Books often start with a simple yearning to explore new territory: topics you find fascinating, characters who won’t leave you alone, good stories you want to share. But manuscripts get unwieldy--fast. Nine out of ten writers never finish their manuscripts because most first-time book writers get lost without good structure and planning.  

How do you imagine great books get written?  Sure, there’s the writing process itself—sitting down, fingers to keyboard or pen to paper.  There’s research and dreaming and maybe even an outline or two.  But there’s more, much more, and it benefits writers to see behind the words to the structure of a book—as they build and revise it.  True for every genre—fiction, memoir, creative nonfiction, and prescriptive nonfiction—these elements of structure make or break your reader’s engagement with your material. 

Mary Carroll Moore, award-winning author of 13 books in three genres and a PEN/Faulkner nominee, will guide you through a simple and successful book-structuring process that can be used at any stage, from idea to revision, all the way to publication.  You’ll learn the essential balance between your narrator or character’s presence on the page, how to create compelling plot or information threads, how backstory and research factor in, and how to create the all-important “container” of your story.  The week will toggle between lively hands-on workshops and time for writing, in-person coaching with Mary and optional activities to activate the right-brain as well as the left:  freewriting, image boards, and more.  You’ll also have time to share your writing for constructive feedback, if desired.

For writers with a book project at any level in nonfiction, memoir, or fiction—from seed idea to draft. Learn why strong structuring is the key to crafting a strong manuscript that will be able to find a home in today's competitive publishing industry.  

"Mary taught me what a successful narrative structure is and how to craft my story within one, both the overall arc and each chapter. Her feedback was always encouraging yet honest, so I could trust her notes. I recommend Mary's support to improve your projects and get things finished."

—Jennifer Louden, bestselling author and writing teacher

"My life and my book changed when I took my first class with Mary in 2012.  I got excited listening to her in the classroom. She's telling me the formula I need for writing my book, I thought.  The exercises we did helped me figure out the point of my book.  I could've gone in so many directions and the class helped me hone in on what I was trying to say."

—Elizabeth diGrazia, author of House of Fire