2024 Workshops
21 Vital Elements Of A Great Nonfiction Book
Discover all the secrets that make your manuscript stand out for agents, publishers, and readers.
How to Be a Great Radio/Podcast Guest
This class covers interview questions you should be prepared to answer, speaking tips for LIVE audiences, keeping listeners engaged, creating a press kit, and making the host's job easy so he'll invite you back.
How Creating Short Books Can Jumpstart Your Writing Career
Learn how a non-fiction manuscript of under 20K words can build your platform, establish your expertise on a subject, and make that longer book easier to tackle. Walk away from this class with solid ideas for ten short books.
Stirring the Pot: Writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul receives thousands of submissions but selects only 101 for each book. How can you increase the chances they’ll choose your story? As the best-selling trade paperback series in publishing history, Chicken Soup influences anthologies all over the world. Following their guidelines can lead to acceptances in many other publications. Come learn what Chicken Soup wants, what they don’t want, and how you can stir up a winning Chicken Soup story.
Writers' Rights
First rights, reprint rights, one time rights. Rights, rights, rights! What does it all mean, and what if I do something wrong? You don’t have to study law to understand literary rights even in this electronic age, but you may find yourself at a disadvantage if you count on others to protect them for you. Learn the differences in the rights you sell on your work and find out how to retain as many rights as possible.
Conquering Query Letters
You’ve written a riveting article, researched the market, and identified which magazine will be the perfect fit. Now you just need to convince a busy editor who receives thousands of submissions every month to buy it. Oh, boy! Query letters are often the first point of contact with agents, editors, and publishers. Learn how to format and present your ideas in a clear one-page query letter that will get editors’ attention and persuade them to publish your prose.
The Care and Nurture of Readers
As a writer, you know you need to interact with and develop relationships with readers through your website, social media and newsletters. But many times, figuring out what to say and how to sustain the conversation can seem daunting and overwhelming. You’ll learn how to populate your newsletter, website and social media based on your writing and interests. You’ll leave the webinar with an initial plan to begin or continue your reader relationships. Whether you’re starting your writing journey or have books already out there, this workshop will help you create a sustainable and fun relationship with current and potential readers.
Writing in the Time You've Got
How many times have you said, “I wish I had more time to write?” While we can’t cram more hours into a day, we can find ways to incorporate writing into our busy schedules. Learn how to think about time, use time and cultivate a life of writing in “Writing in the Time You’ve Got.”
The Ins & Outs of Putting Together a Multi-Author Collection
Have you thought about collaborating with other authors on a novella or novel collection? You could wait for an invitation or you could put together your own. We'll walk through the steps to have a successful—and money-making—collection. Sarah will provide a blueprint based on her own successful romantic suspense Christmas novella collection, Holiday Menace. Join Sarah and get ready to have fun and delight readers with your own collection!
Scriptwriting 101
Even if you’ve never considered writing a script/stageplay, learning the basics can help you tighten your own writing and improve your dialog and visualization skills. Scripts require writing that focuses on character and movement. This class, taught by someone with decades of experience in theatre and scriptwriting, will show you how to do that.
Marketing Your Book -- and Yourself -- to Newspapers and Radio
Whether you like marketing yourself and your work or not, getting your name out there is a key element to introducing people to your books. With decades of experience in newspaper and radio, Sharyn Kopf offers insights into being the subject of a feature article, submitting news releases, and handling interviews, including live on the radio. Though your purpose is publicity and selling your work, if you focus on what you can offer, you’re more likely to build relationships rather than just push a product.
Make 'Em Laugh - Writing Scripts for Kids
Children love to laugh, they love adventure and they love to participate in the learning process. One great way to engage kids in your church or school program is through live theatre. This class will help you get started. You’ll learn how to recognize what appeals to kids, how to choose and implement a theme and/or moral, and how to prepare for those little surprises. Best of all, you will discover simple techniques that will make children laugh so hard they won’t realize they learned something at the same time.
Fight or Flounder
External and internal conflict have a symbiotic relationship. Together they create a great story. A story without one falls flat.
Let Me Entertain You
Readers like to enjoy a quip that will make them chuckle, or smile, or experience a full-on belly laugh. But using humor can be risky. The wrong joke at the wrong time or a misinterpreted comment can frustrate, or even disgust, a reader. These five tricks will help know when to add humor, how much, and when.
Props and Circumstances
Convenience hinders the believability of the story or the motivation of the character. Rather than dropping in a prop or circumstance for convenience, spend time planning when to first show what you need.
Breaking into Christian News Writing: Tips and Strategies for Aspiring Journalists
Weaving Your Personal Testimonies into Your Writing
Repurposing Your Writing: Find Multiple Uses for Your Pieces
Magazine Writing Workshop
Participants in this workshop will learn the what, how, and where of magazine writing—what to write (what type articles magazines are looking for), how to write an article that will be chosen for publication, and where to submit. This can be a one hour workshop or a longer practicum in which participants write and submit a magazine article.
Devotional Writing
Want to learn to write devotions that resonate with readers? Different publications differ in their length expectations and writing guidelines, but all devotions also have some similarities. This class will cover the basic format for writing a devotion which can be adjusted according to a publication’s specific requirements, as well as places where devotions might get published and how to submit them.
The Joy and Challenges of Co-writing
This workshop explains the pros and cons of co-writing. Drawing from the many times Harriet has worked with another writer on her various books, in this workshop she will shed light on both the ups and downs co-writing. For writers who have considered co-writing a book or other piece, this workshop will help them think through the possibilities.
15 Creative Ways to Supplement Your Writing Income
Finances tight? Want to write your novel but need to work while you do? Want to work from home but need the second income? Most writers do. Some of us even need the second job because we need another creative outlet alongside our writing.
Explore a Freelance Editing Career
Have you ever considered freelance editing as a supplement to your writing income? If so, this course is for you!
Microsoft Word for Writers
Microsoft Word is the software program used industry wide, so it’s important to know how to use it
The Truth About Publishing
The Truth About Publishing, presented by a publisher, looks at the almost constant changes in the publishing industry, since the advent of "print on demand". Delivered from the publisher's perspective, TTAP discusses the challenges aspiring authors face in the modern landscape, how to identify pitfalls, and ways writers can take advantage of new technology.
DIY Audiobooks
Many authors don't believe they have the tools or talents to produce their own audiobooks. The software is scary ... I don't have an expensive microphone ... Nobody wants to hear my voice ... In this course, authors will discover they may have everything needed to produce, edit, and distribute their stories in audiobook format. After all, nobody knows their characters and scenes like they do. Who better to bring their story to life?
AI - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Artificial Intelligence has already shown it power, and danger, to the pubishing industry. This course will take an in-depth look at ways authors can use this powerful tool without sacrificing their creativity on the alter of technology. We'll explore AI imagery for book covers, ways to generate writing fresh prompts, and how to use AI as a virtual assistant during writing sessions. We'll also look at the darker side of AI and how it is being abused in the publishing industry and ways to avoid getting caught in the AI trap.
The Balancing Act: Using Tension to Keep the Reader Engaged
Keeping the reader engaged is the number one goal of an author. In romance, you want to satisfy the reader expectations all the while creating a story that keeps the reader guessing. Using the right amount of tension is a tool every writer should have in their arsenal of skills. This workshop will discuss the balance act of providing the right amount of tension to tug on the readers' heartstrings so they'll keep turning the page.
Characterization the Pantser Way
Does your lack of plotting leave your characterization skills much to be desired? Find out how to Characterize the Pantser Way. Using the mnemonic device of Pantser, we'll walk through the traits necessary to bring your characters to life.
Organic Faith: Weaving Faith Messages into Writing
Organic Faith will discuss how you can weave faith messages into your writing. The course will use elements of the craft as examples of how to weave a faith message into your story that is authentic to you, the reader, and the characters in the story.
WHY SHOULD I SCRIVENER? A Beginner Level Class on Scrivener
Does Scrivener intimidate you? Seem like more trouble than it’s worth? Or perhaps you want to use it, but you got stymied when you opened it? Maybe you just don’t get what all the hype is about? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, this class if for you. We’ll take a broad look at the benefits of Scrivener and then zoom in to walk through how to get a good start. This class will get you comfortable enough to start using Scrivener and making the most of it.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE AN INDIE AUTHOR? The “hats” worn by the indie author and a formatting overview
Never before has there been such opportunity in the publishing world for Indies! But with that, there comes a learning curve. What exactly are the “hats” the indie author wears? What needs to be taken on by the author and what is recommended to be hired out? As well, many indies take on their own formatting.What options are there? And how do you pick one? This class will look at three formatting softwares: Vellum, Atticus, and Scrivener. From a brief overview of formatting in general, we will then discuss some pros and cons of each software.
DEPRESSION AND THE WRITER How to Write Through the Tough Places
No one wants to talk about it. Not really. But the truth is that about 80% of creatives experience some form of mood disorder. Many suffer in silence. What does depression look like? How do manage a mood disorder AND deadlines? Is there hope in the midst of it? I have walked through that valley of darkness, learning to move forward with my writing while balancing and caring for a mood disorder. It is my heart's desire to share some helpful thoughts and tips to help you keep moving forward too.
From the Page to the Stage
"Once books are written the phone begins ringing for you to talk about it. Does this paralyze you? Audiences love to hear authors speak and publishers love authors with speaking platforms. As a writer, you’re already on the path to becoming a speaker because your book has the element of a talk. A good talk will hook audiences, leaving them wanting more. They will want to buy the book. Lets jump in with both feet and take those words from the page to the stage."
Creating Your Own Book Signing Event
Sometimes in order to get started we have to step out to start! If no one is booking you, book yourself. No one knows what God has called you to do until you let them hear for themselves.
Stand Tall to the Call
The speaker has learned from long experience that the inability to speak about yourself and your work in glowing terms is a false humility that can become self-defeating. From having to itinerate to raise support as a foreign missionary, to creating content on social media for podcasts, to writing blurbs and bios for book publicity, the speaker has learned the need for self-marketing. We will discuss good self-marketing, and workshop participants will also have the opportunity to create content for themselves. It’s gonna be a good time!
How to Write a Speculative Fiction Book Series
The Goal: To teach authors who want to write speculative fiction series how to outline and plan each story so that they can write multiple connected books with confidence.
The Iceberg Principle of Worldbuilding
The Goal: To teach authors how to integrate important worldbuilding information in a speculative fiction novel without distracting from the point of the story.
Writing Villains We (Love To) Hate
The Goal: To teach authors how to write exceptional villains that will resonate with readers, truly challenge their protagonists, and improve the quality of their story overall.