WHAT You'LL Learn

Designed for serious writers who want deeper feedback, focused writing time, and personalized guidance.

Character, Emotion & Reader Engagement

The disadvantages of “character arcs” and how to overcome them.
How to tap into emotion without melodrama or manipulation.
Why character intention matters more than motivation, and how to clarify it in every scene.
The difference between character flaws and character vulnerability—and why including a “fatal flaw” can sabotage your story’s ending.
How to shape dilemmas that invite readers to worry about your characters—and when not to.
Five ways to make your character immediately come alive to your readers.
The role of reader empathy—and why it’s often overrated.
Why it’s essential for characters to fail in order for a story to proceed.
What a character’s choices reveal about them—and the three types of desire they might have.
Specific tips on creating moral dilemmas that engage readers, reveal characterization, and create intriguing, unpredictable climaxes.
Why struggles are incubators for growth—and why sacrifices that mean nothing to characters mean nothing to readers.
Six ways to determine who the true protagonist is when you have more than one main character.
Character management: when and how to introduce characters, how to make them intriguing, and when to avoid doing so.
A dozen ways to make a villain more formidable—and what to do if they become more interesting than your hero.
How to use settings to either inhibit your character’s pursuit or enhance it.

How to write a scene even when you don’t know where it will lead or what will happen within it.
How to know exactly when to summarize a scene and when to render one.
Why traditional advice about “rising action” is misleading—and what to include instead.
Ways to tap into the contingent aspects of fiction to avoid coincidences and deus ex machina.
The six specific things your opening needs to accomplish—besides “hooking” readers’ attention.
The difference between stated and implied narrative promises, why it matters, and when to use each.
How the three-act paradigm can undermine your story and shackle your characters—and what to focus on instead to shape a powerful story.
The three realms of struggles within a story and what readers expect to happen within each of them.
Causality and how it affects the movement of every action, the progression of every scene, and the emergence of every twist.
How scenes work—and why you should never include one “just for characterization.”
Why pursuit is more important than plot—and how that insight can shape every scene in your manuscript.
How to start scenes, what stalls them out, and what propels them forward.
Why action can sometimes undermine tension—and what to do about it.
The importance of despair and the “moment when all seems lost,” no matter what genre you’re writing in.
Why conflict does not equal tension, difficulty does not equal dilemma, and structure does not equal story.

The central role of tension in driving a story forward—and how to enhance it through unmet desire.
Why tension doesn’t necessarily come from conflict—and why you should focus on tightening tension instead of simply adding conflict.
The disadvantages of writing the first draft all the way through before editing—and why you might want to revise as you go.
How to write a better story by starting now, even when you don’t yet know the ending.
The dynamic between details and description—and how to leverage both effectively.
The importance of believability and how to make any event in your story more convincing.
Why it’s often more important to clearly state your dilemma than your theme.
How to create believable twists that won’t feel contrived, predictable, or outlandish.
The disadvantages of critique groups—and a dozen ways to make them more productive if you choose to join one.
How to identify the five different types of plot flaws—and practical ways to fix them.
A dozen ways to improve your dialogue and make it more realistic and poignant.
The five reasons readers keep flipping pages—and why you never want to rely on the last one.

And much, much more…

The Problem

You’re a good writer.
Your prose is solid.
Your plots work.
Your critique partners nod.

But something still feels restrained.
The pages don’t yet demand to be turned.

You don’t need fundamentals.

You need elevation.

This event is for you.

The PROMISE

A select group of serious novelists will gather for:

WHO IS THE AFI FOR?

This institute is for writers who:

This is not for beginners.
This is not for hobbyists.
This is not for formula seekers.

WHAT MAKES THIS Event DIFFERENT?

Small group.
Direct access.
Real-time critique.
No panels.

No fluff.

No filler.
Just dozens of sessions packed with transformative narrative insights.