Conflict and Tension: Increasing the Stakes in Your Regency Stories
with WITH Emily EK MurdochRegistration ends April 11, 2025!
Class Description
There’s nothing as bad – and good – as tension and conflict in your books. We need conflict and tension to keep our readers turning those pages, but it’s not as easy to write as we might think.
Improving conflict and tension is crucial, so why not take this month to work on this particular part of your craft?
If you want to:
- Learn about the different types of tension and conflict
- Find historical ways to bring conflict and tension into your stories
- Discover how tension and conflict can deepen character development and propel your story forward
- Get your hands on tried and tested templates that a USAT author uses with every book
- Push yourself to work on a scene on a line level and gain feedback
- Write the most stressful scene of your life…
…this is the course for you.
It’s never too late to improve this part of your storywriting talents, so sign up now to this course which will include templates, homeworks, and challenges for you to consider in your writing practice as you learn how to ramp up the tension and conflict. This course is designed to be as accessible and intersectional as possible.
Lessons include:
Lesson 1: What are tension and conflict, and why do they matter?
Lesson 2: The five types of tension
Lesson 3: The five types of conflict
Lesson 4: Historical conflict and tension
Lesson 5: Practicalities: putting conflicts and tensions together
Lesson 6: Practicalities: writing viscerally
Lesson 7: Practicalities: actions and consequences
Lesson 8: Moving your plot forward with tension and conflict
Lesson 9: Deepening characterization with tension and conflict
Lesson 10: Common mistakes and how to fix them
BONUS: Live Q&A with Emily (questions can be submitted in advance, and the recording will be made available for those unable to attend live).
BONUS: Students will gain a 25% coupon at the end of the course for those who want to take Emily’s full, ‘You Can Write More Words’, video based course.
About the Instructor
A full-time career novelist, Emily is a USAToday Bestselling Author with almost 100 books published.
Emily has spoken at the Historical Novel Society Conference 2021 and the Writing Gals Conference October 2022. She is a triple RONE Award runner up and has worked for a number of historical organizations, including the National Trust in England, and has a passion for history and storytelling.
In her past life she was the Chief Brand Officer of a healthtech company, but found writing success early and ‘retired’ at thirty last year. She was delighted to win the RFW Regency Academe’s ‘Teacher of the Year’ Award in 2024! When not writing, she’s a member of the Authors’ Club, obsessing over people who haven’t had their story told, and attempting not to buy another sword.
Her website: www.emilyekmurdoch.com
Class Delivery
Class Format
4-WEEK COURSE
Written Lectures: 10 lectures, available as a downloadable PDF
Video Lectures: there will be a Q&A session at the end of the course
Other Videos: other people’s videos may be recommended, but will not be required ‘reading’
Pictures: none
Audio Files: none
Writing Exercises: 2+ with every written lecture
Class Fees
$40 for RFW members
$55 for non-members
Registration ends April 11, 2025!
Scholarships are available for members