Taking The Mystery Out of Writing Mysteries:  How to weave a tight plot with characters that sing!

Join me as we address dialogue, setting, research and more.

Class description coming soon!

The Unputdownable First Chapter

In this class, we'll unpack what makes a first chapter truly unputdownable. I'll show you a few of my favorite first chapters, and we'll discuss what makes them unputdownable. You'll then try your hand at writing your own unputdownable first chapter, using what you've learned. You'll receive feedback from me and from your classmates.

Writing a Graphic Novel

In recent years, graphic novels have taken publishing by storm: they’ve grown a whopping 65% this last year alone! Lots of authors, especially in kid lit, are interested in dipping their toes into writing graphic novels, but if you aren’t an artist, where do you start? In this intensive, we’ll break down the pillars of sequential storytelling and the nuances of collaborating with an artist or art team to bring a story to life in a way only graphic novels can. We’ll explore the nearly endless limits of the versatile format while also learning about current trends and standards in the industry. Beyond understanding the mechanics of writing a comic script, students will also come away with a basic understanding of what self-publishing, working with a small press, or working with a traditional publisher is like for graphic novel authors. This workshop is aimed for beginners and intermediates of all backgrounds who want to explore the graphic novel as a medium – whether writers, illustrators, storytellers, or all of the above.

Plot It Like a Pro: Outlining Your Fiction Novel

In this three-day virtual workshop, you’ll craft your novel’s plot with the expert guidance of literary agent Vicky Weber. We’ll focus on one act each day—transforming your story idea into a well-structured narrative. By the end of the workshop, you’ll walk away with a fully outlined, ready-to-write novel and a clear understanding of what makes a manuscript stand out to agents and publishers.

Writing a Query that Kills

Join agent Amy Jameson for an in-depth look at query letters. We’ll explore the best way to pitch your book to agents and what not to do if you want to make it out of the slush. Submit your query letter ahead of time, and we’ll workshop as many as possible in class.

The Romance Novel

Class description coming soon!

Refreshing Fairytales and Folklore

Fairytales, folktales, myths, and legends are steeped in our culture, and rewriting these tales has become a popular genre that writers and readers return to again and again. How can you write one that will stand out? What are the elements of a successful retelling? Liesl Shurtliff, award-winning and bestselling author of Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin and other Fairly True Tales, will share her best tips and tricks for rewriting old and familiar tales into something that feels completely original and fresh.

“Picture That!”: Picture Book Intensive

A unique art form, the picture book is the marriage of art and text. We will discuss the format of the picture book and its essential elements, looking at some outstanding examples from both classic and popular picture books, discuss why they are successful examples, discuss some of the pitfalls of picture book writing, and, finally, each student will write their own manuscript.

This is not a workshop to doctor already-written manuscripts. Students will create new work and then perfect them via e-mail correspondence after the class.

Note: This is not a venue for writers to acquire a literary agent.

Voice

Class description coming soon!

Class description coming soon!

Interiority

Class description coming soon!

Everything Else

Okay, you’ve got your plot. You’ve got your characters. Conflict, Rising Action. If you’re lucky, you may even have a sense of an ending, of resolution. Hooray! So, what’s left? Setting. But what does that term summon up for you? A mere backdrop? The scrim the art class paints for a grade-school play? Setting can be so much more. After all, a novel doesn’t take place in a vacuum. Setting truly is “Everything Else.”

In this workshop we will look at how setting can offer up surprising opportunities for discovering who your characters really are. Provide characters the props for moving the story forward. Give your story a vivid sense of place. It can even provide the score of your narrative. The emotional undercurrent. The music.