Scene by Segment

Are you a fiction writer or penning creative nonfiction? Then treat yourself to a 2-hour intensive master class that will change forever (for the good!) the way you approach plotting and writing your fiction scenes.

Today’s reader expects cinematic technique to whisk her into the world of your story, but what are the actual steps to effectively “show, don’t tell”?

Filmmakers have used storyboarding techniques for decades to piece together the camera shots that make up scene segments. Fiction writers can do the same to great effect.

Creating beats or segments that emphasize the key impacting, emotional moments require strategic thought and placement. This is what “Scene by Segment” will teach you.

In this master class, a number of writers will participate in sharing their process of taking a basic scene summary and breaking it into segments that focus on specific camera shots or angles. As we go through a variety of scenes with these writers, you’ll see exactly how to do this with your own manuscripts.

Here are the exciting things you will learn from this intuitive, creative method:

• How to drill down, from the general scene action you have in your head to crafting a powerful visual moment-by-moment experience for your readers
• How segmenting helps you determine exactly which details you need to show through the character’s POV
• How to decide which camera shots you need to drive home key moments in your scene for the strongest emotional impact
• How to work backward, from your last shot, to help you build to your high moment
• Ways to use segmenting to enhance low-energy scenes (such as when characters are internalizing or dialogue-heavy action)

In these two hours together on Zoom, you’ll see why strategically segmenting your scenes is the best and most intuitive way to “show, don’t tell”! Don't worry--you won't be required to draw anything when you do this type of cinematic storyboarding!

Who this master class is for: Fiction writers of any level, who want to write realistic, cinematic scenes

Where: On Zoom. The session will be recorded, so if you can’t make it, no worries. Everyone gets lifetime access to the recording and handouts (you’ll be sent a link to the Teachable portal after the session)

When: Wednesday, April 30, 2025—10:00 a.m. – noon Pacific Time (Los Angeles time)

Cost: $36 US.