Writing Romantic Suspense - This workshop details how to write a
page-turning suspense novel while balancing it with the romantic elements.
Details on ticking bomb and jack-in-the box methods; how to create
effective settings and compelling characters; and the source, pattern, and
writing style of suspense.
How Do I Know Thee? Let Me Count The Ways . . . Writer begins with
"stick figure," then make characters into believable and
compelling individuals. This workshop covers five ways readers learn
characterization: physical description, mannerisms, dialogue,
action/reaction, and introspection
Creating Compelling Characters in believable plots: This workshop
covers the elements of backstory as it affects the present, how to use a
characterization work sheet, and the importance of creating believable
character flaws, goals, motivation, and conflict in romance, then how
these elements create compelling, believable plots and subplots.
Action-Packed Writing: Active writing is a technique to help write
grabbing and action-packed stores. This workshop covers five major
problems cause passive writing: inactive verbs or verbs in the wrong
tense, vague nouns rather than descriptive, redundancies, deadwood
phrases, and predicate nominatives and adjectives
Backstory That Works: Backstory is a character’s unwanted past
baggage that causes him or her guilt, fear, shame, distrust and a
multitude of other problems that create the story’s major conflicts.
Backstory creates motivation, goals and conflict for the main characters
and mold the character into an individual with certain traits and
attitudes. This workshop presents how to create dynamic backstory and how
to use it effectively.
A Sagging Middle and What To Do About It: Writers often know how
they will begin and end a story, but what happens in the 50-110K in the
middle? This workshop deals with techniques to enhance the middle of a
novel, to keep a story moving ahead, and deepen the plot so that the story
doesn’t sag.
Writing A Page-Turner: This workshop will cover the techniques to
hook readers and make a novel a page-turner. Techniques will be described
using examples. Special techniques creating grabbing openings and
compelling chapter endings.
Using Good Senses: This workshop will demonstrate how to create
more vivid fiction by using all of the senses: sight, sound, taste, touch,
smell, plus motion. Illustrations and handouts. Interactive.
Hooking the Reader: This workshop explains the importance of pacing
and maintaining suspense. Pacing relates to the story’s action and
movement. Like a roller coaster, rising and falling, the author creates
the unexpected, tension, and hints of things to come. Plot hooks are vital
to keeping the reader interested and turning pages.
Creating Real Emotions: Compelling, believe characters have flaws
and emotions. This workshop the explains the complexity of emotion and
demonstrates how emotion is seen through body action, dialogue, and
internal thoughts. Writers will learn to create fresh, creative ways to
show emotion. Interactive with handouts.
Seeing Is Believing—Point of View: This workshop covers the use
of character point of view (POV) in inspirational romance. The appropriate
number of POVs, deciding whose POV should be used, and the dos and don’ts
of POV. The track also covers a developed study at how readers learn about
characters through narration/description, dialogue, introspection, and
action/reaction, as well as understanding the appropriate uses of showing
and telling.
Common Writing Problems: Ridding a manuscript of common writing
problems is the first step toward getting published. This workshop covers
common writing problems and tips on how to fix them.
Pulling Together the Pieces: This workshop covers developing story
ideas: using life experiences and "what if" to create plots, and
then how to gather information and keep track of the details: using
character charts, tourist information, floor plans and town plats,
pictures of characters, and techniques to organize it all.
Using Poetic Elements in Fiction: This workshop explains the
enhancement of poetic language in fiction and demonstrates how to use it
to create mood, flow, and beauty by using elements such as
personification, onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, similes and
metaphors. Participants also will learn to use these element to devise
themes or motifs in fiction.
Workshops Outside the Craft of Writing Fiction
Techniques of Promotion: This workshop will cover methods an
author can use to enhance the publishers promotion from no cost to low
cost methods.
What to Do When They Say No: Rejection is a negative word, yet
very common in the world of publishing. This workshop show how to make
rejection a positive experience
The Drama of God’s Word: This workshop will cover how to use
Bible stories and lessons to create humorous or serious skits and
short plays to use in churches and church schools. It will cover
different formats, purposes, seasonal opportunities, formats,
research, preparing manuscripts and marketing.
Basics of Public Speaking: This workshop will cover elements of
speaking before a group, such as: speaking styles and content, eye
contact, gestures, vocal techniques, and forms of presentation.
