"With CPE: Character, Plot, and Emotion, Diana Stout brilliantly reveals and edifies the uniquely powerful principles of plot and character created by eight writers and consultants who are regarded as masters of storytelling for film and fiction. But the real treasure of this wonderful book is how she simplifies and combines their methods with her own expertise as a hugely accomplished novelist, teacher, and consultant. The result (along with its accompanying workbook) is an essential guide to transforming the emotional impact and commercial success of your own storytelling." - Michael Hauge, author of Writing Screenplays That Sell, Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds, The Hero's Two Journeys (with Christopher Vogler), and Storytelling Made Easy (for business leaders, speakers, and entrepreneurs) Are you a writer who struggles to finish your book?

Do you struggle with the sagging middle? Do you get so stuck that you're not sure where to go in the story? Have you ever been told your characters are flat, one-dimensional, or unlikable? Have you ever become bored with your story while writing it? Have you ever started writing an idea, then shelved it because you didn't know how to finish it?

Are you still trying to determine what your writing process is?

Would you like someone who used to suffer through those same struggles to show you the secrets she discovered on her journey?

This book will:

show you how this writer suffered through the same struggles, show you what she discovered, learned, and mastered, and then began coaching and teaching. show you how a few die-hard pantsers, who were stuck with their stories, embraced a minimal plotting technique, got unstuck, and found their enthusiasm again. show you the masters of storytelling and how to best use their plot points, creating stories that readers want and that publishers and producers seek! show you the worksheets she developed for her writing process of story development.

This book isn't about making you a plotter or a pantser. It's about finding what best works for you, getting you unstuck, and discovering your process, so you can re-experience the joy of writing again.