Showing posts with label Workshops. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Workshops. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 1

Alane Ferguson

I want this -- bad!


Anyone who's familiar with Edgar award winning author Alane Ferguson (she apparently also been nominated scads of times) knows she's spot on with her critiques.

So I wanted to let everyone know that she's going to do a one-page critique as a prize for the WIFYR Spread the Word contest. The chance to get a one-page critique with her is worth entering the contest. It's free, and you don't have to attend WIFYR to enter. Go to www.wifyr.com/blog for details.

Let me add, that if you have not had the chance to see Alane at work in the critique department, you are seriously missing out! Her afternoon critique lectures/workshops are always overflowing and hard to get into. She is very good at what she does.

...disclaimer, I must add that Alane did a critique on my picture book, Decoration Day, I am not playing favorites here, but I have to say that it was an unforgettable experience.

Thursday, March 28

I'm so EXCITED!!!

The
PERFECT
conference workshop is now available


The Lab: A Novel Workshop for 
Serious Writers

The Lab: A Novel Workshop for Serious Writers
From Scraps to (manu)Scripts: Conquering the Murky Middles: Rescue those stalled-out novel manuscripts from your computer boneyard and bring them to this new, innovative, paddling-through-the-murky-middles workshop. This is a workshop for our faithful writers who have polished two or three beginning chapters in a WIFYR workshop in the past, but who need help getting the rest of their novel on paper and submission-worthy.

Workshop Goal:  “Finish, Polish, and Submit” is the mantra of this workshop. 
For five days, you will work harder than you have ever worked before (and so will Cheri), you will work smarter than you have ever worked before, and you will experience writing success like you have never experienced before.

Preparing for the Murky Middles Workshop: 
Prior to the conference, students will submit a murky-middles portion of their work (two to three of their murkiest chapters), a brief description of the problems of those two-to-three middle chapters, and a chapter-by-chapter synopsis (two sentences per chapter) of the entire novel, from the first chapter to the last. This is the material you will work with for the five days of WIFYR, so choose wisely.

Workshop Content: 
Each day, Cheri will share a different solution to novel-writing problems including Plot, Conflict, and Pacing; Character Development and Voice; Setting and Description; Scene, Summary, and Dialog; Developing Themes and Introducing Backstory.

Daily Assignments: 
Participants will write and workshop specific scenes that emphasize plot, pacing, character development, moral conflicts, and so forth, in addition to revising their middle chapters and, in some cases, writing new ones.

Final Project: 
Participants will present two to three completely revised and murk-free middle chapters on the last day of the workshop, a revised and annotated plot outline, a plan for finishing their novel, and . . . they will confess their love for writing, each other, and above all, their workshop teacher.

 

Click on the image to find out more . . .


 

Why attend a writing conference?

My PhotoCheck out this awesome article from Julie Olson of Jujubee Illustrations



Go to a conference on kids books? WHY?

 

 

Oh, and set your clock, watch Julie on Channel 2 tomorrow :)

 

Interview with Julie Olsen on Channel 2, Utah!
Julie Olsen's TV interview will air on Channel 2's Fresh Living Show at 1 p.m.  3/29/2013. 

Be sure to tune in!

 p.s. Julie's illustrations are a favorite of mine. She is one talented and hard working lady :)

Friday, January 4


Conferences, Workshops,
and Events in Central Utah 
The 2013 Roundup

(arranged by date)



Orem Writes / Events all month
Helping to put aspiring writers together with published writers. A time for novices to pick the brains of the experts.
                                                                                    January 2013  (free)
                                                                                    http://lib.orem.org/
                                                                                    http://oremwrites.wordpress.com 



iWriteNetwork 
Workshops and more
Social Network of writers. Message Boards, Chats, and BlogTalk Radio.
January 26, 2013 ($35)
http://iwritenetworkning.ning.com/ 
http://wewritenetwork.blogspot.com/
 




Timpanogos Storytelling Midwinter Event / Storyworks
Workshops for beginners, performers, educators, healers, business professionals, writers, parents and youth.
February 7-9, 2013 (pricing varies)
http://timpfest.org/



 
Life, The Universe, & Everything: The Marion K. Doc Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy  Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE) 
A three day academic symposium on all aspects of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
February 14-16, 2013
                                                                                   ($30-$45 / free for students)
                                                                              http://ltue.net/



Writing for Charity
Writing for Charity
Live critiques from published authors and interactive workshops.
March 30, 2013 ($45)











LDStorymakers
Classes and workshops with optional Boot Camp, Master Class, First ChapterContest and Pitch sessions.
May 10-11, 2013 (pricing varies)



Home
Conduit 23 
Utah's largest and longest-running general science fiction, fantasy, and horror convention
May 24-26, 2013




Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR)
Week long conference with morning class opportunities to work in small critique groups with published authors. Afternoon only options available.
June 17-21, 2013 (pricing varies)
http://www.wifyr.com/
http://www.wifyr.com/blog









 


BYU Books for Young Readers,
Symposium on Children's Literature
July 18-19, 2013

http://ce.byu.edu/cw/bfyr/






League of Utah Writers
Monthly meetings at Provo Library
http://www.uvwriters.com/  Utah Valley Chapter http://www.luwriters.org/





National Novel Writing Month      NaNoWriMo  
Participant 180x180 (2)                                           Online community with local events
                                           November 1-30, 2013 (free)                                                                                          
                                           http://www.nanowrimo.org/






 

Timpanogos Storytelling Intensive Workshops
http://timpfest.org/
(watch for these week long retreats 1-3 times a year)

Wednesday, February 15

List of Conferences in the Central Utah Valley

Let me clarify - conferences that I have been to, or know well





League of Utah Writers / Monthly meetings at Provo Library
http://www.luwriters.org/
http://www.uvwriters.com/  Utah Valley Chapter






 Timpanogos Storytelling Midwinter Event / February
http://timpfest.org/midwinter-event


 
  
Life the Universe and Everything (LTUE) / February ($30-$45)
http://ltue.org/LTUE_2012.html


 
Writing for Charity / March ($45)
http://writingforcharity.blogspot.com/




Orem Writes / Events all month - March (free)
http://oremwrites.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/hello-world/
 

LDStorymakers / May
http://ldstorymakers.com/




Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR) / June
http://www.wifyr.com/


 

iWrite / online and an upcoming July workshop
http://iwritenetworkning.ning.com/


BYU Books for Young Readers, Symposium on Children's Literature / July
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/bfyr/




 
Timpanogos Storytelling Intensive Workshops
http://timpfest.org/
(watch for these week long retreats 1-3 times a year)

Monday, February 13

114 Titles

I've said it before, I'll say it again, Katherine Farmer is brilliant.

The Cracking the Story Code Intensive Workshop was superb, and despite my almost 2 years of studying, I still found that there was plenty to learn in those all-to-brief six hours.

One very particular part of the Farmer Method of Script and Text Analysis is that you need to have a well-developed cultural background. There are movies, plays, stories and books that you cannot hold a meaningful discussion on Story Code without knowing the stories first.
With that in mind, I am posting a  list of titles that are required reading and/or watching.
All 114 titles are mentioned in the materials from Thursday.

Cracking the Story Code Cultural Literacy List
Notes on the Katherine Farmer Workshop

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Almost Maine (play)
Amelia Bedelia
Amos Fortune Free Man
And Now, Miguel
Arkansas Bear
Arsenic and Old Lace
Avatar
Babe the Gallant Pig (book & movie)
Bandits
Banner in the Sky
Bedtime for Frances
Berries Goodman
Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Big Bad Bruce
Big Fish
Bridge to Terabithia
Brokeback Mountain
Burt Dow
Carrie's War
Cars,
Cat in the Hat
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlotte's Webb   
Clementine
Click, Clack Moo!
Country Wife
Curious George
Dark Knight  
Death of a Salesman
Deep-Water Man
Doll's house by Ibsen
Doubt
Dr. Desoto
Dumb Waiter
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Ever After
Frog and Toad Are Friends
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs.Basil E Frankeweiler
Gladiator
Go Ask Alice
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Golliwhoppers!
Groundhog's Day
Hamlet
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
How to Eat Fried Worms
Humpty Dumpty
Hunger Games
Iliad
Importance of being Earnest
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda
Les Miserables
Lightning Thief
Little Bear
Little Miss Sunshine
Lord of the Rings  
Matrix
Memento
Miss Hickory
Mr. President Goes to School
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle
My Side of the Mountain
O'Pioneers!
Ocean's Eleven
Oedipus Rex
Pinocchio
Pippi Longstocking
Pride and Prejudice
Pulp Fiction
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Ramona the Brave
Ramona the Pest
Robin Hood
Rosie's Walk
Secret of the Andes
Secret Window
Shawshank Redemption
Sick Day for Amos McGee
Slave Dancer
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Something Queer at the Library
Star Wars
Superfudge
Tale of Peter Rabbit
Tangled
Tartuffe  
Taste of Blackberries
The Adventures of Obadiah
The Cay
The Cow that Fell in the Canal
The Hobbit
The Incredible Journey
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Office
The Whale Rider
There's a Nightmare in my Closet
Toothpaste Millionaire
Top Gun
Tops and Bottoms
Toy Story 1 & 3
Urinetown
Usual Suspects
Waiting for Godot
Watermelon Kisses
When You Reach Me
Where the Lillie's Bloom
Where the Wild Things Are
Wilde's Salome


Did I mention having a strong and well-developed cultural backgound?
Are you an avid movie-goer? A voracious reader?
If so, you will find that you already know most of these and will have no trouble brushing up on the details of each story.

p.s. I've not added links to the OPL catalog yet, I will add authors, format (movie, book, play, etc.) and check spelling as I add the links.

Monday, January 30

Conferences and Workshops

Maybe I'm addicted to conferences, symposiums and workshops. It's hard not to be.

Although, at this point, after so many, it's hard to not be slightly jaded. Of course, this means that I am always looking for something new, more advanced, of deeper meaning and of more value - -

One workshop on the horizon that I am MOST excited about is this one:

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Katherine Farmer
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.  
Cracking the Story Code:
How to Know if Your Story Has Appeal
Pre-Conference Intensive Workshop*

Featuring Katherine Farmer
Pre-Conference Workshop will be hosted by the Orem Public Library at 58 N. State Street Orem, Ut. - Tickets/$50 (Separate ticket required. Includes lunch.)

Attention writers, tellers, creators of story: This workshop is for you. Over the last thirty years Katherine Farmer has investigated stories that target audiences of different age and interest levels. She has tapped into the expertise of many different disciplines and perspectives in order to isolate key elements and dynamics in story that are linked to our perceptions of a work’s quality and appeal. Farmer has also developed structural models and analytical tools to help those who write, select, or enact stories understand these findings and apply them. You will come away from this workshop empowered to make your story appealing and relevant to your intended audience, having cracked the story code!
*Registration for this pre-conference workshop is NOT included with regular conference tickets. To register for this special event, please click here.

When I took this workshop several years ago, it was a life changing event. My analytical skills have forever changed. Now, whenever I watch movie, see a show, read a book, or even look at what's been happening in my life, I can see the story behind it. I instinctively find myself mapping out the story cone. It's done wonders for my abilities to give kids the books that will work for them. It's heavily influenced the way I write. I cannot stress enough how important this kind of analysis is to the world of not only writing and producing but also agenting and editing.

If you had a key to knowing if the manuscript you hold in your hands had the potential to be not only a profitable piece of work, but one with bestselling potential... what would you do? Would you not move heaven and earth to incorporate this knowledge into the very fibers of your being? I would.

This workshop is only the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more than what can be covered in a few hours of workshop. When the text book comes out on this research, it will be nothing less than transformative. Be one who is 'in on it' before it's even available to the general public. Get that head start, one that is only available here in the Utah Valley, at the Orem Library, Thurs. Feb, 9.