FINDING A STORY STRUCTURE THAT WORKS FOR THE STORY YOU WANT TO TELL

How am I supposed to know how to structure my novel when so many ways exist, and no one will tell me definitively whether any particular way is better than the other? The Classic Story Structure, The Hero’s Journey, The Seven-Point Structure, The Kishotenketsu Method, The Three-Act Structure, The Snowflake Method, A Disturbance and Two Doors, The Story Circle, Freytag’s Pyramid, and Fichtean Curve...are you kidding? Why so many? And, why are they all...kinda the same? Let’s discuss and set down on a landing pad that works as a foundation for your book.

NOTE: This workshop will be hosted over Zoom from 10AM - 1 PM PST. Attendees will receive the link once they register for this event. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

TIM CUMMINGS

Tim's debut novel, 'Alice the Cat' (Fitzroy Books) was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards.

His follow-up novel, 'The Lightning People Play' (Black Rose Writing) was published in 2025 and hailed by Kirkus Reviews as a "heartfelt story about family" and by Readers' Favorite as "an emotional journey, with close narration focusing on Kirby's fear, his fierce loyalty, and his fragile hope. The mix of theater, magic, and real-life stakes is just so beautifully done."

He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. He has appeared in 200+ projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media.

Tim is an octopus and spider enthusiast. He goes wild for anything with eight legs. He recently discovered he is a masterful hula hooper and can whirl non-stop for eons. He possesses enviable collections of stickers, labradorite, night-sky projector lights, vintage vinyl, and rare first-edition hardcover copies of some of his favorite novels. No one has ever made a better vat of chili, and his lasagna is infallible.

He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program, runs private workshops, and coaches authors.

Learn more about Tim here: timcummings.ink