You finished your book. You cried. You celebrated. You swore you'd never look at it again. And then... the feedback arrived.

Welcome to the part of the writing process no one talks about enough: edits—the necessary but often soul-crushing step between “I wrote a book!” and “I wrote a great book.”

In this two-hour virtual workshop, bestselling author and editor Rea Frey (who recently rewrote her entire thriller in two weeks) will walk you through exactly how to approach edits without spiraling into self-doubt, analysis paralysis, or burning your manuscript in a ritual fire.

Using real-life examples and client case studies, Rea will demystify the editorial process and share a repeatable, sanity-saving method to move from raw feedback to a polished, submission-ready draft.

Whether you're staring down an editorial letter, facing beta reader notes, or simply trying to revise your own work with fresh eyes, this workshop will give you the tools, structure, and mindset you need to tackle edits with confidence (and maybe even joy).

You’ll Learn:

• The 5 emotional stages of receiving feedback (and how to move through them)
• How to separate critique from identity
• The difference between micro vs. macro edits—and which to start with
• How to map, re-outline, and restructure your story without losing the heart
• What feedback to take, what to toss, and how to trust your own voice
• How to turn overwhelm into a clear, actionable revision plan

Includes:

• Live Q&A
• Downloadable Revision Framework
• Real-world case studies from Rea’s own editorial experience
• Optional hot seat coaching for brave volunteers

Ideal for:
Writers of all genres who want to strengthen their manuscript and survive the emotional minefield of edits—without giving up on their story (or themselves).

Your story may be full of twists, turns, and action-packed adventure. But the truth is, even in the most plot-driven blockbusters and the most traditional mystery, readers and watchers want to follow a character on an arc. Without that internal arc adding emotional resonance, even the most tightly plotted story can become confusing and forgettable.

In this session, Karen Krumpak will discuss the ways plot affects character and vice versa, making the most of your opening scenes to set up later growth, and enhancing your story by adding a character arc at any stage of the writing process.

In addition to writers looking to add affecting character moments to plot-based stories without bogging down the pace, this presentation will also be useful to writers looking to create as much emotional impact as possible while clearly and concisely detailing their plot in a synopsis.

This presentation will cover:

• Why an internal character arc is essential
• Unique characters vs. a character arc
• Understanding how your character changes (or doesn’t)
• Outlining simplified: a bare bones approach to the internal arc
• Integrating the internal arc with the external, plot-based arc
• Adding internal arcs as B plots and C plots
• Examples of stories that seem to lack a character arc
• Incorporating the internal arc into the synopsis and query letter
• Q&A

What attendees have said ...

Karen presented detailed content and good demonstrative examples of concepts presented. Liked the brief pauses to think about my own characters arc in context of concepts presented. Appreciated the recording as it is difficult to listen to presenter to absorb info and take notes at same time.

The simple exercises we were given gave me a completely different way to arrive at who my character was, based on her imperfect environment and how she navigates it. I had a huge AHA moment, and I can't wait to start writing!

When we have a book idea, we often don't know where to start. We ask, is this idea any good? Is it worth doing? Am I good enough to do it?

In this session, Amy Goldmacher will take you through an interactive process that will get you clear on your book idea so you can write it (or the proposal for it):

• What You Want To Say: You get crystal clear on the core concept that encapsulates what you want to say with this book and develop the content that serves and delights your readers.
• How You Say It: You develop the structure and organization that best serves your work and helps your audiences experience your content powerfully.
• Who Needs To Hear It: You pinpoint your specific audience(s) and determine the best route to reach them that also meets your unique goals and needs.
• How You Talk About It: You describe your book in terms audiences understand it, including agents and publishers as well as your readers.

This session are for any writer, whether you’re writing fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, and whether you’re:

• At the very beginning stage with a great idea—or several—and don’t know where or how to start.
• In the drafting stage.
• Have a complete, revised, and edited manuscript and are ready to seek agents or publishers.

Take a 30,000-foot view of your project and get feedback for improvement. After this session, you will feel confident that your book idea has what it takes to succeed.

Strong bones create strong stories. Build your Book Skeleton—and bring your story to life.

Most writers get stuck not because they lack talent—but because they lack structure.
Without a clear framework, even the best ideas collapse under the weight of confusion, doubt, and endless rewrites.

In The Book Skeleton, bestselling author and book coach Rea Frey will guide you through building the invisible structure that every strong book needs. Before you write a single word, you’ll design the "bones" of your story—giving you a clear, flexible blueprint to move forward with confidence, momentum, and creative flow.

This is not another overwhelming outline session. This is about creating a living, breathing skeleton that holds up your story’s spine, heart, ribs, and limbs—so you can finally start writing without fear or guesswork.

In this session, you'll learn:

• The 5 essential bones every book must have
• How to create a simple Movement Map for your story
• How to design chapters that feel purposeful, dynamic, and necessary
• How to stop second-guessing yourself and write with real clarity
• How to start strong and keep going—without losing your voice

You'll Leave With:

• A complete Book Skeleton template for your current project
• A Movement Map for your story’s beginning, middle, and end
• A Chapter Blueprint you can use again and again
• Your first 1,000 words written (or ready to flow!)
• A new sense of possibility—and proof that you already know how to begin

This workshop is for you if:

• You have a story idea but don't know how to start
• You've started writing—and gotten stuck
• You want to create a full book without losing creative energy
• You crave structure, but hate rigid outlines
• You’re ready to finally move from dreaming to doing

What attendees have said ...

Rea Frey presented a terrific method for structuring a novel that allows room for movement and change. Unlike so many speakers, she's traditionally published and knows what she's talking about. I highly recommend this course. - Lucy Sanna, author THE CHERRY HARVEST (William Morrow)

She was very knowledgeable and clear.  Loved her approach and hand-outs. 

Easy to follow. Plenty of examples. The framework reminded me of some instructional design aspects, which was an aha moment as something I’ve been chewing on came together.