Working With Emily: 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". 
​Emily's Foundation:
  • 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.
  • What If?℠ A magical technique to get your plot roaring.
  • Open the Door... and Your Characters Will Walk Through.℠ This is such a fun way to meet and introduce new characters to your story.
​My Annual Writing Retreat For Women Is A Unique Way To Work With Me.
You'll learn all about these techniques and so much more during my seven-day fiction writing retreat for women, held on my beautiful oceanfront property in Bar Harbor, Maine. This year's retreat takes place September 7th-14th, 2019, and you can learn more about it below.
My Seven-Day Writing Retreat For Women, in Bar Harbor, Maine.
 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!
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: 
All my coaching is based on Emily’s Foundation. To discover your plot, we use the technique of “What If?”℠ To meet your characters, we use Open the Door… and Your Characters Will Walk Through.℠ And to build your story, we use The Five Ingredients of the Scene.℠

Working together starts with my introductory program. This includes an initial half-hour conversation, and then a two hour lesson during which we'll evaluate your strengths and weaknesses ​as a writer. Learn more.
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-weeks. 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 previous week.​ 
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.