Author of The Orosta Chronicles and The Tarvoștan Annals
Writing Classes
All classes are one-on-one. No big groups, which is great for the introverts out there (hi, I’m one, too!), those who enjoy the spotlight, or for those who are shy about their writing. Whatever the motivation, it’ll be just you and me in a 1 or 2-hour session where we focus solely on your chosen class topic.
Get a 20% first-timer discount!
Character Workshop: What’s in a Spine?
This class, other than The Very Beginning class, is my personal favorite. Followers of my Instagram page—seen HERE—will know how much I love my own characters and how much attention I put into them. That said, this class is the most intense out of all of them. Please be aware this is not your typical character workshop class. We will not be exploring character creation sheets or picking random features from a list. Everyone has a different process, but I personally believe using character sheets and other mish-mash methods creates bad habits and is a poor way to design characters. This is why, in this class, we will be focusing on the intuitive process of making a character. This can apply to a character you already have and are struggling to unpack or a brand new character we might create during the class. All rights and licenses to this new character, should we create one during the class, will be owned by you, the client. Just give me a shoutout that my class helped you out!
Ultimately in the class, we will identify and pinpoint your character’s soul. I call this “finding the character’s SPINE.” Sounds a little gruesome, I know, but what it means is simply finding that singular motivation that influences every single choice your character makes no matter how small it might be. Specifically this is what makes a character feel alive and real. We will go deep into your character’s psyche where you will truly get to know your character. Why do they do what they do? What one word (because it will be a single word we will narrow it down to by the end) defines them? Once you know that, no situation you put them in will be too daunting. You will know exactly how they will respond to every possible scenario no matter how strange. And, most importantly, you will have as close to a living, breathing person the fictional realm can muster. Your character will feel alive in a way they never have before.
*Note: Be aware that to accomplish this, there will be a lot of introspection into your characters motivations; your personal understanding of that character or lack thereof; your personal understanding of yourself; and your personal understanding of real life people, their emotions, their problems, what makes them tick, and why. It will be intense. It will be honest. Don’t let this scare you away, though. This is my favorite class for a reason. If you can stick with it, put on that rhino-tough skin, and delve to the heart of the problem no matter what you dig up along the way, you’ll have a character you will intimately understand to the benefit of your entire novel and the other characters in your cast!
Class Add-Ons:
- A free recording of the call will be provided to you on completion of the class.
Details:
- Length: 1 – 2 hours (you can choose!)
- Classroom: Google Meet
- 1-hour price: $70 USD
- 2-hour price: $100 USD (best value!)
Worldbuilding: Advanced Explorer’s Edition
This is for the worldbuilding veterans who really love worldbuilding and have created a massive universe as a result but are now finding it difficult to find or create a plot amidst everything they have created. If you want to be a published, serious writer, but a world is all you have, this class is for you. Consolidation, organization, and focusing on the plot in relation to your massive creation are the main features of this class. Maybe you’ve created a massive universe over the last 20 years but now it’s too big, and you have no idea how to fit it all into the plot. Maybe you’re so in love with your world, and you want to visit every place on the map, but are running into infodump issues, pacing issues, and all manner of fantasy tourist fatigue.
This class will help you to sort through all the overwhelming work, explore what makes people invest and care about a fantasy world in the first place, and ultimately help you get on track to turn a world into a story people will connect to, love, and enjoy exploring just as much as you have all these years.
Class Add-Ons:
- My basic Worldbuilding Guide & Resources list
- A free recording of the call will be provided to you on completion of the class.
Details:
- Length: 2 hours
- Classroom: Google Meet
- Price: $120 USD
The Very Beginning
This is an easy-going class for the absolute beginner OR for those who have been out of the writing game for a long time and are looking to clear the cobwebs on their writing skills. If you’ve always dreamed of writing (whether that be a book, poetry, non-fiction, etc.), but you’ve never quite known where to start, or if you don’t know how to restart, then this class is for you. We’ll explore why you want to write, common concerns and fears, what motivates you, how to craft a writing system, and other strategies for taking that first step.
Class Add-Ons:
- A free recording of the call will be provided to you on completion of the class.
Details:
- Length: 1 hour
- Classroom: Google Meet
- Price: $20 USD
The Log-Line Class
Quick! You’re in an elevator next to the agent or publisher of your dreams and you have this one chance to pitch your book idea. What do you say? Something as quick as possible but meaningful and attention-grabbing, too, right? That’s a tall order, but helping with that tall order is the purpose of this log-line class. This class will teach you how to put your entire novel into one single sentence. This will enable you to make that lightning-fast pitch. It will also, in attempting to do it, highlight any structural issues that might exist in your work and provide focus as to what really matters in your story. It sounds impossible, but I assure you, it’s not.
Example: A tiny hobbit must defeat an evil dark lord by destroying the one thing that can kill him in the fires where it was made before ghostly black riders catch him and the idyllic world he comes from is destroyed forever.
That was, if you hadn’t already guessed, The Lord of the Rings nailed down to just one sentence, a trilogy with a total wordcount of 576,459 words! If it’s possible for The Lord of the Rings, it’s possible for you, too! In this class, we’ll focus on your specific story idea and craft a log-line that will hook agents and reveal the heart of your story to give you that pinpoint focus you’ve been missing.
Class Add-Ons:
- A free recording of the call will be provided to you on completion of the class.
Details:
- Length: 1 hour
- Classroom: Google Meet
- Price: $40 USD
Worldbuilding 101
This one is what it seems. All your worldbuilding basics, where to start, and what really matters all rolled into one class. We’ll explore weather, economics, people, fantasy religions, and anything else you can dream up—because that’s sort of the point! But amidst the fun, we will also learn how to balance worldbuilding with the actual act of writing, i.e. putting actual words on the page, something that is easy to stop doing when the worldbuilding craze hits. I know. I’ve been there, too.
As an additional bonus, after completing the class, you will receive my basic worldbuilding guide in the form of a PDF at no additional cost that includes helpful writing and worldbuilding resources such as information on available map-making programs, worldbuilding organizational software, and access to a connected and active worldbuilding community.
Class Add-Ons:
- My basic Worldbuilding Guide & Resources list
- A free recording of the call will be provided to you on completion of the class.
Details:
- Length: 1 hour
- Classroom: Google Meet
- Price: $60 USD
Payments
Methods
All payments for any class will be agreed upon, scheduled, and paid beforehand in USD. All prices are listed in the class descriptions. Scheduling will be done via email. All payments will be processed through ACH payment, Zelle, or Pay-Pal.
Discounts
- All first-time class-takers receive a 20% discount.
- Larksong Speculative Fiction Group members receive a 10% discount (must be an active, participating member).
*Note: Discounts DO stack, meaning if this is your first time working with me AND you are a Larksong Speculative Fiction Group member, you get a one-time 30% discount!
Affordability and Payment Plans
Times are hard, and I understand that, so, if you’ve always dreamed of working with an editor or writing coach but have never been able to afford it, allow me to possibly be the editor and coach you can afford. Of course, I need to pay the bills just like anyone, but after that, my primary passion is to work with writers and to help them become the best they can be. I am more than willing to work with you and your needs if your financial situation is less than ideal. This is a judgment-free zone. Reach out, even if you’re unsure, and we can discuss needs and options. Payment plans are negotiated on a client-by-client basis.
I would rather compromise and work with you than not work with you at all.
*Disclaimer: This is not a guarantee of affordability nor a statement that I will work for free. There are limits to this, but I mean it when I say I will do my absolute best to work with you and TRY to come up with a payment plan that is functional for both of us. This offer is dependent on all parties involved being reasonable, respectful, reliable, and honest. Thank you to all my wonderful clients for allowing me to keep this offer going for the benefit of all!
Free Stuff!
If you are interested in working with me as an editor or writing coach, you can schedule a single 1-hour first consultation meeting with me to determine whether I’m the right fit for you and your work.
No risk, all reward, so you might as well stop by and say hi. I’m excited to meet you!
Refund Policies
Partial Class Completion
The client may leave the class at any time they wish. No refund will be given if the client chooses to leave the class early.
Lateness
It is the client’s responsibility to be on time for the class time they have chosen. Scheduling will be determined via written agreement in email to avoid any confusions or miscommunications. No refund will be given if the client is late.
Rescheduling
A client may request a reschedule at any point prior to the call a full 24 hours before the agreed-upon class time. Example: A class scheduled for Wednesday at 1:00 PM must receive a reschedule request by or before Tuesday at 1:00 PM via email or the contact form.
If a client fails to notify about a rescheduling need before this 24-hour period or is a no-show for the class, the client will not receive a refund.
Reschedule requests should be conducted via email OR the contact form.
Cancellation
A client may request a cancellation and full refund at any point prior to the call a full 24 hours before the agreed-upon class time. Example: A class scheduled for Wednesday at 1:00 PM must be cancelled by or before Tuesday at 1:00 PM to receive a refund.
Cancellation requests should be conducted via email OR the contact form.
Confidentiality Assurance
I am committed to protecting a client’s privacy, the confidentiality of their work, and am agreeable to signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or a similar document to that same effect should the client request it.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out.
J. L. Gryphon Books 