WRITERS’ CORNER: May 25, 2011
ONLINE CLASSES/WORKSHOPS:
SPONSOR: Orange County Chapter Romance Writers of America (OCCRWA)
TITLE: Agents/Editors: We Don’t Bite
DATES: June 13 – June 25, 2011 This is a two week class.
INSTRUCTOR: Lynn Price
DESCRIPTION: This fast-paced course offers a unique look at the publishing business and the submission process from the agent’s/editor’s viewpoint. This course provides a look at the publishing world so writers can become better at their craft and understand how the industry works.
FMI: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassJune11.html
SPONSOR: Orange County Chapter Romance Writers of America (OCCRWA)
TITLE: Breaking Things Down Into Threes
DATES: July 11 – August 6, 2011 (this is a four week class)
INSTRUCTOR: Beth Daniels
DESCRIPTION: Plotting and more for plotters and pantsers: Plots require organization. Why? Because storytelling requires a smooth transition from one scene to the next. Getting it doesn’t require an outline though. All it requires is a system . . . a system of thirds.
FMI: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html
SPONSOR: Outreach International Romance Writers
TITLE: Cops and Villains
DATES: June 1-15
INSTRUCTOR: Lee Lopez
DESCRIPTION: This workshop just isn’t about cops and villains, it’s about their complicated relationship. Course covers such things as respect, good cop/bad cop, what makes a good villain.
DEADLINE: May 31, 2011
FMI: http://www.oirw.net/campus/currentcourselist.htm#June
SPONSOR: Outreach International Romance Writers
TITLE: Adventures In Editing
DATES: June 1-15
INSTRUCTOR: Christine Fairchild
DESCRIPTION: This is an advanced editing class to learn how to take back control of your story and produce better fiction. This is not a copy-editing or proofreading class. Course examines top priorities in character development, plot functions, POV potholes, and approaching your story as a three-act character that has its own unique needs.
DEADLINE: May 27, 2011
FMI: http://www.oirw.net/campus/currentcourselist.htm#June
SPONSOR: RWA Mystery & Suspense Chapter Kiss of Death
TITLE: Fieldcraft and Tradecraft for Writers: Surviving in nature and in the covert world (Coffin class)
DATES: June 1 – 30, 2011
INSTRUCTOR: Bob Mayer
DESCRIPTION: Fieldcraft is what Special Forces Green Berets are taught in tough SERE school: Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape—everything needed to be a Survivor: Dead drops; Caches; Encryption; Setting up resistance cells. All these are part of Tradecraft. This is what Green Berets are trained in so that they can operate covertly behind enemy lines. Learn the secrets that keep covert operatives not only alive, but able to complete their missions.
DEADLINE: May 27, 2011
FMI: http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/coffinClass.php?classdetail=m1.jun
SPONSOR: RWA Mystery & Suspense Chapter Kiss of Death
TITLE: Networking (Killer Instinct)
DATES: June 1 – 30, 2011
INSTRUCTOR: Jeannie Eddy
DESCRIPTION: This course gives tips to make the most of your time networking with other writers, agents and editors. Learn how to break the ice, meet the people you want to know, and prepare the pitch of your dreams. We’ll provide tips to help you make a good impression on people you meet, with advice on business cards, handouts and anything else to get your name out there and start building a networking system.
DEADLINE: May 27, 2011
FMI: http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/coffinClass.php?classdetail=ki.jun
SPONSOR: RWA PRO
TITLE: Bootcamp: New York, New York! What a PRO Needs to Know about the 2011 RWA National Conference.
DATES: June 1-15, 2011
INSTRUCTORS: Julie Hurwitz, Kim Wollenburg, Kimmy Wooten, Jenn Stark, Ruth Kaufman, Cynthia D’Alba, Gwen Hernandez, Keri Ford, and more TBA.
DESCRIPTION: This bootcamp positions a PRO to enhance your career focus in half a dozen ways. Join us to learn about: Volunteering; What to do in New York; Budgeting/What to wear & bring; Networking; Pitching; Workshops and PRO Retreat.
FMI: PRO Bootcamp classes are offered to PRO members of RWA only. They run via Yahoo Groups. If you’re already on the PRO-Class loop you’ll automatically start receiving the class emails on June 1st. If you’re not currently a PRO-Class member, simply go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PRO-Class/ and click the “Join This Group” button by Monday, May 30, 2011. Be sure to include your name, RWA number and the approximate month/year you obtained PRO status in the comments section. You’ll be added to the PRO-Class loop after your PRO status has been verified.
SPONSOR: Desert Rose RWA
TITLE: How to Write an Award-Winning Novella
DATES: June 1 – 14, 2011
INSTRUCTOR: Calista Fox
DESCRIPTION: This course presents easy-to-use tools for structuring critical story elements in half the word count of a novel, with emphasis on plot and character development, as well as pacing and popular novella themes. Its content would be helpful to all levels of writers.
FMI: www.drworkshops.com
SPONSOR: Young Adult Chapter of Romance Writers of America
TITLE: Queries, Loglines and Pitches, Oh My!
DATES: June 6 – June 10, 2011 (1 week)
INSTRUCTOR: Rosemary Clement-Moore
DESCRIPTION: A targeted pitch and polished query letter gives your manuscript the inside track to an editor/agent’s desk. Learn the secret of the “logline” and how to write a query that ups your chances for a request and moves your manuscript to the top of the stack. Get step-by-step instructions on how to target your book to the right editor or agent, write a query letter, and pitch your book as an incredible, sellable package.
DEADLINE:
FMI: http://yarwa.com/about-yarwa/queries-loglines-and-pitches-workshop.html nonmembers; YARWA members ; VP-Programs for free enrollment
CONTESTS:
SPONSOR: Colorado Romance Writers
TITLE: 2011 Heart of the Rockies Contest
ELIGIBILITY: Unpublished authors only
FORMAT: Electronic entries
SUBMIT: The first two chapters and a 1-5 page synopsis, 35 pages total max.
DEADLINE: June 15, 2011
FMI: www.coloradoromancewriters.com
SPONSOR: Land of Enchantment Romance Writers New Mexico (LERA)
TITLE: The Rebecca
ELIGIBILITY: Unpublished authors only
FORMAT: Electronic entries
SUBMIT: First 5000 words of manuscript.
DEADLINE: May 31, 2011
FMI: http://leranm.com/rebecca2011.html
CALL FOR WORKSHOP PROPOSALS:
SPONSOR: Gulf Coast Chapter of RWA
CONFERENCE: 2012 Silken Sands Writers’ Conference
DATES: March 16 – 18, 2012
LOCATION: Pensacola Beach, FL
PROPOSAL TOPICS: Career, craft or research topics
FMI: http://www.gccrwa.com/silkensands/workshop-proposal/.
CONFERENCES:
SPONSOR: Long Island Romance Writers
TITLE: 14th Annual Shining the Light on Romance Agent/Editor Luncheon
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Donald Maass
DATES: Friday, June 10, 2011; 12 noon to 4 PM
LOCATION: Waterfall Room, Inn at Foxhollow, Woodbury, NY
FEES: $50 for LIRW Members, $60 for non-LIRW Members.
FMI: http://www.lirw.org/luncheon.html
Thanks for a great round up as always, Mary Jo!