December 2 @ 7:00 pm - December 4 @ 7:00 pm
Online
$59Overview
A Two-Night Mini Online Course
Understanding the heart of your story—whether you’re getting ready to draft or tackling revision—is key to making sure the structure and emotion of your novel shines. Join authors Jennifer Gennari and Lisa Moore Ramée for this short course to learn tangible techniques for finding the theme of your story and learn how to synthesize your theme into a clear, impactful pitch you can use to guide your drafting or revision—and to communicate to agents or editors. This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, 75-minute sessions offering limited interaction with the community, but loads of information.
- Tuesday, December 2, 2025 (7pm – 8:15pm Eastern)
- Thursday, December 4, 2025 (7pm – 8:15pm Eastern)
- Webinar-style program with closed captioning available and limited interaction in the chat
- Recordings available until January 31, 2026
Why This Workshop?
“What’s your book about?” is a question that can make any writer cringe—especially if you’re in the middle of drafting or revising your novel. Plot, character, dialogue, world building are all critical parts of a novel. But how do you convey the essence of your novel in an engaging and concise way? How do you find the overarching theme that threads through your novel—and turn it into a perfect pitch?
Authors Jennifer Gennari and Lisa Moore Ramée will guide you in finding the themes and messages in your work in progress, whether you’re drafting, revising, or just started putting ideas together.
There will also be time for your questions, as you explore:
- Defining your big idea
- Knowing your plot and what’s at stake
- Identifying your story’s hook
- Drafting your pitch, and more!
Feedback Expected
- No feedback included in the course. There will be limited interaction in the chat feature of the webinar-style program.
- Jennifer and Lisa will open to questions from the audience at the end of the program.
It’s a Great Fit If…
- You are at the beginning stages of your idea and are looking for the tools and questions that can help you clarify your story’s hook.
- You are ready to begin revising your draft. This short course will offer ideas to help you find and clarify the themes and messages in your novel.
- You need help moving forward (or backward) with a project already in progress. This course can illuminate the compelling themes and messages in your novel.
- You’re looking for something short, sweet, and smart! This is not a full workshop. Instead it is two, 75-minute sessions meant to engage and build your understanding of novel structure and organizational planning.
Tentative Agenda
At registration: You will receive a Zoom link to use each night of the course.
IF YOU CAN’T ATTEND LIVE:
- If you are unable to attend either session for any reason, you’ll have access to the recordings (with closed captioning) through January 31, 2026.
- Please note that if you register for the course after the start of the first session, you will not receive recordings immediately. You’ll receive both recordings after the close of the last session, usually within 24 hours.
Click on the headings below to explore the agenda in more detail.
All Times are Eastern Time.
Part One: Tuesday, December 2, 2025
Finding the Message and Theme
- Knowing Your Plot and What’s at Stake
- Defining Your Big Idea
- Identifying Theme
- Q&A
Part Two: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Clarifying Your Pitch
- Focusing Your Vision
- Identifying Your Story’s Hook
- Drafting a Pitch
- Q & A
How It Impacts Kids
Readers want to know the heart of your story. This short course will help you find the heart through theme, hook, and pitch.
Testimonials from Our Community
“Both Jen and Lisa are so giving. Their comments were super helpful and the information they shared was timely and usable.”
“I was always excited to hear what Lisa and Jen would share, and I left seeing how much applying what they had taught would improve my manuscript and eager to dive in.”
“I knew I could not attend in person but I signed up because you offered the recording. Having that option was invaluable.”
“Keep the mini courses going for those of us that can’t attend at the Highlights Foundation Campus! It helps us stay in touch and keep our skills growing!!
