Track/Presenter Workshop Description

Beginner

Deborah Leblanc 

  From T to E: How To Write A Novel In 30 Days How to write a novel within 30 days

Memoir

Phil Cousineau

 Stoking the Creative Fires 

“Genius is the power for lighting your own flame.”  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What are you on fire about now? Where does your fiery urge to create come from? What do you do to rekindle the inner flame of creativity when it is nearly extinguished by despair or fear? And what are you doing to pass on the torch of your inspiration? These questions are at the heart of one of the greatest human mysteries of all – creativity. This seminar explores the history of creativity, from painting and writing to photography, movies, and business, but its emphasis is on the practices, exercises, and sparks that enable us to sustain a creative life in any chosen field. To do this, we will focus on the three incandescent stages of the creative journey: Inspiration, Perspiration, and Realization. Each session will feature stories, film clips, and animated discussion. Our themes will include: the cultivation of work habits, the use of dreams, the role of mentors, the dreaded creative block, the myth of genius, and the ever-changing role of the publishing world. We will also engage in writing and active imagination exercises as tools for finding our true voice and deepening our work. The workshop is designed for all those who are fascinated by the possibility of lifelong creative writing including poets, novelists, memoirists, screenwriters, travel writers, journalists, and thesis writers.

Novel Writing

Nadine Nettmann 

 How To Plot Your Novel Using The Three Act Structure  Story structure makes writing so much easier! Using specific examples from books and movies, we’ll go over the three-act structure from the inciting incident in act one to the finale in act three. 

Non-Fiction

 Heather Hummel Gallagher

 Taking the Mystique Out of Ghostwriting  Ghostwriting is the art of writing other people’s books. It has proven to be one of the most lucrative fields in the industry; however, most writers understand very little about this field. Even if they do understand what a ghostwriter does, the next question is: How do I land ghostwriting gigs?
In Taking the Mystique out of Ghostwriting, you’ll learn the profits and pitfalls of writing other people’s books. You’ll leave with greater knowledge of client acquisition, contracts, and the various ways of working with clients.  

Poetry

 Laure-Anne Bosselaar

 Tone “I, YOU, HIM, WE, HER AND WHO?” 

In the great majority of poems, a speaker (or voice) will — through the use of tone (the character’s attitude toward the subject matter) and its many variations — build some kind of relationship with the reader. This relationship can run the gamut from being very intimate to extremely distant. How can the choice of pronoun influence this? In this very interactive class, we will look at how the choice of pronouns can dramatically change a poem’s impact

Young Adult and Childrens

Henry Herz 

 Writing Inspirational Picture Books  We will consider selected picture books to analyze the writing elements that make them inspiring to young readers: theme, characters, setting, language, topic, symbolism, and possibilities.

Marketing

Zoe Quinton 

 The Write Stuff: How to Switch from Author to Editor and Make Sure Your Manuscript Shines 

Think your manuscript may be ready for querying agents or self-publishing? Make sure you’re right by reading it over with an editor’s eye. Zoe Quinton, freelance editor and literary strategist, will walk you through the dos and don’ts of self-editing, where to focus your red pen, what is most important to watch for, and how to identify the right freelance editor in case you decide to get additional feedback. 

Writing for the Screen

 Doug Richardson

 Writing Action And Suspense  Back by popular demand, novelist and blockbuster screenwriter Doug Richardson will once again demonstrate how he composes action/suspense scenes. During this class, you will assist Doug in the live construction of a sequence that is guaranteed to thrill.

Publishing and Agents

Jason Pinter

 Everything You Need To Know About How The Publishing Process Works 

Everything You Need To Know About How The Publishing Process Works