Workshops and Presentations
I have been presenting workshops at conferences, schools, conventions, and literary organizations for over a decade. I would love to speak in-person or via the web with your group. Below are workshops I present. One note, I have workshops for young writers and workshops for all ages. Contact me with your event and I will get back to you shortly.
3 by 3: The Parts of a story
An introduction to story structure and the layout of a story arc. Let’s write a story.
This workshop is designed for young writers.
Story Graphing: A visual representation of your story
Kurt Vonnegut created the Shapes of Stories, a way to graph stories and see their arcs. Whether you believe in his system or not, let me show you a way to visualize the parts of your story. “Seeing” the story can allow writers to better understand what parts need work.
This workshop is for adult writers and young writers
Publishing Short Stories
What do you do when the book is only 3000 to 5000 words? There are many roads to take with a short story, from journals, to contests, anthologies, and more, but have you published them? Find out what road works best for you and learn why I not only publish them, but print them, and sell them just like a book.
perfecting your pitch to literary agents and publishers
In-depth look at the elements of a pitch and of a query letter. Having sat on both sides of the table, I provide a unique point of view.
Writing the Sword Fight
A sword fight is a story on its own. Learn tips and techniques to enhance your scene. Not only will you learn what is historically accurate, but why certain swords are shaped the way they are, or what is going through the mind of a swordsman. A variety of swords are demonstrated and a few surprises too.
Weapons in Writing: With Live Demonstrations
Writer and Martial Arts Instructor David Lucas and I speak about the various weapons writers will use in a variety of fight scenes. We display several types of weapons and demonstrate them before the audience. No audience participation because some of the weapons are real.
I present these workshops too…
Glorious Inventions of the Victorian Age
The Real Steampunk - A slideshow and discussion of some crazy inventions from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Point of View - It’s More Than 1st vs 3rd
How a characters point of view changes the story.
Researching Your Novel, Your Life, and Anything In-between
How to navigate the online and offline resources and bring authenticity and realism to your story.
Writing with Real People
An exercise in storytelling with a twist. Let’s have fun with history. Learn about the various types of writing from Historical Fiction, to Memoir, and Journalism.
Book Cover Basics - They Do Judge A Book By It’s Cover
Learn the do's and don’ts of what makes a good cover. From fonts to background images, learn how to spot a book readers won’t even pick up.
How To Make Your Novel Resemble a Classic
A look at classical literature, what made them classic, and how to ensure your novel hits the same beats.