Working With Emily Hanlon: From The First Scene To The Finished Novel

Welcome To The Fiction Writer's Journey!
​​Whether we work together in person, by phone, or you're attending one of my retreats or workshops, the beginning of our journey always begins with a simple fact: A story is built upon plot and characters, which progress from beginning to end through a succession of scenes.

​From this principle I’ve developed three proprietary techniques to guide my students as they learn plot, character, and scene. These three techniques create "Emily’s Foundation". 
​What Is "Emily's Foundation" And How Will It Improve My Writing?
  1. The Five Ingredients of the Scene.℠ We’ll start here during our work together, because these easily understandable five ingredients will enable you to write your very first scene. This is so important, because “getting started” is always the hardest part!
  2. What If?℠ A magical technique to get your plot roaring!
  3. Open the Door... and Your Characters Will Walk Through.℠ This is such a fun way to meet and introduce new characters to your story! Learn more about Emily's Foundation here!
About Emily: ​I’m a writing coach and novelist with a passion for teaching others how to unleash their stories. But this is only the first step when we work together!
The techniques I’ve evolved over the years, which now comprise “Emily’s Foundation”, take you from the beginning – an idea for a plot and one or two vaguely formed characters – to the end – a completed book in which one absorbing scene follows another, with memorable characters and a page-turning plot. ​
​​​​My proprietary techniques have arisen from both my teaching and my writing. I've been a novelist and fiction writing coach for 30 years. I’ve had eight books published, including Petersburg, which was a Best Seller in England. ​ ​Learn more about Emily.
Working With Me As Your Writing Coach: 
If you dream of writing a novel but don’t know how to begin, or you're already in the thick of a story but find yourself stuck while developing characters or plot, the picture prompts on the next page will introduce you to The Five Ingredients Of The Scene.
​Learning about these ingredients are a great way to begin your novel or move beyond a writer's block. To get started, just choose the genre that you're writing.  Learn more.
My Seven-Day Writing Retreat For Women, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
This retreat takes place September 7th-14th, 2019, on my three-acre oceanfront property. During this retreat, you'll discover new sources of inspiration for developing your plot and characters. We'll work with my three proprietary techniques, including The Five Ingredients Of The Scene, to build your story into a page-turner! There will also be time for us to explore Acadia National Park. Explore the 2019 Maine Retreat!
Emily's Ten-Week Fiction Writing Workshops
There's a conference-call workshop that you can join from anywhere in the world, as well as an in-person workshop in Yorktown, NY. Both workshops meet once a week, for ten-week sessions. Workshop size is limited to just six members, which is small enough that we always have time to listen to and discuss everybody’s writing from the prior week.​ See details on my ten-week fiction writing workshops!
Working on my novel with Emily has been an amazing revelation! I had no idea such wonderful characters and stories were inside me. I invariably finish each phone session inspired and energized toward more and more writing. Emily deepens and widens my creativity and intensifies my connection to the muse.

​~ Julie Simon
How I Teach: Emily's Foundation is built from my three proprietary techniques that will power you to complete a memorable work of fiction. ​Learn More.
Getting To Understand You: Understanding who you are as a writer and a person is indispensable to our successful work on the Fiction Writer's Journey. Learn More.