Online Workshops

The Lowcountry RWA® chapter is very proud to announce our online workshop schedule for 2009! ~Some late registrations are accepted~

If you would like to join our Online Classes email info newsletter, CLICK HERE

For a list of 2009 classes, CLICK HERE

Courses are run on an email listserve and feature both craft and southern themes. The workshops are conducted via EMAIL only, no real-time or live chats. Participants will be subscribed to the listserve for the period of the workshop, then unsubscribed when it is over. Workshops are open to everyone with email capability who wish to participate, not just LRWA or RWA members.

However, to become a member of LRWA, CLICK HERE. (You must be an RWA® member to join LRWA.) Membership not required to attend the online workshops.

Workshop Fee: $16 US for All

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE VIA CREDIT (OR PAYPAL ACCT)

To Register:

Click here for the registration form

REFUND POLICY: No refunds will be given for withdrawing from a workshop. In the event a workshop is cancelled by the instructor, you have the option of taking another workshop or the return of fee. In the event the class member misses the cutoff date for a workshop, the fee will be returned or another workshop can be selected.

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS 3RD OF THE MONTH. HOWEVER, LATE REGISTRATIONS MAY BE ACCEPTED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRPERSON.

Questions? Click below to email our Online Workshop Chairperson

If you would like to join our Online Classes email info newsletter, CLICK HERE

Upcoming 2009 Online Workshops

Click for month: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV

February

February 2009 — Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction for Young Adults
Presented by Beth Barany
Dates: February 4-26
Deadline: February 2

Course Description:
What is young adult fantasy fiction and why would you want to write it? In this course, instructor Beth Barany will cover the answer to these questions and more. Learn the fundamentals of a good fantasy and science fiction story for the young adult market from someone who is actively researching and pitching in this area. During the class, you will learn about world building, what agents and editors say they’re looking for, and what makes for a compelling main character. Like any good book, this kind of story needs a strong premise, so Beth will encourage students to draft and refine their stories’ premise throughout the 4-week course.

Instructor Bio:
Beth Barany, a certified creativity coach, coaches, consults and teaches writers and those who want to write. She offers workshops, e-courses, and products to support writers enjoy the writing process AND get their books done. As a service to the writing community, Beth offers free support via her blog, Writer’s Fun Zone, http://www.writersfunzone.com, and her site, http://www.bethbarany.com.
After working in journalism for 15 years, and teaching ESL in the US and France, Beth switched her writing focus to fiction, and now writes young adult fantasy. Her young adult fantasy novel, THE DRAGON STONE, is under consideration by agents and editors. Beth is a contributing author to the anthology, WRITING ROMANCE.
On her off-hours, Beth enjoys walking, the outdoors, gardening, watching movies, and reading. Beth is married to singer/song-writer and high school physics teacher, Ezra Barany.

February 2009 — What Not to Write
Presented by Mallary Mitchell
Dates: February 5-27
Deadline: February 3

Course Description:
Is your manuscript in need of an overhaul? Does it have adverb overuse, flying body parts, and run-on sentences? Does it suffer from multiple personality disorder? Do you have descriptive passages or just talking heads? In this course four samples of “What not to Write” which address these problems will be presented and corrected.

Instructor Bio:
Mallary Mitchell is an educator and a multi-published author. Her 2008 release from The Wild Rose Press, ROPED AND TIED, was recently nominated for Best Contemporary Book by Night Owl Romance Reviews. You can learn more at www.mallarymitchell.us.

March

March 2009 — Behind the Scenes: The Research Before the Book
Presented by Jacqui Jacoby
Dates: March 5-26
Deadline: March 3

Course Description:
Before the book, before a writer types a word on a page, there is an idea. And behind that idea are the characters, the background, the location.

Research is an important aspect of any story. Whether the writer prepares their background information before they begin to write the story, or if they make it up as they go, they will need to get to know the people they are creating.

Behind the Scenes: the Research Before the Book is class which will help writers learn the basics for researching their novels. Whether they are using the public library, stacking their own shelves or meeting with a professional in their character’s profession, this class will give the writer the insiders look at how to do the research and then pull it all together.

Instructor Bio:
An award winning writer and a ten year veteran of martial arts, Jacqui Jacoby’s career is multi- faceted. With her trusted computerized day planner, Miguel, by her side, she is able to work in many aspects of the writing community: as an author and contributor to the Kiss of Death as well as RWR Magazine; as a chapter volunteer and contest judge, and as a workshop presenter, both live and online. www.jacquijacoby.com

March 2009 — Thinking Without Words
Presented by Donna Joy Foster
Dates: March 5-26
Deadline: March 3

Course Description:
Words have become such an integral part of our lives as humans, and especially as writers, that we often forget that our brains are working away all the time … and that the mind does not use words unless we are engaging in conscious thinking. SO - if we are going to access our unconscious knowledge and ideas, we have to do it first without words. For centuries, people of various cultures have known how to do this - but until modern science could explain what was going on, the processes seemed mysterious and mystical. Now we know that there are techniques that open us to a whole range of human abilities and strengths.

This workshop is a first for me - I have always been LIVE and FACE TO FACE when I have worked with people to learn these skills and to use them to recognize their personal strengths and unconscious knowledge. But really - people only need other people to initially learn the techniques and then sometimes to learn to process the experiences.

What do I have to teach you? In days gone by it would have been called meditation or visualization or lots of other terms. I call these techniques “ways to achieve quality non-cognitive attending skills in interacting with your internal and external worlds.”
How can you use these techniques as a writer? You can use them to:
1. relax while working and without going to sleep when we must not - we all need to know how to do that.
2. relax immediately in times when you need to make an immediate response - think interview with an editor; OR think long elevator ride with an agent.
3. Learn to brainstorm new and out of this world ideas on your own.
4. increase your ability to “show not tell” (telling is with words - you are going to learn techniques which are initially word-free)
5. live longer so you can write more (no, really - there are lots of good research data that clearly link these techniques to better health, lower blood pressure, even the ability to lower stomach acid - for those of you with reflux!)
6. Have fun and take a vacation and never leave your chair. (Hey - I thought that was what books were for!)

Instructor Bio:
Ms. Foster holds an undergraduate degree in General Science and a Master of Science in Biophysics. She has taught science in elementary school, middle school and high school in addition to teaching at the college level. She has doctoral study in health education, as well as stress management and related topics including meditation, self-hypnosis, and the history of meditation for religious use. She as served as a College Adjunct instructor in Community Health and in Human Sexuality in addition to developing a Teacher Resource Instructional Packet System in Prevention of Drug Abuse. She is the recipient of a federal grant to develop stress management for women as a part of an addiction prevention program. She prepared stress management trainers for drug treatment professionals, the Mental Health Department, Charleston Naval Base, the YWCA and the VietNam Veterans Leadership Program.

Foster has provided multi-session training programs for hotels, realtors, counselors, interventionists, persons working with the physically challenged, Parents without Partners, churches, the Jewish Community Center and Cummings Engine. She developed five separate curricula for stress management for women and children, for assembly line workers, for military dependents, for VietNam veterans, and for workers in the disabilities field. She has also developed audio tape training programs for relaxation and imagery technique and delivered a six-session program on stress management for SC-ETV. Foster taught courses in personal stress management at the College of Charleston, Charleston Southern University [then the Baptist College at Charleston], Trident Technical College, and for the former SE Office of the US Department of Education.

Foster received the national Pyramid Project award for creative training in 1978, and her program for military dependents and VietNam veterans was recognized by Congress. She has provided stress intervention and prevention training for supervisors in a variety of professions and given conferences on the subject. A member of RWA and LRWA, she has been published in nonfiction and as a poet.

March 2009 — Plotting 101
Presented by Becky Martinez and Sue Viders
Dates: March 5-26
Deadline: March 3
Course description:
Plotting is never easy, even for the seasoned writer. How do you keep everything straight and go in the right direction? What are the different methods of plotting and how do you know which system works best for you? Do you need to plot at all or simply work by the seat of your pants?

Any level writer can benefit from this workshop that provides an overview of various plotting systems. It provides explanations of ways to plot and goes into detail on how authors who write by the seat of their pants can use those ways to make their own plotting—or lack of it—easier. The lectures cover the various plotting methods like the five W’s, the three-act structure, using plot points and turning points, a scene by scene approach, timelines and storyboards. Even plotting backwards is included!

We’ll also introduce the Plotting Wheel to make certain you get the important elements into your story to make it a quick moving and compelling plot.

Join the co-authors of Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters in an interactive workshop that that gives writers the opportunity to experiment with the different plotting methods or to focus on making one particular method work for them.

Instructor bio:
Sue and Becky have been teaching on-classes for many years, as a team and individually. They have presented at numerous conferences together and separately. Both have given sessions at the national Romance Writers of America Conference, where Becky presented the Plotting Wheel workshop this past July. Sue has taught dozens of classes, both online and in person.
Sue has published the following books and games for writers:
1. Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes
2. Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters
3. Deal a Story - a card game for writers

Becky is also one of the co-authors of Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters. She is multi-published in full length romance novels and romance short stories. Her most recent short story was The Problem, published in July by The Wild Rose Press. TWRP will also publish her next book, Deadly Messages, a romantic suspense. She is currently working on her next romantic suspense.

Becky and Sue are also working on a romantic mystery together plus writing their next nonfiction book for writers, Ten Ways to Plot a Great Story. It contains many of the elements from Plotting 101 as well as an in-depth explanation of the Plotting Wheel. It will be a companion book to the Character book.

April

April 2009 — The Two for the Price of One Class Combo Pack: Finding an Agent as an Unpub AND Getting Your Story Off to the Right Start
Presented by Beth Cornelison
Dates: April 4-28
Deadline: April 2
Course description:
“Getting Your Story Off to the Right Start” gives a set by step, detailed check list of elements to consider as you start each new book. The workshop covers finding story ideas, setting up characters with interesting conflict, backstories and motivations, outlining where your story will go (goals, story themes, character growth), defining characters through their actions, inciting incidents, weaving in backstory without slowing the pace, and clichéd first meets and other things to avoid.

“Finding an Agent as an Unpub” covers many aspects of finding the right agent as an unpublished author, how to snare an agent’s attention, what to beware of when shopping for an agent, and the unique agent/unpub relationship. The workshop also includes the agents’ perspective on how to submit to an agent and what agents are really looking for from an unpublished author.

Instructor bio:
Three-time Golden Heart finalist, Beth Cornelison received her degree in Public Relations from the University of Georgia. She debuted with Silhouette Intimate Moments in April 2005 and continues to write for not only Silhouette Romantic Suspense but also Sourcebooks, Five Star and Samhain publishing. Beth has served as the conference coordinator and contest coordinator for her local RWA chapter and has presented workshops to numerous conferences across the country. Mrs. Cornelison lives in Louisiana with her husband and son.

April 2009- Using Research to Breathe Life into Your Historical Romance
Presented by Jackie Ivie
Dates: April 5-29
Deadline: April 3
Course description:
Historical…..
Cabriolet or Phaeton….
Silk or Flax…
Crinoline or Panniers…
Caravel or Frigate…
Tar or Pitch…
Tallow or Oil…
Barbed Wire or Poles…
So many options, so much data, so much…FUN!

If you’re writing/have written/are planning to write a Historical Romance, you might already have your research down to a science, but would you like to know how to find those facts that give your readers shivers? Want to bring history alive? Want to be able to write so your reader is breathing the same air as the heroine?

Multi-award winning and critically acclaimed author and self-proclaimed history nut Jackie Ivie will share some of her secrets and some of her not-so-secret methods of placing that historical novel firmly in the past with these lectures and assignments:
The opening (Historical Romance is the stuff of life!).
The Sub-genre and setting. Pick one – or morph some - and then stay true.
The absolutes and not-so-absolutes of historical accuracy.
The data. Where to find it and what to look for.
The melding of romance with history.

Instructor bio:
Jackie Ivie has been writing historical romance books for over 27 years now, with no end in sight. Since being published with Kensington Publishing – Zebra Historical Romance line in 2004, her novels have won or placed in 17 romance contests, including Best First Book (Beacon Award, LADY OF THE KNIGHT) and Best Heroine (Anne Bonny – THE KNIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS).. Her books have been critically acclaimed, earning over 38 Reviews awards, and have received rave Reviews.

“A Knight Well Spent by Jackie Ivie is a heart pounding, mouth watering, finger licking fantastic read for all Historical Romance lovers. If you miss this one you have missed one of the yummiest books of the century.”

Jackie is a native Utahan, who attended the University of Utah on a full scholarship for Fine Arts. Jackie has dabbled in drawing and painting, plays five instruments, raised four children, and worked as a manager for the US Postal Service, but her absolute favorite pastime is history and writing romance set in history.

Jackie hones her craft in the great state of Alaska, where she lives with her husband, assorted pets, and their youngest daughter, who is the only thing left between them and an empty nest. Jackie’s fifth book A KNIGHT WELL SPENT was published in October 2008. Her next one – ONCE UPON A KNIGHT - is due out in fall of 2009. Jackie is at work on her next “knight” book, but you never know what plot or setting might happen!

April 2009 — A Perfect Ending
Presented by Regan Black
Dates: April 6-30
Deadline: April 4
Course description:
Do you love your story, but struggle with weak, abrupt, or endless endings? Regan Black, having learned the hard way, will use examples from popular movies and specific exercises to help you create the satisfying endings readers crave.

Instructor bio:
Regan Black is the award winning author of Justice Incarnate and Invasion of Justice, as well as short stories and anthologies for both adults and teens. She has been perfecting her craft and navigating a publishing career for nearly ten years and has yet to achieve perfect patience with either herself or the industry. Through schools, libraries and writing groups, she’s spoken to aspiring writers of all ages on topics of brainstorming, editing, and reader-pleasing endings. With the support of her family and mostly domesticated birds, cats, and retired greyhounds, Regan crafts her stories in the Low Country of South Carolina where the rich history and folklore fuels her vivid imagination.

May

May 2009 — Writing with Magic (for Muggles)
Presented by Susan Sipal
Dates: May 5-26
Deadline: May 3

Course description:
Though many an envious writer would like to think JK Rowling’s secret to success is just a bunch of magical mayhem, we Muggle writers can learn from the skills which have made her Harry Potter series more than beloved, but truly an absolute obsession among millions.

Using Ms Rowling’s phenomenally popular series as a base, we will delve below the surface of her prose to determine what made her writing so magical for so many. Learn about giving the reader more, the value of subtext, using mythic themes and structure to advantage, plotting a trail-of-clues mystery, and the business of self promotion.

Please note that while familiarity with the series is helpful, it is not required. Also, this is not a workshop about writing fantasy (magic), but rather about how to learn techniques from a bestseller in order to improve your own writing and style. While fantasy will be included, the workshop is by no means geared exclusively to that genre.

Instructor bio:
Published in fiction and non-fiction through essays, short stories and a novel, S.P. Sipal is a professional writer who also happens to be a Harry Potter fanatic. She has worked seven years in the industry as a writer, editor, and marketing director and has presented multiple workshops, both at home and abroad, either to help writers develop their craft or to analyze the mysteries of Harry Potter. Her most recent release was “Grandma’s Cupboards” in On Grandma’s Porch from BelleBooks. Learn more about Susan at SPSipal.com.

May 2009 — The Top Ten Reasons a Manuscript is Rejected
Presented by Lois Winston
Dates: May 4-25
Deadline: May 2

Course Description:
Most manuscripts get rejected by agents and editors for one or more of 10 basic reasons. Writers have control over some of these reasons but not all of them. In this workshop award-winning author and agency associate Lois Winston will discuss these 10 reasons and offer suggestions for how writers can control more of their destiny by not falling prey to them.

Instructor Bio:
Award-winning author and literary agent Lois Winston writes humorous, cross-genre, contemporary novels and romantic suspense. She often draws upon her extensive experience as an artist and crafts designer for much of her source material. Her first book, TALK GERTIE TO ME, was the recipient of the Readers and Book Buyers Best Award, took second place in both the Beacon Awards and Laurel Wreath Awards, and was nominated for a Reviewers’ Choice Award and a Golden Leaf Award. Her second novel, LOVE, LIES AND A DOUBLE SHOT OF DECEPTION, was the winner of the Winter Rose Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction, the More Than Magic Award, and the Laurie Award. The book also garnered Golden Leaf, Golden Quill, and Beacon nominations. Lois also contributed to several anthologies: DREAMS & DESIRES, VOL. 1, 2, and 3 and HOUSE UNAUTHORIZED. When not writing or designing, you can find Lois trudging through stacks of manuscripts as she hunts for diamonds in the slush piles for the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Visit Lois at www.loiswinston.com.

May 2009 — A Good Old Fashioned Grammar Refresher
Presented by Mallary Mitchell
Dates: May 6-27
Deadline: May 4

Course Description:
Grammar Refresher is a review and refresher course in grammar. Topics will include punctuation, italics, dialog, dialog tags, capitalization—those wonderful (and some quirky) rules from English class. The Chicago Manual of Style will be used as a reference text, as well as other online resources.

June

June 2009 — How to Write it When You Can’t Be There
Presented by Blythe Gifford
Dates: June 5-26
Deadline: June 3

Course Description:
We’ve all heard the advice: You must visit the places you write about if you’re going to create a believable setting. But most of us can’t afford to jet across the country (or the world) every time we start a book. And for those who write historicals, a trip to the place would still not be a trip to the time.
In this short course, Blythe will give some practical tips and tricks for selecting, creating, and researching believable settings, no matter what your subgenre. She’ll also discuss the thematic use of setting that can make your story richer.
Previous participant commented: “I could write a two page email on how much this class has helped me.” “Fantastic.” “Great class.”

Instructor Bio:
Blythe Gifford (www.blythegifford.com) is the author of Innocence Unveiled (June 2008), The Harlot’s Daughter (October 2007), a finalist in the First Coast Romance Writers’ Beacon Contest, and The Knave and The Maiden (2004), which was a Golden Heart finalist and a double finalist in the Beacon Contest. Reviewers have praised her realistic depictions of the medieval era. “Prepare to be transported to another time and place,” wrote Cataromance of Innocence Unveiled. “Expertly blends a fascinating setting and beautifully nuanced characters into a captivating love story,” said the Chicago Tribune about The Harlot’s Daughter. Booklist praised The Knave and The Maiden because it “vividly re-creates the medieval pilgrimage experience.”
A past president of Chicago North Chapter of RWA, has given several online courses and spoken at numerous RWA Conferences, including the National Conference.
Her next medieval romance about a bastard born on the wrong side of the royal blanket is due from Harlequin Historical in the fall of 2009.

June 2009 — Theme and Symbol 101
Presented by Professor Deborah Brownfield
Dates: June 4-25
Deadline: June 2
Course description:
Learn more about including symbolism in your writing with this one-month online class that explores the nature and effectiveness of using symbolism, especially as it correlates to theme and tone. You will study several authors who effectively use symbolism in their writing, including one of the masters, Edgar Allen Poe. The class will consist of lecture notes to study, a weekly assignment, and active, and a lively class discussion!

Instructor bio:
Author, educator, and speaker Deborah G. Brownfield is very passionate about various things including travel, music, and advocacy for children. This Charleston, South Carolina resident’s career consists of working as a high school drama, journalism, and English teacher and, more recently, as a college professor. Debbie’s love for music led her to obtain her degree in music education, and she now gives voice and piano lessons. She travels overseas whenever she can, and she is passionate about the power of words and the possibilities of huge dreams.

June 2009 — Fishing In: Hooks that Grab the Reader
Presented by Kristin Hardy
Dates: June 4-25
Deadline: June 2
Course description:
They’re used in hit songs. They’re used in movies. They’re used in television. They’re even used to catch fish.

Hooks. Whether you’re talking about CD buyers, movie fans, romance readers or, yes, editors, the hook seals the deal. It gives the audience that one irresistible lure to make them want more.

In the romance market, we hear a lot of talk about “classic hooks,” with the assumption that everybody knows what they are. What are these mythical hooks? How do you use them, why do you need them and what can they do to help you write books that sell? And how do you spin them to be uniquely your own?

Instructor bio:
Kristin Hardy is a fourteen year veteran of journalism. She’s well versed in determining the correct source for a story and contacting them by e-mail/phone to get the accurate, detailed answers to her questions. To research her novels, Kristin has done a ride-along with a San Diego fire company, spent a day with a microbrewery brewmaster, toured the conservation laboratory of a major fine arts museum, watched maple sugar being made, interviewed everyone from U.S. Department of Agriculture officials to a World Cup ski champion.

A two-time RITA nominee, Kristin currently writes for Harlequin Blaze and Silhouette Special Edition. Her first novel, My Sexiest Mistake, won a National Readers’ Choice Award and was subsequently made into a movie by the Oxygen Network. She has won an RT Bookclub career achievement award for series romance, as well as an award for Best Special Edition of 2006. Her nineteenth book, Her Christmas Surprise, hits the shelves December 2007.

July

July 2009 — Pantser vs. Plotter
Presented by Regan Black and Kim Justen
Dates: July 3-31
Deadline: July 1
Course description:
In this lively discussion-style class, Regan Black (the pantser) and Kim Justen (the plotter) will guide you through the pros and cons of both approaches to writing.

Kim Justen is a freelance writer of many things non-fiction, but she’s a true romantic at heart, despite her need to know every turning point before delving into the writing of said romance.

August

August 2009 — The Military and Aviation in Fiction: Getting the Terms Right
Presented by Patrick S. Murray, United States Air Force (retired)
Dates: August 5-26
Deadline: August 3
Course description:
Do you want to write about the military, but the terms confuse you? Do you understand what the word “ditch” means in relation to a commercial jet? Do you know how to research the history of major battles for historical fiction? The class will teach you how to research these subjects and work them into your stories.

Instructor bio:
Pat Murray graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Military History in 1988. He served Sembach AB, West Germany (shortly before the reunification) where he flew the Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call (and flew on the very last patrol of the inter-German Buffer Zone). After flying C-130s in Texas he was transferred to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada where he was in the first class of General Atomics RQ-1 Predator UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) pilots after the USAF took the program over from the Army. He then racked up over 2,000 hours on the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III until his retirement in 2008. The only interruption to his C-17A time was a one year remote tour to Osan AB, South Korea from 2005-2006 where he was Chief of Peninsula Air Exercises. Among the interesting activities Pat has experienced are: hauling the President’s limousine and supporting his security detail, chasing a helicopter in the Predator UAV, enduring a coup while Command Post Chief in Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, survived 650 combat hours over Iraq and Afghanistan and was intercepted by Venezuelan F-16s and Columbian A-37s. He is now an NRA-certified handgun instructor, range safety supervisor and gunsmith at ATP Gun Shop & Range in Summerville, SC in addition to owning his own gunsmithing business. He writes nonfiction and fantasy and married into family of writers.

August 2009 — Is That Hollywood Calling?
Presented by Cindy Carroll
Dates: August 5-26
Deadline: August 3

Course Description:
Just because we can write books doesn’t mean we can write screenplays. Based on my popular 8 part newsletter article Is That Hollywood Calling? is a quick and dirty month long course on the differences between writing books and writing scripts. And how writing a screenplay can help improve your novel writing. Is Hollywood calling you?

Instructor Bio:
Cindy Carroll joined RWA in 1992 and started out writing novels but turned to scripts when an idea for one of her favorite television shows wouldn’t leave her alone. That first attempt, and her second teleplay for the same show, garnered her honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition in the screenplay category. She graduated from Hal Croasmun’s screenwriting ProSeries intensive in June of 2008. Her interview with David Rambo, writer/producer for CSI appeared in the summer special edition of The Rewrit, the newsletter for Scriptscene, Romance Writers of America’s screenwriting chapter. Currently working on the rewrite of her second feature, Cindy is also developing two new television pilots. www.cindycarroll.com

September

September 2009 — The Submission Process— It’s Not Just About the Query Letter
Presented by Lois Winston
Dates: September 4-25
Deadline: September 2

Course Description:
Everyone knows you have to write a great query letter to catch an editor’s or agent’s attention. But there’s more to the submission process than just the query letter. In this hands-on workshop, award-winning author and agency associate Lois Winston will help you refine and hone the entire package needed to insure that coveted request from the editor or agent of your dreams.

September 2009 — The Joy of Independence: Create Your Own Writing Business
Presented by Virginia McCullough
Dates: September 5-26
Deadline: September 2
Course description:
Many writers have two passions: they love to write and they love the idea of independence just as much. Virginia McCullough brings 35 years as an independent writer to help participants explore the possibility of transforming a part-time writing career into a fulltime venture through nonfiction writing/editing/consulting. The workshop is designed for those who dream about working for themselves and writing fulltime, this workshop invites participants to delve deeply into their well of interests, life experience, and professional expertise to find a niche in the world of nonfiction writing and related work.

Instructor bio:
Virginia McCullough has run her ghostwriting and editing business for almost 30 years and along with coauthoring books with experts, she’s written over 100 books. She began her career producing magazine articles on topics ranging from family living and women’s issues to sailing and the live-aboard lifestyle. When developing her writing business, she also wrote or edited newsletters, speeches, brochures, and other marketing/PR material. Today, most of her clients are doctors, therapists, lawyers, and professional speakers.

In 2008 Virginia coauthored 52 Ways to Bring More Humor, Hugs, and Hope into Your Life (released in September 2008) with Greg Risberg, MSW, a professional speaker. Her 2007 release, The Oxygen Revolution (Hatherleigh, April 2007), was coauthored with a pioneer in the field of hyperbaric medicine. Her new book, Women Option Traders (Sourcebooks), coauthored with options expert Wendy Kirkland, is due for a 2009 release. A member of RWA since 2001, Virginia is still on the hunt for her first fiction sale. Greta’s Grace, a mainstream family drama/love story, finaled in the 2006 Golden Heart Contest in the “strong romantic elements” category. Other manuscripts have won numerous chapter contests.

Virginia also is a writing business coach and consults with others who have a passion to write and an equal measure of passion for an independent writer’s life. Because she enjoys nothing more than hanging out with and supporting other writers, she belongs to several chapters, including LCRW and WisRWA, as several online chapters. She currently chairs WisRWA’s Write Touch Readers’ Award Contest and enjoys writing pieces about the writer’s life for chapter newsletters. A mother of two grown children, she currently lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but has lived in several states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

September 2009 — Stress Management Techniques for Writers
Presented by Donna Joy Foster
Dates: September 6-27
Deadline: September 4
Course description:
This will use some of the techniques presented in Thinking Without Words - but it will do a lot more too. Those who did not take that class - come on in anyhow.

There is a HUGE cognitive (word based) understanding that underlies better personal stress management. I will be making available to this class all the writings I have done in my 25 years of professional work in stress management - to download and read. If you do not know what you are trying to accomplish - you probably won’t learn how to do it!

(This is not always true - but in this area, it is. When you do not understand how something works, you tend to think of it as magic. And magic is outside of you - while stress management is something that must be internalized and become part of you.)

The best techniques for better handling of stress draw from the WHOLE person - the mind, the brain (yup - they are NOT the same), the body, the spirit, your unique personality, your social support context, your religious beliefs. SO each of us needs a personalized and unique plan to handle the stresses of our everyday world AND the stress of immediate crisis. There are no guaranteed ways out there that work for everyone - NO magic bullets; anyone that tells you that is trying to sell their training and not trying to help you become more self-sufficient and more effective.

Instructor bio:
Ms. Foster holds an undergraduate degree in General Science and a Master of Science in Biophysics. She has taught science in elementary school, middle school and high school in addition to teaching at the college level. She has doctoral study in health education, as well as stress management and related topics including meditation, self-hypnosis, and the history of meditation for religious use. She as served as a College Adjunct instructor in Community Health and in Human Sexuality in addition to developing a Teacher Resource Instructional Packet System in Prevention of Drug Abuse. She is the recipient of a federal grant to develop stress management for women as a part of an addiction prevention program. She prepared stress management trainers for drug treatment professionals, the Mental Health Department, Charleston Naval Base, the YWCA and the VietNam Veterans Leadership Program.

October

October 2009 — Overcoming Writer’s Block
Presented by Beth Barany
Dates:
Deadline:

Course Description:
In this hands-on course, students will have a chance to use many writing tools the instructor, Beth Barany, has developed while coaching and teaching many stuck writers to overcome -their procrastination and resistance to writing. Develop a tool kit of tricks so you never need to fear the blank page again. Each week Beth will present seven writing exercises and asks the students to do at least four of them and report back. Exercises will include writing exercises like:
· 15-minutes or Bust!
· Macro and Micro Goal Setting
· Flip it!
· Dream the Perfect Day
· 5 Senses in One inch Square
· Character Dialogue
· What’s in Your Pocket?
· Vision Boards
· Take Your Writer’s Block Monster to Lunch
· And more!

October 2009 — The Real Witch: Witchcraft Basics for the Paranormal Author
Presented by Deborah Blake
Dates: October 6-29
Deadline: October 4

Course Description:
Have you ever wondered about the differences between historical witches and modern-day Wiccans? Are you curious about familiars? How do you create a witch character for fiction? Deborah Blake can answer these questions and many more with her class about witchcraft and creating a character practicing the magical arts. You will learn how to create witch characters for different genres including Chick Lit and Paranormal. You will learn how to create a witch with real strengths and weaknesses. You will learn the basics of Wicca and spell casting. You will learn some of the historical views on familiars. You will learn how to write scenes in which your character practices magic and how the character would create a spell. You may not be allowed to turn an agent into a toad, but you are allowed to create a great character for your book!

Instructor Bio:
Deborah Blake is a Wiccan High Priestess who has led her own group, Blue Moon Circle, since 2004. She is the author of Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (Llewellyn 2007), Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Inspirational Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft (Llewellyn 2008) and The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch (Llewellyn 2009). She took third prize in the Pagan Fiction Award contest and her short story “Dead and (Mostly) Gone” was published in the Anthology of Pagan Fiction: 13 Prize Winning Tales (2008). She is currently working on a novel featuring a Witch as a protagonist. Deborah lives in upstate New York in a 100 year old farmhouse, where her activities both magickal and mundane are supervised by her five cats.

November

November 2009 — Loglines: Just the Facts, Ma’am
Presented by Cindy Carroll
Dates: November 4-28
Deadline: November 2

Course Description:
A good logline can make people sit up and take notice. Whether you write books or scripts the logline is an essential part of your marketing material. And it can also help you stay on track. Just the facts, Ma’am is a two week workshop that covers what makes a good logline and how to use it to stay focused on the story.

November 2009- Two for the Price of One Combo Pack: Loglines— Just the Facts, Ma’am AND ‘Who Are You Again?’ Promo Before You Publish
Presented by Cindy Carroll
Dates: November 4- 28
Deadline: November 2
Course description:
Loglines— A good logline can make people sit up and take notice. Whether you write books or scripts the logline is an essential part of your marketing material. And it can also help you stay on track. Just the facts, Ma’am is a two week workshop that covers what makes a good logline and how to use it to stay focused on the story.

‘Who Are You Again?’— We all know that once you get published your writer world changes. It doesn’t end with selling the book. Not only do you have to write your next book, there’s the business of writing to take care of. Even if you have an agent you still have to do edits, go through your galleys and a multitude of other things. But you also have to do promotion. Depending on which house you sold to you might not have a lot to do. But this workshop is about the promo you should be doing BEFORE you publish. What are you doing to get your name out there before you sell, so when you do get the call, people will already know who you are?

Instructor bio:
Cindy Carroll joined RWA in 1992 and started out writing novels but turned to scripts when an idea for one of her favorite television shows wouldn’t leave her alone. That first attempt, and her second teleplay for the same show, garnered her honorable mention in the Writer’s Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition in the screenplay category. She graduated from Hal Croasmun’s screenwriting ProSeries intensive in June of 2008. Her interview with David Rambo, writer/producer for CSI appeared in the summer special edition of The Rewrite, the newsletter for Scriptscene, Romance Writers of America’s screenwriting chapter. Currently working on the rewrite of her second feature, Cindy is also developing two new television pilots. www.cindycarroll.com

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