- July - No SVRWA Chapter meeting in July Due to National RWA Meeting in San Francisco
- August 23 - Kathrynn Dennis - A Writer’s Collaging Workshop
- September 27 - Lynna Banning - First Paragraph Reads
- October 25 - Mary Buckham - All day workshop - Sex on the Page: understanding and crafting sexual tension and Pacing: How to create page-turning manuscripts
- November 22 - TBA
- December 20 - Annual SVRWA Holiday Party
2008
August 23rd: Kathrynn Dennis - A Writer’s Collaging Workshop
In August, we’ll have our usual member report on events and happenings from nationals, and then move into our regular program. Chapter president Kathrynn Dennis has volunteered to lead a Writer’s Collaging Workshop.
What’s a collaging workshop? Collaging is a way for writers to inspire our muse, to use visual cues to hone in on the theme of our latest WIP’s. In the tradition of Barbara Hannay, Jenny Crusie, Susan Wiggs and Jo Beverly, we will explore the art of collage as an effective pre-writing tool.
Bring a pile of old magazines to share, a glue stick, scissors and poster board or paper backing. We’ll build our collages, gab and get to know each other. Anne Lum is working on getting us a room with more table space. If you have an example of a writer’s collage, please bring it to the meeting and show it off!
September 27th: Lynna Banning - First Paragraph Reads
Bring your first three pages for a chapter-wide critique led by Lynna Banning!
Also - bring in an EXTRA copy of just page 1, plus a highlighter of some sort…Lynna has a special exercise planned!
SEX ON THE PAGE - Understanding and Crafting Sexual Tension
How do you write great sexual tension whether you write Regencies or Erotica or somewhere in between? Why is it some authors can make you cheer and commiserate and ache as their characters take their perilous journeys toward intimacy and others leave you feeling ho hum? Mary Buckham combines examples from outstanding Romance authors with an in depth analysis of the 12 stages of intimacy, findings in behavioral science and the power of biology to better understand and incorporate sexual tension in your own writing.
PACING - How to create page-turning manuscripts
What keeps a book intriguing enough to have fans turn the pages and not set it down? How can one author’s books have you riveted and another’s leave you feeling ho-hum? Ever wondered if there are key craft tips and techniques to balance fast-paced conflict, tension, suspense or mystery, action and emotion? In this course you will learn:
* The ingredients of a page-turner
* What hooks are and how to maximise them
* The power of effective scenes
* Common pacing pitfalls to avoid
* The ten elements of strong pacing
* How to use subplots and secondary characters
* How to avoid a sagging middle
* Great beginnings and endings that have your readers wanting more!
Bio:
Mary Buckham’s latest release, INVISIBLE RECRUIT, was a May 2006 Silhouette Bombshell, that earned reviews such as “sizzling”, “page-turning tension” and “Can’t put it down”. Currently Mary is working on a Thriller series set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. She has hundreds of free-lance articles to her credit, a non-fiction book and is a former Magazine Editor. Mary offers a one-on-one synopsis service to help writers, both published and unpublished creating selling synopses and query letters. She is also a national writer workshop presenter both on-line and at workshops around the country. In her spare time Mary is one of the co-founders and driving force behind www.WriterUniv.com, an online workshop venue offering aspiring writers courses taught by authors and industry professionals. Mary encourages you to visit her website at www.MaryBuckham.com for more information about her, her appearances and workshops and her current writing projects.
November 22nd: TBA
Meeting TBA!
December 20th: Holiday Party
Join us for the annual SVRWA Holiday Party!!!