So You Want to Be an Author
Step into a regular writing rhythm, and learn to think like a master of story craft.
This is the year that you get that book written.
Most people don’t fail to write a book because they lack talent or ideas.
They don't get it done because they’re trying to do long-form work without a clear structure, proper guidance, or a place where their writing is expected and supported week after week.
As a Story Scholar inside of the Academy, writing your book feels like this:
You sit down to write knowing exactly what you're writing this week, because the path through the book is clear, and the next step has been set.
You have a place to ask questions, test ideas, and get expert feedback, so you're no longer stuck in your own head wondering if something is working.
You write regularly, supported by a weekly rhythm of lessons, study halls, co-working sessions, check-ins, challenges, live calls, and live Office Hours.
You write in the company of other committed authors-to-be, helping each other to focus, share, and energise your writing practice.
You stop abandoning your book, because it finally has a real, living place in your life...and you have a place to go when you're stuck.
You feel momentum building while your book takes shape week by week, because structure replaces uncertainty and progress becomes visible.
The Academy exists to give writers a place to learn the craft properly, practise it week by week, and stay supported and accountable until the book finally comes together.
WELCOME TO ACADEMY OF STORY
Learn how books are built, and write yours with support.
Academy of Story is a live, structured writing academy where you learn the craft of writing a book and practise it week by week, inside a clear rhythm of teaching, study, feedback, and accountability.
It's designed to hold long-form work, giving you the structure, guidance, and community you need to keep showing up while your book takes shape.
It's a place for learning the craft, maintaining a writing practice, and staying connected to the work that matters most.
Here's how the Academy works:
Mondays
Office Hours: For a full 6 hours, Shelly's virtual office is open for you to submit questions, short bits of writing for feedback, or book a quick chat via Zoom.
Wednesdays
Alternating Study Halls and Q&A Calls: Drop into the the live, co-working Study Hall to get writing done one week, then join the live Q&A call the next to troubleshoot your work.
Every 3rd Friday
Craft Masterclass: Take a deep dive into an aspect of writing a book, then workshop it with guidance.
Monthly
Writing Challenge: Keep your momentum going with a monthly challenge designed to help you build your author life and move your book forward.Quarterly
2-Day Virtual Writing Retreat: Structured time to focus just on your writing, with access to community and in-real-time feedback and question sessions.
Quarterly
Writing Course: A new course on book writing drops every quarter, with a library of past courses and masterclasses to dip into anytime.Daily
Discussion and Question Threads: Keep in touch and get feedback and accountability from peers and faculty every day.
Life in the Academy provides you with the rhythm, learning, and hands-on support that'll reduce friction, quiet doubt, and make progress possible. It's the cornerstone of your author lifestyle.
Academy of Story is a living, breathing campus of creative output.
With multiple, hands-on and live sessions a week, you'll not only learn how to write your book, but you'll also have the support and feedback you need to write it well.
Meet Your Guide
Academy of Story is led by Dr. Shelly Sayer Lorts: literary historian, writing teacher, storytelling expert, and story architect.
Shelly is a writing teacher and mentor who specialises in helping writers move from confusion to clarity, especially on long projects that have stalled for years.
Her work focuses on structure, depth, and decision-making: understanding what a story is doing, why it matters, and how to keep moving when doubt or overwhelm sets in.
Inside the Academy, Shelly works closely with writers week by week, offering teaching, feedback, direction, and expertise that helps writers gain confidence, deepen their craft, and finally see their books come together.
This is what you'll get inside the Academy:
✔ Clarity on your story and how to tell it
✔ Understanding of story structure, devices, and writing craft
✔ Regular writing rhythm
✔ The habit of writing with editorial feedback and guidance
✔ Sharper instincts for revision, depth, and coherence
✔ A writing practice to carry through to your next book
✔ A sense of yourself as an author...not just someone with an idea
This is the support, structure, and guidance that most writers never realise they need until they have it.
Your journey in the Academy
Your jump start:
Students start by completing the Academy's signature course, Story Architect. Taken over 2 months, it encompasses 2 levels:Level 1: Story Foundation: A 30-day journey to plot the basic structure of your book. (Fulfilled for those who took the 30-Day Author Challenge.)
Level 2: Story Design: 30-days, over 5 lessons, to build out the spine of your story into a deep, layered, meaningful Zero Draft of your book.
Weekly: guidance, practice, and momentum
Anchored by Office Hours, alternating study halls and Q&A calls, the weekly rhythm keeps the work moving, helps you make decisions in real time, and stops small uncertainties from becoming long stalls.This'll give you: steady forward progress, clearer decisions, and a reliable writing rhythm you can return to every week.
Monthly: depth, focus, and follow-through
Actionable craft masterclass alongside a writing challenge designed to move your book forward sharpens a specific aspect of writing a book—structure, character, voice, momentum, revision—while turning learning into action on the page.This'll give you: clearer craft understanding, focused new material, and renewed momentum in your book.
Quarterly: immersion and expansion
Every quarter, a new writing course drops inside the Academy, adding another layer to your understanding of long-form work. Alongside this, the 2-day virtual writing retreat gives you protected time to step out of the week-to-week and focus deeply on your book, with access to guidance, feedback, and community throughout.This'll give you: deeper skill, fresh perspective, and significant forward movement in both the book and your confidence as a writer.
Overall: a book in real progress and a new identity as an author, all while you're part of a thriving, creative community.
Not your average writing school
Most writing programmes are designed to be completed alone: a set of videos, a worksheet or two, and a quiet hope that you’ll stay motivated long enough to finish.
Academy of Story is something different.
It’s a sustained, live online academy with a growing virtual campus, where teaching, practice, feedback, and community evolve together over time, and where you’re supported not just to learn, but to keep showing up to the work.
You’re not dropped in and left to figure it out. The Academy is active, responsive, and expanding.
Here’s what makes it different:
↣ Sustained: Designed to support you through your first book and beyond.
↣ Live and responsive: Teaching and feedback in real time, with an archive of recordings for top-ups.
↣ Practice-based: A rhythm that makes showing up possible even when life is full.
↣ Community: Your own cohort of committed writers, sharing momentum, questions, and support.
↣ Ever-expanding: The Academy grows with you, offering regular new courses, masterclasses, retreats, and challenges.
↣ Built to fit: Scattered times and days for live components means there's a slot for everyone.
Testimonials
⭐
"It has been brilliant working with Shelly. Thank you. Really, it's been—it sounds dramatic to say—life changing, because this has really helped me find my confidence and find my feet. I wouldn't have a book without you."
⭐
“I feel as if Dr. Shelly has taken me gently by the shoulders and said—calm down, it doesn’t need to be this stressful, and you can actually enjoy this process—and I have!”
⭐
“Working with Shelly made everything click. I’m really on track now.”
⭐
“Dr. Shelly’s tutorials are fabulous. She is extremely knowledgeable, her methodology is clearly explained in a really fun and interesting way, and she presents new ideas really well; even if you’re a beginner, you’ll understand what you’re doing in no time at all.”
⭐
“I talked with Shelly for just 15 minutes, and already my brain is like, oh, yeah, I can approach that. I always feel after our conversations… I’m feeling so motivated to write right now.”
⭐
“I wouldn’t have gotten this far without Shelly. Her feedback and reassurance that I’m on the right track made everything easier. She turned my half‑formed manuscript into a clear structure—my book has completely transformed.”
Academy Membership
Different tiers for writers at different
points in their journeys.
Guided Scholar
£249/month
Full access to all Academy courses
Weekly live Office Hours (with pre-submission)
Bookable 15-minute, 1:1 Zoom slots during Office Hours
Bi-weekly live Q&A calls
Bi-weekly live Study Halls
Monthly masterclass
Quarterly new course
Regular 60-minute, 1:1 calls at checkpoints to lock in your progress
Quarterly virtual writing retreat
Access to Shelly's message thread for quick Qs
24/7 peer message boards
Mentee Scholars
£549/month
Everything from previous levels
Monthly 60-minute private call with Shelly
Daily messaging access to Shelly, including voice notes (during business hours)
Manuscript feedback on up to 7,000 words per month
A spot in Shelly's private Slack community with other Mentee Scholars and published authors
Independent Scholars
£149/month
NOT CURRENTLY ENROLLING
recordings only
This is your call to adventure
Make this the year you actually write your book.
Academy of Story
is your turning point.
Supported by expert guidance and a shared writing rhythm, you don’t just make progress on a book...you begin working like an author.
Step into a writing life that’s supported, structured, and built to last.
