A story
has to go somewhere, and even wonderfully creative writers might
not know how to put a novel together. It’s
as much craft and technique as it is passion. After teaching novel
writing in the University of Houston Extension Program, Rice University
School of Continuing Studies and in my own private Master Class,
I’ve assembled the absolutely essential ingredients for crafting
a novel. Your organization can schedule two-day, full-day, half-day
or one-hour presentations from the following material by contacting me directly.
"I
had a half a million words,
but
it wasn't a story." – Jean
Auel
Novel Writing Workshop
This class takes
you quickly through the basics of novel structure, so that you can
concentrate on creating an intriguing
plot, wonderful
characters and page-turning suspense.
Topics include:
The 12-Step Story Plan
Dramatic & Reflective
Structure
Plot, Point
of View & Characterization
Suspense,
Tension & Conflict
Subplot & Pacing
Emotional Connections
This class can be scheduled in your area
in a one- or two-day seminar format.
Writing Mystery and Suspense
Stories
Telling a story
of mystery or suspense requires not only the basics of good writing,
but also the ability
to keep
the reader
guessing
at what will happen next. In a fast-paced, hands-on
format, this workshop
teaches techniques designed to keep the reader
turning pages, from "doing
the crime" to "handling clues and red
herrings." Writer
Chris Rogers will examine such bestsellers as Misery,
Silence of the Lambs, and Murder on the Orient
Express to show how
to manipulate
plot,
subplot, time, and the multiple viewpoints necessary
for telling complicated mystery and suspense stories.
Topics
include:
Crime
Fiction: Structure and Tools
Story
Core: The Hero-Victim-Villain Triad
Doing
the Crime: The Beginning of Plot
Conflict,
Disaster, and Plot Development
Suspense and
Tension in Plot Development
Story
Devices: Transition, Foreshadow, and Clues
This class
can also be scheduled in your area in a one- or two-day seminar
format.
One-Hour Presentations
A
12-Step Story Plan: Start with Good Structure, then Relax and Unfold
Your Story
Building
Blocks of Fiction: Using Drama, Reflection & Transition
Plot
in a Nutshell: Capture Your Story in 10 Quick Steps
Single
Line of Action: Define the Story Spine for Tight Plotting
Character
Profiling: Create Unforgettable Story People
E-Quotient: How Words Affect the Reader
Action & Pacing:
Move Your Characters, Move Your Plot
The
Art of Suspense: Managing the Tension Cord
Dramatizing
Conflict: Invoke Tension on Every Page
Chain
of Conflict: Connect the Links to Keep a Reader Hooked
Seductive
Writing: The First 500 Words of a Great Book
A
Variety of Voices: Devise a Voice Profile for Each Character
"Say
What?": 9 Common Dialogue Mistakes and How to Fix Them
For more
information, email us with the words “workshop” in
the subject line.
A
12-Step Story Plan: Start with Good Structure, then Relax and Unfold
Your Story