NEXT WRITING WORKSHOP SERIES

For those of you interested in novel writing, our next writing workshop series starts this Saturday, July 24 from 10-noon at Borders Books in the mall. We will be starting with the "not-so-basics." Workshops are free with a workbook purchase option of $10. No registration necessary. Hope to see you there!

July 24--Borders Books 10-noon
The Not-So-Basics
August 14--North Star in Nampa 10-noon
Plot and Structure
September 18--Fairview Hastings 10-noon
Self-Editing
October 16--A Novel Adventure 10-noon
Hook and Brand

BEYOND BOISE BORDERS

For authors outside of Boise, we are going to be offering our entire six-week series as a one day workshop in both Idaho Falls and Twin Falls. The workshops will be free, though participants have the option of purchasing the workbook. Lessons include the not-so-basics, plot and structure, self-editing, and hook/marketing. Visit the events page on our website for more information. I'd love to see you there.

Twin Falls Hastings
Saturday, June 19
10:00-4:00

Idaho Falls Hastings
Saturday, July 17
10:00-4:00

COMMUNITY ED CLASS

Another perk with having an in-house printer is that I get to write my own workbook for the upcoming WRITE YOU OWN ADVENTURE class and have it bound like a composition book. That's what I'm working on today. Would have loved to take a class like this when I was just starting out. It will include:

1. The Not-S0-Basics
2. Plot and Structure
3. Self-Editing
4. Branding

Idaho Author Fun Fact: Deborah Donnelly came up with the idea for her wedding planner mysteries while taking a class like this. She didn't realize that the class she had signed up for continued from a previous class where everyone had already started their novels.

So not having any idea about what to write on, she was surprised when the teacher pointed to her and asked, "What does your protagonist do?" Deborah had been planning a wedding with her best friend, and she automatically responded, "She's a wedding planner." Then the teacher asked, "Where does she live?" Deborah had recently been on a houseboat and so she responded, "She lives on a houseboat in Seattle."

Thus her series was born. Death Takes a Honeymoon is even set in Sun Valley, Idaho. (Same place where my first novel will be set. Tee-hee.)

Back to the class...If you are interested in getting your words into print, please let me help you out. All you have to do is sign up here.

A LOT ON PLOT

So at the workshop on Saturday we covered plot and structure. Here's a link to a lot of the information we covered, for those of you who couldn't scribble notes fast enough.

I also want to add some great advice I heard from author Donna Fletcher Crow later on that day. She said that a realistic way to structure your novel is by scene and sequel--also known as action and reaction. For example, you don't want to follow a car chase with another car chase. You need to give the characters and readers time to process what just happened.

One other point that Donna made was that the success of your novel is almost directly related to the success of your black moment. At the workshop we discussed how the black moment comes right before the climax. It's the point where all hope seems to be lost, where the character must rise above thier cirucumstances to achieve the impossible. This is what everything in your story should be building to. This is what will keep your reader thinking about the story long after they finish it.

So again, it was great meeting many of you at the workshop. Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope that I've encouraged your writing as much as I was encouraged in my writing this weekend.

LOVE OUR RAVING FANS

One of our new freelance editors comes with the background of being a literary agent. She's got experience and knowledge, and I'm so excited to work her. Apparently, the feeling is mutual. This is what she raved about Borderline Publishing:

• You allow authors to print a small amount of books, allowing them to print as they gain popularity and money.
• You offer the best of both worlds: they can make 100% of the profits selling their own books online, at bookstores, or on Amazon.com. But you also offer marketing to get books into major bookstores. I think this is an amazingly good deal. It's usually one or the other but not both.
• You make free to the public wonderful how-to talks on writing on Saturdays.
• Your business is local, and you have many years of experience.
• You print with quality, standards, and integrity.

Currently Rosemary and I are looking into teaching community ed. classes together. I'll keep you posted.

My first workshop this last weekend was fabulous--so nice to meet all you writers. :-) I apologize for my lack of blogging lately. Been home with a sick little girl. But I look forward to working with many of you. Let me know if you have any questions about anything you see here or anything I discussed on Saturday.

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK

Lots of exciting stuff going on at Borderline Publishing this month, so exciting that I would (and used to) do it all for free. I'm planning book launch parties, writing press releases, scheduling book tours, brainstorming cover ideas, and collecting endorsements. I'm a dreamer and this is a dream job. If you're like me, you'll be thrilled to see what Borderline is offering for 2010...

This is the first in a series of six free writing workshops to be held around the valley. I hope to see you at North Star Books on January 30th from ten to noon. Please let me know if you have any questions.

And as for future blogs, this is what you can expect from me:

Monday--Marketing

Wednesday--Writing Prompt

Friday--Off the Top of My Head