Story Master ToolkitShawn Whitney · Story & Script Coach Book a call
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For first-time novelists

Finish the book you keep starting.

Most first novels stall in the middle, and talent has very little to do with it. Four hundred pages is too much to improvise. So we build the story in layers first, and by the time you draft a scene, you already know what it has to do.

I taught screenwriting at the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, and I’ve coached more than 200 writers since.

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Sound familiar?

Most first novels stall in the same places.

  • “I know the beginning and I know how it ends. It’s the middle that falls apart.”
  • “I’ve started over with a new opening three times.”
  • “I have folders of notes, half-chapters and character sketches.”
  • “I’ve bought the craft books. I still don’t know what comes next.”
  • “I call myself an aspiring writer, and I wince when I say it.”
  • “I feel guilty every time the book comes to mind.”

The gap between “aspiring writer” and “writer” is almost never about talent. It’s almost always about system.

How we get you to The End

Build the story in layers. Then write it.

Each layer is small enough to finish in a single session. By the time you sit down to write a scene, you already know what it needs to do, who is in it, and why it matters. You’re not improvising your way through 400 pages. You’re assembling something you already understand.

  1. Theme, conflict & genreThe load-bearing walls.
  2. CharacterWho carries the story, and why.
  3. WorldThe environment that shapes everything.
  4. Structure, beat sheet & loglineThe blueprint.
  5. Chapter & scene outlineThe room-by-room plan.
  6. The draftAssembling what you’ve already designed.

Where to start

Two ways in.

Most first-timers start here

$1,200or 3 monthly payments of $400 · 3 months, 6 hours total

Novel Development Package

Three months of focused, sustained work on your novel, built around the way professional development actually happens.

  • Submit up to 15,000 words per month for review
  • Two one-hour video calls per month, analysing a different chapter each time
  • Written notes for every session
  • Twice-weekly email office hours
  • Flexible scheduling across the engagement

Spaces are limited — contact before booking.

Enquire about this package

$322

Single Session

Sometimes you need the right pair of eyes on the right problem, right now.

  • Submit up to 10,000 words for review
  • One-hour video call
  • Written analysis within 48 hours (up to 2,500 words)
  • Good for a stuck chapter, or a second opinion before you go further
Enquire about a session

What writers say

From people I’ve worked with

“The teacher is very dedicated, and the course is well worth the money. My novel is currently halfway through; thank you!”
Che Ganxuan
“Shawn offers clear, constructive feedback that really lands. After one session, I felt a door had opened — and that real growth was actually within reach.”
Angela Jiang

Questions

Before you book

I’ve started and stopped before. Why would this time be different?

Because you won’t be working it out alone, or from a blank page. We build the story in layers before you draft, you get written notes on every session, and the calls are on the calendar. You always know what the next step is.

I’m not finished. Is it too early to work with you?

No. The development packages exist precisely for work in progress — planning stage, mid-draft, or a rewrite that has stalled. The full manuscript assessment is the one that needs a completed draft.

Do you edit line by line?

Not primarily. My work is development: whether the story works, why it doesn’t yet, and what to do about it. Prose gets addressed where it’s doing structural damage, but this isn’t a copy-edit.

Where are you, and how do calls work?

I work with writers across four continents. Calls are by video and scheduled flexibly across the engagement, so time zones are usually workable.

How do I pay?

Once we’ve confirmed the package is the right fit, I’ll send an invoice. The three-month packages can be paid monthly at the rate shown above.

Free · No obligation

Let’s find your ending.

Twenty minutes to talk about the book and work out which kind of support it actually needs.

Book a free discovery call Send an enquiry