News

Spring Online Class: Structure Your Novel Bootcamp

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I’m excited to bring back my four-week “Structure Your Novel” boot camp, via Catapult. Through reading assignments, exercises, and discussion, you’ll find your story’s central conflict, establish a satisfying arc, and expand your outline. The course is designed for writers in both the drafting and revision stages. We’ll meet Thursday evenings over Zoom.

Read more and sign up here and/or ask me a question.

People are natural storytellers, yet writing a compelling story isn’t always intuitive. This four-week course recognizes that a good story requires technical skill, but that finding that organic and individual story also requires reflection, practice, and conversation.

This course—open to those who have yet to start writing, and those who are revising full-length drafts—guides you in developing a complete story structure for your novel. It provides tools for outlining new projects and finding fresh insight into stalled projects.

In this course, we will use written guides, writing exercises, assigned stories, and discussions to move from premise to detailed synopsis, identifying universal principles that will make your distinct story a satisfying read. Writers will leave with outlines for their works-in-progress and a toolkit of strategies for future projects.

 

New Editorial Services

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After six years of teaching and editing, I’m excited to offer a suite of editorial services to new clients, including:

  • full and partial novel reviews,
  • short story critiques,
  • coaching sessions for beginning, evaluating, and jump-starting fiction projects,
  • and query letter editing.

My goal is to help you identify your story’s core, develop character and conflict, and create a complete and satisfying arc. I want you to walk away with a concrete plan—and renewed excitement—for the revisions to come. I read both literary and genre (and genre-bending!) fiction.

I think of editing as a conversation. I love a back-and-forth over email, phone, or video; dialogue can unearth our greatest insights. I’m also happy to create custom packages to fit your needs and budgets.

Here’s a little more information on my experience, my philosophy, and my rate.

If you’d like to discuss working together, email me at sbf AT stephaniefeldman.com with some details on your work—what it’s about, where you are in the process–and what you hope to gain from a consultation.

With excitement for all the new stories to come in 2021–

Stephanie

Ten Minutes with the Coode Street Podcast

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Thanks to Gary Wolfe and the Coode Street Podcast for inviting me to discuss my favorite recent books and reading and writing during the pandemic. You can download the episode here or find it on your favorite podcast app.

Ten minutes with… is a special series presented by Coode Street that sees readers and booklovers from around the world talk about what they’re reading right now and what’s getting them through these difficult times.

Crawford Award winner Stephanie Feldman joins Gary to talk about the unexpected complexities of virtual Kindergarten; writing about young adult characters and their attraction to the unknown; the appeal of short fiction by Daphne Du Maurier, Joan Aiken, and Angela Carter; the rewards of reading nonfiction; and her recent story “The Staircase” (published in the July 2020 issue of F&SF).

Books mentioned include:

Fall Online Class: Novel Bootcamp

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This October, I’m bringing back my four-week “Structure Your Novel” boot camp, via Catapult. Through reading assignments, exercises, and discussion, you’ll find your story’s central conflict, establish a satisfying arc, and expand your outline. The course is designed for writers in both the drafting and revision stages. We’ll meet Thursday evenings over Zoom.

Read more and sign up here and/or ask me a question.

People are natural storytellers, yet writing a compelling story isn’t always intuitive. This four-week course recognizes that a good story requires technical skill, but that finding that organic and individual story also requires reflection, practice, and conversation.

This course—open to those who have yet to start writing, and those who are revising full-length drafts—guides you in developing a complete story structure for your novel. It provides tools for outlining new projects and finding fresh insight into stalled projects.

In this course, we will use written guides, writing exercises, assigned stories, and discussions to move from premise to detailed synopsis, identifying universal principles that will make your distinct story a satisfying read. Writers will leave with outlines for their works-in-progress and a toolkit of strategies for future projects.

 

Fall Online Class: Foundations of Fiction

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This fall, join me for an 8-week online course on the “Foundations of Fiction,” via Philly’s own Blue Stoop. We’ll spend half of our time reading exemplary stories and discussing the the craft of fiction and the other half practicing our skills and workshopping our own original work. Open to all writers! Monday evenings, Sept. 14-Nov. 9.

Read more and sign up here and/or ask me a question. Financial aid is available.

Storytelling comes to all of us naturally. Fiction writing, on the other hand, is both craft—mastering the “rules”—and art—thoughtfully deploying, bending, and breaking those rules. In this course, we will examine five foundations of fiction: narrative structure, character, voice, place, and dialogue. Our ultimate goal is to turn our unique perspectives and ideas into compelling and satisfying short stories.

In the first half of the term, we will read exemplary stories and essays dedicated to each craft element. You will further explore these elements in writing exercises; these exercises are also designed to guide you in developing your original story. In the second half of the term, you will submit one original story and respond critically to your classmates’ work. The course culminates in a discussion of revision approaches and strategies.

“The Staircase” Available Now

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In our town, there are two roads that cross on top of a hill. Go through the intersection and you’ll tip down toward the mall (east) or the turnpike ramp (west) or the high school (north) or the endless town-house developments (south). But everyone at school says there’s another tipping point there, a fifth cardinal direction.

Specifically, there is a staircase cut into a grassy hill: fifteen wooden planks, the final one inches above the asphalt. If you walk down them, if you take that last step, your foot will never hit the street.

You will disappear.

My new story “The Staircase”–about urban legends, gossip, and what we’ll do to keep our friends–is available now in the July/August 2020 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

You can now order individual paper copies (click the PayPal link) and e-books (all formats).

You can also subscribe! Order paper copy subscriptions from F&SF, a digital subscriptions (all formats) Weightless Books, or Kindle editions.

Events and Critiques to Support the Philadelphia Writers Emergency Fund

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Help support the Philadelphia Writers Emergency Fund, organized by 215 Festival and Blue Stoop to aid area writers, booksellers, and small press employees in financial distress due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, April 25, 4pm, I’ll join Liz Moore, Mecca Sullivan, Ru Freeman, and Jessamine Chan for a donors-only Zoom reading. ($25 donation)

I’m also offering written feedback for a story, chapter, or essay. ($50 donation)

Learn more about fund, give if you can, or apply if you need support.

More rewards:

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