The 2019 Pocono Liars Writers Workshop is now taking reservations for this free program. It’s an informative gathering for fiction writers who wish to become published authors, but don’t necessarily know where to begin. It will be on October 12th at the Hughes Library. (More details at the link above.)
In this day-long event, small, interactive group workshops will be offered, providing participants with information and personal attention. Attendees will be able to choose three workshops from the six offered. [See Below]
Remember: This is a workshop. Bring your laptop or pen and paper and be ready to do some writing exercises!
WORKSHOPS
Plotter or Pantser: Susan Moore Jordan and Sahar Abdulaziz: There’s no wrong way to write a book. Some writers plot: planning out character elements, plot, and action in detail ahead of time. Other writers allow the characters in their head to determine what will happen next. It’s about personality and your relationship to the story inside of you. The key is to figure out what kind of writer you are and then follow the advice of the type of writers most like you. In this workshop, we will help you discover whether you’re a plotter or a panster, or a mixture of both, and what each type of writing method will entail.
World Building: Kelly Jensen: World building isn’t just for fantasy and science fiction. Readers want to know where they are, when they are, and how your story relates to the world it’s set in. Learn how to represent the familiar and create the unfamiliar in a way that won’t overwhelm your story or your characters. This workshop will include an exercise that may be shared with the class.
Show v. Tell: Kelly Hashaway: Learn how to make readers experience your story right alongside the characters by utilizing showing techniques that will bring your book to life
Hooking Your Reader: Michael A. Ventrella: We’re not all Stephen King, who can slowly lead us into the plot since we know it’s going to get good. We’re unknown — we have to grab them early! The opening paragraphs are tremendously important in getting your reader to turn the page, and this workshop will allow you to learn and practice the elements needed to hook your reader.
Point of View: Mary Anne Moore and Catherine Schratt: A writer needs to know through whose eyes the story is being seen. This may change as a story progresses, but changing POV too many times without clear guidance from the writer leads to confusion and frustration on the part of the reader. Short examples of various POV will demonstrate what the term means. To get some practice, we will divide into groups and tell a common story from the POV of different characters in it.
Writing Effective Dialogue: Sahar Abdulaziz: All genres must contain effective dialogue. Poorly executed dialogue can ruin a story. However, strong, relatable, and authentic dialogue can transform book characters into believable people. This workshop will focus on learning the guidelines for writing robust and realistic dialogue and putting those rubrics into practice. Be prepared to write.
SCHEDULE
9:00: Registration
9:30: Meet Greet Introduction
10:00: Workshop: A1: Plotter or Pantser OR A2: World Building
11:00: Break
11:15: Workshop B1: Show v. Tell OR B2: Hooking Your Reader
12:15: Lunch [Please bring a bag lunch and drink; there is a grocery store next door, a coffee shop with snacks in the library, and other fast food places nearby]
1:15: Workshop C1: Point of View OR C2: Writing Effective Dialogue
2:15: Break
2:30: Question & Answer Panel
4:00 (or earlier depending on the Q&A panel): Closing remarks/cleanup
NOTE: When you sign up, be careful not to reserve two panels at the same time. Choose A1 or A2, B1 or B2, and C1 or C2.
Since we have limited space, PLEASE do not reserve a spot unless you are absolutely planning on attending.
The victim had collected more than his fair share of enemies, but who could have hated him enough to want him dead? As a member of the cast, the always elegant, stiletto-shod Augusta McKee, singer/professor/amateur sleuth, is onstage and witnesses the tragedy up close and personal. However, when her beau, charismatic Homicide Detective Malcolm Mitchell, becomes lead investigator, Augusta offers her assistance, convinced that her contacts in “Opera World” will provide valuable insight as Malcolm searches for answers. Somewhat reluctantly, he agrees—and the pair unofficially join forces to track down a killer.
