Master Classes

Virtual and Recorded Do you cringe at hearing the word "structure," when it comes to storytelling? Are you afraid that by applying “structure” to your writing, you’ll be stripped of the freedom and creativity to write whatever you want, resulting in formulaic stories? Here’s the secret no one tells you as a novice novelist: story structure gives you enormous freedom and increased creativity. To master the craft of writing, you must master story structure. All good stories, from movies to...

Virtual and Recorded This unique seminar will take a dual approach at trauma: how do you write about painful events without retraumatizing yourself, and how do you navigate the publishing landscape both before and after sharing your story with the world? Through lecture and Q&A the student will learn how to craft a narrative out of their lived experience and reclaim their stories as their own.

Virtual NOT recorded This master class will help beginning and experienced writers shape and refine their short fiction according to their personal objectives. With a focus on character, plot, setting and style, we will explore the principles of storytelling through writing exercises, discussion and analysis; and we'll address the subject of publishing short stories and novellas in today’s market. <strong>NOTE: Please find the short story to read for class discussion on the...

Virtual and Recorded This workshop looks at creating characters with conflicting goals, creating the tension that is essential to any compelling story. We’ll analyze the web of character in examples, then examine the participants’ works in progress through the lens of the character web. Topics include: Character and (not OR) plot Stakes! Defining the goal. Moving the goalpost. Harnessing characters' competing goals Protagonist, antagonist, villain… Analyzing the characters in your...

Virtual and Recorded We are living in contested times, but the genre of historical fiction broadened and flourished with the restoration of erased voices of the past that are now folded into the prevailing historical narrative. The art and practice of writing in this popular genre matters because these stories, set more than fifty years ago, plant seeds of connection and understanding between people. For a long time, writers were intimidated by this genre, however, the approach to writing...

Virtual and Recorded Language is everywhere, with an importance far beyond mere communication. Indeed, language serves as a historical record, a complex part of human cognition, a means of expression and a marker of identity. As an author, how can you use the full potential of language in building your story world? The aim of this course is to provide an in-depth introduction to all the relevant branches of linguistics, from the building blocks of grammar-- phonetics, phonology, morphology,...

Virtual and Recorded Do you want to aim toward a traditional New York publishing deal? Or are you drawn to publishing independently? Do you desperately want to get your book published but don't know where to start? Or are you still writing your book but wondering how you'll get it into readers' hands when it's done? Internationally bestselling author Rachael Herron is a long-time publishing veteran and an expert in both trad and self-publishing, and she'll help you chart your best course...

Virtual and Recorded Embark on an editing journey with author Mary Robinette Kowal as your guide. In this masterclass, we delve into a toolkit designed to unravel the mysteries behind story weaknesses, providing you with effective angles of attack to fix the problems with your story. From identifying large-scale issues to honing your prose on a line-by-line level, you'll gain invaluable insights and techniques to craft compelling narratives that captivate readers from beginning to end.

Virtual and Recorded Embark on an editing journey with author Mary Robinette Kowal as your guide. In this masterclass, we delve into a toolkit designed to unravel the mysteries behind story weaknesses, providing you with effective angles of attack to fix the problems with your story. From identifying large-scale issues to honing your prose on a line-by-line level, you'll gain invaluable insights and techniques to craft compelling narratives that captivate readers from beginning to end.

In Person, Virtual, and Recorded *Or All You Ever Wanted To Know About Publishing But Were Afraid To Ask Interested in having your work published but don't know where to start? The book world is complex and it's tough for new writers to know where to begin. From formatting standards to resources for getting published to the essentials of a good query letter, join best-selling author kc dyer for a marathon, information-packed exploration of the world of writers and publishing today. Bring...

In Person, Virtual, and Recorded Writers often agonize over the middle of the novel--so much so that they sometimes forget to focus on the bookends of the story. The beginning of the narrative sets up a promise to the reader and the ending is meant to fulfill it. This workshop will provide you with the tools to grab the reader with that opening and leave them satisfied with the finale.

In Person, Virtual, and Recorded Warning: this class will contain rude words and descriptions of a sexual and/or violent nature and is intended for an adult audience. How a character fights can reveal as much about them as how they make love. A chance to delve into the dark side, perhaps? To broaden and deepen? Fight and sex scenes are a huge opportunity for any writer. To confirm a suspicion or to startle with a revelation; and ‘Character in Peril’ keeps the pages turning. What are the...

In Person NOT Recorded Come prepared to dig deep as we excavate our characters’ pysches (and our own). We’re going to explore the concept of emotional wounds (the hole in your character’s soul that leads to their false beliefs). What is your character’s emotional wound? How does this emotional wound impact the life your character as built for themselves? How do you show these wounds on the page using various elements of craft? Where in the writing and editing process can you use these to...

In Person, Virtual and Recorded Writing isn't just about learning a bunch of rules, but in finding new ways of looking at the world and playing with creativity. Join Tobias Buckell for a master class on sparking and pushing creativity further so your work stands out.

In Person, Virtual, and Recorded If your manuscript is solid and you know how to write a query, but you’re not quite getting the responses you’d like to see, there might be small things in your initial pitch holding you back. Author, literary agent, and former publicist Sarah N. Fisk will discuss the small tweaks that often need to be made in query letters and first pages to get to that yes.

In Person, Virtual and Recorded Hemingway once said, "When writing a novel a writer should create living people." This master class takes that advice to heart. Whether you spend time carefully creating profiles for your characters before you write them, or let them develop organically out of the story, we’ll explore ways you can go even deeper—to write three-dimensional people who breathe on the page and connect with your readers.

In Person NOT Recorded This master class will explore how conflict advances the plot and pushes characters to reveal their true selves. Without conflict, a character can't change or choose to remain steadfast in their goals and beliefs even when facing high stakes and opposition. We'll discuss why conflict is essential for all genres, particularly crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense.

In Person, Virtual, and Recorded Some novels do not become dated. They stand the test of time. What allows readers to connect to stories years, decades and even centuries after they were written? In this hands-on workshop presented by master instructor Donald Maass, learn the methods of making iconic characters, social parallels, timeless human points of connection and more.

In Person, Virtual, and Recorded This master class will help you clarify what your non-fiction piece is really about and why readers should care. We'll discuss the differences between some of the major forms of non-fiction (Memoir, Narrative Non-Fiction, and Instructional) and the purpose and stages of a pitch. Being able to pitch your book is helpful in clarifying what you will include in the book either during the writing or revision stage as well as when you are ready to publish either...

In Person Not Recorded Paragraphs are the building blocks of our novels and essays. They contain all of the vital information that our readers need to understand our stories and feel for our characters. But how do they work? What are the key elements to designing paragraphs that draw readers deeper into your work? This in-depth workshop will feature instruction and discussion of what makes a great opening paragraph, a great closing paragraph, and how to work with all the paragraphs in...

In Person NOT Recorded Tolu had written poetry for 20 years before his first collection was published. For much of that time, he was stumbling in the dark, because information about how he might get a full-length collection published was very hard to come by. He would like to share his lessons from the 2 decades before his debut was published, and from the two years after it was. His bias will be toward traditional publishing. He will cover approaches to the composition of sequences of...

Virtual and Recorded *** Note: This class is open to young writers only and is INCLUDED with young writer registration. No additional registration is necessary. Young writers who would like to take additional master classes are of course welcome to add them to their registration. *** Ace Baker has led hundreds of teen writers to publication and contest wins. This master class will cover techniques in both poetry and prose that can help you raise the bar a bit in your own work, enough to...

Virtual and Recorded *** Note: This class is open to young writers only and is INCLUDED with young writer registration. No additional registration is necessary. Young writers who would like to take additional master classes are of course welcome to add them to their registration. *** Ace Baker has led hundreds of teen writers to publication and contest wins. This master class will cover techniques in both poetry and prose that can help you raise the bar a bit in your own work, enough to...