NEORWA Upcoming Workshops
MAY 2010
THE “W” PLOT…OR THE OTHER WHITE MEAT FOR PLOTTERS
INSTRUCTOR: Karen Docter
WHEN: May 3 to May 28 (12 lessons posted over 4 weeks)
WORKSHOP:
One of the staples of any writers group conversations is the plot. It's integral to every novel, holds everything together. It's the vehicle that carries readers from page one to "The End". It's one of the scariest things an author faces when s/he decides, hey, I want to write a novel!
How many of us have made this decision, then stared at that blank page or computer screen without a clue how to proceed? What about those of us who write by the seat of our pants, the pantsers? Do we dare risk scaring off our muse by [shudder] plotting our story? How do the mega-plotters, the overachievers, know when it's time to stop and just put pen to paper?
Join four-time Golden Heart® finalist and Daphne du Maurier winner Karen Docter as she shares the "W" plotting technique she's used successfully for more than 10 years.
Karen analyzes the movie "Romancing the Stone" to show how the technique works, discussing the detailed plot points for the main characters including the villain. Throughout this workshop, you'll uncover the skeleton of your own novel. Whatever your genre, not only will you have the tools you need to finish plotting your story using the "W", you'll know how to use it to write the synopsis we all love to hate...all without writing one word of the novel.
If you've already started your novel, that's okay. It's never too late to apply the principles of the "W" to your developing story. Have you run into a wall? Don't know where to go next? Has the story gone flat? Use the technique to pull apart the elements of your story so you can plug the holes, work through/over/around walls that loom in your path, and get moving on your story once again.
This is a hands-on-your-own-book workshop designed for the novice or the experienced writer.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
'Karen Docter’s a member of Colorado Romance Writers, a four-time Golden Heart® finalist and charter member of both RWA PRO and The Golden Network. Also a member of FTHRW and Kiss of Death chapters, she now writes single title romantic suspense. One of her manuscripts won the 2005 KOD Category [Series] Romantic Mystery/Suspense Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence. In addition to her thirty-year business background, she holds a Liberal Arts degree and a B.A. in Technical Journalism. To foster literacy, she’s been a speaker at local Jr./High schools, tutored composition and reading classes, and taught college level English.
Check out Karen’s website at http://www.karendocter.com to find out more about her writing. _____________________________________________________________________
JUNE 2010
DEATH SCENE INVESTIGATION
INSTRUCTOR: Phyllis Middleton
WHEN: June 7 to June 25
WORKSHOP:
From the Coroner’s Investigator point of view - I will give an interactive workshop on what to expect from the scene and how to handle it – from working with the police, family and pathologists. How does a Medical Examiner / Coroner handle the body at the scene? Find out in this fun and sometimes ‘gross’ workshop! This is a normally a full month class, but is shortened for this class, so therefore will be power packed!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
While employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at nineteen years old, Phyllis Middleton was trained in the Science of Fingerprints. This training included the classification, comparison and search methods used by FBI and known throughout the USA.
Returning to her home in Colorado, she became a Deputy Sheriff for the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Department and specialized in crime scene investigation and evidence processing. Certified in Pueblo District and County Courts, Phyllis testified in a number of cases as an expert in the field of fingerprints. While with the Sheriff’s Department, she branched out in Patrol and Investigations as well as becoming a member of the Search and Rescue Squad and the State Disaster Team. She added becoming an Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Police Instructor to her service.
Phyllis also worked as a Kentucky Police Officer and finally rounded out twenty years as a Senior Criminal / Civil Investigator with the Denver Coroner’s Office where she certified as Death Scene Investigator and was one of six investigator handling approximately 4500 deaths a year.
Since marrying and moving to Texas, Phyllis no longer works as an active law enforcement officer, although volunteers her time to her local police department. She writes mystery / suspense-thriller / action adventure with romantic elements. She's been writing stories since the 8th grade but only in recent years has she become serious about learning her craft and getting published. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Dallas Area Romance Authors Chapter (DARA), the Kiss of Death Chapter, and Faith, Hope and Love Chapter. She is also a member of the National Mystery Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America Southwest Chapter. To learn more about Phyllis check out her website at http://www.phyllismiddleton.com.
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JULY 2010
CRAFTING THE SENSUAL NOVELLA
INSTRUCTORS: Eliza Knight and Renee Knowles
WHEN: July 5 to July 16 (6 lessons posted over 2 weeks)
WORKSHOP:
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at writing a sexy novella? Are you worried you won’t be able to write short? Do love scenes intimidate you? Worry no more! It’s time to learn the craft of novella writing. Creating a sensual short story can be fun and profitable.
And there has never been a better time to write short. With so many new and established publishers hungry for novellas, the market is wide open—if you know how to catch an editor’s attention.
Sensual novellas are about much more than sex. And the guidelines are different than for a traditional-length novel. This workshop will help you learn how to plot a novella whether you are a heavy outliner or a “pantser.” You’ll see how easy it is to layer emotion into your love scenes and hook the reader from the very first sentence. The class will also instruct you on how to pack more into less words, while still keeping your love story strong and your audience captivated. And we will help you see how to market your story once you’ve sold.
We’ll even include a sensual and sensory word reference list as a bonus!
Are you ready to take readers on a swift, sensual, and emotionally riveting journey?
Note: This workshop includes handouts as well as suggested reading, and will include excerpts from the presenters’ and other authors’ novellas.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS:
Eliza Knight: Eliza is the author of multiple sizzling historical romances and Highlander time travel erotic romance novellas published by The Wild Rose Press. She is a freelance copy editor, Newsletter Editor for Hearts Through History Romance Writers, and President of the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers signature chapter of the RWA. She also volunteers her time as moderator of a critique group and contest coordinator. Eliza is the author of the award-winning blog, History Undressed and has published numerous articles in various newsletters. She presents workshops on history, researching techniques and writing craft, to writing groups online. To learn more about Eliza, check out her website at http://www.elizaknight.com.
Renee Knowles: Renee is an award-winning historical and contemporary romance author with The Wild Rose Press and Siren Publishing. She is also an editor for The Wild Rose Press and a published freelance writer whose work has appeared in national consumer and trade magazines, as well as newspapers. Renee’s novellas consistently receive 5-star reviews, and she was called a “brilliant author” by Two Lips Reviews.
Renee is the author of a series of writing how-to books, Savvy Business Skills for Writers, from Wild Child Publishing. She often gives workshops and online classes to writing groups all over the country. Renee has several years of experience in public speaking and frequently presents on business topics and image. She has presented writing workshops at Colorado Romance Writers, Seattle Romance Writers’ Emerald City Conference, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and the Northern Colorado Writer’s Conference. She also teaches online writers’ classes through Author MBA?.com and RWA chapters. For more information on Renee, please visit her website at http://www.reneeknowles.com.
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AUGUST 2010
SELF-PROMOTION PRIMER: Guilt-Free & Cost-Effective PR Options
INSTRUCTOR: Marcia James
WHEN: August 1 to August 13 (6 lessons posted over 2 weeks)
WORKSHOP:
Despite what you may think, PR isn’t a 4-letter word. But the pressure on authors to self-promote has never been greater. And the PR options—from social media sites and online reader loops to blogs and podcasts—are endless. How can you choose which promotional opportunities to pursue that won’t break the bank or deplete precious writing time? And how can you lose that nagging feeling that you’re not doing enough promotion?
Get rid of the guilt. Savvy authors factor in not only their marketing budgets and time constraints, but their target audience, book specifics, possible niche markets, and their own personalities. Matching your personality to your PR push offers a chance to pick promotional options that maximize your strengths. And it frees you from concerns over not pursuing every marketing angle.
This two-week online workshop will familiarize participants with the promotional options available and give them the tools to narrow those down to a workable number. In addition to the lectures, all interested workshop attendees will receive a 250-page Microsoft WORD file of author promotion information.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Marcia James writes hot, humorous romances and finaled in eleven RWA chapter contests before selling her first comic romantic suspense, AT HER COMMAND, to Cerridwen Press. In June 2009, her short story, “Rescue Me”, appeared in TAILS OF LOVE, a Berkley anthology. In her “day job”, Marcia is an advertising copywriter and PR consultant. In her eclectic career, she has shot submarine training videos, organized celebrity-filled nonprofit events and had her wedding covered by People Magazine. In addition to writing romances, she presents author promotion workshops. Please visit her Web site at http://www.MarciaJames.net. _____________________________________________________________________
SEPTEMBER 2010
CAN THIS MANUSCRIPT BE SAVED
INSTRUCTOR: Susan Meier
WHEN: September 6 to September 19
WORKSHOP:
Can This Manuscript Be Saved? Rejected? Can’t get an agent? Can’t sell, even though your critique partners LOVE your work? Susan Meier reviews the seven most common rejection catch phrases and explains why you and even your critique partners can't spot them, then shows how determining whether your book's trouble is a story, scene or word problem is the first step on the road to recovery.
Following the assignments at the end of each lesson, attendees will learn how to "skim-read" their manuscripts quickly, marking specific problems with post-its. Susan also demonstrates how to use a storyboard, a list of twenty and a one-paragraph blurb to create a plan of attack for fixing your book's trouble.
Susan can't revise or rewrite your manuscript for you, but with her tricks you'll not only see how to revise the book of your heart; you'll also see how published authors are able to write four, five and even six books a year without breaking a sweat!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Susan Meier is the author of over 40 books for Harlequin and Silhouette and one of Guideposts' Grace Chapel Inn series books, The Kindness of Strangers. HER BABY’S FIRST CHRISTMAS won the More Than Magic Contest, Sweet Contemporary Category. Her books have been finalists for New Jersey’s Golden Leaf and National Reader's Choice Awards and Cataromance.com and Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Awards.
Her Pregnancy Surprise an October 2007 release was both a Walden Books bestseller and a bookscan bestseller!
Her 2009 releases are MAID IN MONTANA, THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS and COUNTRY TWIN CHRISTMAS in the Enchanted Christmas anthology for Harlequin Romance. To learn more about Susan visit her website at http://www.susanmeier.com.
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OCTOBER 2010
ALL ABOUT AGENTS
INSTRUCTOR: Kara Lennox
WHEN: October 4 to October 15
WORKSHOP:
Your literary agent is likely to be the most important person in your writing career, yet most authors will agree it's harder to get a good agent than it is a good publisher. Agents sell books, yes, but they do so much more. This workshop will deal with every aspect of professional representation, including how to select an agent from the hundreds out there, how to approach them, how to sign with one, what you can expect in the agent-author relationship, and how to end a relationship with an agent that isn't working out (as frequently happens despite due diligence). Over the course of her career, Kara has experienced a variety of agent relationships, and she will share some of her personal experiences as well as those of her writer friends (identities shielded, of course!)
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Best-selling author Kara Lennox (a.k.a. Karen Leabo) has written and published more than 50 contemporary romance novels. Her books have been translated into 19 languages and published in twenty-plus countries around the world. Kara has also written hundreds of magazine articles as well as brochures, press releases, business plans, advertising copy, and ten as-yet-unproduced feature screenplays. Kara lives in Southern California with her writer-publisher husband, a neurotic cat, and a geriatric, obsessive-compulsive cockatiel.To learn more about Kara visit her website at http://www.karalennox.com. _____________________________________________________________________
NOVEMBER 2010
PUTTING WINGS ON YOUR BACKSTORY
INSTRUCTOR: Teresa Bodwell
WHEN: November 1 to November 12
WORKSHOP:
You’ve met someone at a party. He decides to tell you his life’s story -- the uncut version. How long does he keep your attention? Even if his story is an interesting one--climbing Mount Everest, or canoeing across the Atlantic Ocean--your mind will wander as you wait for him to take a breath so that you can excuse yourself to the bathroom, the bar, to call you mother-in-law. Anything to get away!
In much the same way, the reader will want to escape your novel if you bore her with backstory. And she doesn't need an excuse to walk away. It is all too easy for her to put the book down and never come back.
How then, can you convey information about your character’s past to the reader? This workshop will consider different techniques for keeping your story moving forward while providing the reader with crucial information about the past. We'll look at examples from books and movies and try some hands on writing exercises to practice creating flashbacks as well as weaving backstory into dialogue and internal monologue.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
After serving in the U.S. Army, where she helped make the world safe for John Phillip Sousa music, Teresa Bodwell received her Bachelor's Degree from UCLA and J.D. from The University of Oregon School of Law. In over two decades as an attorney she has prosecuted bid riggers, defended consumer rights and helped clients through the nightmare of divorce. When she read her first romance novel, Teresa found a place where happy endings are guaranteed. She finds that writing love stories adds balance to her life. Teresa is the author of two western historical novels and a novella in the anthology, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys. She lives with her family in western Montana where she teaches law and serves as a Girl Scout volunteer. Visit her website at http://www.tbodwell.com. _____________________________________________________________________
DECEMBER 2010
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU: Adding Realistic Law Enforcement & Legal System Elements Into Your Novel
INSTRUCTOR: Kerri Nelson
WHEN: December 6 to December 17 (6 lessons posted over 2 weeks)
WORKSHOP:
Who doesn't love a hot cop hero? Want to make his cop talk and attitude sound authentic? What about evidence collection or a courtroom scene? Need a little legal know how to make your book more exciting or suspenseful?
Kerri will use her experience and education in the legal field to show you how to sound like an expert when you add the legal system or law enforcement characters into your own novel.
Learn "cop talk", criminal evidence procedures, anatomy of a lawsuit, and more!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Kerri Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing. At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly "Panther Tales" column. She won the Outstanding Young Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.
After an education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense novels with a legal or law enforcement theme. She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing southern gentleman husband and two little belles-in-training. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll find her baking homemade goodies for her family, feeding her addiction to blogging online or designing custom made book trailers. Kerri is an active member of Romance Writers of America as well as numerous Chapters including Southern Magic, Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal, Hearts Through History, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.
Visit Kerri’s website at http://www.kerrinelson.com
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JANUARY 2011
ARCHETYPES VS. STEREOTYPES
INSTRUCTORS: Sue Viders and Becky Martinez
WHEN: January 3 to January 14
WORKSHOP:
There has to be more heroic styles than just the Alpha male. This workshop will discuss the sixteen archetypes from Sue's book, The Complete Writers Guide to Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes. Each archetype will be discussed in depth.
ABOUT THE INSTURCTORS:
Sue Viders is an international art-marketing consultant and popular writing teacher. She has taught numerous classes in writing fiction both online and on site. She is the author of more than 20 books. Her books for writers include Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes, which has become an often-recommended source for romance writers, and Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters. She has also developed the Deal-A-Story card game, which is a writing tool that can help authors brainstorm their story ideas before they start to write and help to strengthen manuscripts already in production. To learn more about Sue, visit her website at http://www.sueviders.com.
Becky Martinez is an award-winning former broadcast journalist and published author who teaches classes to writing groups and conducts online writing workshops. Her first romance was an Aspen Gold finalist and she contributed a short story to an anthology that was a 2007 New Mexico Book Award finalist. Her new romantic suspense Deadly Messages will soon be available from The Wild Rose Press. With Sue Viders, Lucynda Storey and Cher Gorman, she co-authored the writing book, Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters. She is working with Sue Viders on a new book on plotting that will include the introduction the Plotting Wheel. _____________________________________________________________________
FEBRUARY 2011
THE CONFLICT GRID, TOOL FOR SUCCESS
INSTRUCTOR: Lyn Cote
WHEN: Feb. 7 to Feb. 18
WORKSHOP:
If you don’t have conflict, you don’t have a story. With Kathy Jacobson’s CONFLICT GRID, you will learn to uncover every possible conflict inherent that keep your hero and heroine apart. No more sagging middle. No more trouble crafting a true black moment. No more trouble finding the unifying theme that gives your romance power, no matter what subgenre you write. The CONFLICT GRID also clarifies the basic elements of your romance so that you can pitch it to an editor and give her exactly the info she needs to assess whether it’s a winner or not. The CONFLICT GRID, filled out in full, also provides you all you need to write a proposal. It can be your main planning tool for character and plot. Once you learn it, you’ll wonder how you did without it!
The CONFLICT GRID is just one tool developed by Kathy Jacobsen AKA Kathy Lloyd in her full writing course, A NOVEL APPROACH, available for download in PDF form for $25 at http://www.kathyjacobsen.com.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
When Lyn Cote became a mother, she gave up teaching, and while raising a son and a daughter, she began working on her first novel. Long years of rejection followed. Finally in 1997, Lyn got "the call." Her first book, Never Alone, was chosen by Steeple Hill. Lyn has had over twenty-five novels published since then. In 2006 Lyn's book, Chloe, was a finalist for the RITA, one of the highest awards in the romance genre. Lyn’s brand “Strong Women, Brave Stories,” always includes three elements: a strong heroine who is a passionate participant in her times, authentic historical detail and a multicultural cast of characters. Now, Lyn spends her days writing books that show the power of divine as well as human love.
Lyn helped found two RWA chapters: Heart of Iowa Fiction Authors in 1994 and Faith, Hope & Love Inspirational Chapter in 1997. She served as president of both. She is an active member of Wisconsin Romance Writers. Lyn has also written three articles for the RWR on the inspirational romance market and one on Classic Romantic Conflicts. Lyn has also taught regional and national workshops for RWA. Visit her online at http://www.LynCote.net.