SINGLE-DAY SEMINAR
Scene Structure
Key elements in the building blocks of your story
A two-hour seminar with Laurie Calkhoven, former Scholastic executive editor and author of more than fifty books, on what makes a great scene.
DATE
December 8, 2026
TIME
7-9pm EST
FORMAT
Online + Recorded
PRICE
$35
*Early bird $30 through December 1st..
The scene is the basic building block of any story.
The scene is the basic building block of any story. But what makes a great one? Laurie Calkhoven will use mentor texts to walk through the key elements that go into writing great scenes: stage setup, characters and their motives, large and small actions, dialogue, and point of view, all working together toward a scene climax.
Laurie spent twenty years in children's publishing, including time as an executive editor at Scholastic, before writing more than fifty books of her own. Examples are drawn from popular works of middle grade and YA fiction, and you'll leave the workshop with a new scene.
SEMINAR OVERVIEW
FOR YOU IF
You're not sure what makes a scene work, or why some of your scenes aren’t coming together. .
You want a clearer sense of what makes a scene before you draft.
You're revising and need a framework for what to keep and what to cut.
A working understanding of the elements that make a scene click.
One new scene, drafted during the session.
YOU’LL LEAVE WITH
MEET THE FACULTY
LAURIE CALKHOVEN
Author of more than fifty books for young readers, from early readers to YA, including the Boys of Wartime and Roosevelt Banks series and six novels for American Girl. Former executive editor at Scholastic Book Clubs and founding editor of the Teen People Book Club. Book coach and frequent workshop leader at the Highlights Foundation.
Save your spot. Register today.
Registration includes the live 90-minute session and a recording you can revisit. Educators and librarians receive a 10% discount. Contact us before booking.