About the Course
The beginning—that’s the most important part of your story. A strong beginning grabs the reader's attention and makes it hard for them to let go. The beginning is what persuades the reader to want to buy your book. The beginning is more high stakes than your climax, because if the reader doesn’t love the beginning they won’t stick around for the rest. The bad news is that it’s actually very difficult to write a compelling beginning. The good news is that it’s a skill that can be mastered. Days One and Two will cover various aspects of craft, including: - how to craft the right type of first line (with dozens of examples); - different types of beginnings and how to choose the best one for you; - whether or not a prologue is right for your story; - how to frame your inciting incident in an irresistible way; - elements that go into starting in the best place (with a helpful checklist!); - elements that go into starting in the best way; - common mistakes writers make when beginning a story (and how to avoid them); - how to make your beginning irresistible (hint: calibrate power and pressure); and - how to make readers want to turn to chapter two. Day Three is when we'll have our live, cozy Q&A Session. Don't worry if you can't attend live—you'll be able to submit a question ahead of time. Day Four is dedicated to our interactive component: Live Critiques. Everyone who is registered will have the option of submitting the opening scene of their work for a chance to have it critiqued live during Day Four. Submissions must be received by July 9, 2026. Please note that this submission does not constitute a query to a literary agent—it is a submission to an educational webinar. You are not querying CeCe as a literary agent by submitting to this webinar. Students of the course will receive a link to watch the sessions live but may also choose to watch the recording at their own pace. Recordings will be available to students for 60 days. While it is impossible to predict the exact duration of the course, we will make every effort to keep each session between 3–4 hours. Please note that CeCe’s courses are intense—jam-packed with heaps of actionable content to elevate your story, so we cannot guarantee we will not go over this estimate. The course materials include accompanying PDFs. Writers of all categories and genres are invited to attend. We reserve the right to reschedule or reorder classes due to unforeseen circumstances.
Meet CeCe
CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates and co-host of the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. CeCe draws on years of publishing experience to help writers develop compelling hooks, sharpen their craft, and position their stories for success.
Course Curriculum
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1
Welcome!
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(Included in full purchase)
What to expect from the course
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(Included in full purchase)
How to submit your work for the optional interactive component
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(Included in full purchase)
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2
Day One
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(Included in full purchase)
Instructions
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(Included in full purchase)
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3
Day Two
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(Included in full purchase)
Instructions
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(Included in full purchase)
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4
Day Three
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(Included in full purchase)
Instructions
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(Included in full purchase)
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5
Day Four
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(Included in full purchase)
Instructions
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(Included in full purchase)
Student Testimonials
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As an agented kidlit writer, I’ve taken numerous online writing workshops and courses over the years, but CeCe's are absolutely at the top of the list. Three courses in, I remain amazed by her generosity and knowledge.
Columbus, OH
As an editor, writer, learning junkie, and director of online education, I’ve observed hundreds of lectures. Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to CeCe’s webinars. She’s crafted them to provide as much publishing insights as a semester-long course. Simply invaluable!
Senior Executive Pipeline Media Group, former Senior Editor Writer’s Digest
I've signed up for more writing courses than I can safely share without feeling bad about my finances. Hands down, Cece's courses are the best ones out there. The content is so incredible that it's borderline overwhelming – you'll feel your brain swelling and about to explode in the best possible sense. Regardless of the genre you're writing in, I recommend you learn with Cece. I teach storytelling for a living, and the first thing I tell my mentees is: go follow Cece and take one of her courses. My favourite so far has been Hacking Writing on a Line Level – it's just mind-blowingly superb with heaps of practical tips. Writing Emotion and Writing Tension will 100% transform your novel and will even make you read books with a different (more critical) mindset.
Perth, Western Australia
CeCe's courses are phenomenal! I have taken every single one of them at least once, most of them twice, and I will keep taking them as long as she teaches them. Not only is she an exceptional and engaging teacher but every minute of her courses is jam-packed with invaluable information. I recommend them to every writer I know!
Boston, MA
I have an MA in writing, yet I have never been enrolled in a class that provides as much in-depth, detailed, and specific insight into the craft as CeCe’s courses do. CeCe not only provides proven formulas and checklists but offers plenty of real-life examples from bestselling works and inspiring and honest insight into traditional publishing. I have taken several of her classes and each one has elevated me as a writer, editor, storyteller, and reader.
Ontario, Canada
Cece is an incredibly thorough and generous teacher. With theory, formulas, and plenty of interaction, her course had everything I wanted and more to take my writing to the next level. If you’re serious about your craft, sign up with eyes closed!
Marseille, France
Refund policy
Since the course has limited seating/availability (as well as other peculiarities, such as preparatory work required), we are unable to offer refunds. All sales are final. By enrolling, you acknowledge and agree to this policy.
Scholarship & Financial Access
We care deeply about supporting writers who are truly ready to do the work—but for whom finances might otherwise stand in the way. For that reason, we offer a select number of scholarships for our courses. These scholarships are intended for writers who are experiencing real financial constraints and who feel a genuine, timely pull toward the course—writers who plan to show up, engage fully, and see the work through. HOW SCHOLARSHIPS WORK • Availability varies by course and enrollment period • Scholarships are not guaranteed WHO SHOULD APPLY We welcome applications from writers who: • Are navigating genuine financial challenges • Feel this course would meaningfully support them at this point in their writing life • Intend to participate actively and complete the program If you’re able to enroll at the standard rate, we kindly ask that you leave scholarship consideration for those who truly need it. We’re a very small team, and because we approach this process with care and integrity, each request requires time and thoughtful review. HOW TO REQUEST CONSIDERATION If you’d like to be considered for a scholarship, please email the following address no later than June 22nd: [email protected] Please include: • The course you’re applying for • A short note on why this course feels important to you right now We do not expect your note to include information on your current financial circumstances as we understand that this is a delicate subject. If you would prefer to share those details, please feel free (we would never censor writers), but kindly note that it is not expected. The deadline to submit scholarship requests for Starting It Right is June 22nd. Requests are reviewed on a rolling basis, subject to availability. While we’re not able to accommodate every request, each one is read carefully and considered with respect. We’ll let you know that your request was received, but only those chosen for a scholarship will hear back regarding the outcome.
Ready to take your writing to the next level?
Join our course today!
$249.00