desert rose RWA :: writers' workshops
Note: Members, please use the 'Submit News Form' in the 'Member's Only' section to submit your workshops.
September Writers Workshop Wednesdays
September, 2010, 7-7:45 P.M.
Borders Scottsdale Waterfront
7135 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
Desert Rose has teamed up with Borders Books to put on a series of free writers workshops every Wednesday. Each 45-minute program will be followed by a book signing with the guest author. If you are an author and would like to host a workshop, please contact the Writers Workshop Wednesday Coordinator. This month's series features:
September1: TBD
September 8: Kris Tualla - How to Start Writing Your Novel
September 15: Donna Hatch - Point of View, What It Is and How to Choose It
September 22: Carrie Weaver - Dialogue: A Writer's Secret Weapon (in Plot, Pacing and Characterization)
FEE: Free
BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS: SUBPLOTS AND LAYERS (4p)
September 5 - October 2
BY LINDA STYLE
Some of the most successful techniques used by bestselling authors are the judicious use of subplots and layering, both of which add depth, texture and interest to a story. But many writers don't make full use of their subplots and sometimes even mistake a secondary plot for a subplot. Many writers believe layering is simply adding more stuff to make it interesting. Not so. In this class, you'll learn the intricacies of subplot and layering and how to use them to your story's best advantage. We'll cover what the subplot can do for your story, the start, the finish and the why plus weaving, braiding, intersecting and all that jazz and a look at the secret ingredients of the subplot. This on-line four-week course is delivered as a weekly lesson that
includes an exercise and detailed personal feedback.
To enroll: Bootcamp for Novelists
FEE: $28
BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS: SPARKLING DIALOGUE (5B)
September 5 - October 2
BY CONNIE FLYNN
Dialogue is not hard to write. But neither is it like real conversations. Dialogue has a story purpose beyond showing that your characters have voice boxes. This course gives techniques on writing dialogue that reveal character and moves along the plot. We'll master using dialogue to move your story, learn why how he thinks is how he speaks, and cover techniques for dynamic dialogue and how to weave it smoothly into your narrative. This on-line four-week course is delivered as a weekly lesson that includes an exercise and detailed personal feedback.
To enroll: Bootcamp for Novelists
FEE: $28
BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS: Author spotlight on synopses - How to Take the Bite Out of Writing Them . . .
. . . using the classic movie, JAWS, as an example
September 5 - October 2
BY HARLEQUIN AMERICAN AUTHOR CATHY MCDAVID
Whether plotter or pantser by nature and whether you write them before or after you’ve written the book, the darned synopsis is often the part of professional writing we hate the most. Yet, to be successful, we must do a passable job of constructing one. Unfortunately, there’s no secret to writing a synopsis. However, in this workshop we’ll cover basic and simple steps that will let you produce that passable, and possibly very good, synopsis. We’ll also debunk some common myths about synopses that may have been making the task more difficult than it needs to be. If you haven’t watched JAWS recently (or ever), you might want to view it before the course starts. For the romance plot, our example will be Cinderella.
To enroll: Bookcamp for Novelists
FEE: $30
CREATING THAT FATAL (OR NOT QUITE FATAL) FLAW
SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 2, 2010
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
Giving likable, plausible characters a compelling conflict is easier with Enneagrams. Counselors and HR managers use this tool to identify the nine personality types: Perfectionist, Nurturer, Achiever, Romantic, Observer, Skeptic, Adventurer, Leader and Peacemaker. Each one has its own uniquely heroic and distinctive traits (as well as a troublesome flaw) that naturally brings them into conflict with other people...AND with themselves.
To enroll: Orange County RWA
FEE: $30
WRITE PATH SEMINAR: JUMPSTART YOUR WRITING CAREER
September 11
northwest phoenix location
BY VIJAYA SCHARTZ
Are you stuck in a rut? Is it lack of inspiration? A serious case of the rejection blahs? Discouragement over a tough market? Or insidious self doubt? Don't despair. There is hope. Come and discover a hundred new ways to jumpstart your writing career right now.
To enroll: Vijaya Schartz
FEE: $60 Before Aug. 15, $70 After Aug. 15; Includes breakfast, lunch, and beverages
BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS: spotlight
October 3 - October 31
BY DENISE DOMNING
Premise and Theme: Or How Socrates Can Help You Write a Romance
To enroll: Bookcamp for Novelists
FEE: $30
MASTER CLASS: Q IS FOR QUERY, A IS FOR AAACK!
OCTOBER 11 - 22, 2010
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
No writer can get far without the most fundamental tool of selling their work: an effective query letter. But it's frequently a source of dread for writers who create lyrical fiction, yet panic at the idea of creating a sales pitch. Laurie Schnebly Campbell brings 25 years of advertising experience to the task of identifying what makes people want to buy a product--any product--and how to convince them yours is the one they want. (Class size limited.)
To enroll: Writer U
FEE: $55
BUILDING CONFLICT FROM THE HEAD DOWN
NOVEMBER 1 - 26, 2010
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
Great conflict comes from not only the situation, but from within the characters themselves. This brand new class offers tools for shaping basic personalities into heroic, appealing characters...who'll naturally wind up in conflict. Explore the various types and subtypes--ideal for creating clashes between genuinely likable people--and see which will offer the best opportunities for conflict that's built in right from the start.
To enroll: RWA Kiss of Death
FEE: $30
CREATE YOUR OWN BOOK COVERS
OFFERED INDEFINITELY DURING 2010
BY KRIS TUALLA
Kris offers a Yahoo Group called "Create Book Covers". The instructions are going to be up indefinitely and anyone can join.
Check out Yahoo Groups for more information.
FEE: FREE!
BLOCK-BUSTING: PUTTING THE JOY BACK IN WRITING
January 3-14, 2011
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
For anyone determined to make 2011 a Better Writing Year, this class offers practical and psychological techniques for dealing with writer's block. Part of that block is a lack of joy in the process, so this roll-up-your-sleeves session looks at the causes--including boredom, exhaustion, and fear of success--and the benefits of getting blocked. Writers finish with new awareness of what works for them, and with renewed inspiration for returning to the craft they love.
To enroll: Charter Oak Romance Writers
FEE: $25
PLOTTING VIA MOTIVATION
FEBRUARY 1 - 28, 2011
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
Any of us could write a book in which characters get shipwrecked on an uncharted desert isle. We've seen what seven such characters would do...over and over and over again. But what would yours do? If you nail down any character's motivation, it doesn't matter whether the ship capsizes or lands safely three hours later. Your characters will create a plot from whatEVER happens, because you've got their motivation built in from the very beginning...and here's how to do it.
To enroll: Writer U
FEE: $30
CHALLENGING COUPLES IN LOVE
MARCH 14 - 18, 2011
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
While it's easy to create conflict between a hero and heroine whose kingdoms are at war, everyday life can be a tougher setting for plausible conflicts...especially when the hero and heroine are both lovable characters. But the same conflicts that trouble real-life couples--plus the solutions recommended by marriage counselors--work for fictional couples as well.
To enroll: Black Diamond RWA
FEE: $20
FROM PLOT TO FINISH
April 4 - 15, 2011
BY LAURIE SCHNEBLY CAMPBELL
A continuation of the Plotting-Via-Motivation process, this no-more-than-30-people group gets every member plotting a brand new book (begun during February's class) from start to finish. No need to prepare a story idea, character bios, goal charts or anything else, because you'll learn how to plot an entire book--and actually have it ready to type--by the end of this hands-on workshop.
To enroll: Writer U
FEE: $55
Other Important Information
Bette McNicholas has created two attachments listing the most active and popular libraries and bookstores in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. This is for authors to utilize for promotions. It will be updated periodically when there are personnel changes as well as additions.