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Workshop Descriptions
Be sure to choose one workshop
from each of the four sessions listed below
and keep the course numbers handy as you register.
*DO
NOT INCLUDE 2ND CHOICES WHEN REGISTERING ONLINE
Suggested Workshop Tracks
(Having trouble
deciding which classes to take? Wondering what workshops
would be good for a new writer or which courses will help
you to deepen or improve your writing? Check out our sample
workshop tracks based on your area of interest and
expertise.)
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Click
on the Workshop Leader's name to see their biography
Workshops
Session 1: Friday 7:30 to 9 p.m.
111WC.309
The Train-of-Thought
Writing Method –
Kathi
Macias
This workshop offers practical, user-friendly help for
beginning writers. If you want to know how best to take
your thoughts and dreams and put them into a clear,
compelling, readable and ready-to-submit manuscript,
then this is the class for you!
112WC.309
An Acquisition Editor
Polishes Your First Pages –
Charlotte Cook
Bring a writing sample of 3 pages (formatted
appropriately). I’ll read and comment on it just as any
acquisition editor does when evaluating submissions. I
will tell you what works and what doesn’t, giving a
balanced accounting of what drives an editor to keep
reading or consider the work not ready for this level of
scrutiny. It’s a personal response with helpful
direction without the weight of a final decree. Not
everyone's work will be covered nor all pages read.
Instead discussion and questions will offer opportunity
to see what happens when your envelope or file is opened
in a publishing house.
113WC.309
Poem as Map –
Lisa Coffman
Like maps, poems cover a whole lot of ground. But poems,
of course, aren’t limited to mapping the physical world
only. This workshop will look at the way poems can
function as a very precise guide to a specific place,
time, emotion, or experience. We’ll discuss poems from a
range of writers and writing styles. The workshop will
include several writing exercises, so come ready to
sketch a few quick maps of your own.
114WC.309
Kid Lit –
Laurie McLean
Learn how to write and sell books for the hot
middle-grade (middle school) and young adult (high
school) markets. Laurie will discuss time-tested themes
and plots, new trends, the markets for these two dynamic
and growing categories, and more. Bring your questions!
115WC.309
Packaging Your Baby
for
Hollywood –
Thomas
B. Sawyer
You’ve written that terrific novel, screenplay, TV
series concept or pilot. Now, how do you sell it?
Learn what you’re up against, from short attention-spans
to market-glut to budget concerns—and what you’ll
need to grab their attention in Tinseltown. What it
takes—from how to pitch to writing loglines,
treatments, synopses and TV series leave-behinds that'll
hook ‘em and convince them they've
got
to put your story on the screen.
116WC.309
The Seven Steps: Story
Structure Made Simple –
Leslie Lehr
Great stories—from novels to memoirs to movies to
plays—go beyond the basic three-act structure to include
these seven steps. No matter whether you outline every
chapter or write by the seat of your pants, these
important elements provide the building blocks to a
successful storytelling. Bring your idea to work on in
class!
117WC.309
Querial Killers: How
Not to Get an Agent Even If You Are
a Brilliant
Writer –
Katharine
Sands
In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn the easy-to-fix
mistakes writers make when querying agents. What to
do—and what not to do—when you set out to woo and win a
literary agent. Find out how to understand the literary
agent's mind-set, and the reasons why a talented writer
often gets turned down.
118WC.309 Writers
Workout –
Sherry
Shahan (Teen Writers’ Program)
In this interactive workshop I’ll share tips for
creating intriguing plots and shaping realistic
characters. We’ll also explore techniques for taking a
personal experience and turning it into page-turning
fiction. Optional writing exercises will be offered.
Workshops
Session II: Saturday 9 to 10:30 a.m.
211WC.309 Synopses:
Who, What, Where, and Why Should I Care –
Amy Burkhardt
There seems to be much mystery around synopses. What
should a synopsis do and who is it for? What does a good
synopsis include--or not? How long should the ideal
synopsis be? Do you reveal your novel's ending at your
peril? Take part in this candid discussion of the keys
to creating a successful synopsis.
212WC.309 Working with
Dialog –
Kirsten Menger-Anderson
When characters speak, they speak for a reason. In this
workshop, we'll look at what makes good dialog and how
you can make your dialog sparkle. Using in-class
exercises and examples from published works, we'll
discuss how dialog can be used to reveal character,
forward plot, create tension, and efficiently do the
work of exposition.
213WC.309 Genre! The
Other Fiction –
Laurie McLean
This workshop will show you how to succeed writing
romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror,
thrillers and/or westerns for adults. Learn the rules of
each of these genres as well as time-tested plots, new
trends and market opportunities for these dynamic and
growing genres. Bring your questions!
214WC.309 Starting and
Completing that Book You Want to Write –
Gene Perret
Admit it—you have a book lurking in your soul—one that
you can’t seem to get written. This seminar is a
step-by-step procedure for organizing your thoughts into
writable form. It teaches you how to take your basic
book concept and divide it into several logical and
manageable segments. With discipline and a reasonable
writing schedule (that you create), you can make the
writing of your book easier, faster, and more coherent.
This method is applicable to both fiction and nonfiction
books.
215WC.309 Online
Marketing for Authors: Build a Platform and Sell More
Books
–
Stephanie
Chandler
In this presentation, you’ll learn lessons that every
writer can use to build an audience using the Internet.
Find out how to create an effective Web site to reach a
global audience and drive traffic to your site utilizing
simple, affordable online marketing strategies. This
class will help you master the art of promoting your
books on Amazon, stand out against the competition, and
build a long-term career as an author. Whether you
already have published books or you are just getting
started, effective online marketing strategies can
increase your publishing success.
216WC.309 Making It
Beautiful, No Matter What –
Susan Browne
This workshop is designed to get emotion into your
poetry and to make it beautiful, no matter what. We’ll
use model poems for inspiration, then freewrite to find
ways to turn truth into beauty. We’ll explore the use of
imagery and the shaping of a poem.
217WC.309 Publishing
Options –
Kathi Macias
How can you know whether it’s best to go the traditional
publishing route—or to consider self-publishing or Print
On Demand (POD)? What are the advantages and pitfalls of
each? What are the realistic expectations in today's
tight publishing market and shaky economy? Kathi Macias,
a bestselling, multi award-winning author of nearly
thirty books, has occasionally chosen to self-publish.
Find out why—and discover which publishing option is
best for you.
218WC.309 Poetry’s
Nefarious Plot to Rule the World –
Thalia Chaltas
(Teen Writers Program)
Poetry is everywhere! We’ll gather ‘good’ poetry and
expose ‘bad’ poetry usage from the world at large, in
advertising, the news, and entertainment, as well as
books. Verse affects the masses! How can you use
poetry techniques to improve what ever it is you
write? You don’t have to be a Poet to control poetry’s
clout! Strange and powerful writing exercises included.
(Despot License not required.)
Workshops
Session III: Saturday 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
311WC.309 Your Writing
Isn’t Art—It’s a Job: Building Your Toolbox
– Christian Moerk
If you want to make a living as a writer, you need the
tools for the job. In this class, you’ll build that
toolbox. You’ll find out: how to create a "skeleton" in
the form of a chronological synopsis; the importance of
layering in details in act one that you can pick up
later; how to write realistic dialogue, the secret to
creating satisfying openings and closings to your
chapters; when to stay inside your chosen genre and when
to step outside of it; and much more.
312WC.309 What to Do
When Your Muse Ain't Moving You –
Katharine Sands
You love it when it’s working. When your writing flows.
When your characters are, well, in character. When your
pulse is quickening and your plot is thickening. But
what about creative blocks? You hit a wall—thud. You
have no words, literally no words, and the blank page
yawns before you. Now what? This class will show you how
to get up and running again.
313WC.309 Word Play
and the Self-Editing Process –
Thalia Chaltas
How do you choose words when you edit your writing? Are
you using the best expression for the job? Let’s
find ways to be creatively specific about word
selection. A playful variety of physical explorations
and writing exercises will ignite the dusty ol’ sparkler
in your editorial brain.
314WC.309 Picture
Books: More than Fuzzy Chicks –
Sherry Shahan
The two oldest forms of storytelling -- words and images
-- merge together in picture books. Together we’ll
explore the various genres within this popular category,
including nonfiction, which receives prestigious awards,
starred reviews and appears on best-of-the-year lists.
Optional writing exercises will be offered.
315WC.309 Elemental
Odes and a Love Poem or Two –
Lisa Coffman
With Pablo Neruda as guide, this workshop looks at poems
that praise a (seemingly) simple element or moment of
daily life. We’ll read and discuss how Neruda and other
writers ignite poetry out of things often overlooked or
taken for granted. Readings will be drawn from Neruda,
Galway Kinnell, Sharon Olds, Issa, Yehuda Amichai, and
others. We’ll discuss how these writers shake free of
predictable language and find the new in what seemed
familiar. Look for a few love poems to be thrown in,
too.
316WC.309 Make Money
with Books, eBooks and Other Information Products
–
Stephanie
Chandler
As a non-fiction writer, you can use your skills to
generate income by selling information products. In this
class, you will learn how to create and promote books,
e-books, special reports, audio programs, seminars,
teleseminars and more. If you are already an author of a
non-fiction book, there are many ways these products can
enhance your publishing career and generate revenue.
Come learn the secrets of leveraging the Internet to
make more money from your expertise and writing skills.
317WC.309 Point of
Narration (PON) vs. Point of View (POV) –
Charlotte Cook
How does point of narration make for a successful and
popular read, and why don't you know more about this? So
why and when does a distant omniscient narrator work,
and when do or don't commercial possibilities of a
manuscript overwhelm the originality of the material?
This entertaining and interactive workshop has
successfully reoriented many writers into reworking a
manuscript that then gets far greater agent and
publisher response.
318WC.309
The High Concept: Distilling Your
Book into a Pitch that Pops
–
Amy
Burkhardt
Whether using it in a query letter, a book
proposal, or a face-to-face pitch, the "high concept" is
crucial to hooking an agent or editor. It may seem
unfair and downright impossible to compress several
hundred pages into two sentences, but it must be done -
and done well - if you want to see your book in print.
Come participate in a discussion about what the "high
concept" is, why it's important, and how to create one
that stuns.
Workshops
Session IV: Saturday 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
411WC.309 Add Humor to
Your Writing –
Gene
Perret
Any manuscript—book, article, essay, or whatever—can
benefit from a touch of humor. One agent once told me
that if he could find just one laugh per page, he could
practically guarantee a sale. Humor does many things for
your writing: it demands attention, it highlights your
outstanding points, it helps the reader retain your
message. This seminar teaches you how to look for
humorous ideas and to convert those to comedic
text. We’ll also deal with writing humor per se, such as
monologues or humorous articles, and how to add just a
sprinkling of humor to any piece of writing you do.
412WC.309 Screen & TV
Writing: Thinking in Pictures –
Thomas B. Sawyer
Visual storytelling
that works for
novels, stageplays or screenplays: TV and film writing techniques will make
you a better storyteller. This class includes how to
create vivid, memorable characters and put the right
words in their mouths. Learn how to “direct” your actors
(even in novels), pacing, structure, economy, subtext,
when to get into your story and scenes—and when to get
out—and much more, taught by someone who’s been there.
413WC.309 Publishing
Short Fiction
–
Kirsten Menger-Anderson
Finding a home for your short fiction can be a
lengthy and frustrating process. In this workshop, we'll
discuss strategies for publishing short fiction in both
print and online journals. We'll also look at how to
prepare work for submission and how to track
submissions, as well as what to expect after a story has
been accepted for publication.
414WC.309 Creating
Complex Characters –
Leslie Lehr
On the page, characters need to be especially complex,
not only to pull the reader in, but also to act in ways
that drive the plot, making the story both urgent and
believable. In this seminar, we’ll identify different
types of characters and then do class participation
exercise classes to break down all the elements that
real people have—many that we may not see at first
sight.
415WC.309 Life
Treasures: Introduction to Memoir –
Susan Browne
In this workshop, we will explore some key elements of
memoir: vivid characters and settings. We’ll write two
to three in-class exercises, then share our writing to
discover the story and possible themes. This workshop
can also inspire those who wish to work on shorter
personal essays.
416WC.309 The
Emotional Heart of Young Adult Novels –
Sherry Shahan
Can the novel in verse do something traditional prose
novels can’t? Is it, in fact, more suited to
scrutinizing the secret inner lives of teenagers? We’ll
explore this popular genre and experiment with poetic
techniques that will help us improve our prose writing.
I’ll also discuss techniques for turning a personal
experience into fiction for adolescent readers.
417WC.309 Riveting
Writing: How to Pitch, Publish and Platform –
Katharine Sands
Whether they’re meeting with you or reading your pitch
letter, literary agents want to be impressed. They need
to determine the answer to two pressing questions: Why
you? Why now? Publishers and agents need to know from
the get-go why your book appeals to readers and how much
built-in media interest the book has; the biggest
buzzword in the media and publishing world is
"platform." In this hands-on workshop, a New York
City-based literary agent takes participants
step-by-step through the getting-published process,
focusing on fundamental guiding principles behind all
successful authors.
418WC.309 Creating an
Authentic Time and Place –
Christian Moerk
Many period-based novels strive for authenticity but
instead deliver excruciating "Bow, yield, kneel!"
dialogue that pulls you out of the story. In this
seminar, we'll look at examples where the writer has
successfully navigated the pond of bottomless period
clichés and come out alive with a wonderful, believable
tone. How do they do it? How can you create characters
that live in their own skin, yet do what you want them
to? How much period is just enough? What details are
used, and which are discarded? How do you create
narratives that move forward from specific characters'
point of view rather than using merely the conventional
omniscient third person narrator? And what are the
pitfalls once you fall too much in love with a certain
tone?
Return
to
Conference Fees Page to register
once you have
your workshop #'s handy
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