Workshops
Our Chapter offers online workshops and classes that vary in length and are
conducted via e-mail loops. With convenient member and non-member pricing, our
classes are open to anyone who wants to participate. The deadline to
register for all classes is the 25th of the preceding month, unless otherwise noted. (All $$ fees below are in USD.)
POLICY: All payments, whether snail mail or Paypal, must be received by the registration deadline. No refunds will be offered. However, if you wish to cancel your workshop registration and you notify us at least 45 days prior to the start date of the workshop, your payment may be applied to a future Elements workshop of your choice. To inquire, please contact our Workshop Coordinator at workshops@elementsofrwa.com.
NOTE: Please turn off your spam filter. Otherwise, it may delay or prevent receiving an invitation to join the online workshop. If you have any questions or have not received an e-mail invitation to join the online workshop within a week prior to the start date of your class, please contact the Workshop Coordinator at workshops@elementsofrwa.com.
2008
January February March April May June
July August September October November December
How
To Start A Book & Get It Finished
by Laurie Schnebly
Dates: January 7 - 18
Description: Ask any crowd in a movie theater, "How many people dream of writing a novel?" and you'll get a big show of hands. Why haven't they done it? Getting started is the first hurdle, but continuing all the way to The End is where even more writers run into trouble.
This
workshop looks at how, when and why to start writing, roadblocks and solutions
along the way, and what to do after reaching The End.
Bio: Laurie Schnebly Campbell grew up in a family that talked psychology
around the dinner table. While her day job in advertising is responsible for
her synopsis-writing skills, her Master's in Counseling comes in handy for
sympathetic, vivid characters in her books...including the one which beat out
Nora Roberts for "Best Special Edition of the Year." Check her out at
www.BookLaurie.com.
Cost: $11 Elements Members / $21 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
Eight Steps to Murdering a Manuscript Without a Conviction
by John Foxjohn
Dates: January 21 - 25
Description: This class covers eight major problems that can and will get the writer's manuscript rejected.
Bio: Best-selling author John Foxjohn epitomizes the phrase "been there - done that." Born and raised in the rural East Texas town of Nacogdoches, he quit high school and joined the Army at seventeen. Viet Nam veteran, army Airborne Ranger, policeman and homicide detective, retired teacher and coach, and now, a multi-published author. His first novel, Code of Deceit, a murder mystery, became a best-seller three months after its release. In a reader's choice poll, Code of Deceit ranked number twenty of all novels released in 2006. John is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Elements of RWA, Sisters-in Crime, and League of Texas Writers. He is a full-time writer and speaker and lives in Lufkin, Texas. Visit him at www.johnfoxjohnhome.com.
Cost: $6 Elements Members / $9 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
Fingerprints: Fact or Fiction
by Phyllis Middleton
Dates: February 18 - 27
Description: This workshop will explain the correct terms and preferred procedure information on fingerprint evidence from crime scene to lab. Attendees will be guided on how to take the facts given and work them into their own fictional masterpieces. You won't want to miss this workshop!
Bio: While employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the tender age of nineteen, Phyllis Middleton was trained in the Science of Fingerprints. Once returning to her home in Colorado, she was a Deputy Sheriff for the Pueblo County Sheriff's Department and specialized in crime scene investigation and evidence processing. Certified in Pueblo District and County Courts, Phyllis testified in a number of cases as an expert in the field of fingerprints. While at the Sheriff's Department, she branched out into Patrol and Investigations and served as a member of the Search and Rescue Squad, State Disaster Team, and as an Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Police Instructor. Phyllis also worked as a Kentucky Police Officer and rounded out twenty years of service as a Senior Criminal/Civil Investigator with the Denver Coroner's Office. Since marrying and moving to Texas, Phyllis no longer works as an active law enforcement officer, although she volunteers her time to her local police department. She writes mystery/suspense/action adventure with romantic elements. Visit her at www.MyCreativePassions.com.
Cost: $6 Elements Members / $9 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
The 5 P's of Self-Promotions: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance
by John Foxjohn
Dates: February 21 - 25
Description: This workshop encompasses easy and inexpensive ways to market the author and book, how to make media guides and press releases, and how to set up TV and radio interviews. It also covers the do's and don't's of book signings and what to expect.
Bio: Best-selling author John Foxjohn epitomizes the phrase "been there - done that." Born and raised in the rural East Texas town of Nacogdoches, he quit high school and joined the Army at seventeen. Viet Nam veteran, army Airborne Ranger, policeman and homicide detective, retired teacher and coach, and now, a multi-published author. His first novel, Code of Deceit, a murder mystery, became a best-seller three months after its release. In a reader's choice poll, Code of Deceit ranked number twenty of all novels released in 2006. John is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Elements of RWA, Sisters-in Crime, and League of Texas Writers. He is a full-time writer and speaker and lives in Lufkin, Texas. Visit him at www.johnfoxjohnhome.com.
Cost: $6 Elements Members / $9 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
Research: Finding the Needle in Your Haystack
by Natalie Boon
Dates: March 3 - 31
Description: Many people see research as a boring chore that they might just be able to avoid. In this workshop, you'll find out how to make it a puzzle that fits easily into place. We'll cover: How to organize your research projects, research strategies, how to take advantage of local resources, how to communicate with librarians and how they think, and how to organize the material you collect. Over the course of the workshop, we'll work on your actual research problems and how to get past them. You'll learn how to find the information you need.
Whether you need to find out a few select details
about a location or figure out the details of life in the past, this workshop can help you do it.
Bio: Natalie Boon is a freelance copyeditor, researcher, and indexer. She has a background in history and in library science. She worked for over ten years as a librarian before moving on to research work in the government and private sectors. Currently, she works with companies, publishers, and authors to find information and present it effectively. Her
business, Boon Information Services, can be found online at www.BoonInformationServices.com.
Cost: $11 Elements Members / $21 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
Grammar: How to Stop Your Commas from Killing You
by Natalie Boon
Dates: April 1 - 21
Description: For many writers, grammar is a dreaded horror that they wish to avoid. Yet, if it's bad enough, it could be the factor that dooms your work to obscurity. Acquiring editors know that the more editing that is required on a book, the more expensive that book is going to be to produce. Bad grammar makes a reader stop and think about what an author means. As a writer, that's the last thing you want an editor or agent to do. This workshop will give you an overview of grammar, resources for further work, and interactive exercises, so you can see where you're making your mistakes before they impact your sales.
Bio: Natalie Boon is a freelance copyeditor, researcher, and indexer. She has a background in history and in library science. She worked for over ten years as a librarian before moving on to research work in the government and private sectors. Currently, she works with companies, publishers, and authors to find information and present it effectively. Her business, Boon Information Services, can be found online at www.BoonInformationServices.com.
Cost: $11 Elements Members / $21 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
Crime Scene Investigations: Okay, you got the call -- Now what? What to expect at a crime scene.
by Phyllis Middleton
Dates: April 7 - 16
Description: This will be an interactive workshop giving scenarios of crimes and how attendees would/should/could handle these scenarios in their writing. Questions are highly encouraged, as any questions will be answered along the way, in order to help attendees' stories read like the real thing. From the cop's point of view to the writer's, be sure to join in!
Bio: While employed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the tender age of nineteen, Phyllis Middleton was trained in the Science of Fingerprints. Once returning to her home in Colorado, she was a Deputy Sheriff for the Pueblo County Sheriff's Department and specialized in crime scene investigation and evidence processing. Certified in Pueblo District and County Courts, Phyllis testified in a number of cases as an expert in the field of fingerprints. While at the Sheriff's Department, she branched out into Patrol and Investigations and served as a member of the Search and Rescue Squad, State Disaster Team, and as an Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Police Instructor. Phyllis also worked as a Kentucky Police Officer and rounded out twenty years of service as a Senior Criminal/Civil Investigator with the Denver Coroner's Office. Since marrying and moving to Texas, Phyllis no longer works as an active law enforcement officer, although she volunteers her time to her local police department. She writes mystery/suspense/action adventure with romantic elements. Visit her at www.MyCreativePassions.com.
Cost: $6 Elements Members / $9 Non-Members
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
The
Black Moment... and Beyond!
by TJ Bennett
Dates: May 11 - 31
Description: What is the black moment? What
does it do, and why should every romance--from the
darkest gothic to the lightest comedy--have one? The black moment is an integral part of developing
the stepping stones of a plot; it is what makes some
books "keepers" and others "sleepers." If the black moment is
not convincing, then the story will be emotionally
flat and the resolution unsatisfying, a deadly
combination. In short, the reader simply won't care
what happens to the characters, and if that reader is
an editor, that translates into "no sale." In other
words, even in a comedy, bad things must happen to
good people, for the story to be both engrossing and
engaging. This workshop will
define and explore the nature of the black moment, or
that point in a story in which the hero and heroine are
convinced that "all is lost." This workshop will examine strong black moments
from novels and films and give attendees the
opportunity to create or redefine the black moment for
their own works-in-progress. Attendees will come away from
the workshop armed with a solid foundation on which to
build a compelling, involving page-turner that readers
just can't put down. Cost: $11 Elements Members / $21 Non-Members THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED. How to Build the Perfect Man Dates:
June 16 - 20
Description: Learn the principles of character construction from the ground up! From faces to names to backgrounds and personalities, this fun-filled, interactive workshop gives you the chance to create the man of your dreams and breathe life into him through your pages. It's kind of like that old John Hughes' movie, Weird Science, only you won't have to wear a bra on your head. Bio: Sara Reinke is the author of several books, including Dark Thirst, the first in a new paranormal series from Kensington/Zebra Books that Romantic Times Book Reviews calls a "new twist on the vampire legend" and "a fascinating and unique romance." A member of the Louisville Romance Writers chapter of RWA, the Wild & Wicked Authors and the Dark Muse Society, she is also the author of An Unexpected Engagement, which best-selling author Karen Robards called "historical romance the way it should be written." Reinke lives in Kentucky with her family. When she's not writing or otherwise imagining strange new worlds, she's dutifully employed as a travel writer and editor. Visit her online at www.SaraReinke.com.
Cost: $6 Elements Members / $9 Non-Members THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED. *NO WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR THIS MONTH* Writing Disabled Characters Dates:
August 18 - 22
Description: I'll never forget submitting a manuscript once in which my heroine was disabled. "No one will publish a book with a blind heroine," a prospective agent told me, while a publisher said, in not so many words, "disabilities are too easily used as plot devices." Undeterred, I continued writing disabled characters in my stories, and in my most recent published title, Dark Thirst, my hero, Brandon Noble, is deaf and mute. To me, stereotypes and stigmas prevent too many writers from exploring the use of disabled characters in their writing. In this workshop, we'll discuss how with some research and the old adage about walking a mile in someone else's shoes, you, too, can learn to create and develop disabled characters -- yes, even heroes and heroines! -- and just how much they can strengthen your work. Bio: Sara Reinke is the author of several books, including Dark Thirst, the first in a new paranormal series from Kensington/Zebra Books that Romantic Times Book Reviews calls a "new twist on the vampire legend" and "a fascinating and unique romance." A member of the Louisville Romance Writers chapter of RWA, the Wild & Wicked Authors and the Dark Muse Society, she is also the author of An Unexpected Engagement, which best-selling author Karen Robards called "historical romance the way it should be written." Reinke lives in Kentucky with her family. When she's not writing or otherwise imagining strange new worlds, she's dutifully employed as a travel writer and editor. Visit her online at www.SaraReinke.com.
Cost: $6 Elements Members / $9 Non-Members THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED. *NO WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR THIS MONTH* Dates:
October 1 - 31
Description: Taught from both a romance writer and magazine freelancer's perspective, this is a hands-on class on how to write query letters, cover letters, and submission packages that excite editors and agents. This workshop will focus on writing fiction query letters from a freelancer's point of view. Participants will be coached on how to turn their fiction query letter into an effective sales pitch, their cover letter into a fabulous calling card, and their submission package into one that stands out from the crowd. Bio: A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie
Rowe has completed fifteen complete novels. She's sold many magazine articles from a query letter and has also had many requests for full or partial manuscripts from editors and agents from her query letters. Her work has been published in Today's Parent magazine, Reader's Digest (Canada), The Canadian Writer's Journal, Writer's Digest, Canadian Living, What's Up Kids magazine, The Romance Writer's Report and various RWA Chapter newsletters. Visit her at www.JulieRoweAuthor.com.
Cost: $11 Elements Members / $21 Non-Members Register
here to pay by credit card or PayPal.
Bio: TJ Bennett is a former Golden Heart
finalist whose first novel, The Legacy, is an April 2008
release. Her follow-on novel, The Promise, will be a
2009 release. TJ has placed in a number of RWA
contests, including the Dahpne du Maurier contest, the
Lone Star, and the Lauries. Her background includes extensive travel
in her youth in Europe; being
president of her own consulting and training business; and working as a civilian contract negotiator for
the US Air Force. Armed with a BA and an MA in English, she began
teaching college writing in 2002. TJ knows a lot about the black moments of life,
and uses that knowledge to enhance her writing. She
believes that nothing is ever lost, and no painful
experience is in vain; it's all research. Visit her at
www.tjbennett.com.
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
by Sara Reinke
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
by Sara Reinke
But please feel free to browse our selection of upcoming online workshops below!
Query Letters that Sell, Cover Letters that Wow, and Submission Packages that Shout "Buy Me!"
by Julie Rowe
Topics covered by this online class will include:
Lesson 1: What is a query letter? & Querying Agents
Lesson 2: Querying Editors
Lesson 3: The Pitch
Lesson 4: Your Writing Credentials
Lesson 5: Beginnings, Endings, and Presentation Tips
Lesson 6: Agent and Editor Perspective
Lesson 7: Pulling it All Together
Lesson 8: Requests for More, & the Cover Letter
Lesson 9: Your Submission Package
Lesson 10: Interpreting Rejection, & the Revision Letter
Lesson 11: First Revision Letter
Lesson 12: Second and Third Revision Letters
Lesson 13: Deep POV Revision Example
Lesson 14: Fourth Revision Letter
Examples of successful fiction and non-fiction queries and cover letters will be provided. Participants are encouraged to edit and revise a query letter during the workshop.
Register
here to pay by check or money order.
*TBA*
*NO WORKSHOPS SCHEDULED FOR THIS MONTH*