The Story Craft Collective

### Story Craft Workshop: Get Feedback For Your Next Great Story

Want to understand how your story lands with real readers? Gain insight from fellow writers as we help your strengthen your craft. Whether you're polishing a novel, drafting a memoir, or exploring a new short story, this group offers a supportive place to share your work and hear how others experience it.

### ✍️ Who This Is For

• Writers seeking honest but kind feedback
• Authors preparing to revise or polish a manuscript
• Anyone who wants to improve their storytelling through discussion
• Readers who enjoy analyzing what makes a scene or character work

### 🔎The Focus

Gain real inspiration that helps you strengthen:

• Story clarity and flow
• Character development and emotional resonance
• Pacing, tension, and reader engagement
• Overall readability and impact

Each session includes guided discussion, gentle critique, and space for questions. Writers take turns sharing short excerpts so everyone has a chance to receive feedback over time.

### WHAT TO EXPECT

### ⭐ Spotlight Reading

Sometimes writers want to hear how their work lands in the moment, without sending pages ahead of time. We offer an optional impromptu reading format that keeps things relaxed and manageable.

• Bring a short excerpt you can read aloud—usually 1–2 pages, or about 3–5 minutes of reading time.
• You read your piece to the group, giving listeners a chance to experience the rhythm, tone, and voice directly from you.
• Listeners share immediate reactions, focusing on clarity, emotional impact, pacing, and anything that stood out.
• Feedback stays gentle and supportive, centered on how the piece felt as a live reading rather than line‑by‑line critique.
• No advance submission required, making it perfect for new material, early drafts, or scenes you’re still exploring.

### 🛠️Story Craft Roundtable

• Submit up to 7 pages before the meeting.
• Participants read the excerpts in advance.
• During the workshop, we discuss impressions, strengths, and opportunities for improvement.
• All genres and experience levels are welcome.

### 📘 Chapter Deep Dive

• One writer can be scheduled for a full chapter review.
• Participants read the chapter in advance.
• During the workshop, we do a full deep dive on the chapter, exploring impressions, strengths, and opportunities for improvement.
• All genres and experience levels are welcome.

### 💡 Story Craft Idea Lab

Problem with a character motivation? Back story not working? Too many plot holes? Sometimes you don’t need pages—you just need help thinking something through. The Story Idea Lab is a short, guided part of the workshop where writers can bring a plot question, a character issue, or a story idea they’re trying to untangle. You’ll briefly describe the challenge, and the group will offer reactions, possibilities, and clarifying questions to help you see new angles. It’s a low‑pressure way to explore motivations, fix sticking points, and strengthen your story’s direction with the support of thoughtful fellow writers.

## 🛡️ Content Guidelines for Submissions

Prose Over Woes is all about positive vibes and nurturing an inclusive and inspiring environment. While we don’t want to limit your creative voice or soften the impact of your story, please consider the guidelines for submissions to keep the workshop comfortable and accessible for everyone. These guidelines help ensure the group remains welcoming to writers with a wide range of comfort levels while still giving you the freedom to explore meaningful relationships, plot, tension, and adult themes.

• Avoid explicit material. Please steer clear of graphic violence, explicit sexual content, or heavy supernatural horror. Romantic and intimate themes are welcome, but they should remain tasteful rather than gratuitous.

• Use strong language thoughtfully. Profanity can appear naturally in character voice. We do not forbid this, but please avoid heavy or repetitive use—especially of the strongest terms like F‑bombs—unless they genuinely serve the character or move the story forward.

• Focus on character and emotion. When exploring adult themes, center the emotional stakes, relationships, and motivations rather than explicit or obscene description.

• Maintain a comfortable environment. These guidelines help keep the workshop welcoming to writers with a wide range of comfort levels while still giving you room to explore meaningful tension, relationships, and mature themes.

###

### How to Submit Your Pages

Don’t hesitate to say hello or start a conversation—we’re building this community together. Reach out, ask questions and plan to have a great time. RSVP and submit your work to Jen at **proseoverwoes@gmail.com**
You will receive:

• Details on how to download participant story pages.
• Link for the Zoom live event.

Stay connected. Join our Facebook Group Prose Over Woes
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1634287290170817