All workshops were available for viewing from Saturday, July 25-Saturday, August 8, 2020.
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Become Your Own Best EditorOne of the requirements for becoming a successful writer is skillful editing. Using examples from her own books, Tessa will demonstrate techniques for creating a better story and show us how to transform a mediocre first draft into writing that captivates readers.
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Pitch PerfectWhether you’re presenting your book to an agent, an editor, or your ideal reader, a great pitch isn’t an art or a rehearsed act—it’s a science. In this workshop, we’ll apply recent brain science information to give you a powerful advantage anytime you talk about your book. With a bit of scientific technology and an innovative method for presenting and persuading you’ll be able to:
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Write the Truth; Change the WorldSo many of us write afraid. We fear what others think, particularly our families. But if all of us shrank from telling our stories, who would mentor the next generation with words? Mary shares how to move from fear of the page to bold, powerful, life-changing writing. Writing like this is possible.
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Writer's ToolboxWhat makes your written voice distinct? How do you catch, and keep, readers’ attention? All writers use words to convey meaning, but imparting a voice, a tone, a rhythm goes far beyond the dictionary. In this workshop, you will learn a variety of tools you can use to tailor your writing style to fit your projects, as well as innovative ways to lend clarity, control emphasis, invigorate vocabulary, and enhance overall impact.
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Art of the InterviewEverybody has a story to tell...and you can help tell it. A constructive interview will enable you to write an engaging story. (And personality stories are big sellers in the magazine and book market.) From tips on how to land an interview to ideas on how to structure questions, this workshop will help you make the most of an interview and break into the feature-writing world. We'll also cover how to structure your article for a particular market and how to use the same interview for multiple markets.
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Taking Your Writing to the Next LevelWhen we first start writing, we are given a number of useful rules, like "avoid the passive" and "don't use a long word when a short one will do" and "avoid jargon." But we've read enough to note that good writers often break the rules, which suggests that taking our writing to the next level might entail different ways of thinking about what we're doing. This workshop will offer some tools and ideas to do just that.
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Getting Started in Christian FictionWhat sets Christian fiction apart, choosing a sellable idea, incorporating faith in fiction, resources for character and plot development, avoiding common mistakes, and tips for finishing your book and getting it published.
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Writing Personal Stories: Tools for Finding the Heart of the NarrativePeople are drawn to personal stories. When written well, they can be powerful and transformative. This workshop will cover practical aspects of writing our stories, including the arc of a narrative, detail, scenes/reflection, and tension. We also will dive into the deeper concerns of personal narrative, touching on issues such as how we know a story is ready to be told, our motives for telling it, and the spiritual journey of sharing ourselves in writing.
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Understanding the YA Market*YA books have some of the biggest hits and the biggest flops. What works and what doesn't? What are Christian publishers looking for in their YA books? How can we reach our teens and adults with strong messages of hope?
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How to Avoid an Embarrassing Book ProposalYour first point of connection with an editor is likely going to be a book proposal. This proposal is where you communicate three things—your message, your wordsmithing abilities, and your audience. In this workshop, we’ll work through all the key elements that acquisitions editors need to see in your pitch. Far from being a tedious hoop to jump through before getting a book contract, we’ll see how the proposal is your chance to refine and perfect your message so it’s ready for the world.
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The Right-Brain Writing Plan:
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Devotional WritingIn this inspirational and practical workshop, Susie Larson and David Sluka will discuss how you can write from your heart, stay true to the Word of God, and encourage others through devotional writing.
Topics will also include:
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How to Maintain Great Relationships in Your Writing CareerWriting is so very often a solo exercise but having a career as a writer is not. Building great interpersonal relationships with fellow writers, your agent, editor, readers, and the public will set you up to be seen and respected as a true professional who values other people more than status or opportunity. This workshop will show you what to do to nurture those relationships and more importantly, what to avoid doing.
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Understand Branding, Discover Yours, and Immediately Apply it to Your WebsiteIn this practicum, students will learn what branding is, how to discover their own unique brand, then use that knowledge to transform their websites.
Three class members will be chosen to have their website analyzed and given suggestions on how to revise their website to reflect their brand and more powerfully engage with their readers. |
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The Shark Tank School of Pitching Your ProjectWhat can a writer learn from the Shark Tank TV show? How is pitching a book proposal to an agent or editor much like pitching an invention or product to a panel of potential investors? What makes an investor want to say yes? What makes them need to say no, even if they like the product? What do the investors name as red flags? There are so many similarities between pitching a book and pitching an invention on Shark Tank. Let's discover together what writers can learn from the Shark Tank model.
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Creating Characters with Depth*The driving force behind any story is the group of characters that inhabit it. In this workshop, we'll explore the key elements of compelling characters and what an author can do to bring them to life.
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Teen Talk: Writing Effective YA Dialogue*This lively, engaging workshop will focus on the elements that make for effective teen dialogue, why effective dialogue is better than realistic, a thoughtful analysis on using profanity, the pros and cons of slang, the best dialogue tags, how to discuss mature topics in a teen voice, the importance of pacing, and a critical look at subtext, what's not being said, and why that matters too.
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Screenwriting 101This session will explore three differences between writing for the page and writing for the screen:
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Podcasting for Fun and ProfitPodcasts are a great way for authors to connect with fans and fellow authors, but for the uninitiated, taking the plunge can feel rather intimidating. In this session, we’ll discuss how easy it is to get started in podcasting, look at ways to effectively integrate your podcast into your existing social media plans, and examine several authors who are already using their podcast to sell more books and generate affiliate income.
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* These workshops are part of the YA Track.
