Filtering by: Classes and Workshops
For beginning through more experienced writers, networking generates personal and professional connections that can lead to publication, job opportunities and writing partnerships. And it’s not just about networking— it’s about finding community, which can be critical to maintaining perspective and preserving optimism in an industry that is notoriously tough. Your writing community will help you weather the vicissitudes of this profession. This class will give concrete examples of how networking can pay dividends for writers.
![Happily Ever Afters in Fiction: How to Write Romantic Sub-Plots]()
“The best—and the most satisfying—novels use elements from other genres to heighten the emotional stakes. Just as romance novels are more exciting with elements of mystery, or fantasy, or suspense, so also are mystery and fantasy and suspense novels better with a little romance,” says instructor Kilby Blades.
![How to Finish Your Novel (The Right Way)]()
“Writing a novel is such a big, emotional undertaking,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “A lot of authors make clouded decisions the closer they get to the end. Some turn into perfectionists who edit and re-edit for months or years before calling a manuscript complete or putting their work out there; others hire the wrong help and receive bad advice; others rush too quickly down the path to publication without a good understanding of industry. I wanted to teach a class that would address all of that.”
![Happily Ever Afters in Fiction: How to Write Romantic Sub-Plots]()
In this online class, we will explore how romantic sub-plots can be used in stories outside of the romance genre to hook more readers and deepen their emotional investment in your fiction. You will work toward building a fleshed-out romantic sub-plot for your work-in-progress or story in the planning stage. Drawing from iconic examples, you will use exercises in- and out-of-class to craft romantic arcs for both of your love interests—even if neither is the protagonist.
![Writing “Woke”: How to Speak to the 21st Century Reader]()
“Authors are under increasing pressure to land on the right side of history as it pertains to characterizations, story themes, and personal views,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “Readers, critics, and industry demand cultural and social awareness. When authors get it wrong, the stakes are high.” It begs the question: how can authors eliminate their own blind spots and biases and turn each project into an opportunity to write more evolved work?
Marketing feels like an albatross, doesn’t it? Always heavy around your neck, the sharp tip of its curved beak impossible to ignore as it digs into your skin. For most authors, it’s a burden. Even marketing geeks—people who actually like this stuff—struggle to find the time to write, as well as market, their books.
![Writing “Woke”: How to Speak to the 21st Century Reader]()
“Authors are under increasing pressure to land on the right side of history as it pertains to characterizations, story themes, and personal views,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “Readers, critics, and industry demand cultural and social awareness. When authors get it wrong, the stakes are high.” It begs the question: how can authors eliminate their own blind spots and biases and turn each project into an opportunity to write more evolved work?
![Happily Ever Afters in Fiction: How to Write Romantic Sub-Plots]()
In this online class, we will explore how romantic sub-plots can be used in stories outside of the romance genre to hook more readers and deepen their emotional investment in your fiction. You will work toward building a fleshed-out romantic sub-plot for your work-in-progress or story in the planning stage. Drawing from iconic examples, you will use exercises in- and out-of-class to craft romantic arcs for both of your love interests—even if neither is the protagonist.
![The Book Marketing Audit: Virtual Workshop for the Kiss of Death Chapter of RWA]()
Marketing feels like an albatross, doesn’t it? Always heavy around your neck, the sharp tip of its curved beak impossible to ignore as it digs into your skin. For most authors, it’s a burden. Even marketing geeks—people who actually like this stuff—struggle to find the time to write, as well as market, their books.
Marketing feels like an albatross, doesn’t it? Always heavy around your neck, the sharp tip of its curved beak impossible to ignore as it digs into your skin. For most authors, it’s a burden. Even marketing geeks—people who actually like this stuff—struggle to find the time to write, as well as market, their books.
Some argue that Romance is inherently feminist in nature. Others view it as patriarchy-affirming and regressive. Content vs. outcomes are also part of the discussion. When you take it a step farther, and ask whether Romance novels lead to empowerment and positive impacts for women readers…that’s when the debate gets really interesting.
