New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents his three week program for preparing yourself to write a novel.
Description:
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents his three week program for preparing yourself to write a novel. This set of 21 exercises is broken down to give you everything from character creation to world building, practical plotting devices, dialogue development and character voice creation tools. This program is a practical, kick-in-the-pants place to start your career.
Fiction Fundamentals Part 1: Plotting and Planning
Summary:
In-depth workshop: learn how to avoid extra work by planning your story and all of its elements from the beginning.
Description:
Have you ever wasted time writing rough drafts of stories as you wandered from scene to scene, unsure of how to connect the dots, and only realizing who your protagonist is after you reach what you think is the end of the story? Did you then need to go back and make massive revisions, reworking characters and scenes to make everything flow from the beginning? We can show you how to avoid much of that heartbreaking and time-consuming work. While it may seem like extra work, planning your story, its characters, and the world they inhabit from the beginning will save you time and effort in the long run—and knowing what you need to include will save you a great deal of trial and error. Handouts and worksheets to be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a three-ring notebook and plenty of paper to take notes.
In-depth workshop: learn how to bring stories to life and how to fill your writing with the details that matter.
Description:
You have a clear direction for your story as well as an understanding of its main characters and its world. Now it’s time to breathe life into your creation. Effective scenes need to grip the reader and keep him or her engaged. You’ll learn how to improve your pacing and how to inject your scenes with emotion. You’ll learn what constitutes quality dialogue and how it operates, and you’ll learn how to truly bring stories to life and how to fill your writing with the details that matter. Exercises will walk attendees through crafting a rough draft of a scene. Handouts and worksheets to be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a three-ring notebook and plenty of paper to take notes.
Fiction Fundamentals Part 3: Putting on the Polish
Summary:
In-depth workshop: learn how to make your story sing through application of effective revision and editing techniques.
Description:
You’ve completed the first draft of your story, and since you worked through all the steps of planning and carefully crafting each scene, that means you’re done, right? Not quite. Now’s the time to add layers and make sure that your themes ring true. Only by re-seeing your work can you discover the hidden wonders that your subconscious was working on throughout the drafting process. You probably have a fair amount of grunt work to do as well. All first drafts are littered with mistakes or weak writing. By becoming aware of common pitfalls, you can fix issues in your completed first drafts and begin to avoid them more effectively in future drafts. Handouts and worksheets to be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a three-ring notebook and plenty of paper to take notes.
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole takes you through a series of exercises that builds a story from the barest spark through twists and turns.
Description:
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole takes you through a series of exercises that will let you build a story from the barest spark through twists and turns. He’ll give you several story recipes and show you how you can work from them to create delightfully complex and engrossing stories.
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole unravels the mysteries of creating compelling plots.
Description:
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole unravels the mysteries of creating compelling plots. A novel is a huge undertaking, written over weeks or months, and the plot has to hold it all together. From creating an outline to maintaining flexibility, this seminar gives you the insider knowledge that will separate you from all of your peers.
Have your work critiqued by a professional author in a scheduled 10 minute one-on-one meeting.
Description:
Each attendee is expected to bring a short piece for one of our panelists to read. You should also bring materials for taking notes. During the first 10 minutes of this event, each attendee is randomly assigned a 10 minute critique slot. All slots will be during the the two hour period of this event. The last 10 minutes of the event will include an optional wrap-up discussion plus a Q&A.
Have your work critiqued by a professional author in a scheduled 10 minute one-on-one meeting.
Description:
Each attendee is expected to bring a short piece for one of our panelists to read. You should also bring materials for taking notes.
During the first 10 minutes of this event, each attendee is randomly assigned a 10 minute critique slot. All slots will be during the the two hour period of this event. The last 10 minutes of the event will include an optional wrap-up discussion plus a Q&A.
Read your story and have it critiqued by the pros. A unique learning experience. Seats are limited!
Description:
In this limited seating event, attendees each bring a sample of their writing to read. After the attendee finishes reading, the panelists provide feedback on what they heard. It's a fantastic opportunity to get direct feedback on your work and to learn by hearing the comments offered to others.
Read your story and have it critiqued by the pros. A unique learning experience. Seats are limited!
Description:
In this limited seating event, attendees each bring a sample of their writing to read. After the attendee finishes reading, the panelists provide feedback on what they heard. It's a fantastic opportunity to get direct feedback on your work and to learn by hearing the comments offered to others.