WITH A PASSION FOR HISTORY
Snakebite Scenes and Hollywood Plots:
Writing Action with Heart
You have the beginning. You know how it should end. But what to do with those hundreds of pages in the middle? Use my so-called "snakebite scenes" to help characters acknowledge their deeper passions and bond over moments of danger--even when surviving everyday dramas--and analyze movie classics to see how Hollywood tells a rip-roaring story. For plotters, pantsers, and everyone in between, this course can unblock your creative process and help you add action and heart to every page.
(Online Workshop)
April 4-29, 2012
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The Tiny Art of Elevator Pitches
How to Craft Them & How to Use Them
Every word counts! If you've ever considered attending a conference, you've probably heard the term "elevator pitch," which is nothing more than a bare-bones summary of your novel. But reducing tens of thousands of words down to 30 or less can be difficult, daunting, and confusing. What to leave in? What to ignore? How to give it punch and drama?
I'll share the elevator pitches that got me in the door, as well as techniques for making them both concise and effective. Each student will be encouraged to share his or her pitch(es), and to identify the most important themes, details and character traits--the good stuff that will set your work apart. We'll also discuss how elevator pitches can help your career: from query letters and off-hand conversations, to finding your hook and focusing your writing before you even start!
I'll share the elevator pitches that got me in the door, as well as techniques for making them both concise and effective. Each student will be encouraged to share his or her pitch(es), and to identify the most important themes, details and character traits--the good stuff that will set your work apart. We'll also discuss how elevator pitches can help your career: from query letters and off-hand conversations, to finding your hook and focusing your writing before you even start!
(Online Workshop)
March 5-26, 2012
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Beyond Research:
Stronger POV & Effective Use of Detail
Everyone knows that a good author does her research homework, but a heap of trivia doesn't make for a steamy, sweet, compelling, tear-jerking, rip-roaring novel. How much detail is enough? What to keep and what to ditch?
And what the heck is "deep point of view" anyway?
Join us as we look at how to meld research and fiction, with the goal of selecting and integrating the best details to enhance character point of view. Although designed and taught by a recovering historian, this workshop is geared toward the use of any detail, from historical facts to paranormal and fantasy worldbuilding. See how using character-specific details can make your fiction more memorable, endearing, emotional--every writer's goal!
And what the heck is "deep point of view" anyway?
Join us as we look at how to meld research and fiction, with the goal of selecting and integrating the best details to enhance character point of view. Although designed and taught by a recovering historian, this workshop is geared toward the use of any detail, from historical facts to paranormal and fantasy worldbuilding. See how using character-specific details can make your fiction more memorable, endearing, emotional--every writer's goal!
(Online Workshop)
June 4-July 1, 2012
(Online Workshop)
July 2-16, 2012
(In-Person Workshop)
September 8, 2012
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From Clichés to Keepers:
Knowing Your Characters Through Myers-Briggs
Cardboard. Cookie cutter. Cliché. When it comes to characterization, those are hideous words! Whether you’re writing your first book or your fiftieth, creating fresh-and-blood protagonists can be a huge challenge. But how to find and nurture that spark of life?
By using Myers-Briggs personality assessments, you can dig past surface observations to understand your protagonists' true natures. You'll learn their strengths and potential weaknesses, how they view the world, what causes them stress, who they trust, what they value, and how others regard them. In doing so, you'll not only create believable characters with more realistic emotions, but you'll develop more consistent plotting and sizzling romantic chemistry.
By using Myers-Briggs personality assessments, you can dig past surface observations to understand your protagonists' true natures. You'll learn their strengths and potential weaknesses, how they view the world, what causes them stress, who they trust, what they value, and how others regard them. In doing so, you'll not only create believable characters with more realistic emotions, but you'll develop more consistent plotting and sizzling romantic chemistry.
Here's a post for the FF&P blog that I did about this workshop, along with examples.
(In-Person Workshop)
Apr 27-28, 2012; Time TBD
In this brand new workshop, participants will be presented with the essentials of a great first chapter. We will examine romances from diverse sub-genres: Carrie’s new paranormal (which sold at auction on partial), a single title classic by Patricia Gaffney, an old school western by Janis Reams Hudson, a Harlequin Historical by Blythe Gifford, and a category contemporary by Nora Roberts. These works demonstrate how quickly and powerfully a first chapter can establish character, setting, and good ole’ GMC (goal, motivation, and conflict). Make the initial impression of your Chapter One compelling and unforgettable!
(In-Person Workshop)
June 1-3, 2012; Time TBD
I'm available to give any of the above workshops in person. Just contact me!
"A Writer's Core" for Heart of Iowa Fiction Writers RWA's April '09 newsletter
"Are You a Fiddler?" on Word Magic
"Adding Deep Point of View" on Examiner.com
"Highs and Lows of a Group Blog" on 1st Turning Point
"Launching a Book: My Take" on 1st Turning Point
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A collection of websites I found invaluable as I worked toward publication, and ones that continue to help further my career.
Recommended Websites New York Times bestselling author Lynn Viehl is honest and thoroughly professional. Her informative posts range from the basics of publishing terminology to a break-down of sales on her most successful books. A must-read for any writer interested in becoming a professional.
Preditors & Editors is the web's longest running and most trusted authority on which publishing houses are legitimate and which are scams. In between those two extremes, they also monitor for trouble among once-reputable houses that have since come into financial trouble or have changed business models.
Agent Query is a fabulous site for narrowing down the wide, confusing field of literary agents into a manageable pool of potential matches for your work. Search by genre, locale, and professional associations, and see lists of current agency clients. Invaluable.
Another option is Publishers Marketplace, which a requires a month-by-month fee for full membership benefits. It tracks and catalogs information about literary agents' most recent sales, what genres they sold, some monetary details, and the purchasing houses--all terribly useful when embarking on the great agent hunt.
If you are serious about querying an agent or publishing house, dive into the archives of Miss Snark. Posting anonymously, this literary agent provided a behind-the-scenes look at the querying process--what works and what does not. The blog was only active between 2005-07, but it remains an incredible educational archive. Query Shark continues this process today.
Publishers Weekly may still be a print periodical, but I only ever use the online edition. This is a great resource for keeping an eye on trends, learning about major changes at publishing houses and literary agencies, and maintaining your industry knowledge.
Even if you do not write romance, you should consider joining Romance Writers of America. One of the few large writing guilds that admits unpublished writers, the RWA can be a fantastic resource for the how-to details of selling. Online courses are especially helpful, and chapter-sponsored contests can be a great way to get unbiased feedback.
Author Brenda Hiatt has been compiling romance industry payment data for nearly ten years. This unique resource suggests exactly what a potential sale may be worth to you.
And for Carrie's hot-and-dirty apocalyptic paranormal romances, co-written with Ann Aguirre, visit:
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