Editors Talk: How to Self-Evaluate Your Story Structure – July 3, 2021 at 5PM EST
What do editors look for? How can you make sure your story is in the best shape possible before submitting to a publisher, magazine, contest, or other venue? This panel of editors and authors will share how to evaluate and refine your story structure before sending your work to an editor. They’ll also share some of the most common structure mistakes they see.
Moderated by Nicole Zelniker
Featuring: Emelyne Museaux, Hannah Van Vels, Jeni Chappelle, Crystal L. Kirkham, Stephi Cham
Sign up here or check out the full event schedule!
Nicole Zelniker is an author and a producer at The Nasiona. She graduated from the Columbia Journalism School in 2018.
In 2015, Nicole worked with Triad City Beat as their investigative intern. She is the former editor-in-chief (2016-2017) at The Guilfordian, the Guilford College newspaper. In addition to writing for publications such as USA Today, The Pulitzer Prizes, The Nasiona, New Voices, Yes! Weekly, The Pensive Post, and The Odyssey Online, Nicole has also been republished in several publications, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, CNBC, Salon, and WFMY.
A creative writer as well as a journalist, Nicole has published several short stories: Last Dance (The Hungry Chimera), Lucky (Fixional), Dress Rehearsal (littledeathlit), Snap (The Nassau Review), Hands (Newtown Literary and Ginosko Literary under the title Breathe), Atlanta (New Reader Magazine), Dollhouse (101 Proof Horror), and Mother’s Day (Peregrine). Dress Rehearsal also appeared in the Nothing Without Us anthology. Nicole won the Rachel Lindner Leahy Award in 2017 for her creative writing.
Emelyne Museaux is a ghostwriter and sensitivity reader. She enjoys reading and working with YA and MG novelists as well as non-fiction authors to craft their stories and connect with their audiences. Emelyne is also a self-love and habits coach and works with her clients on their journeys of self-rediscovery and personal empowerment.
Hannah VanVels is an agent with Belcastro Agency. Hannah has worked various bookish jobs including a stint as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble, a freelance editor for scholarly and academic essays and journals, and most recently as the acquiring editor at a young adult imprint with HarperCollins Publishing. Hannah loves working closely with authors and coming alongside them to make their vision come to life on page. She lives on Lake Michigan with her partner, two German Shepherds, and two cats.
You can find Hannah on Twitter @HannahVanVels or on her website.
Jeni Chappelle is a novel editor with 12 years’ experience, EFA and ACES member, co-founding editor of Revise & Resub (#RevPit), and Editorial Director of Writer In Motion. She co-hosts two writing podcasts, Indie Chicks and Story Chat Radio. Jeni considers herself a hobbit (minus the big, hairy feet) and lives in a tiny town near Charlotte, NC with her family and way too many pets.
You can find her on Twitter @jenichappelle and on her website www.jenichappelleeditorial.com.
Stephi Cham has loved stories all her life. She is a board-certified music therapist and an editor at Write Plan, where she works with books of various genres and topics. She is an avid lover of fantasy who spends most of her time editing, reading, and playing music.
More about this event
Editors Talk: How to Self-Evaluate Your Story Structure is a free panel happening on July 3, 2021 at 5PMM – 6PM EST, and is part of the larger Exploring Story Structure event on July 3, 2021. The event is sponsored by Renaissance Press, a Canadian publisher dedicated to supporting marginalized authors.
Conference Companion
Enhance your experience and support Weeknight Writers events by grabbing the Conference Companion workbook for this event. This printable workbook will help you track important information during the Storycrafting Session: Exploring Story Structure. This includes:
- “Notes” areas for individual panels
- An area to record overall lessons and feelings about the conference
- Questions to help you implement lessons from the conference in your writing practice
These worksheets will help you make the most of the Exploring Story Structure event! Proceeds from this workbook will be used to host, manage, and promote future Weeknight Writers events. Buy your copy today!
FAQ
How much does this event cost?
All panels are free to attend! You won’t spend any money unless you decide to buy the Conference Companion.
How can I participate?
Panels will be run on Zoom using the Webinar function. This means only panelists will be able to share audio and video content. To participate in the Q & A portion of a panel, enter your question in the text chat.
Will there be any additional opportunities to discuss the panel?
There will be dedicated panel channels in the conference Discord. Most panelists will be in these servers for a short period of time after their panel, and attendees are welcome to keep the conversation all day.