>>> GO STRAIGHT TO THE SIGN UP FORM <<<
What’s the One Scene Workshop?
Got a scene that’s giving you trouble? Trying to figure out why your prose isn’t shining as much as it could? Having difficulty overall with description, dialogue or honing your voice as a writer? In this One Scene Workshop, I’ll take a look at a scene of your choice from your current work in progress, up to 1.5k words in length, and analyze what’s going right and what’s going wrong, from large picture things like genre, themes, and craft, as well as digging into the nitty gritty—is there too much dead wood in the prose? Are you misusing passive voice? Could your descriptions benefit from sharper, more evocative diction? Does the scene achieve what you want it to? What are your flaws as a writer (we all have them) and how can you learn to overcome them and apply better writing to your work in progress as a whole?
The workshop itself will take place in a one-on-one Discord call for up to 2 hours. I will read your scene beforehand, taking thorough notes, and start the session with those notes. I’ll guide you through options for fixing each issue based on how you want your writing to feel, and what you want your prose to achieve. This is not a workshop designed to teach anyone how to write like me, but how to get your own voice as a writer to come out clearer and stronger.
This course is entirely centered around receiving constructive criticism of your work and talking through that. If you cannot handle criticism of your work, this is not the workshop for you.
Testimonials
“Having Soren’s eyes on a scene is completely invaluable – he has a wealth of experience and a real knack for tone, voice and plot. If you’re struggling with a scene, or want to refine it to excellence, you should book one of his workshops!” – Lukan
“Soren has a practiced knowledge of striking atmospheres, realistic characterization, and satisfying plots. They will teach you how to turn your drafted ideas into impressive prose.” – 0plus2equals1
Because this workshop is new, I’m still feeling out the price. As of May 16, 2024, I have two slots open for $100. After that, the price will be adjusted to a rate that better fits the effort put in. No rain checks are allowed on this intro price. Please see the bottom of this post with “terms & conditions” for questions regarding refunds.
>>> link to google form in case the image above doesn’t work <<<
Please fill out the google form above to sign up for the workshop, and I will be in contact with you within a few days (please understand I do not do work email on the weekends.)
Once accepted for the workshop, I will need:
– A scene from your current work in progress around 1k words (maximum ~1.5k). Please paste this into a new google doc with comments enabled so I can take notes & we can both view them together. Be sure to include the title of your book and your author name in the document so I know it’s yours.
– A quick summary of your book (around 1k is ideal) and where the scene falls in the plot so I have context for it. If you want to provide extra context for the scene (what happens just before it, or just after it), or separate character profiles, please feel free to provide them.
– A summation of what’s troubling you with the scene and/or your writing. Do you want to focus on dialogue? Description? Are you afraid the scene is too boring, the action is flat, or are you just nebulously unsatisfied with it/your writing? If you have a writer whose prose you enjoy and want to emulate, copy out a paragraph or two for me and explain what you like about it.
TERMS & CONDITIONS:
This course is not intended for non-fiction, fan fiction, or poetry. Please do not submit a scene if you need help with figuring out larger plot points/outlining (or where to put this scene in your book), world building, creating characters, or character motivation, as these all fall heavily outside the scope of a 2 hour single scene workshop. If you would like to hire me for some of that work, feel free to reach out. Please do not submit a sex scene.
For the duration of the Discord call, you must be able to access a relatively quiet place so we can both hear & understand each other well. I will be screensharing the document containing your scene, and you will need to be able to see the screen. The two hour time limit does not include taking breaks, if necessary, but please do your best to allot a stretch of 2 hours that can be as uninterrupted as possible.
While I would like to be as entirely accommodating as possible, I unfortunately cannot offer this workshop in any other format other than a Discord call. I have pretty bad RSIs in my dominant arm which makes typing difficult, and while dictation does exist, it tends to struggle with punctuation, weird things it deems profanity, and the names of characters, places, and settings, which makes talking about books pretty hard! If you absolutely cannot speak on the call, we can entertain the idea of me talking in a call and you typing out responses, though this will make communication take longer, and we may get through less in the 2 hours allotted.
Payment is required in full up front via PayPal. Upon payment received, we will schedule a date for the call within the next week or two at a time that works for both of us. Please understand that I am located in Pacific Time, so available call times for most time zones will be from the early afternoon into the evening, and I pretty solidly refuse to work on a Saturday.
All writing and identifying information you send to me will remain entirely confidential.
Refunds & Cancellation:
I do not offer full refunds for cancellation. If you cancel before I start work reading and editing your scene, you will receive a 75% refund.
If you cancel after I’ve edited your scene, or do not show up to the scheduled Discord call and cancel without rescheduling, you will receive a 25% refund.
I reserve the right to refuse to take on a project for any reason. Hatred, purposeful misgendering, or general creepiness will not be tolerated. I reserve the right to cancel the workshop and provide no refund if you are hateful, weird, ignore boundaries, etc.