Hi Reader,
Happy New Year! I hope that the holiday season has brought you joy and creativity—two of the most important things in life.
Sometimes it can feel hard to catch our breaths during this time, but for me, when the weather is chilly or rainy, I find myself turning inward, rather than outward. I’ve been feeling like hunkering down, getting cozy and watching movies with my family. And so we’ve been doing a lot of that in between bike rides and trying to wrangle the house back into a post-holiday orderly shape.
It's from these cozy movie sessions that I bring you this week’s craft lesson. Every year, my husband and I watch the Back to the Future movies around the New Year. We love them, even though we can quote every line and have seen them a bazillion times. But this year, my daughter seemed old enough to watch them with us. Turns out, they hooked her too.
But why?
My take…because of the tension derived from obstacles and stakes Marty McFly must overcome to get back to his present-day 1985.
Before I unpack this in one of my most popular blog posts of the last few years, I wanted to also mention a few upcoming things I’m kicking off in the New Year.
First, if you haven’t already entered to win a free mini pitch package critique, you can do so by filling out my end of the year survey here. I’m picking three winners.
Second, save the date…on Tuesday January 14th at 9am PT, I’m hosting a free virtual workshop: Taming the First Draft: Build a Plan to Transform Your Novel
If, like me, your goal in 2025 is to finally query that book, then you’ll need to make sure it’s rock-solid and compelling. To do that—to shape a crappy first draft into something that looks and reads more like an actual book that agents are drooling over—you’ll need an easy-to-follow revision plan. That’s what I’m hoping you’ll walk away from this workshop holding in your hands.
If you, too have a messy first draft and no idea where to start revising, join me for Taming the First Draft, a hands-on workshop designed to help writers craft a clear, actionable plan to transform their manuscripts into propulsive novels that will have a higher chance of standing out in the slush.
In this workshop, you’ll learn:
✨How to approach your revision with confidence and clarity, avoiding overwhelm.
✨Mindset strategies to keep you motivated and focused throughout the process.
✨Practical considerations for tackling the hard work of rewriting and restructuring.
✨The Story Editor's Hierarchy of Needs—a framework to prioritize revisions and fix what's most important first.
✨How to assess your novel with a critical, clear-eyed perspective.
✨Essential tools and techniques to shape your story into its best version.
Whether you’re feeling lost after finishing your first draft or struggling to organize your revision process, this workshop will give you the skills and strategies you need to take the next step with confidence.
If your goal in 2025 is to query agents, learn how to tame the chaos of a first draft and take your story to the next level.
📅Date & Time: Tuesday, January 14th, 9am PT
📍Location: Online
🎟️Register now to save your free spot! Get on the list here
Finally, I’m thrilled to announce my Revision Workshop will officially kick off on Tuesday January 28th. So if you’re serious about revising that book and want an in-depth, small group, encouraging experience, I hope you’ll join me.
Let’s make 2025 the year your writing journey really takes off.
Okay—back to your craft lesson for the week through the lens of Back to the Future. In this blog article, you can learn how to heighten tension and stakes in your own novel to make it more propulsive.
Read it here.
Happy New Year, writer friends! I look forward to serving you and helping you improve your craft in 2025. Thanks for being here!
Happy writing,
Karyn
P.S. Loving these emails? Buy me a cup of tea to say thanks. Or you can book a free 30-min story strategy chat here if you're interested in getting specific help with your book.
Granite Bay, CA
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