Add Your Story's Secret Sauce: The 4-Week Writing Challenge
What's your Spirit Animal in the Kitchen? Pre-challenge promo starts today...Join us!
Add Your Story's Secret Sauce: The 4-week Writing Challenge starts Tuesday, April 2, 2024, with two weeks of Pre-Challenge writing prompts, starting today! See details below.
Defining a writer’s secret sauce and how to infuse it into your characters and story is a challenge!
So, I decided to create a writing challenge all about that elusive secret sauce.
This post unveils what you'll learn in April's Add Your Story’s Secret Sauce: The 4-Week Writing Challenge and how to use it to elevate your current screenplay, novel, or memoir to new heights.
We'll unpack the necessity of conviction, creativity, and a secret sauce recipe that can help you craft characters and weave uniquely unforgettable stories.
You'll also discover:
A writer’s secret sauce vs. writing secret sauce into your story
How to use April’s writing challenge to create your secret sauce and add it to your premise, character, and conflict with creative writing prompts
Benefits of joining our Writing Challenge
Name your writer’s conviction today with a pre-challenge prep post!
Conviction: A Writer’s Most Powerful Tool
As storytellers, we embody a deep conviction to make our writing "make it." This isn't about believing in your story but knowing you hold the star power to make it shine using your unique voice.
Conviction is the key. Conviction to create is the very essence of what makes your writing stand out. It adds that special flavor that readers crave.
An inspirational quote from Shonda Rhimes on having secret sauce as a writer:
The secret sauce of the business that I can offer is my creativity, and in order to keep my creativity alive and fresh, I have to pretend that no one is watching the show, that there are no audiences, there are no ratings; I'm just telling a story.
~Shonda Rhimes
A WRITER’S SECRET SAUCE: As creative storytellers, Shonda’s quote gives us the confident conviction to "play" in the kitchen and create stories with our individual essence and special flavor.
Versus
A STORY’S SECRET SAUCE: Rhimes is also known for creating story premises where she creates characters of conviction who believe that an absolute impossible goal is possible, even though everyone else around them disagrees, like Christina Yang’s character in GREY’S ANATOMY overcoming death.
Where’s the Secret Sauce hiding?
For this writing challenge, we’ll begin by describing how the secret sauce is found in the premise.
A great premise combines a story's central character, their motivated but impossible goal, the harsh setting, and the insurmountable obstacles they face.
It’s likely that the stories you are most attracted to feature a unique character’s unwavering conviction to achieve the impossible against all odds, like Andy Dufresne, an unlikely prisoner sentenced to an inescapable life in prison in the SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION. This movie has been sighted as the golden standard of the secret sauce being baked into the premise since the beginning. The story action of ESCAPE and pulling off the impossible escape is a winner. It cannot—not be mentioned.
Andy’s conviction is what sets him free. A character’s conviction is a critical ingredient in a story’s secret sauce when crafting a premise.
A Story’s Secret Sauce: A Baking Analogy
Other writers have used the cooking and baking analogy to describe how to write stories that satisfy an audience so much that they must tell their friends.
Word of mouth goes like this…"Oh, this chocolate chip cooking recipe is amazing because it uses 2 tablespoons of vanilla instead of 2 teaspoons and Hershey Kisses chopped up in chunks instead of morsels.
With that recipe, we can pinpoint the exact ingredients that make it "special."
Special Sauce: A definition
According to Merriam-Webster, definition #2, special sauce is "an element, quality, ability, or practice that makes something or someone successful or distinctive."
I sought to create a secret sauce story recipe with special “ingredients” that would assist writers in developing unique and unforgettable stories.
Searching for the Secret Sauce in a story
So, the secret Sauce in story lives in your writer’s voice and in the story’s premise.
I also discovered that a story’s secret sauce:
Lives in the conflict presented on the opening pages.
Is found in the strong character introductions.
Lurks in the foreshadowing of the genre’s stakes.
Vibrates in the heart of the hero’s quest.
Stings in the inciting incident.
And yet, others say the secret sauce is an external reaction followed by an internal reflection, which are symbolic representations to reflect the premise.
How the Secret Sauce Formula Came Together
After researching, writing, analyzing film and TV series examples, and pulling from my past life as a sugar-free, gluten-free, and sometimes vegan baking expert, I came up with your secret sauce story recipe…to be revealed in the next post.
In the context of our Writing Challenge, your secret sauce recipe will be your magic formula, integral to structuring your narrative and sculpting your characters. It will also infuse the central conflict with your special flavor.
Create your secret sauce recipe next week during the pre-challenge prep post.
Who should take the Secret Sauce Writing Challenge?
If you are writing a screenplay, novel, or memoir, Add Your Story's Secret Sauce: The 4-week Writing Challenge will augment your story development no matter where you are in the writing process. It’s especially helpful in starting a new story idea or reworking an existing piece.
TODAY! Post Your Pre-Challenge
Week 0 - Pre-Challenge Writing Prep: Tuesday, March 19, 2024
This pre-post is about you and your Writer’s Secret Sauce within.
To discover more about your writer’s secret sauce, post the answer to:
What’s your... “SPIRIT ANIMAL IN THE KITCHEN?” And what kind of CONVICTION does it symbolize for you as a creative writer?
New to spirit animals? Check out my favorite website, What’s My Spirit Animal?
How this pre-writing challenge post works*
Step 1: In 100 words, post in the comments by Wed. at midnight PST (or all week long for these pre-challenges)
In CAPS, write your Spirit Animal in the Kitchen:
SPIRIT ANIMAL—what is it?
CREATIVE CONVICTION—How does it fire your writer’s creative conviction?
Please include your Substack URL.
Step 2: Connect & Comment throughout the week
Connect and comment on a writer’s response
I will offer compliments and ask questions
*Please see the genre guidelines on my About page.
Note: Next week, the SECRET SAUCE RECIPE will be revealed. Take the pre-challenge. Create/post your unique recipe for your story on Tues., March 26.
Next Week! Take the Secret Sauce Recipe Pre-Challenge
Week 00 - Pre-Challenge Writing Prep: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Next week, you’ll get the ingredients to make your story’s secret sauce.
Secret Sauce: On March 26, 2024, access the Secret Sauce Recipe in the next post. Write your secret sauce ingredients. Then, reduce each ingredient to one sentence and post your recipe in the comments.
Add Your Story’s Secret Sauce: Writing Schedule
Week 0 - Pre-Challenge Writing Prep: Conviction/Spirit Animal in the Kitchen - Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Week 00 - Pre-Challenge Writing Prep: Your Secret Sauce Recipe - Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Set your Secret Sauce recipe ingredients (story details) with our March 26 pre-challenge post above, and then apply them to our 150-word prompts in April.
For example, in Week 1 we’ll kick off our writing challenge by using your secret sauce recipe to enhance the premise of your current screenplay, novel, or memoir.
Wk 1 - The Premise Potion: Design an Opening Montage using flour and fat - Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Wk 2 - Character Concoction: Create a Narrative Bookend using fat, cream, and spice - Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Wk 3 - Conflict Cuisine: Write a Dinner Scene using salt, vinegar, and acid - Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Wk 4 – Eat Your Heart Out: Do Dialogue in a Dance or Duel using sugar and spice - Tuesday, April 23, 2024
What to Expect: Writing Challenge
In our Add Your Story's Secret Sauce: The 4-Week Writing Challenge, subscribers can expect to achieve the following outcomes:
Each week includes a lesson post analyzing a masterwork, a 150-word story writing prompt, and feedback from me via comments and email.
Understand the Secret Sauce Recipe: Grasp how to apply this unique formula to create memorable characters and stories that embody conviction.
Enhance Story Crafting Skills: Learn to effectively use your secret sauce to craft compelling opening pages, strong character introductions, deepening the central conflict, or designing a gripping inciting incident.
Boost Creativity and Conviction: Gain insights into using your conviction and creativity to add a special flavor to your character and story, making it stand out.
Specific Benefits for Joining the April Secret Sauce Challenge:
A Collection of Writing Tools: Acquire a treasure chest of specific storytelling tools applicable across various writing projects.
Works in Progress: Create new works in progress, including scenes, dialogue, and more, with the opportunity to apply the secret sauce recipe and techniques.
Community Engagement: Practice writing with deadlines, share your work, and interact with a community of like-minded creatives in the comments.
Personalized Feedback: I will post in the comments. If you'd like to receive more written feedback during the challenge, reply to an email: REQUEST FEEDBACK in the subject line. I'll give compliments, ask questions, and offer suggestions.
Chance to Win a Comprehensive One-on-One Story Waves Session*: Participate in a drawing for a detailed, one-hour story consultation, which will provide an in-depth review of your story outline, full script, or manuscript. This drawing is for subscribers who post about all of the four weeks' challenges.
*Please note the genre guidelines on my About page.
By focusing on these story elements, participants will refine their storytelling skills and enhance their ability to create compelling, visually engaging stories ripe for the silver screen.
Next week’s post will include:
GET YOUR SECRET SAUCE RECIPE for the Pre-Challenge Writing Post
A full Writing Challenge Outline with the prompts
What people say
Kelly Keough is a genius! Not only does she take the time to ensure that every writer gets an adequate amount of notes that successfully sets them up for the next draft, but she also uses her industry expertise to bring every script to the next level. I couldn’t recommend her workshops more. ~Zach B.
Working with Kelly Keough is amazing! She has helped me with two of my scripts now and I cannot be more grateful. She always has incredible insight and her knowledge and command of structure are top notch! She’s great at helping you get through writer’s block. Kelly is direct, honest, caring and has a keen intuition that really benefits her clients! Thank you Kelly! ~Beth N.
Kelly Keough is an incredible teacher and writer whose skill and wisdom can only be matched by her compassion and encouraging nature. I was lucky enough to have her as my professor in college and the way that I approach my writing has been forever changed by her teaching. As you can tell from her workshops and videos, she is concise and clear, accomplished and knowledgeable, and most importantly eager to help you succeed and find your voice. ~Emma M.
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Happy writing,
Kelly E. Keough
"What's your spirit animal in the kitchen?" How does it give you creative conviction as a writer?
This post starts off the Pre-Challenge for Add Your Story's Secret Sauce: The 4-Week Writing Challenge...I'd love to hear about your spirit animal in the kitchen!
SPIRIT ANIMAL: Tiger
CREATIVE CONVICTION: When the tiger shows up, he scares me the most. I think he's going to eat me. But the tiger is the reason I'm a risk taker. Some of the risks I’ve taken...shoot, I’ve had to fight my way out of death defying situations. For me, the tiger has distinctly two different stripes. I guess that's why the tiger gives me the shamanic energy to face my fears and dig down to the depths of my soul to tell my story my way, like when I was creating sugar-free/gluten-free baking and no one believed in me. The tiger is my force of creative conviction and transformation. The tiger helps me shapeshift, heal, and create magic in the kitchen and on the page. Most of all, the tiger makes me a fighter, and makes me fight with myself to do my best.
https://storywaves.substack.com