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!

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!

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.

• 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.

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.

One of the jobs many indie publishers farm out is cover design. Certainly, the most visible marketing tool today is your cover. During the days of physical bookstores all people saw of most books were the spines of the book. But today with online stores, every book is "face front."

However, you don't have to spend a lot of money to create an attractive book cover that reflects your vision and sells your book. In this course, you will learn the functions of a book cover, the basic principles of design, color, and layout, and how to use free tools to create your cover.

Topics:

• The functions served by a book cover
• Marketing and Cover Design
• Basic Design Elements
• Image selection
• Font Selection
• Layout
• The Principle of Thirds
• The Power of Color
• Using Kindle Cover Creator
• Using Pixlr Advanced

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.

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!

Sexual tension is something we all understand on some level, but it can be surprisingly difficult to get right on the page. How much? How long? Should you build and build or build--satisfy--build etc? It's important to strike a balance so readers feel satisfied with the payoff.

Lesson One: What is (and is not) sexual tension?
Lesson Two: Creating physical tension
Lesson Three: Creating Emotional Tension
Lesson Four: Keeping tension realistic
Lesson Five: Putting it all together

This course is appropriate for authors in all parts of their writing journey.

Good characters are the secret to success in commercial fiction. In this workshop we'll delve deep into your character's goals, fears, and emotional wounds to better understand their motivations and create characters your reader never forgets.

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.

Not into newsletters? You’re not alone! What to talk about, how much of you to put on the page, and then when you do, who’s going to want to read it? How do you get it out there?

In this class we’ll deep dive into finding your brand voice, come up with content you can move forward with, and develop an actionable plan to get your words on the page and in front of people who want to read them.

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.

The best way to make connections with potential readers is face to face - but many of us don’t know the first thing about selling our books in person!

In this course we’ll explore the art of hand selling your books, including the benefits of the perfect elevator pitch and ways to find hand selling opportunities in your community. Don’t be afraid - get out there and put your books on readers’ shelves!

Course Goals: By the end of this course students will:

• Feel empowered to hand sell their own books at events ranging from bookstore signings to comic conventions
• Understand the benefits and drawbacks of hand selling.
• Have tools to deal with awkward situations and uncertain buyers.
• Be able to set up hand selling events in their own community.

Week One:

• What is Hand Selling?
• Benefits and Drawbacks of Hand Selling
• The Elevator Pitch

Week Two:

• Hand Selling Energy
• Awkward Situations and Uncertain Buyers
• Setting up Hand Selling Events in Your Community

In Using Backstory to Enhance Your Novel, students will examine how to use backstory effectively to enhance their stories using elements of a character’s past.

We will cover:

• What is Backstory?
• Flashbacks and How to Use Them,
• The Five Ws of Backstory—Who, What, Where, When and Why—of a character’s past.
• Prologues—how to use a prologue to provide backstory.
• Dialogue—how to manipulate your readers by using a character’s dialogue to hint at backstory.
• Weaving—how to weave backstory into your story.
• Inner Thought—revealing your character’s backstory through inner thought.
• What Do They Want?—how your character’s backstory can affect his goals.
• Bonus - The New Way to Plot: Plotting With Backstory.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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!

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

Our Pitchfest is still your next best chance to land that perfect agent or (and) sell your book to the publisher of your dreams! We open up the SavvyAuthor’s site for three fun-filled and exciting days where you post your pitch on our blog to a bevy of agents and editors.

Not sure what Pitchfest is? Check out our information page and our FAQ.

Still have questions?

Contact Us!