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!

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.

FALL 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.

Reinvent the Magic: Write a Fractured Fairy Tale with June Diehl

Ready to turn classic fairy tales on their heads? In Fractured Fairy Tales, you’ll learn to take
beloved stories and transform them into fresh, surprising narratives that captivate and resonate
with modern readers. From changing settings and adding plot twists to exploring new points of
view, each lesson will guide you in reimagining fairy tales that are uniquely your own.

Here’s what you’ll dive into:
  • Lesson 1: Break tradition and discover what makes a fractured fairy tale.
  • Lesson 2: Experiment with new worlds and time periods to set your tale apart.
  • Lesson 3: Add depth to classic characters, making them as complex as they are
  • compelling.
  • Lesson 4: Switch up perspectives to bring fresh insight to familiar tales.
  • Lesson 5: Blend fairy tales with genres like horror, sci-fi, and romance.
  • Lesson 6: Explore timeless themes with a modern twist.
  • Lesson 7: Build conflicts and plot twists that surprise and engage.
  • Lesson 8: Craft endings that leave a lasting impact on your readers.
If you’re excited to take the “happily ever after” to new, unexpected places, this workshop is for
you! Sign up and bring the magic of fractured fairy tales to life.

Shameless Self Promotion with Jen Paquette

Once upon a time, writers could hide in a cabin, draft a book, mail it to a representative, and get started on the next one–never dealing with the public or their readers. Unfortunately, that world is gone, and today’s authors need to tackle the marketing of self-promotion as well as write their books. This course covers 10 actionable steps to promote your work so readers can find their next favorite book–yours!

Session Outcomes:
  1. A practical list of strategies to promote your work
  2. Tips for introverted writers who don’t love social media
  3. The reassurance that readers deserve to see your stories
You'll also learn about:
  • Establishing your Brand
  • Mastering your Pitch
  • Finding your Niche
  • Automating everything
  • Sending your Newsletter
  • Engaging with Fellow Authors and Readers
  • Talking about your books IRL
  • And MORE!

How to Break into E-Book Writing with Irene Roth

In this workshop, you will learn to unlock the power of your creativity and transform your ideas into a compelling e-book in just four weeks.

Whether you're a budding writer, an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone with a passion to share valuable knowledge, this workshop is designed to guide you through the entire process of crafting a high-quality e-book efficiently and effectively.

Using Your Characters' Emotional Wounds for Character Development with Deb Bailey

Develop your characters and create backstory using emotional wounds and inner conflicts.

What motivates your character?
What are the traumas that might be inspiring them to take certain actions?
How to determine what wounds make sense for your characters and your story
Raise the stakes in your story by knowing the triggers that will push your characters forward

Creating a “Murder Book” for your Mystery Novel with Beth Daniels

If you love reading, watching and/or writing murder mysteries, you’ve probably heard the term “Murder Book” somewhere along the way. It’s an American term for what equates to a single case file that has many different elements in play.

Considering the police solve crimes by using a Murder Book, it’s a very handy set up for a writer of mysteries that involve murder, though it could also be created to solve many other crimes as well.

In 4-weeks we’ll convert any idea you have for writing a murder mystery – and this includes a historical one in any country or era where methodological procedures were or could have been used. This is breaking down the various elements that become your plotted case.

Among the things we’ll talk about (and include) are crime scene pictures (ours will be descriptions but think of the colorful words we could use to paint them), evidence at the scene, any tech involved in studying that evidence, and the people and questions asked of them by an officer as the case begins to come together.

If mayhem that results in a character’s death is right up your dark, narrow alley, then come ready to do some heavy-duty sleuthing!

Unmistakable: Craft Your Author Voice & Brand Guide with Lori Walker

Your writing voice is what makes your work undeniably yours—but how do you translate that voice into your author brand?

In this two-week course, you’ll build a personalized Brand Voice Guide that helps you show up consistently across your website, newsletter, and social media without feeling forced or fake.

This isn’t about marketing jargon or corporate branding—it’s about clarifying your creative identity, refining how you talk about your work, and making sure your platform sounds unmistakably like you.

What Fan Fiction Gets Right and What We Can Learn from It with Tere Michaels

Many writers in publishing have made their way from the world of fan fiction, either as readers or writers. What does fan fiction get right – why does it hold so much attention and what can writers learn from its creation, its tropes, its emotional power and its passion?

We will take a journey through the differences between fan fic and “published” works, the differences between tropes here and tropes there, and also what the secret ingredient is that can make your writing pop directly into the hearts and minds of readers.

Writing a series - best move ever or a nightmare? with Cassandra Carr

A lot of authors dream about being able to write books in a series, but there can be a dark side. While writing a series can do good things for your career, there are several things to keep in mind. We'll talk about potential pitfalls and advantages to help you make better decisions.

This workshop is applicable to writers at any stage of their journey.
  • Lesson One: Why even write a series?
  • Lesson Two: The cast of characters and setting
  • Lesson Three: Oh no it's the pigeonhole!
  • Lesson Four: The marketing conundrum
  • Lesson Five: How many is too many?
  • Lesson Six: Make it work for you

How to land a literary agent: perfecting your submission package with Christina Hennemann

  • By ch92
This course is aimed at writers looking to sign with an agent. Writers will have either a complete manuscript or a work-in-progress in the genres of fiction or memoir.

Participants will learn about all parts of a submission package and draft their own querying documents.

Each writer will come away from this workshop with a polished submission package and a clear understanding of the querying process.

Course Outline:
  • Week 1: Query Letter: how to write a query letter & looking at examples
  • Week 2: Synopsis: how to write a synopsis & examples
  • Week 3: Opening pages: how to hook an agent & examples
  • Week 4: Querying strategies: where to find agents, keeping track, interpreting responses, revising - and never give up!

Building Confidence in Self-Editing with Jennifer Paquette

Dreading the moment when your manuscript comes back from the editor dripping in red lines? You can save both of you time and energy with a few basic steps. Sending your work to an editor can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it is possible to make the moment more celebratory than terrifying when you have confidence in your writing quality.

You don't have to be an English major to edit your work for the most common issues that plague manuscripts. Follow these 10 steps before hitting send and your editor will thank you!

Session Outcomes:
  • A handy checklist of ten steps to edit/proofread your manuscript before submission to an editor
  • An understanding of where and more importantly why certain rules apply in the English language
  • A sense of confidence and control when editing that last time--because you know what you're doing and why

Bury the Lead: Effective Ways to Hide Clues Without Hiding Them with Anna Denisch

It’s a known fact that setting can be its own character. Many books, movies, and other forms of entertainment have used the setting to create both emotion and movement in a plot. But creating the character of your setting isn’t always easy, and the genre you’re writing in can greatly affect how your setting plays out. When crafting a mystery, you can use the setting to mirror character actions and set the perfect tone for your carefully crafted case. This workshop will explore how setting is used in mystery stories and why it’s so effective.

Lesson One: Sub-Genre and Settings - Learn how to pick your setting based on your mystery sub-grene (or how to effectively go against the grain).

Lesson Two: Descriptive Writing - Learn ways to craft prose that helps set the scene in your story, without going overboard.

Lesson Three: Scenery Change - Understand how to effectively change your scenery when moving characters around the map.

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

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.

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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