Ready to Take Your Story To the Next Level?
What keeps a young reader up way past bedtime...with a flashlight under the blanket?
How can you capture and hold that reader (or editor or agent) page after page?
Story stakes and story tension are what every story needs to keep readers engaged, and it's what you need to understand.
With Raise the Stakes, learn how to keep your reader turning the pages, whether that reader is an agent or your favorite kiddo.
What’s one of the most important things that agents and editors look for when they read submissions?
And what keeps a young reader from putting your book aside for something more interesting?
Story stakes.
This doesn’t mean super high-action scenes; it’s much more subtle - and honestly, easier to create. Raising the stakes means capturing your reader and holding their attention throughout.
Inside Raise the Stakes I walk you through the 3 crucial things that keep readers riveted.
When you understand those key 3 elements, you’ll create stories that hook and hold readers from page one.
These three things are essential to keep the reader reading
How to identify the external story question.
The stakes of the main character’s failure to answer the question/resolve the problem
The “ticking clock” of time running out
Hi!
I'm Janet Fox, a multi-published award-winning author and creative writing teacher with over 25 years of writing and publishing experience, and 7 years helping writers to publishing success through both courses and hands-on coaching.
I am the author of 13 books for young readers, from picture book through YA novels, fiction and nonfiction.
My courses are designed for all kidlit writers, from beginners to advanced.
"Original thoughts and words trump today's AI and are insurance against the ebbing of critical thinking and expression. That's why we need the encouragement and strategies Fox Tales offers!"
— Brook
Published her YA novel
Connie
Aspiring kidlit author
Mahmoud
Published picture book author
Dee
Aspiring kidlit author
Gael
Aspiring author
With concrete examples from respected stories, you’ll learn exactly how to:
Keep the reader reading with your external story question
Maintain story tension through setting in motion the ticking clock
Identify the antagonistic forces that thwart protagonist success
Identify your main character’s crisis of faith and the failure to answer the question
Write the beginning and the end of your story
Whether you are experienced or brand new to writing for children, this course is a game-changer.
You’ll understand exactly how to keep your readers at the edge of their seat.
And you’ll be able to apply this lesson to everything you write going forward.
The course is designed to be completed in about 1–2 hours. You can go through the lesson and handout in one sitting and immediately apply what you learn to your own writing.
Yes. This course focuses on one specific outcome: helping you create tension that keeps your readers engaged using a clear framework so you can move forward with confidence.
Perfect—you’ll use your existing story throughout the course and test, refine, and strengthen it so you know whether it really hooks and keeps your readers.
The method works for picture books, middle grade, and young adult novels. The principles of capturing and holding readers' attention apply across all categories.
Both! For beginners and early-stage writers, there are clear examples and a simple step-by-step approach. And even more experienced writers can struggle with aspects of tension. This course helps you diagnose and fix that problem quickly.
This technique will help you build a stronger story that will capture the attention of readers including editors and agents. While there's no guarantee of publication, story stakes are essential to that goal.
No problem. This course comes with a refund policy—if it’s not a good fit, you can request your money back.
Janet here!
I believe in happy endings.
I believe that children need our books more than ever.
Raise the Stakes will show you how to capture and keep readers, from editors and agents to kiddos, reading long after the sun goes down.
