Crafting Gripping Plots in Novels with Jock Serong
Learn how to use structure to tell a page-turning story
Join Jock Serong, the versatile and award-winning author of five novels, in this unique writing course all about plot and structure in novel-length fiction.
Readers have a deep instinct for story, and the inter-related concepts of plot and structure are the cornerstones of good fiction. This workshop is designed to assist you in pinning down the characters and images that demand to be written to a narrative frame. Through a series of insights from your tutor, along with exercises, examples and further reading, this workshop will give you the practical skills you need to craft a tight and engaging structure for your novel.
You'll learn:
- Different methods to visualise and map your plot
- How to orient yourself and navigate your own work as you write
- How to harness structure at a macro and micro level
- How to experiment with perspective to illuminate meaning
- When — and why — to dispense with structure at critical times
The course is designed to take you 5-6 hours in total, and can be completed in short stages at your convenience. Scroll down to see the full course curriculum and a list of frequently asked questions.
"Just finished Jock Serong's online course on crafting plot and it's a cracker! This reluctant-plotter got a huge amount out of it." — Eliza Henry-Jones
"An excellent workshop by Jock Serong — efficient, straightforward, useful and entertaining."
"A snappy, smart and supportive course for novel writers at any stage of their writing."
"I love how I was able to adapt the exercises to my current work and how the instructions assisted me in the here and now with what I was struggling with. Thank you!!"
"Jock Serong's course is a concise, no-nonsense breakdown of key things to consider when you're structuring your story. His warm, accessible, unpretentious style gives the viewer clear guidance like a colourful manual. He can't possibly cover everything you need to know, of course - but he gives you some terrific foundational tips that greatly help to give any story shape, pace and clarity."
KYD Members receive a 10% discount on this course and all other KYD online courses throughout the year. Become a member here, or contact [email protected] for more information.
Want to buy a course for a friend? Purchase a gift voucher here.
Your Instructor
Jock Serong’s novels have received the Ned Kelly Award for First Fiction, the Colin Roderick Award and the inaugural Staunch Prize (UK). He lives with his family on Victoria’s far west coast, from where he edits the journal of art, ideas and the sea Great Ocean Quarterly, and writes features for a variety of publications including the Guardian, The Monthly, Surfing World, the AFT and The Age/SMH. His most recent novel is The Burning Island.
Course Curriculum
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StartIntroduction
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StartPlotting
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StartExercise: Checking Chekov’s Gun
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StartStructure: Examples
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StartThe Three-Act Structure
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StartYour Teacher: Structuring My New Novel
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StartHooks and Loops
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StartRelentlessness
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StartExercise: Traffic Lights
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StartBreathing
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StartExercise: Breathing
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StartPlot and story
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StartShapes
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StartExercise: Shapes
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StartPlotting Approaches I've Used
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StartIntroduction
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StartTechniques for Catching the Butterflies
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StartExercise: The Snowflake Method
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StartViewing Your Story
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StartExposition
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StartExercise: Changing the Angle
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StartJuggling a Cast of Characters
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StartScenes, More Generally
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StartExercise: Stress-Testing Your Characters
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StartVoice
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StartExercise: Voice
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StartMisdirection, Twists and Laying the Crumbs