - Writing Mysteries with Rebekah Ganiere

Are you a fan of detective shows? Love watching true crime? Read every Agatha Christie novel out there? Can’t get enough of Romantic Mysteries? Well, this is the class for you.

As with any genre there are rules you need to follow to be successful as a genre writer - and Romantic Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries, are no different. Come figure out what it takes to write a mystery or to put a mystery subplot in your book. Learn what you have to setup, where you should introduce things, and one of the best ways to plot out a mystery for your book.

Come have fun learning the best ways to kill people off, and how to make your amateur sleuth not only memorable, but lovable and competent.

Embrace the hot mess: editing your first draft with Christina Hennemann

  • By ch92
This 4-week workshop is for everyone who is working on a long-form work of prose, particularly novels & memoir, but also useful for writers of short stories and essays.

We will take a deep dive into how to self-edit your work, covering everything from developmental to line edits and exploring different editing techniques to find those that suit you best.

Requirements: You should have at least a few chapters of a novel/memoir or a number of stories/essays you can work on. A complete project (or close to completion) would be ideal.

Outline:
  • Overview of editing techniques & the big picture: developmental edits I — structure
  • Developmental edits II — character
  • Developmental edits III — setting
  • Zooming in: line edits

Overview of Direct Sales for Authors with Deb Bailey

Overview of how you can sell your books directly to your readers. We’ll talk some online platforms you can use, how to get paid, and how to deliver your books (and audio books) after the sale.
  • Reasons why selling direct is growing in popularity.
  • Overview of top platforms to use to sell your books directly to your readers.
  • What you’ll need to set up your author storefront.
  • Suggestions for pricing and promotions.

Romance, Romantic Tragedy, & Women's Fiction with Cassandra Carr

Romance is a complicated and far-reaching genre. As writers it can be challenging to properly categorize your story for the purposes of query and sale. In this course, we will talk specifically about romantic tragedy and women's fiction and how each should be used in this process.

This workshop will cover this:
  • What are romantic tragedy and women's fiction?
  • Similarities and differences between romantic tragedy and romance
  • Similarities and differences between women's fiction and romance
  • Okay, then what category is my story - steps to making the correct choice
  • How to clearly explain the genre of your story during the querying and sale process

This course is applicable to writers with all levels of experience.

Unleash the Unseen: Learn to Write Supernatural Horror with June Diehl

Prepare to haunt your readers with tales that leave them breathless and glancing over their shoulders. In Writing Supernatural Horror, you’ll explore the art of crafting horror that goes beyond jump scares—stories that linger in the mind and stir the soul. This workshop will take you through every bone-chilling element of supernatural horror, from creating unsettling atmospheres and unique supernatural creatures to using fear and psychology to its fullest.

Here’s what’s waiting for you:
  • Lesson 1: Dive into the history and origins of supernatural horror to understand its eerie foundations.
  • Lesson 2: Master the art of building tension, crafting atmosphere, and writing horror scenes that terrify.
  • Lesson 3: Bring supernatural creatures to life and invent original lore that grips readers.
  • Lesson 4: Explore classic horror archetypes and tropes, and learn to put your own twist on them.
  • Lesson 5: Harness fear and psychology, and see how supernatural horror blends with other genres.
  • Lesson 6: Design believable supernatural worlds that make the impossible feel real.
  • Lesson 7: Add thematic depth, using fear and psychological tension as story-driving forces.
  • Lesson 8: Write endings that leave readers questioning reality, with a touch of doubt and ambiguity.
If you're ready to transform shadows into stories that captivate and unsettle, this workshop is for you. Sign up and start weaving nightmares that thrill!

Power Up Your Prose with Joan Koster

Explore power verbs, sensory language, literary devices, and more while uncovering creative ways to say that same old thing.

In this workshop, you will learn how to turn clichés into pizazz, give ordinary names punch, and write full force description that makes your mouth water. You will also learn when to say it plain and simple.

*Participants will receive a a full chapter critique of their prose at the end of the workshop as well as extensive word lists.

How to create and cultivate ARC teams with AK Nevermore

Join AK Nevermore, an award-winning author of fantasy, romance, and sci-fi novels, as she shares her experience building an ARC team from the ground up. She’ll break down the strategies that have worked for her and how you can adapt them to your own brand. Learn how to get dependable reviews, build relationships with book bloggers, and how to be creative on a tight budget.

Week 1: Monday
Traditional methods on how to get reviews with resources and the pros and cons of each.
Round table discussion on student experiences

Week 1: Thursday
Defining an ARC, Street Team vs. ARC Team and how each works to support the other and How to find an effective audience for your work
Expansion on round table discussion, answering questions

Week 2: Monday
Resources and exercises on how to vet and onboard team members, and why that’s important.

Week 2: Thursday
How to utilize and your teams, keep them engaged and boost your street cred. on socials.

Our goal?
For you to leave with an actionable plan and way to keep track of their teams.

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