Filtering by: Workshop
Two-Day MFA Generative Workshop - ONLINE
Jun
14
to Jun 15

Two-Day MFA Generative Workshop - ONLINE

This two-day intensive mimics the low-residency Writing for Children and Young Adults Program at Hamline University and features lectures from four accomplished faculty. 
 

  • "Writing in First Person: Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them," by two-time Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly

  • "First Chapters: Entwining Tension and Exposition," by two-time National Book Award Finalist Eliot Schrefer

  • "Character: Creating Emotional Depth and Internal Plot Structures," by Pura Bulpre Medalist Ari Tison

  • "How to Outline Your Novel without Freaking Out," by NAACP Image Award Finalist Sherri Smith

There will also be generative writing time and ample Q&A.

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WORKSHOP:  What Your Character Wants: Uncovering the Driving Force of Your Novel - Online
Nov
13
6:30 PM18:30

WORKSHOP: What Your Character Wants: Uncovering the Driving Force of Your Novel - Online

How many times have you started writing a great story and gotten bogged down in the middle? How often have you chugged up that hill of rising action, only to lose steam?

It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with your story idea, but maybe you just haven’t asked the big question yet: what does my protagonist want? Character want is the engine that drives the story forward. Without this key bit of information, you can’t start the journey, throw believable obstacles in the way, build tension, or convince your readers to root for your character’s success. Without a want, it’s hard to know what success even means. In this class, we’ll examine character wants in film and fiction. We’ll also do some hands-on exercises to help you excavate your characters’ deepest desires, so you can rev that engine and get on with the story. Come with your protagonist in mind and be prepared to write.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF:

  • You are writing long-form fiction or screenplays and you keep losing juice in the second act, or middle of the story.

  • You are trying to find the heart of your story.

  • You’re trying to figure your protagonist out, but don’t know where to start.

The deadline to register for this class is Wednesday, November 13 at 5:00 PM CST.

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Henderson Reads Book Festival  - Henderson, NV
Apr
29
10:00 AM10:00

Henderson Reads Book Festival - Henderson, NV

Join Sherri for a raucous round of Story Improv at the Henderson Reads Book Festival, “A stupendous literary showcase featuring award-winning and notable picture book, middle grade and young adult authors. Authors will present their selected books in addition to a book signing session. See below more author details. So many children's authors all in one place!  This is not to be missed!

Live readings and discussions

  • Book signings

  • Interactive activities

    • Where's Waldo?

    • Face Painting

  • And MUCH More!”

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Story Forest:  Vasilisa the Beautiful, ONLINE
Feb
5
10:00 AM10:00

Story Forest: Vasilisa the Beautiful, ONLINE

A small hut in a field of wheat underneath a crescent moon.  The  title "Vasilisa the Beautiful" in an arch around the image, bookended by two stars.

This winter, the old Russian folktale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" will be our guide in grasping the spark that ignites our stories. Come sit by the virtual fire and walk this tale of a motherless girl who must navigate the darkness to face the frightful Baba Yaga with only the help of a little doll.

If you are writer who is navigating the dark and facing down fears, this might be the Path for you.

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The Grove:  Retreat Where You Are - Fruitful Dreaming Salon
Oct
24
to Oct 25

The Grove: Retreat Where You Are - Fruitful Dreaming Salon

  • Online Los Angeles, CA (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Retreat Where You Are

A Virtual Weekend for Creativity, Community and Restorative Practice.

What is a RE-Treat, when we cannot be together? Especially in these times when we need one more than ever?

Two Trees is offering an opportunity to RE-Start, RE-Group, RE-Fresh with four Mentors and four entirely different approaches. RE-Turn to your writing. RE-Engage with a new creative community. But most importantly RE-Connect with your own inspiration and intuition.

Join us for an immersive zoom weekend for creative writers in all genres, for all levels: ten hours of intuitive creative strategies and practices like no other!

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POSTPONED -  2020 Weekend on Water with SCBWI-Western WA
Apr
24
to Apr 26

POSTPONED - 2020 Weekend on Water with SCBWI-Western WA

Join us at the beautiful Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, WA, with a no-host bonfire social on Friday, April 24. This kick-off will be followed by keynotesmaster classesQ&A panel, and roundtable critiques on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26, for writers of both fiction and nonfiction.

Feed Your Mind:

Our faculty will be Penguin Random House editor Anu Ohioma and author Sherri L. Smith, a member of the faculty at the Hamline MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adult program

Without the expense of going to an MFA program, you’ll experience one of Sherri L. Smith’s MFA lectures. Covering the beginning of the manuscript writing process, she will bring her expertise on building your story through character.

After that first draft is done, the revision process begins. Penguin Random House Editor Anu Ohioma brings her editorial expertise with a talk on re-visioning your manuscript. She will speak to both fiction and non-fiction works.

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CANCELLED - Are You There, God? It’s Me Again: Coming-of-Age Stories for Every Age: 4-Week Webinar with Sherri L. Smith
Apr
8
10:00 AM10:00

CANCELLED - Are You There, God? It’s Me Again: Coming-of-Age Stories for Every Age: 4-Week Webinar with Sherri L. Smith

SIgn up for this online course with the International Women’s Writing Guild!

4 Mondays: April 8, 15, 22, 29

1:00–2:30 PM Eastern / 10:00–11:30 AM Pacific

REGISTER even if you can't attend all four sessions "live," because we will promptly email you the recording of each session.

After 40, I began to wonder why Judy Blume, author of the famous Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret—every 80s girl’s guide to puberty—hadn’t written a sequel for the peri- and post- menopausal set. After all, we don’t just come “of age” when we’re teens; it happens at every stage of our lives. In this workshop, we’ll delve into what it means to write coming-of-age stories for Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood, and the Golden Years. We’ll explore myths, rumors, archetypes, and rites-of-passage for each of these stages. Then we’ll mine our own memories and fears to tell the sorts of stories that serve as companions, confidantes, mentors, and friends for readers of every age.

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Cavalcade of Authors - Richland, WA
Mar
22
to Mar 23

Cavalcade of Authors - Richland, WA

  • Hampton Inn Richland (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join me for two days of book events and workshops!

Friday starts with a signing at Barnes and Noble, followed by an author’s social in the evening. (Tickets to the social are available here.)

Saturday, I’ll be teaching:

THAT’S A HORSE?: CREATING COMICS FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T DRAW

After years of trying to perfect my ability to draw horses, it’s clear I’m not an artist. So what if you can’t draw? You can still write comics. Let’s talk about art of comic book writing, including styles of working, how to create a script, and how to break down the action into the stories you want to see.

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