We presented our rescheduled series of Writing Workshops, all online via Zoom, in September and October. Recordings are unavailable but stay tuned for our series of workshops planned in February/March, 2021.
The Book Doctors – Locating, Luring & Landing the Right Agent For You.
Tuesday October 13, 8:00-9:00 pm
It’s harder to find a great agent than it is to write a great book. With the publishing world turned upside down, unless your name is Michelle Obama, the odds of getting an agent are against you. David Henry Sterry & Arielle Eckstut, a professional agent hunter and an agent that has been hunted, will give you the insider skinny from both writer and agent perspectives.
Arielle Eckstut has been a literary agent for over 25 years at The Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency. She is the author of 10 books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. David Henry Sterry is the best-selling author of 16 books.
The Ultimate Book Marketing Workshop: Get Your Books Noticed & Increase Sales.
Sunday September 13, 2:00-3:00 pm
When authors ask, "Do I really need to market my book?" There's only one answer: "Only if you want to sell it."
This workshop is designed for all authors, indie or trade, introvert or extrovert, fiction or non-fiction. Learn actionable marketing strategies you can execute the minute the workshop is over. We will cover what to do and how to do it. There's nothing more empowering than becoming a savvy book marketer and having a hand in increasing your books' sales. Instead of thinking of marketing as a negative, grab ahold of the power you have, and get your book noticed!
Taught by Eva Natiello, an NJ author and self-publishing and book marketing consultant, whose self-published psychological thriller, The Memory Box, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. The release date for Eva's newest psychological suspense, Following You, is November 16, 2020.
Writing with the Senses Workshop.
Monday September 14, 6:30-7:30 pm
Just as in life, the five senses are our window into the world of our narrative and key to creating visceral experiences on the page. In this interactive workshop, you will learn to go beyond simple physical description and explore how to apply all five senses – sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste – to your writing. No matter your literary genre, this workshop will teach you to open up your sensory awareness to lend texture, color, vibrance, and dimension to your writing.
Taught by Judith Lindbergh, founder/director of The Writers Circle (www.writerscircleworkshops.com) and author of historical novels including The Thrall's Tale, about women in Viking Age Greenland.
Travel Writing Workshop: Turn Your Love of Travel into Unforgettable Stories.
Monday September 14, 7:45-8:45 pm
Stuck at home these past few months? Don't let that get in the way of your travel writing aspirations. Whether your last trip was to South Jersey or South Africa, this workshop will help you to turn your personal travels into fascinating, and marketable, tales. Learn to deep dive into a destination to uncover the most interesting angles, get off the beaten path to discover golden writing moments, and even turn your family vacation memories into sellable stories.
Taught by travel expert and writer Melissa Klurman, a former book editor at both Fodor’s and Frommer’s travel guides, a Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award Winner for her work on Fodor’s Caribbean guidebook, and the editor of Frommer's 2020 Orlando/Walt Disney World Guidebook.
Sex and the Memoir Workshop.
Tuesday September 15, 6:30-7:30 pm
How To Write About Sexual Intimacy Without Making Your Reader Cringe and/or Horrifying Friends and Family
The strongest memoirs are those that bring the reader in close, creating a sense of intimacy with personal disclosure that can range from the good to the embarrassing to the horrific. And this includes what happens beneath the sheets. With the stigma that remains attached to conversations around sexuality, it can be scary to approach sex in our memoirs. In this session, Steph Auteri shares her own experience writing about sex, talks about the stigma surrounding it, explores how it can serve the narrative (or not), and lays out some rules for good and bad sex writing.
Taught by Steph Auteri, author of A Dirty Word. Steph has also written about sexuality for the Atlantic, VICE, Pacific Standard, the Washington Post, Rewire.News, and other publications.
Self-Publishing 101 Workshop.
Wednesday September 16, 6:30-7:30 pm
An extensive workshop on what writers and non-writers need to know to successfully take their book projects from an idea to a finished book. This workshop is intended for writers of all experience levels and genres and will include time for Q&A.
Self-published author, Jeffrey J. Antonucci, will take participants through the entire self-publishing process and help writers discover their options when taking this popular publishing route. Author Antonucci will share his self-publishing story and provide practical advice on how to navigate this publishing path based on his experience writing his novel Deep Within a Blueberry Sky.
Freelance publishing professional Lindsey N. Mach will also offer insight into the options for the self-publishing process, strategies for how writers can build an author platform, and marketing and publicity tips for self-published authors.
Structuring the Novel Workshop.
Wednesday September 16, 7:45-8:45 pm
For those actively engaged in working on a novel, as well as for those who have not yet begun writing, this workshop will cover ways of outlining and structuring a novel-length manuscript. Items to be addressed will include:
Basic structures—including the Aristotelian model; Beginnings, Middles, and Ends; Other more experimental structures: circular, flatline (horizontal), reverse, etc.; Using character as the basis for plot. What does the main character want? What are the obstacles? How does he/she change?; Use of subplots; Use of Point of View: single, multiple, experimental; Use of Time and how to frame the narrative; Progressing scene by scene and arranging the arc of the narrative; and Editing and revising.
Taught by Philip Cioffari, a novelist, short story writer, filmmaker, playwright and Professor of English at William Paterson University.
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