Story Sensei

I recently was cleaning out my file cabinets and came across a print-out of this article on writer's block that I'd forgotten about. In re-reading it, I was struck anew with how interesting and informative it is. Or maybe I just liked it because it appeals to the geek in me, since it addresses the psychological and neurological basis of writer's block. Anyway, here's the link in case you're interested: Writer's Block: Is It All in Your Head? by Leslie What

I’ve just published a revised edition of my Heroine’s Journey worksheet! It’s $2.99 on Kindle , iBooks , Kobo , Nook , and Smashwords . Here’s more information about it: I was asked to describe my Heroine’s Journey many times and I even taught several workshops on it at writer’s conferences, and so I decided to write a more detailed worksheet on the subject. I read about the Heroine’s Journey from several books and compiled what I learned here in one place. This is the same worksheet I myself use for my own novels. Why the Heroine’s Journey? Sometimes the story arc of a female character will differ from the traditional Hero’s Journey because culture and time period will affect the character in accordance with her gender. This will create specific psychological differences in how a male and female character will respond to conflict in a story. Joseph Campbell’s original book is based on the writings of psychoanalysts and the world myths. The Hero With a Thousand Faces is a psych...

I managed to update and add lots of new stuff to my Synopsis worksheets, and they are now available on Kindle , iBooks , Kobo , Nook , and Smashwords for only $0.99. There are new examples in the worksheet, and I also added an Appendix. Here’s the info on the updated worksheet: Has your fiction manuscript been rejected by literary agents or traditional publishing houses, and you're not sure why? Do you feel something's "off" with your novel, but you don't know what? Sometimes the problem isn't the writing—it's the characterization or the overall story structure. If you think this might be a problem with your manuscript, you don't want to pay for a freelance editor when you could fix those story elements yourself. The Story Sensei’s Synopsis worksheet was designed as a way for fiction writers to not only write a synopsis, but also doctor their own manuscript by utilizing a large-scale, bird’s eye view of their stories. This different way of l...

Hey everybody! I'll be releasing my Story Sensei worksheets as ebooks in a few weeks. I'll be posting about them here on this blog, but if you'd also like emails sent to you when they're available, feel free to subscribe to my Story Sensei newsletter below. I won't clog up your email Inbox--For the first few months, I'll send one email a month because I'll be releasing my worksheets about once a month, but then after that I will only send out emails when I have a new Story Sensei product or a sale. I tend to have new worksheets only about once a year. Thanks a bunch! Subscribe to Camy's Story Sensei mailing list * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name

Hey everybody! Some of you may have noticed that I took down the buy buttons for my worksheets on my website. I am in the process of formatting them to release them as ebooks on Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. If you bought my worksheets, please email me at storysensei [at} gmail.com with the email address and/or name you used when you bought your worksheet(s) so that I can locate your order. Then I’ll be sure to email you an .epub or .mobi copy of your worksheets when they’re updated and formatted. Would you like to be featured in the description of the worksheets on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, iBooks, and Kobobooks.com? I am looking for endorsement blurbs to put in the description of the worksheets when they’re uploaded as ebooks. So if you bought my worksheets, please email me a one or two sentence endorsement blurb about them. If I choose your endorsement, I’ll contact you about how you want to be listed (for example, by your full name or by initials, with your blog or w...

I got this from a Camp NaNoWriMo message and while I can’t use it right now, this would be a great tool for writer’s block while I’m plotting another manuscript. It’s a generator that gives you random secrets for your characters, to help you come up with ideas for deepening characterization or just getting out of a writing rut. This website also has other character detail generators, to give you ideas when you’re creating a character. I checked out a few and they’re neat! If you use this generator, let me know how you like it! I hope to use this at some point in the future. Character Secret Generator

I just learned about this conference today! I already registered and hope to participate next week. It looks like all the "events" will be archived but I'd like to sit in on some of the live events. I pulled this from their website : 15 reasons why you should register for IndieReCon Today!   1. Keynote speakers J.A. Konrath and Barry Eisler are hosting a two hour chat to honestly answer any questions you have. 2. Find out how to face your fears and how to focus on your writing, being creative, and writing to your readers with Bob Mayer, Alicia Vancil, RaShelle Workman, Susan Kaye Quinn, Orna Ross, C.S. Lakin, and Rachel Aaron. 3. Find out all the nitty gritty details on self-publishing basics like pricing, distribution, and formatting from top industry professionals like Miral Sattar, Peter Bowerman, Joel Friedlander, and The Passive Guy (David Vandagriff). 4. Build your marketing skills and publicity skills with K.P. Simmons (InkSlinger PR), David Gaughran, Lori...

This didn’t occur to me until just now, but back in July I gave a workshop on Harlequin.com’s forum boards on Self-Editing, and I featured 5 of the points on my Self-Editing worksheet for free. (I also gave feedback on homework on the forums, but the forum is now locked.) So if you were wondering if you wanted to buy my Self-Editing worksheet, head over to Harlequin.com to check out the forum. Here’s the link to the Self-Editing workshop forum. You’ll need to register (it’s free) for the Harlequin forum boards in order to read it (I think) so you can register/create a Community membership here . If you like the 5 free tips, you can buy my Self-Editing worksheet for $20 for all 11 tips. Note : If you've bought my Deep Point of View worksheet , there are some of those Deep POV tips here in this worksheet. However, the Deep POV worksheet goes into more detail and depth whereas the Deep POV tips in this worksheet are not as extensive. If you're on the fence about if you...

A writer asked me this question: I recently started writing a novel based off a couple friends and I wondering what would happen if we got thrust into a messy world of insane, chaotic, and anything considered un- or supernatural events.  I have already done a bit of tweaking to one character to make her a bit more agressive and aloof, but two other main character (out of four) are rather shy.  In real life, they don't talk much, and while they have come out of their shells quite a bit in the years I have known them, I doubt they'd ever be the type of people to rush head first into a life-or-death fight that could change the fate of the world you see in just about evrry novel on the shelves.  My question is, is it a bad idea to have them in the story?  I think with the dynamic our little group has it would be very interesting as characters, but I don't want them to be critiscized as boring or unoriginal. My feeling is that all characters, whether main or secondary, should...

Heroine's Journey worksheet $5 I was asked to describe my Heroine’s Journey many times and I even taught several workshops on it at writer’s conferences, and so I decided to write a more detailed worksheet on the subject. I read about the Heroine’s Journey from several books and compiled what I learned here in one place. This is the same worksheet I myself use for my own novels. Why the Heroine’s Journey? Because sometimes the story arc of a female character will differ from the traditional Hero’s Journey because of the affects of culture and time period upon the character because of her gender. This will create specific psychological differences in how a male and female character will respond to conflict in a story. Joseph Campbell’s original book is based on the writings of psychoanalysts and the world myths. The Hero With a Thousand Faces is a psychological analysis of the classical myth formula that breaks down the myths into a basic structure, showing the psychological...

Self-Editing tips at eHarlequin I forgot to post this earlier, but I'm posting Deep Editing tips over at the eHarlequin forum boards. I'm going over 5 of the points that are in my Self-Editing worksheet and giving some feedback. I'm only online there until the end of Saturday (sorry for the late notice) if you'd like feedback. Since I'm doing 5 of the points in my worksheet, this will give you a chance to see a sample of my worksheet in case you're still on the fence about buying it. Here's the direct link to the forum: http://community.harlequin.com/showthread.php/1441-Camp-Gonnabe-Self-Editing-with-Camy-Tang Register for my next Synopsis writing class in August I'm not doing as many online classes these days, but for those of you interested, now's the time to register for a Synopsis writing class I'm giving through the Oklahoma Christian Fiction Writers group: Synopsis writing online class ($20 (OKC member) or $25 (non OKC member)) A...

(This post originally appeared on Suite101, but it's no longer there so I'll post it here. :) Make the Character Proactive Rather Than Reactive Eliminate episodic scenes by giving the character an External Goal, Obstacles against that goal, and Forward Movement in the story. A story is more than just good writing. A story plot must have forward motion and a sense of movement that pulls the reader along. Sometimes writers will get feedback that their story “lacks purpose” or is “episodic.” What exactly does that mean? Episodic Writing is Reactive Writing in Vignettes. A character needs more than just to fall into an alternate world and face Scary Monsters. He needs to have a purpose and doggedly pursue that purpose. If he simply goes from one Bad Thing to another, the story lacks direction. When a character simply reacts to the Bad Things that happen to him, he is being reactive rather than proactive, and that can be boring to a reader. It’s also boring to read a...

Because of several writing contracts, I've decided to step back from doing critiques and coaching for most of 2013 in order to save my injured wrists and my health for my books. If you'd like recommendations of other freelance editors who can critique your work sooner, I can suggest: Fiction Fix-It Shop ( http://www.fictionfixitshop.com/ ) Moonshell Books and Editorial, Shelley Bates ( http://www.shelleybates.com/ ) Cheryl Wyatt ( http://www.cherylwyatt.com/ ) Sharon Hinck ( http://www.sharonhinck.com/ ) Just email them through their websites and let them know that Camy suggested you contact them about critiquing. Update: I’ll be teaching an online synopsis class in early August this year, so stay tuned to my blog for when registration opens. I also still have my worksheets available for download: Self-Editing worksheet - $20 New! Deep Point of View worksheet - $10 Price drop! Characterization worksheet - $10 Price drop! Structure/Synopsis worksheet - $5

My wrists are feeling pretty good, so I'm going to be open to scheduling some one-on-one email coaching services. However, because of book deadlines, I won't be able to start any coaching until October. If you know you want to take some coaching from me and you're okay starting later this year, let me know so I can schedule you. In addition to Synopsis one-on-one coaching ($35) and Characterization one-on-one coaching ($35), I am also adding Deep Point of View one-on-one email coaching for $45 and Self-Editing one-on-one email coaching for $45. All my one-on-one coaching lasts four weeks, which gives you a bit more time to get in your homework for the lessons and revise them and resubmit them for additional feedback if you desire. The structure of my one-on-one coaching is the same as my worksheets, but with the addition of my personalized feedback on your specific manuscript. Only one manuscript/character per coaching session, please. Again, I will not be schedul...

NEW SELF-EDITING WORKSHEET! After Katie commented on my author blog about my Self-Editing class, I realized that I could just offer a self-editing worksheet for those of you who wanted to take my online class but couldn't because of timing or cost. So here it is! Self-Editing Worksheet $20 You've finished your novel! How do you make sure you have a good character arc, strong story structure, good pacing? How can you smooth over rough writing patches, eliminate episodic writing, or increase emotional intensity? My Self-Editing worksheet combines a variety of techniques that I have taught in online workshops into one place, with tips to help you refine and polish your manuscript. By the end of the worksheet you'll have: 1) A good large-scale view of your story structure and character arc, and knowledge about how to fix any problems in that area 2) Tips for how to revise more emotion into your writing 3) Tools for solving pacing issues 4) A deeper look at tech...

Online classes in August My wrists are starting to feel better, so I’ve decided to hold four online classes in August for anyone who’s interested: Synopsis writing online class ($30) August 1 - 15 Characterization online class ($30) August 1 - 15 Self-Editing online class ($40) August 15 - 30 Deep Point of View online class ($40) August 15 - 30 Each class (except for Self-Editing) is essentially the same as my worksheets, but in the class, I’ll be giving individual feedback on your homework. Many people have taken my classes multiple times, each time using a different manuscript, because they found the personalized feedback more helpful than just using my worksheets. At the bottom of the post is more information on each of the classes. Pitch Coaching For those of you going to RWA conference at the end of this month or perhaps ACFW conference in September, I am now offering pitch coaching to help you write your pitch and even practice it if you’d like. You will email...

It seems like this happens for every single book I write. I’m in the first quarter of the book, struggling to get the words down. It feels like slogging through New England clam chowder. Then I suddenly remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just write crap. Edit later. Somehow I always forget this. It has happened at some point in every single manuscript I’ve completed. I have to remind myself to just get the words down, no matter how awful they are. The first couple thousand words really ARE crap, but then after that, my right brain creative side takes over and suddenly I’m writing words that are actually rather good. Or at least, words I wouldn’t shudder to read aloud to my mother, the English teacher. :) So if you’re in the first quarter or third of your book--or no matter where you are in it--just remind yourself to get the words down, no matter how execrable they are. Just power through it, don’t cringe at the triteness of your phrases and the cliches popping up like we...

Hey guys, If you've bought and used my worksheets and want to write an endorsement for me, please email me at storysensei {at] gmail [dot} com. I'll post your endorsement on my Endorsements page and also include your name and website if you want, just let me know. Thanks! Camy

I recently had a question on Facebook about passive voice, and Heather let me answer the question on my blog. Thanks Heather! Mrs. Tang, can you recommend resources for overcoming passive voice. PV keeps sneaking it's way into my story! I didn't see a entry about PV on your Story Sensei blog. Any advice? Camy: When a writer mentions “passive voice,” there are actually two different things they could mean. (Or sometimes, they mean both!) 1) passive sentences, meaning sentences with passive verbs instead of active verbs Or 2) a passive writer’s voice, meaning the writing itself is rather stale rather than active and vibrant PASSIVE SENTENCES: Passive verbs like “was” and “were” are small and almost unnoticeable, but they tend to distance the reader from the story. By replacing passive verbs with strong action verbs, you can improve the prose dramatically. For passive sentences, I have a quick and dirty solution that I use all the time. First, I write the manusc...

I got the below message from Michael, who graciously agreed to let me answer his questions on the blog in case some of his questions are those some of you are curious about, too. Hi Camy, Do you have any tutorials, suggestions, tips on how to ‘hear’ a character’s voice? It is a problem that continually vexes me. I have some evil dudes and their voice, the sound of their voice, is not something I’ve been able to hear in my head. I’ve searched on you tube for evil voices, experimented with voice altering software and tried to imagine it. And sometimes, when I imagine the voice, I can hear how I want it to sound, but I can’t retain the memory of so lose it for the future. To hear the character’s voice, or at least a close approximation, would do so much for writing their dialog. What do you do? Do you have that problem? Any solutions out there for aspiring writers? Camy: That's a good question! I often have to resort to different measures to be able to write different ch...