Most stories
don't fail because of bad ideas. They fail because something essential is
missing.
Have you ever
finished a scene and thought:
"This
should be working better than it is."
The characters
are interesting, the dialogue feels natural, and the setting is vivid. On
paper, all the pieces seem to be there. Yet something still isn't connecting.
It's one of the
most frustrating experiences a writer can have because the story feels close.
Not broken. Not terrible. Just not quite alive.
That's why I'm
excited to share two things with you today.
- Enrollment is now open for the 10 Ways to Add Tension to Your Story Draft Masterclass
- And to celebrate the launch of this self-paced course, I'm also kicking off a free 15 Week Story Insights Series.
Over the next
fifteen weeks, we'll explore one of storytelling's most important forces:
tension. We'll look at how it influences reader engagement, pacing, dialogue,
emotional investment, revision, and even how stories function across different
genres.
This series is
not designed to teach the techniques from the course.
Instead, it's
designed to help you see stories differently.
Together, we'll
look beneath the surface of books, films, and television shows to better
understand why some moments linger in our memory while others quietly fade
away.
A powerful
example appears in Pixar's Up.
One reason I
chose Up is that I still remember how surprised I was by how emotionally
invested I became in Carl and Ellie before the main story had even started. Early
in the film, viewers watch Carl and Ellie's life unfold through a largely
wordless montage. We watch dreams form and plans change. We see moments of joy,
disappointment, love, hope, and heartbreak. I don’t remember any dialogue (I
don’t think there was any), yet I knew these characters before the main
adventure had even begun.
The sequence
stays with people because they care.
They care about
the couple. They care about their future. They care about what happens next.
And in many
ways, that's where tension begins.
Not with
explosions.
Not with
villains.
Not with
dramatic twists.
With emotional
investment.
When readers
care, they remain engaged. When they don't, even dramatic scenes can struggle
to hold their attention.
That idea sits
at the heart of this Story Insights series.
The purpose of these emails is to help you recognize why readers respond to stories.
The purpose of the masterclass is different.
Story Insights is about awareness and understanding.
The masterclass is about application.
One helps you notice the patterns.
The other helps you apply them in your own writing.
To celebrate the launch, the masterclass is available at a special Founder's Price of $150 through Cyber Monday.
This is the lowest price the course will ever be offered. Once Founder's Pricing ends, it will not return.
After Cyber Monday, the course will move to the Story Insights Launch Price of $197.
When the launch celebration ends, the course will move to its regular price of $297.
If you've ever struggled to understand why a scene feels flat, why readers lose interest, or why revision sometimes feels like guesswork, this masterclass was created to help writers approach those challenges with greater clarity and confidence.
Explore the course and secure Founder's Pricing while it's available.
Between the
Lines
Something to
notice this week:
Think about a
favorite book, movie, or television show.
- Why did you keep reading or watching?
- Try not to answer with plot.
- What were you hoping for?
- What were you worried about?
- What were you curious to discover?
NEXT WEEK: we'll
explore something every writer encounters at some point:
why readers
quietly drift away from stories that once seemed full of promise.
I'd love to hear your thoughts:
- What's a book, movie, or television show that made you care almost immediately?
- What specifically pulled you in?
Share your
example in the comments. I may feature a few responses in next week's Story
Insights email.
Until next
time!
