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SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Structure Your Story: How to Keep Readers Hooked From Start to Finish
DESCRIPTION:Storytelling skill is the most challenging aspect of the craft of writing. Learn how to design a structure that will hold your readers and keep them turning the page.\n\n\n\nFiction\, Nonfiction\, Memoir\, Novel\, & Short Story \n\n\n\nStorytelling skill is the most challenging aspect of craft: the way the plot unfolds and how events create new energy and excitement for readers to keep going. For many of us\, these skills do not come naturally.  We have to train and practice. \n\n\n\nStructuring a successful project requires knowing where to start\, what to include\, and how to deliver a powerful\, memorable\, and compelling story with a meaningful resolution. In this webinar\, we’ll explore the basic principles of story design and present proven templates to help you re-think your approach to story design\, restart your project\, and save revision time. \n\n\n\nThis webinar is for novelists\, short story writers\, memoirists and nonfiction writers who are working on individual pieces or a book-length project. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE ready-made\, easily customized templates that jump-start your story \n\n\n\nTROUBLESHOOT pitfalls that hold great stories back\n\n\n\nLEARN the six key scenes that make a story rivet your reader\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for Writers:\n\n\n\n\nStuck in a novel or memoir (especially if you’ve reached the murky middle!)\n\n\n\nStruggling with a large amount of material\n\n\n\nWho feel they have not yet mastered essential plot skills\n\n\n\nWho worry their work isn’t capturing attention\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOne of CRAFT TALKS’ most popular presenters\, for her insightful and inspiring webinars\, HEATHER SELLERS is the author of 11 books\, including four books on craft\, a memoir\, a children’s book\, a collection of short stories\, and four volumes of poetry.  She teaches in the MFA program at the University of South Florida\, and her work has appeared in The New York Times\, Reader’s Digest\, The Sun\, and The Best American Essays. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\nFULL REFUNDS ARE AVAILABLE before the replay is sent out. For a refund\, EMAIL us at info@WritingCraft.com. Canceling your Zoom invite will not initiate this process. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/webinar-structure-your-story/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250507T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250507T143000
DTSTAMP:20260507T124856
CREATED:20250401T163123Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250506T154026Z
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SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Meaning in the Moment: Using Place\, Time\, and Detail to Power Your Scenes
DESCRIPTION:Learn to bring more immediacy and urgency to your prose by replicating how life feels in the moment\, crafting scenes that capture the texture of actual living. \n\n\n\nFiction & Nonfiction \n\n\n\nOur lives—and our characters’ lives—unfold in distinct moments – specific times\, particular places\, intimate details – rather than through explanatory passages and abstract interpretation. In this webinar\, we will practice bringing more immediacy and urgency to our prose by replicating how life feels in the moment\, and crafting scenes that capture the texture of actual living. \n\n\n\nWhether working with our own remembered lives in memoir\, or our characters’ constructed lives in fiction\, rather than “naming” a character’s emotional reactions\, let the reader experience the discrete moments that bring the significant feeling forward. We will look at examples from both memoir and fiction and discuss how to use the techniques in your work. Allison and Dinty will also “improvise” scenes\, writing in the moment to illustrate how details accumulate to create a whole. \n\n\n\nYou’ll leave with a better understanding of your craft\, clear ideas to enhance your scenes\, and prompts and nudges to get you started on new work or revision. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE how scenes can resonate more powerfully by replicating “real” life events\n\n\n\nDISCOVER ways to increase the immediacy and urgency of your story\n\n\n\nLEARN HOW deliberate craft choices create a powerful emotional connection\n\n\n\nWATCH Allison and Dinty improvise scene writing and editing live on Zoom\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for:\n\n\n\n\nWriters sick to death of hearing “show don’t tell” and unsure how to act on that feedback\n\n\n\nWriters who have been told they “Explain too much.”\n\n\n\nWriters who’d like their work to immediately capture attention and engage agents\, editors and readers.\n\n\n\nWriters with a piece that’s been widely submitted and rejected\n\n\n\nMemoirists needing new ways to recreate intensity of feeling on the page\n\n\n\nNovelists struggling with their genre\, who need to embrace tropes while keeping them fresh.\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDINTY W. MOORE  is author of the memoirs Between Panic & Desire and To Hell With It\, and the writing guides Crafting the Personal Essay and The Mindful Writer\, among other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s\, The New York Times Magazine\, Georgia Review\, Kenyon Review\, Southern Review\, Short Reads\, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity\, the journal of flash nonfiction. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nALLISON K WILLIAMS is the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book. She’s helped writers sell to Big Five and literary publishers\, hit the NYT Bestseller list\, and sign multi-book deals. She’s guided essayists and humorists to publication in media including the New Yorker\, Time\, the Guardian\, the New York Times\, McSweeney’s\, Refinery29\, Hippocampus\, the Belladonna and TED Talks. As Social Media Editor for Brevity\, she inspires thousands of writers with weekly blogs on craft and the writing life. Allison works with literary and commercial fiction and nonfiction\, as well as essays\, short fiction\, and and social platform. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University and spent 20 years as a circus aerialist and acrobat before writing and editing full-time. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@writingcraft.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/webinar-the-meaning-in-the-moment/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250503T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250503T170000
DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250325T204033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250424T154745Z
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SUMMARY:SEMINAR | Exactly What Publishers Want From Authors: The Key Steps to Landing a Book Deal
DESCRIPTION:Master the steps to getting your book deal and stand out in a competitive market\n\n\n\nAll Genres \n\n\n\nWhat do publishers want? How do they decide which book to make an offer on? What are the many steps between you and a book deal? For aspiring authors eager to see your book on the shelves\, but puzzled by the mysterious process of getting published\, this seminar will uncover the intricate decision-making process that book publishers use to select manuscripts. \n\n\n\nBy the end of this seminar\, you will have a thorough understanding of the inner workings of the publishing industry and be equipped with the knowledge and tools to dramatically increase your chances of a deal. Whether you’re a first-time author or looking to enhance your publishing strategy\, this class will be your gateway to unlocking the doors of the literary world. \n\n\n\nAll registrations will receive a publication/query readiness checklist. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this insightful three-hour live seminar\, you’ll learn to:\n\n\n\n\nUNDERSTAND the key factors publishers consider when evaluating submissions\, including market trends\, target audiences\, and profitability.\n\n\n\nEVALUATE manuscripts using industry criteria such as story originality\, writing quality\, and thematic relevance.\n\n\n\nNAVIGATE the decision-making process by understanding who reviews your manuscript and their role in securing a book deal.\n\n\n\nDECODE the financial side of publishing\, from advances and royalties to the approval criteria for publication.\n\n\n\nSTAY AHEAD of industry trends and insights that shape publishing decisions.\n\n\n\nANALYZE real-life case studies of successful books and what made them stand out.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis seminar is ideal for writers:\n\n\n\n\nSeeking literary representation\n\n\n\nWho are self-published and looking to transition to traditional publishing\n\n\n\nWith finished nonfiction manuscripts who want to pitch directly to publishers without an agent\n\n\n\nWanting to gain a deeper understanding of the publishing industry\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWith over 30 years of publishing expertise\, Amy Collins has sat on all sides of the desk in the publishing world. As an agent with Talcott Notch Literary Services\, Amy champions a diverse range of authors—her clients have secured deals with top publishers across genres like fantasy\, romance\, horror\, and thrillers. Her non-fiction clients focus on cookbooks\, pop-culture\, lifestyle and humor.  \n\n\n\nA former book buyer\, publisher\, and sales director\, Amy blends her sharp market insights with an unwavering commitment to her clients’ success. Beyond representing authors\, Amy is a USA TODAY bestselling writer herself\, with several non-fiction titles to her name\, including It’s the Little Things (Simon & Schuster/Adams Media). She’s a trusted voice in the industry\, regularly featured in Writer’s Digest Magazine and a speaker at major conferences worldwide. \n\n\n\nTestimonials from past students:\n\n\n\n“I found Amy to be savvy about publishing\, down-to-earth\, and funny as hell.” – Nancy McMillan \n\n\n\n“I just want to say how much I have enjoyed this class. Your professional generosity is so refreshing and valuable. I think every single person in our class felt seen and personally guided. I know I certainly have.” – Pam O’Hara \n\n\n\n“This class was a gift not only to my career but to my spirit. As a writer who finds pitching and promoting myself anxiety-provoking\, I appreciated Amy’s breaking down the intimidating into a plan of small\, easily actionable steps. She is a generous teacher who inspires as well as she informs.” – Karen Novak \n\n\n\n“This session made me realize I didn’t hate pitching. I just didn’t truly understand its power and how to personalize it to my needs toward those I want to reach. Now I can’t wait to get started.” – Louis H. Mitchell \n\n\n\nTHE FINE PRINT \n\n\n\nWe understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course\, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a full refund. \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/seminar-exactly-what-publishers-want/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Seminars
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250430T143000
DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250321T203419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250416T200805Z
UID:10000010-1746018000-1746023400@writingcraft.com
SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Smarter Than You Think: Trusting Readers with Subtlety\, Nuance\, and the Pleasures of Uncertainty
DESCRIPTION:Readers love putting two and two together for themselves\, but too often—out of insecurity—writers forget to provide readers the space to discern and discover. \n\n\n\nFiction & Nonfiction \n\n\n\nReaders are curious people with active\, agile minds. Too often\, though—out of insecurity about how well our story is coming across—we provide too much information\, robbing our readers of one of the key pleasures of reading: putting two and two together for themselves. \n\n\n\nThis webinar will use examples from successful memoirs and literary essays to examine how we can write as if telling our story to the smartest friend we have. Where is the line between leaving a reader in the dark and allowing for some delicious suspense? When are nuance and suggestion more effective than perfect clarity? When is contradictory character information a strength rather than a blunder? \n\n\n\nWe’ll examine how we can enter the reader’s thought processes to discern the difference between confusing our readers and leaving them intrigued. And we’ll examine our own insecurity patterns\, rooting out our tendencies to tell\, then show\, then tell again. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE the line between confusing our readers and leaving them happily intrigued\n\n\n\nLEARN to write as if telling our story to “the smartest friend we have.”\n\n\n\nEXAMINE our own insecurity patterns\, rooting out our tendencies to tell\, then show\, then tell again.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers at any level who:\n\n\n\n\nWould like their work to immediately capture attention\, to engage agents\, editors and—of course—readers\n\n\n\nStruggle with “how much to tell\,” “how much to show\,” and how much to “hold back”\n\n\n\nWant to revise work that’s been widely submitted and rejected\n\n\n\nAre insecure about their storytelling skills (that’s all of us)!\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDINTY W. MOORE  is author of the memoirs Between Panic & Desire and To Hell With It\, and the writing guides Crafting the Personal Essay and The Mindful Writer\, among other books. He has published essays and stories in Harper’s\, The New York Times Magazine\, Georgia Review\, Kenyon Review\, Southern Review\, Short Reads\, and elsewhere. He is founding editor of Brevity\, the journal of flash nonfiction. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/webinar-smarter-than-you/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250423T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250423T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250321T204659Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250417T161054Z
UID:10000011-1745420400-1745425800@writingcraft.com
SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Fine Art of Containment: Finding New Ways to Hold Your Story
DESCRIPTION:Structure can seem like such a mundane word\, but in this webinar\, we’ll find exciting new ways for you to bring your story to life on the page.\n\n\n\nNonfiction \n\n\n\nYou’ve mined your memories\, written your scenes\, and come to some insights—yet your personal essay or memoir still doesn’t seem to fully engage your reader. Radically revising your structure might be the answer. \n\n\n\nWe’ll be thinking of structure in the sense of “containers\,” the way you might choose the perfect vase for a bouquet. Containers in this context could be thought of as through-lines that both hold and propel the narratives. These container scenes create both boundaries and forward movement for material that might otherwise have a hard time finding its focus. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, we will explore the various “container scenes” writers have used to structure their essays\, and how you can identify container scenes that might already exist in your own work. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE how to structure a personal essay to fully engage a reader\n\n\n\nPLAY with Beginnings and Endings\n\n\n\nDISCOVER how to identify a container scene in the works you read\n\n\n\nIDENTIFY and employ container scenes in your personal narratives\n\n\n\nBE EQUIPPED with suggestions for future reading and practice\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers:\n\n\n\n\nEager for fresh insights into revision practices\n\n\n\nInterested in how published authors structure their personal essays\n\n\n\nLooking for inspiration to draft new work and revise existing pieces\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBRENDA MILLER’s most recent book is A Braided Heart: Essays on Writing on Form. She is the author of five more essay collections\, including An Earlier Life\, which received the Washington State Book Award for Memoir\, and she is the recipient of seven Pushcart Prizes. Her book of collaborative essays with Julie Marie Wade\, Telephone: Essays in Two Voices\, received the Cleveland Poetry Center Award for Creative Nonfiction and was published by Cleveland State University Press in 2021. She co-authored\, with Suzanne Paola\, the textbook Tell it Slant: Creating\, Refining\, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction\, now in its third edition from McGraw-Hill Higher Education. She is a Professor Emerita of Creative Writing at Western Washington University. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/webinar-the-fine-art-of-containment/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250409T161500
DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250321T202214Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250403T030714Z
UID:10000008-1744210800-1744215300@writingcraft.com
SUMMARY:WEBINAR | The Dreaded Comp Titles: A Necessary Evil That Can Launch Your Career
DESCRIPTION:Learn why the industry relies on comps\, where to find the best ones\, and how to use them to strengthen your pitch.\n\n\n\nComp titles are one of the most powerful tools for helping agents and publishers quickly understand where your book fits in the market. These comparable books—similar to yours in key ways—can make or break your pitch. In a logline or query\, comp titles serve as “shorthand” for your book’s tone\, theme and story\, making it easier for editors and agents to determine if a manuscript is a good fit. In a proposal\, strong comp titles also prove that books like yours are selling now. \n\n\n\nYet\, finding and using comp titles is one of the most challenging parts of querying. \n\n\n\nThis webinar will demystify the process of identifying and effectively using comp titles. Learn why the industry relies on comps\, where to find the best ones\, and how to use them to strengthen your pitch. Discover tools\, databases\, and research methods to uncover comps with strong sales numbers—all with step-by-step guidance and one-on-one assistance. Learn a structured\, 7-step process to streamline the search\, giving you everything needed to research and find your titles. \n\n\n\nAs an added resource\, a 30-minute video will be provided\, detailing how to use your newly found comps to improve your chances of securing the right agent or publishing house. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\n✅ Discover effective strategies for finding strong comp titles\n\n\n\n✅ Learn how to use comp titles to strengthen queries and pitches\n\n\n\n✅ Understand how comps demonstrate market viability and attract agents\n\n\n\n✅ Overcome the frustration of searching for and selecting the right comps\n\n\n\n✅ Avoid common mistakes that can weaken a book’s positioning\n\n\n\n✅ Gain tools to maximize success in securing an agent or publisher\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for ….\n\n\n\n\nAspiring and Querying Authors – Writers preparing to pitch their book to agents and publishers who need strong comp titles to strengthen their query.\n\n\n\nSelf-Publishing Authors – Writers looking to position their book in the market and attract the right audience using comp titles.\n\n\n\nLiterary Agents & Editors – Publishing professionals who want to refine their ability to identify and evaluate comp titles for submissions.\n\n\n\nBook Coaches & Writing Instructors – Professionals who guide writers through the querying and publishing process and need effective strategies for teaching comp title research.\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAMY COLLINS\, Agent with Talcott Notch Literary Services\, has over 30 years of experience matching books with readers. As a former book buyer\, publisher\, and sales director\, Amy focuses on the marketplace and sales potential for authors. As an agent\, she represents many authors who have signed deals with major publishers and is currently negotiating book to film as well. Amy is the author of several non-fiction books and is currently traveling the country with her two dogs meeting with editors and authors. She can be found on Instagram\, Threads\, and BluSky at @askamycollins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/webinar-the-dreaded-comp/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinars
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writingcraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Event-Template-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250405T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250405T160000
DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250122T195931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250327T143117Z
UID:10000003-1743854400-1743868800@writingcraft.com
SUMMARY:SEMINAR | Deep Characterization for Fiction: Uncovering Secrets\, Relationships and Your Character’s Inner Life
DESCRIPTION:Do you feel like your character isn’t fully speaking to you? Dive deep into the mindset\, psychology\, motivations\, and relationships of your characters to produce stunning results.\n\n\n\nTo truly capture a character’s voice\, motivations\, and subtext\, it’s essential to imaginatively live in their skin. Characters drive your story\, and fully inhabiting their consciousness and uncovering their hidden mysteries will infuse new life into your narrative. This seminar is a guided deep dive into both the inner and outer worlds of your characters. \n\n\n\nThrough a series of immersive exercises\, you’ll start by exploring your character’s outer world in unique ways: drawing\, mind-mapping\, and sensory charts. These activities will allow you to experience your character’s surroundings in a fresh\, impactful manner. You’ll also take a meditative journey into your character’s inner world\, exploring how their environment influences their thoughts\, reactions\, and inner dialogue. This process will help you uncover histories and relationships within your story that you may not have discovered yet. \n\n\n\nBy the end of this seminar\, you’ll feel equipped to live inside your character’s skin\, with a repeatable set of exercises and techniques to deeply understand the characters in every story you write.  \n\n\n\nThere will be a break at the halfway point of our session. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this seminar you’ll:\n\n\n\n\nENTER a flow state and imaginatively immerse yourself in your character’s world\n\n\n\nMASTER techniques for eliciting emotional depth through setting and past memories\n\n\n\nMEDITATE to explore your character’s emotions and relationships in a profound way\n\n\n\nCREATE a mind-map based on emotion and character motivations\, while avoiding forced or inauthentic plot elements\n\n\n\nDEVELOP an ongoing emotional and analytical connection with your character\, allowing them to speak to you \n\n\n\nALLOW your character to drive the narrative\, ensuring their actions remain grounded in their authentic motivations\n\n\n\nDISCOVER character objectives through non-analytical means\, so you always understand why your characters do what they do\n\n\n\nREFINE your story’s POV and voice to reflect the evolving discovery of your character\n\n\n\nUTILIZE these exercises to overcome writer’s block and reignite your inspiration\n\n\n\n\nEvery registrant will receive a manual of exercises that can be used to continually deepen their character work. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis seminar is ideal for fiction writers in all genres who:\n\n\n\n\nFeel intimidated or confused about characterization\n\n\n\nStruggle to convey their characters in a lifelike manner\n\n\n\nFeel their characters aren’t speaking to them\n\n\n\nWant to understand their characters’ motivations but aren’t sure where to start\n\n\n\nSeek to go beyond analytical character analysis and fully inhabit their character’s world\n\n\n\nStruggle to emotionally connect with their character’s inner world or bridge the gap between inner and outer worlds\n\n\n\nAre drafting or significantly revising a work-in-progress\n\n\n\n\nWho this class may not be suited for:\n\n\n\nThe class focuses on delving deeply into both the inner and outer worlds of your character for fiction writers and illustrators. Writers of memoir or narrative nonfiction will need to create their own workarounds for many of the immersive exercises\, which is possible but won’t be directly provided by the instructor. \n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBRITTA JENSEN’s novel\, Eloia Born\, won the 2019 Writer’s League of Texas YA Discovery Prize and was long-listed for the Exeter Novel Prize. Subsequent publications include a sequel\, Hirana’s War\, Ghosts of Yokosuka\, and the forthcoming Orphan Pods as well as short stories “Why Not Ophelia” in the Castle Anthology of Horror- Femme Fatales\, and “Noise in the Woods” in Mixed Bag of Tricks. Her stories explore themes of persevering through disability\, found family\, and the intersection of love and various cultures on new worlds. For the past twenty-two years she has taught creative writing and edited books. Friends often refer to her as a polyglot— a product of living twenty-two years overseas in Japan\, South Korea\, and Germany before settling in Austin\, Texas with her awesome capoerista/tailor husband. She loves coaching authors and editing books with The Writing Consultancy and Yellowbird Editors.  \n\n\n\nTestimonials from past Character Immersion Workshops for SCBWI\, Westbank Library\, The Writer’s League of Texas\, schools & TWC Workshops:\n\n\n\n“I got so much out of the Character Immersion Workshop and can’t wait to use it on more of my characters!” –Lynne Kelly\, author of Song for a Whale\, The Secret Language of Birds and Chained. \n\n\n\n“The class was so rich with ideas and wonderful exercises. Our group will be talking about some of your ideas for weeks to come\, I’m sure!”-Maureen Turner Carey\, author & librarian\, Westbank Library \n\n\n\n“I can’t express enough how much this workshop was a breakthrough for me\, but for the rest of the characters I have written since. I keep going back to the material because I had been stuck on an important character who was acting only on the surface of herself: she was showing up in the right scenes and saying the right things. When I put her through this Immersion Workshop I discovered her core motivation which will allow a more purposeful character to have much more impact those same scenes and those same lines.”-Marc Hess\, author \n\n\n\n“A breakthrough for me was better understanding my character through the POV of another. When writing from another character’s POV\, so much more was revealed that both clarified and verified things swirling around in my head\, but couldn’t yet breakthrough.”-Kellie McCants\, author and actor \n\n\n\nTHE FINE PRINT \n\n\n\nWe understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course\, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a full refund. \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/seminar-deep-characterization/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Seminars
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LAST-MODIFIED:20250327T143139Z
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SUMMARY:WEBINAR | Writing the Taboo in Memoir: Bring Your Most Vulnerable Stories to Life
DESCRIPTION:At their best\, personal narratives about “taboo” topics speak to our darkest truths and teach us what it means to be vulnerable.\n\n\n\nTopics like mental illness\, sex\, and violence are often branded “taboo” and can be some of the most difficult material to write about. But at their best\, these narratives speak to our darkest truths and teach us what it means to be vulnerable. Even the most stigmatized topics can be made approachable if you know how to pull the reader in and give your story universal resonance. No matter how difficult the subject matter\, memoirists can keep readers engaged by using craft techniques like worldbuilding\, identifying universal truths\, and exercising narrative control. \n\n\n\nThis webinar will explore the challenges and opportunities of writing honestly about taboo topics. We’ll discuss why it’s so important to give voice to unsayable truths\, and how to use craft tools to create unforgettable memoirs and essays. We’ll also address self-care strategies\, how to know when material is “too” explicit\, and how and when to exercise narrative restraint. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXPLORE why certain topics are “taboo” in personal narratives–and why you should write about them anyway.\n\n\n\nLEARN craft tools for making such stories feel resonant to readers\, including worldbuilding\, identifying universal truths\, and exercising narrative control.\n\n\n\nADDRESS the practical challenges of writing about taboo topics\, including self-care strategies\, knowing when material is “too” explicit\, and how to use narrative restraint.\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for ….\n\n\n\nA memoirist or personal essayist who is tackling topics often considered taboo or stigmatized in society. Examples of these kinds of topics include mental illness\, sex\, and violence. \n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available. ✔All registrants receive the recording. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKATIE BANNON is a writer\, editor\, and educator whose work has appeared in The Rumpus\, ELLE Magazine\, Narratively\, and more. Her memoir manuscript\, which charts her journey as a compulsive hair puller\, was a finalist for the Permafrost Nonfiction Book Prize. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Memoir Incubator\, she holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from Emerson College. She is a developmental editor who loves working with memoirists and essayists on how to write and revise their most vulnerable\, taboo stories. She teaches at GrubStreet and lives in Central Massachusetts with her partner and two cats. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/writing-the-taboo/
LOCATION:Zoom
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250122T200257Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250217T155842Z
UID:10000004-1741446000-1741449600@writingcraft.com
SUMMARY:Angle of Vision: Reflection and Retrospection\, Time and Tense
DESCRIPTION:Writers of nonfiction prose rarely consider tense\, but it is essential to orienting a reader. Writing about our own experiences\, crafting through verb tense\, allows retrospection—consideration of the past from the vantage point of the present. \n\n\n\nRetrospection is a powerful form of meaning-making: it allows us to consider what happened through the lens of subsequent experience\, adding a layer of significance to memory and allowing writers to recognize and reflect on what’s changed and why it matters. To powerfully use this voice\, writers must make thoughtful choices when choosing tense. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWe’ll examine and discover how tense functions; consider the oft-repeated advice that present tense is more vivid and immediate; and analyze how mastering tense allows seasoned writers engage in retrospection and reflection. \n\n\n\nIn this webinar\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nEXAMINE the ways one can use tense to enable retrospection and reflection\n\n\n\nANALYZE past and present tense\, to understand how each functions discretely and how they can work together\n\n\n\nLEARN to use tense in your own writing\, to create an angle of vision that draws meaning from memory and experience\n\n\n\n\nThis webinar is ideal for writers of memoir and personal essay who want to better understand how to write from their own memories and experiences.\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available ✔All registrants receive the recording ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYOUR PRESENTER\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Copperman’s  prose has appeared in The Oxford-American\, Guernica\, The Sun\, Creative Nonfiction\, Boston Review\, Salon\, Gulf Coast\, Triquarterly\, Kenyon Review and Copper Nickel\, among many others\, and has won awards and garnered fellowships from the Munster Literature Center\, Breadloaf Writers Conference\, Oregon Literary Arts\, and the Oregon Arts Commission. His memoir TEACHER: Two Years in the Mississippi Delta (University Press of Mississippi 2017)\, about the rural black public schools of the Mississippi Delta\, was a finalist for the 2018 Oregon Book Award in CNF. His work is represented by David Dunton of Harvey Klinger. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/angle-of-vision-reflection-and-retrospection-time-and-tense/
CATEGORIES:Webinars
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250301T150000
DTSTAMP:20260507T124857
CREATED:20250128T191148Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250217T161634Z
UID:10000002-1740832200-1740841200@writingcraft.com
SUMMARY:The Secrets to Finding the Right Path to Publication for Your Book
DESCRIPTION:This is your year to focus on your publishing goals! Make meaningful strides toward achieving them in this two-day intensive\, tailored for writers aiming to publish traditionally with Big Five\, literary\, or university presses.\n\n\n\nThis two-day event includes focused teaching sessions\, plus industry guests discussing the publishing landscape and taking your questions. Your host Peter Mountford will teach the dos and don’ts of writing query letters\, with a focus on how they differ by genre\, covering common publishing pitfalls and clarifying important questions\, such as the necessity of having a platform\, what that truly means\, and much more! \n\n\n\nIn addition to these key lessons\, Literary Agent Anjali Singh\, Tin House Editorial Director Masie Cochran and FSG Executive Editor Jenna Johnson will join us to share the topics currently on publishers’ minds. Our time also includes networking\, pitch practice\, and a rich resource packet to spark–and sustain–your publishing journey.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGuests Include:\n\n\n\n\nAnjali Singh – Founder of her own literary agency (est. 2024) and former agent at Ayesha Pande Literary\, Anjali represents literary fiction\, memoir\, narrative nonfiction\, and graphic novels.\n\n\n\nMasie Cochran – Editorial Director and Interim Publisher at Tin House Books\, where she has edited numerous award-winning and bestselling works since joining in 2011.\n\n\n\nJenna Johnson – Executive Editor at Farrar\, Straus and Giroux\, working across fiction and nonfiction with a focus on cultural history and overlooked stories from around the world.\n\n\n\n\nOn day two\, you’ll be able to join early and participate in breakout rooms to practice your pitch with fellow writers. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDuring this intensive\, you will:\n\n\n\n\nLearn to write an effective query letter: Understand the structure\, tone\, and content of a compelling query tailored to your genre.\n\n\n\nDevelop a targeted list of publishers to pursue: Identify the right publishers for your work based on genre\, style\, and market fit.\n\n\n\nDiscsover essential resources for finding the right agent: Gain insights into the agent search process and learn to find agents who align with your goals.\n\n\n\nEngage in meaningful discussions with industry professionals who will share their insights and address your specific questions.\n\n\n\nRefine and Practice your elevator pitch: Participate in breakout sessions designed to help you craft and polish a succinct\, impactful pitch (sometimes called a “jacket copy“) that showcases your book.\n\n\n\n\nAll participants will receive the slides and an extensive resource packet to support their publishing journey. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis intensive is best for writers who:\n\n\n\n\nWant to cut through the noise to work efficiently toward their publishing goals\n\n\n\nHave little to intermediate knowledge of the publishing industry and are looking for more practical guidance on navigating the submission process\n\n\n\nAre considering seeking an agent and/or publisher for their book\n\n\n\nDesire a clearer understanding of the publishing landscape\, including current trends and expectations from publishers\n\n\n\nAre weighing whether traditional publishing is the right path for them\n\n\n\n\nClosed captioning is available (except for breakout rooms). ✔Think you might miss part of the intensive? No worries\, a replay will be available. ✔ \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nABOUT YOUR Host\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPeter Mountford is a popular writing coach and teacher with twenty years of experience. The author of the novels A Young Man’s Guide to Late Capitalism (Washington State Book Award)\, and The Dismal Science (NYT editor’s choice)\, as well as the forthcoming collection of short stories\, Detonator. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in the New York Times (Modern Love)\, Paris Review\, Ploughshares\, The Atlantic\, Guernica\, The Sun\, Granta\, and Missouri Review He lives in Seattle\, and teaches at the University of Nevada\, Reno at Lake Tahoe’s MFA. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Fine Print\n\n\n\nWe understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course\, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers. \n\n\n\nBefore the class\, you may request a refund (less a $25 processing fee). \n\n\n\nPlease keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins. \n\n\n\nQuestions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFeatured Guests\n\n\n\n\nMaise Cochran is Editorial Director (and Interm Publisher) of Tin House Books\, where she has worked since 2011. Before coming to Tin House\, she worked at InkWell Management Literary Agency in New York\, NY. She has edited many award-winning and bestselling titles\, including the intricately plotted novels of Claire Fuller; an Obama Best Book of the Year pick (Cory Taylor’s Dying: A Memoir); E. J. Koh’s family saga The Magical Language of Others; Annie Hartnett’s darkly funny Rabbit Cake. \n\n\n\n\n\nJenna Johnson is an Executive Editor at Farrar\, Straus and Giroux working in both fiction and nonfiction\, with particular interest in overlooked stories from around the world\, religion\, cultural history and biography\, natural history and ecology\, and food. Among her titles are Samantha Hunt’s “The Dark Dark” and “Mr. Splitfoot\,” National Book Award Finalist “The Turner House” by Angela Flournoy\, national bestseller and NBF 5 Under 35 honoree “We the Animals” by Justin Torres\, Booker shortlisted “Pigeon English” by Stephen Kelman\, Man Asian Prize Winner “Three Sisters” by Bi Feiyu\, National Jewish Book Award winner “The Lion Seeker” by Kenneth Bonert\, and James Beard Winner “Save the Deli” by David Sax. Before FSG\, she worked at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and in advertising and public relations. She holds a B.A. in History from Columbia and an M.A. in Religious Studies from NYU. \n\n\n\n\n\nAnjali Singh founded her agency in 2024. Most recently\, she was an agent at Ayesha Pande Literary for nine years; she has also worked as an editor at Vintage Books\, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt\, Simon + Schuster and as Editorial Director of Other Press. She is best known for having championed Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis after stumbling across it on a visit to Paris. She has always been drawn to the thrill of discovering new writers and among the literary novelists whose careers she helped launch are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie\, Samantha Hunt\, Saleem Haddad and Nawaaz Ahmed. She focuses on literary fiction\, memoir\, and narrative nonfiction as well as representing graphic novel writers and illustrators across all age ranges. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegistration Info\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEvent Organizer\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLocation
URL:https://writingcraft.com/event/publishing-intensive-the-secrets-to-finding-the-right-path-to-publication-for-your-book/
CATEGORIES:Intensives
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