Course Description 2021
This year, for the 2021 semester, we are going to host our Authors Academy writers workshops via Zoom to accommodate for social distancing. The workshops will be held on Saturday mornings, from 10 am to noon.
We will set up the zoom meeting and send each attendee the link as they sign up.
2021 Workshops
Saturday, May 22 11 am – 1 p.m.
How to Write a Mystery
Authors Laurie R. King, Neil Nyren, Oline Cogdill, Frankie Bailey, Elaine Viets, Charles Todd, Charles Salzberg, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Alex Segura will give you a mini course in mystery writing.
Saturday, May 29 10 am – Noon
Getting Started (and Getting to the Finish)
You have a story . . . or a kernel of a story . . . or an idea for a kernel. You have a computer . . . or a pen and paper . . . or a crayon and a blank wall. You have the desire. But you also have a hundred demands on your time, a thousand obligations, a million distractions. How do you get started on that story/novel/multi-volume opus? In “Getting Started (and Getting to the Finish),” we’ll workshop processes that enable writers to start writing in ways that enable them to pursue a story through a challenging middle to a successful end.
Instructor: Michael Wiley
*****
Saturday, June 5 10 am – Noon
Tips and Tricks for Writing Addictive Short Fiction
Through an examination of the definition and compositional elements of short stories, including structure, characters, conflict, setting, and dialogue, Debra will provide tips, tricks, and markets for writing and successfully placing short stories.
Instructor: Debra H. Goldstein
*****
Saturday, June 12 10 am – Noon
It’s Showtime! Understanding Show, Don’t Tell
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of Fiction University (www.Fiction-University.com), where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. She teaches writing workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. When she’s not writing about writing, she spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting. She loves talking with writers and readers, and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones.
Instructor: Janice Hardy
*****
Saturday, June 19 10 am – Noon
Who’s Talkin’ Here? It’s Dialogue, Silly
The surest way to stop readers in their tracks is bad dialogue. On the flip side, skillful dialogue is the Swiss Army Knife of writing. It can be used to define characters, to move the narrative along, to supply necessary information to the reader, and to set tone. Learn some very easy techniques—both practical and esoteric—in order to improve your abilities and willingness to use dialogue to help make your work more professional. Learn how to do attribution without repeating …” he said/she said. Learn how to create and shape characters through their speech and intonation. More importantly, learn how to do dialogue from the inside out instead of artificially from the outside in. I promise, you’ll be much better at it and more confident in your ability to do it after this class.
Instructor: Reed Farrel Coleman
*****
Saturday, June 26 10 am – Noon
The Muddle in the Middle
You have a rocking first act to your novel, and you even have an idea of how to end your story with a twist and a bang and a shot at certain bestsellerdom. But now what? How will you get from that great beginning to the kickass ending? You’ve hit the muddle in the middle. USA Today best-selling author Hank Phillippi Ryan will show you how these central pages can be made to intrigue and delight your readers–and have them turning pages as fast as they can. With practical advice and specific tips, Hank will show you how to make the magic in the middle.
Instructor: Hank Phillippi Ryan
*****
Saturday, July 10 10 am – Noon
The Art of Revealing Backstory
For your story to work, readers need context—your characters’ backstories. It’s a risky proposition, though, because many times, it’s a thinly veiled excuse for an info-dump. The trick to revealing your characters’ pasts is to sprinkle in references to the past that are linked to current events or show the events that made the characters who they are today through flashbacks or flash-forwards. You’ll learn a 3-step decision-making tool designed to help you determine whether you need backstory, and if so, how to implement it well.
Instructor: Jane Cleland
*****
Saturday, July 17 10 am – Noon
Write Like You’re Paying by the Word
“Omit needless words.” Strunk and White said it, and it’s still perhaps the most important rule of good writing. If you take twice as long as you need to say something, you’ve done your reader, and yourself, a disservice. And doomed your work. You might love your flowery prose, but you must kill your darlings! Omit needless words and you leave room for more story and more impact.
Instructor: Eliot Kleinberg
*****
Saturday, July 24 10 am – Noon
And then what happens? And then? And then?
PLOT is what happens in a book. Seems simple — until you sit down to write. How do you create a compelling series of scenes to propel your story’s events — your plot — from beginning to end? Whether you are someone who meticulously maps your book’s action before starting, or you let things organically unfold, there are ways to breathe life into your plot. In this class, you will learn techniques to make your scenes interesting, common pitfalls to avoid, and ways to insure the thread of your plot is woven through the entire fabric of your story.
Instructor: Sue Sussman
*****
Saturday, July 31 10 am – Noon
You Are Here
Whether in space, under water, or on land, the most successful stories ground readers in time and place. When carefully considered, setting offers far more than a simple backdrop. It can control mood, create conflict, and influence pacing. Discover how setting forms the foundation of a story, adds to each scene, and what it reveals about characters, while learning how to avoid overwhelming your narrative.
Instructor: Micki Browning
*****
Saturday, August 7 10 am – Noon
Instructor: Victoria Landis
*****
Saturday, August 14 10 am – Noon
Dead Write: Forensics for Writers
Elaine Viets passed the Medicolegal Death Investigators Course for forensic professionals at St. Louis University’s School of Medicine, and used that information for her new Angela Richman Death Investigator series. Brain Storm is the first book in that series. The latest is Death Grip. Elaine will discuss the proper methods and pitfalls of body identification, and other tips that will give your mysteries authenticity. The talk includes handouts.
Instructor: Elaine Viets
*****
Saturday, August 21 10 am – Noon
17 Things I’ve Learned About Writing
This is a hodgepodge grab-bag mix-mash of the best writing advice Brad has ever come up with and/or cleverly stolen from people smarter than him. It includes “Every story needs a spider,” “Take the anti-Hippocratic Oath,” and Brad’s Patented Formula for Suspense (which is not actually patented . . . but for those of you frustrated math students, he can express it algebraically!). Trigger warning: This presentation may involved Broadway spoof songs. Attend at your own risk.
Instructor: Brad Parks
*****
Saturday, August 28 10 am – Noon
Seeing (For Writers)
Our job is to see the world clearly and to make the reader see exactly what we have seen. But, too often, we look when we should see. Looking is not the same as seeing. Looking is easy, seeing is hard. Looking is spontaneous and casual; seeing is deliberate and purposeful. How, then, do you teach yourself to see? Perhaps you need to begin to look at the world in an unhabitual way. We’ll discuss strategies to do just that. We’ll discuss seeing what’s there and what’s not there. We’ll train ourselves to see with various exercises.
Instructor: John Dufresne
*****
Saturday, Sept 11 10 am – Noon
The How-to of Deep Point of View
You’ve been introduced to the basics of point of view. Now learn more about one aspect of it: Deep Point of View. Deep POV is the degree of psychic distance that positions the reader most deeply inside the character’s mind. Deep POV can be written in first or third person. Fiction does Deep POV; movies don’t. Deep POV is the best way to help a reader develop empathy, because the reader is privy to the character’s visceral reactions or deepest emotional reactions. Deep POV works better in certain genres: Young Adult, Romance, and Mystery. This class will cover the hallmarks of Deep POV, Deep POV in first and third person, Visceral reactions, Free Indirect Discourse (FID) and some narrative theory.
Instructor: Alison McMahan
*****
Saturday, Sept 18 10 am – Noon
Research: The Foundation of Fiction
Research is not about dusty books and library stacks. It is the first and vital step in creating your story. From fantasy to science fiction or modern day to historical; research is the foundation of all genres. This class delves into the techniques and sources an author needs to create a believable world where their characters live. From space ships to old English villages, the climate, lay out and scope of your landscape require research and planning. If you want to truly make your world of fiction real for your readers, proper research will lead you on a of discovery and planning.
Instructor: Charles Todd
*****
Saturday, Sept 25 10 am – Noon
Heroes vs. Villains: Police Procedure for Writers
Making your characters and scenes more believable and full of conflict for maximum thrills.
- How to “Suspend Disbelief” by writing characters, scenes, and police procedures that are compelling and believable enough to keep the pages turning
- Moving the action forward via scene sequencing
- Avoiding writers’ block and plot fatigue using: “Motivation+Action+Reaction”
Instructor: David Putnam
*****
Saturday, Oct 2 10 am – Noon
Bangs and Booms
Fiction readers are getting more sophisticated all the time, and it’s a writer’s job to get the details correct. New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap brings his thirty-five years of experience as a firefighter, EMT, safety engineer and hazardous materials specialist to the classroom in a lively, interactive session to teach the basics of projectile ballistics, fire behavior, how explosives work, and how the human body functions. What actually happens when a person gets shot or stabbed? Do silencers really work? What’s the difference between a fire, a deflagration and a detonation? Was there really another shooter on the grassy knoll when JFK was shot? These and many other questions will be answered. Note: This presentation contains graphic imagery.
Instructor: John Gilstrap
*****
Saturday, Oct 9 11 am – 1 pm
Cool Tools for Crime Scenes
Crime scene investigations require the right tools, strong skills and the right personnel to help solve cases. In order to do this crime scene investigators must be well trained and be up to date on tools and technology that help us stay one step ahead of the offender. This two-hour webinar will introduce attendees to the innovative tools and technology that crime scene investigators utilize when responding to crime scenes and to assist in solving the case! Tool kits have expanded while budgets have been reduced. Attendees will also be introduced to forensics on a budget!
Instructor: Sharon Plotkin
*****
Saturday, Oct 16 10 am – Noon
Rocking & Rolling, Twisting & Turning: Creating Suspense
The surest way to stop readers in their tracks is bad dialogue. On the flip side, skillful dialogue is the Swiss Army Knife of writing. It can be used to define characters, to move the narrative along, to supply necessary information to the reader, and to set tone. Learn some very easy techniques—both practical and esoteric—in order to improve your abilities and willingness to use dialogue to help make your work more professional. Learn how to do attribution without repeating …” he said/she said. Learn how to create and shape characters through their speech and intonation. More importantly, learn how to do dialogue from the inside out instead of artificially from the outside in. I promise, you’ll be much better at it and more confident in your ability to do it after this class.
Instructor: Jenny Milchman
*****
Saturday, Oct 23 10 am – Noon
Villains and Villainesses – The Characters You Love to Hate
Instructor: Cara Black
*****
Saturday, Oct 30 10 am – Noon
Instructor: Lori Rader-Day
*****
Saturday, Nov 6 10 am – Noon
Book Marketing on a Budget
Instructor: Nancy Cohen
Saturday, Nov 13 10 am – Noon
Instructor: Kim Howe
*****
Saturday, Nov 20 10 am – Noon
Independent Publishing for the Lazy Author
Four things attendees will learn from “How to Self Publish.” Attendees will come away from the talk with an understanding of:
- Independent versus traditional publishing
- Why to publish independently
- Why to not publish independently
- Examples of different ways to upload your text (ebooks and print)
Bonus: Sources of information on independent publishing
The talk will include time for questions and encourage audience participation.
Instructor: MJ Carlson