trust me, i’m the plot doctor.
You've rewritten the opening chapters. You've revised the ending. You've adjusted the pacing, strengthened the dialogue, and polished the prose. Yet something still isn't working.
Beta readers lose interest. Literary agents pass. Editors say they "just didn't connect," and producers flat out ghost you. You know the story has potential, but you can't pinpoint what's holding it back.
That's where The Plot Doctor comes in.
I'm Steph. I’m a PhD, literary agent, screenwriter, ghostwriter, and narrative specialist with more than fifteen years of experience in film and publishing. Over the course of my career, I've evaluated more than 10,000 manuscripts and screenplays to discover one thing: most writers focus on symptoms while missing the main issue - A slow middle. Weak stakes. Flat characters. Pacing issues. Plot holes.
My job is to diagnose the root cause of narrative problems and prescribe practical, actionable solutions that strengthen your story from the inside out.
Whether you're a novelist, screenwriter, or author preparing to query agents or submit to publishers, I offer professional story diagnostics, developmental editing, line editing, screenplay coverage, manuscript evaluations, ghostwriting, and strategic consultations designed to help you identify what's working, what's not, and what to do next.
Because before a story can sell, it has to work. Ready for a diagnosis? Trust me, I’m the plot doctor.
**if you are seeking agency representation, please hop on over to my agency site.
Meet the Plot Doctor
Stephanie Katz is a literary agent, screenwriter, ghostwriter, and story analyst with more than fifteen years of experience in film and publishing. She holds a PhD in Narratology—the study of how stories work—and has spent her career helping writers identify and solve the narrative problems that keep manuscripts and screenplays from reaching their full potential.
Over the course of her career, Stephanie has read and evaluated more than 10,000 manuscripts and screenplays, worked with bestselling authors and major production companies, ghostwritten books and screenplays, and contributed to projects including The Blind, Average Joe, and the upcoming thriller Resignation.
As a literary agent, Stephanie sees the same problem over and over again: talented writers trying to fix symptoms instead of diagnosing the real issue. A slow middle, weak stakes, flat characters, pacing problems, plot holes—these are often signs of a deeper structural problem.
That's where The Plot Doctor comes in.
Whether through manuscript evaluations, developmental editing, screenplay coverage, story consultations, or ghostwriting, Stephanie helps writers uncover the root cause of narrative problems and develop a clear prescription for fixing them.
Because before a story can sell, it has to work.
our services
Query Letter Rx
First Chapter Checkup
Plot X-Ray
Second Opinion
Fixed-Rate Services
Proposal Physical
Story MRI - developmental edits
Manuscript Facelift - line edits
Narrative Transplant - ghostwriting
Variable-Rate Services
Screenplay & Screenwriting Services
Screenplay Scan - coverage
Screenplay Residency - screenwriting for hire.
Doctor Diagnosis
Schedule a 30 minutes one-on-one appointment with the Plot Doctor to diagnose your manuscript and come up with an individualized treatment plan to meet your goals and budget, ask industry questions about representation and the publishing business, or just compare TBRs and binge watches.
Emergency Surgery
On a strict deadline to get a project finished? We’ll squeeze you into our narrative Emergency Room.
