It's my version of a plot-doctor session. In the 15-20 minute version for our Story Power Hour session, I will focus on one story-blocking problem that each author is struggling with. "Hot seat" just means that I'm talking one-on-one with you, but other people get to watch and listen.

During our time together, I'll ask you to briefly recap the story problem you're having. Then I'll start asking you questions to pinpoint the root of that problem. My goal is to give each hot seat participant a new path forward and get "unstuck" in your writing process. 

Think of this not as solving the problem for you, but rather helping you find the solution that is right for the story and your writing style. Sometimes my questions trigger an immediate realization of what is wrong or missing, and sometimes we uncover larger (more nebulous) problems that may require significant revisions.

A hot seat is not a quick-fix magic wand, but it is a great way to fast track identifying the problems that are holding you back from writing the story that is in your heart. And just watching a session like this can light up your own creativity and critical thinking, so don't miss this opportunity for extra story inspiration!

Everyone who watches will benefit, guaranteed. One of my special skills is being able to spot nuanced story problems and drill down into what’s causing them in minutes. I do this by asking questions designed to dig deeper and arrow right to the root of a symptom. Watching this process intuitively teaches you how to do this same sort of analysis in your work.

You’ll also leave the session with a quick list of story-diagnosis questions that you can reference when you get home.

To be sure I can give you the best possible demonstration, I prefer to choose the hot seats in advance. I specialize in character-driven, HEA-guaranteed romantic fiction, so where possible, these are the stories I’ll choose to focus on. I also know from a decade of doing this kind of work that there are some story problems that can’t be solved in a 15-minute window, so I’ll take the complexity of the submitted story problems into account too.

Nope! And, let me tell you, even though I've done sessions like these for years, every hot seat is different.

I will know the general problems I'll be working with in advance and have chosen hot seat participants that I believe I can truly help in a 15-20 minute session.

But sometimes I need to do some exploration before we get to the heart of the writer's problem, so please be patient with us. Trouble discovery can be a winding path (but is always super interesting to watch!).

Details and instructions will be sent out to registered event attendees a few days before our scheduled session, so be sure you're paying attention to your event's communication channels or you might miss the instructions email. 

That's a tough question, and only you can answer it. That said, I want you to know that my approach to troubleshooting a story focuses on the story and not you as a writer. All writers struggle with a story at some point in their career, so there's no shame in getting help. And when I ask questions, I dig into the heart of the characters themselves, because that is where the power of the story lives.

So if you get nervous being in the spotlight but want to overcome this fear, doing a 15-minute hot seat consult can be a safe, nurturing way to get started. But if the thought of having to think on the spot in front of other people paralyzes you, a hot seat may not be a good fit.

And sometimes you can have Aha! Moments about troubleshooting your own story just by watching someone else be in the hot seat. There's something for everyone at this event, so don't be afraid to show up live, even if it's just to watch and learn. 

Of course! While my work is rooted in the genre of romantic fiction, the style of story troubleshooting work I do is relevant to nearly any character-driven genre.

So if romance books are not your thing, but you write stories about heroes who become better versions of themselves through their choices and struggles in the book, most of my techniques will also work for you.

That said, I work best with authors of romantic fiction in a 1:1 capacity, so I prefer to feature romance stories during a hot seat. 

However, if your group (or event) does not have any romance writers who are willing to be featured, my techniques work equally well for stories about hero characters who become a better, happier version of themself through their on-page conflicts and decisions. 

A hot seat is not appropriate for plot-driven stories where the focus is more on external elements (like action and adventure) than personal growth.  

But even if you don't write character-driven fiction stories, you can still learn a lot from coming. So yes, come anyway!

Yes! Because some story problems may be too complex to troubleshoot in only 15 minutes, I will prescreen the hot seat applications and choose the ones that are best suited for this shorter format. You will know by at least the evening before our session if you have been chosen.

You will need to attend live in order to participate, so please don't apply if you don't plan to attend.

Nope! My fellow introverts, you can breathe easy.

No video required. And no voice either! I'll take questions through the chat, if one is available, or from a moderator curating the questions list. Unless you choose to turn on your video and speak up intentionally, you will not have to be on camera or speak publicly.

The only people who have to be on camera or speaking over an open mic will be me, the hot seat participants, and the group moderator. Ideally, to keep the event moving along smoothly, all questions will be routed through a Q&A section of the online space.

For in-person events, simply stick around until the last 15 minutes if you have questions and raise your hand when I open up Q&A.  

The kind of work I do during a hot seat is a vulnerable process that often digs deep into the author's personal creativity, and most participants do not want that experience available for public viewing later.

This event should not be recorded unless all featured writers consent in writing in advance, so I recommend encouraging people to attend live.

Participating in a hot seat event like this can be an extremely vulnerable discovery process, and it requires the participants to willingly open themselves up for public criticism and feedback. If you've ever had a developmental edit, you know how stressful discovery questions can be even in a private setting, so imagine baring your soul for not just your writing friends, but strangers you're meeting for the first time. 

The full session time can be anywhere between 60 and 90 minutes. Talk to me about the unique session needs for your event, and I'll adjust my format to fit.

In general, I'll do a quick intro of myself (<5 minutes), then we'll spend 15-20 minutes on each of the hot seats (2-3 total, time dependent). In the remaining time, I'll answer any other questions about my unique techniques, developmental editing, etc.

If you have a general question about the session or want to schedule something, email my team at hi@suebrownmoore.com 

If you're ready to set up your session and lock in the date for your group's Story Power Hour, fill out the form below and I'll be back in touch soon with next steps.