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The Character workshop is on this weekend. This is in my opinion the most important workshop to attend. There are still places left so if you are serious about writing, book now. Throughout the history of writing many famous authors have spoken about the importance of character in story. Here are a couple of quotes that I like and relate to:
 The next workshop after Character is Aleesah Darlison's Picture Book workshop on Saturday July 15th: The Inside Word on Picture Books Discover the right way to create a picture book story and skip all the newbie blunders!
Learn the various picture book structures and the skills to create a story that truly sings. How do you achieve the best combination of text and art? How do you set out a manuscript ready for submission? And which publishers should you submit your story to? This session is taught by Aleesah Darlison, award-winning author and owner of Greenleaf Press. Aleesah has published over thirty-five books for the trade and educational markets, including ten picture books. Bring a manuscript to share with the class and gain valuable feedback. Take-home Handouts. Invaluable Tips. Networking Connections. You’ll be buzzing! View her profile here. Price $66 per person (includes GST) Book now on the workshop page or phone 54 399 038 to book. http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html Many people believe that writer’s block comes from not having a strong plot line, a strong direction to follow. I agree. To me, to write a story of any size without a plan or plot is like going on a journey without a map or GPS. But some writers say they feel restricted by the structure of plot. That doesn’t have to be the way it works.
SO WHAT IS A PLOT? A plot is a series of events deliberately arranged to reveal the dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance of the events of the story. When you start your journey with no idea of where you are going, allowing the words to carry you along as they will, they sometimes dry up, and you don't know where to go from there. Every time you get stuck, you can use a form of brainstorming to get you going again. The main problem with this method is that sometimes you can get so stuck you can’t get going again, or you end up with a lot of material that must be cut later, thereby wasting time and energy. The questions that you then ask to try to get going, are the same ones you would ask when plotting the story, so why waste time being stuck. Ask them at the start. In this workshop, we will show you the importance of structure and how to achieve a plot that will keep you writing and focused. It doesn't matter if you are a plotter or a 'panters' this will help you. Plotting Workshop: Sunday 4th June. 10am to 3pm. Cost $50. Book http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html or phone Elaine on 07 54 399 038.  Join us on Friday night for a fun-filled night with award-winning local children’s author, Chris Collin as he shares his journey of Animated Funkiness and tells us the secret to selling 30,000 books as an independent author.
Friday May 26th: 7pm to 9pm. Inspirational talk: How to succeed as a self-published author: If you have questions about jumping into children’s publishing, or you’ve wondered what is involved as a fully independent writer, publisher, presenter and promoter then this is an event not to miss. Be warned though, Chris may be looking for a volunteer ‘dancer’ or two from the audience! Hop on the rollercoaster that has been Chris Collin’s life since leaving a 20 year career in civil construction management in 2013 to write his wacky rhyming picture books. $20 just per head. Book and pay on the workshop page or phone Elaine at 54 399 038.  The year is slipping away. I can't believe we are almost to the halfway point. I guess it's true that times flies when you're having fun.
We certainly had fun at Chris Collin's rhyming workshop last Saturday. The photo is of the talented and fun group who attended. We are all so busy that we sometimes forget our goals of improving our writing to make sure we achieve our dreams. Our character workshop is on this weekend. I wanted to remind you how important your story's character is to your success. I believe that this is the most valuable workshop of the year. If your character is flat and not well enough developed, so is your story. Characters are one of the most important elements in a good story. Think about the last book you read that stayed in your mind for days. What did you remember the most? Was it the setting, the story, or the main characters? For me, and most readers I know, it is always the characters. And they are just as important in a short story or poem as are in a novel. In this workshop, we will work on how to make your characters unique and memorable. Developing your characters so well that you know them as well as you know yourself is vital. Not only does it make it easy to write, but it also makes it much more interesting for your reader. A well-developed character jumps off the page and into the heart and/or mind of your reader and makes them want to stay with the story until the end. When creating a character, most writers use their own experiences, understanding, values, and characteristics, but that is not enough. Do we really want our characters to be just like us? Of course we don’t, especially if we are writing more than one story. There is nothing worse than reading a second novel from an author and realising that the character in the second one is just a clone of the one in the first one with a different name – or finding that all the characters in a novel are the same kind of people, good or bad. How do you get make sure your characters are believable? In this workshop, we will examine many memorable characters from books and movies and go through what makes them memorable. We will then examine the many personality types we meet and show you how to portray them effectively. For crime and mystery writers, the character workshop includes an examination of criminal types and what drives them to commit crimes. It's a two day workshop, so if you are coming from any distance and want to stay over Saturday night, let me know. I will contact you with the accommodation alternatives. Don't let this valuable workshop slip by. Book now on the workshop page or phone 54 399 038 to book. http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html  Only a couple of places left in this workshop. Book today so you don't miss out.
Kids get so much fun out of listening to books written in rhyme and adults love reading them. If you are a picture book writer, don't miss this workshop by Chris Collin. Chris has sold 30,000 copies of his self-published picture books so he must be doing something right. It's always best to learn from someone who is a success at what they do. What are the fundamentals of rhyming picture books? The first is Rhyme and Meter: Rhyme & Meter comes naturally to some writers. To others, combining rhyme and meter with a neat story is an exercise in frustration - however, a great picture book must have all three. How to understand Rhyme and Meter: Meter is similar to singing on key. Some people have perfect pitch: they sing every note on key. Others sing flat. If smooth meter doesn't come naturally to you, it can take a whole lot of hard work and hair pulling to make it sound right. With rhyme, you have to be careful not to use the 'easy' words and sound like an amateur. There is a way to get it right. Chris has discovered the secret and will share it with you. The Story Counts Too! The story you tell is just as important as your rhyme and meter. The same story writing rules apply in rhyme as in plain text - fun, interesting characters, and a plot that grabs reader interest with its first few lines. Learn from Chris what he does to make his books so popular. Saturday May 13th - 10am to 12 pm Writing in Rhyme. A fun-filled 2 hour session with Chris Collin on writing in rhyme. Learn the secret to making your poem or rhyming story as much fun to read as it was to create. Cost $66.00 Book http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html or phone Elaine on 07 54 399 038.  Gondor Writers' Critique Group had a great first meeting. The members who attended are a quite diverse group of writers, with people with much experience and others who are just starting out.
It was decided that we would meet monthly on the last Friday of the month from 4pm to 6 or 7, depending on the time needed. The next meeting will be on Friday May 26th. If the timing of the meeting does not suit and you are keen to join, contact me at elaine@gondorwriterscentre.com. We may get the numbers to form a second group. I discovered after we had set the date that that evening, Friday May 26th, from 7pm we have Chris Collin here for a talk, telling us how he self-published and sold 30,000 books. So anyone coming to the meeting that night might like to stay to see him. He is being paid to be here so it will cost $20 to attend his talk. The group decided that they wanted to have their critique on their work-in-progress, but for those without a current w-I-p we will set a short story subject. I will be setting up a Dropbox for everyone to upload up to 1,000 or 1,500 words of their work for all to download. We will all then download, comment and bring the comments with us, or print out the copies with comments and bring them with us. As the group grows, we will divide into similar interest groups, but for now we will all comment on all work submitted, if we feel comfortable to do so. Members have the right not to comment on all work. More information is on the group page: http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/gondor-writers-critique-group.html I hope to see you at some future meeting. We all need someone to encourage and motivate us to continue with our writing and grow as a writer. That is what Gondor Writers' Critique Group will do.
It takes some skill and effort to learn to step back from your own writing and ask yourself why something doesn’t work. A critique done by a sympathetic friend and/or writer can more quickly flag the problem and that act alone will teach you a great deal. Writing groups help you meet other local writers, make friends with similar interests and informally share experiences in the real world. In this day of cyberspace, it is nice to get away from the computer and actually exchange ideas with some real people. With the right critique group, you can learn quickly what is working in your writing and what isn't, shaving years off the learning curve. Not only do you get some quick and honest feedback on what you’ve written, but the act of critiquing someone else’s manuscript can teach you a great deal about what works and what doesn’t in your own. As writers, we are generally avid readers as well. All of the reading you have done in your life has honed your instincts about other people’s writing. You can spot it immediately when something isn’t working. It feels awkward or off somehow and it interrupts your involvement in the story, jolting you out of the story and back to reality. Gondor Writers' Critique Group first meeting: April 26th at 7 pm. The first meeting will set out the way the critiques will be done and make decisions of the timing, frequency, and format of future meetings. Please bring some samples of your writing to read if you want. Those in attendance on Wednesday night can help us decided what will happen from there. There will be no cost for these meetings and no joining fee. If, as a group, we decided to invite guest speakers or workshop presenters we will all have to share the cost of their fee. If you are interested joining the fast growing, dynamic group who are coming, please email me before the 26th. elaine@gondorwriterscentre.com ... how your favourite story so easily drew you into its world? Setting is not just the location of the story, it is the time, place, and mood in which a story takes place. It is often the heart of the narrative. For the reader to be able to relate to the story, you must identify those details in your story that establish the time, place, and the overall mood of the story. The workshop Creating a wondrous setting on April 22nd will show you how that is done. When we read a novel with a graphic description of the setting, we are transported to that place. In this workshop, you will be given examples of how it is done and do exercises on bringing the world of your story to life. Book online at http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html or phone 54 399 038.  Gondor Writers' Critique Group first meeting: April 26th at 7 pm. The meetings will take the form of a critique group and we will have guest speakers and talks on writing. The first meeting will set out the way the critiques will be done and establish the timeline of future meetings. We are open to suggestions as the timing and the frequency of the meetings. Those in attendance on the first night can help us decided what will happen from there. There will be no cost for these meetings. Costs may be incurred if we have guest speakers at a future date. If you are interested in attending, please email me before the 26th. elaine@gondorwriterscentre.com Photo of Capricorn Writers' group 2013. MAY WORKSHOPS:
Saturday May 13th - 10am to 12 pm: Writing in Rhyme. A fun-filled 2 hour session with Chris Collin on writing in rhyme. Learn the secret to making your poem or rhyming story as much fun to read as it was to create. May 20th & 21st: Advanced class: Creating memorable characters: Developing strong, believable characters that your reader either loves or hates ... depending on your intention is vital. This workshop examines the many personality types we meet and shows you how to portray them effectively. For crime and mystery writers, the character workshop includes an examination of criminal types and what drives them to commit crimes. 2 DAY WORKSHOP Friday May 26th: 7pm to 9pm. Chris Collin: How to succeed as a self-published author: A fun-filled night with award-winning local children’s author, Chris Collin as he shares his journey of Animated Funkiness and tells us the secret to selling 30,000 books as an independent author. Book online at http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html or phone 54 399 038. Because of a clash with another event, we have had to change the date for our first meeting. This will now take place at 7pm on April 26th. The details as posted last week are below.
We have been asked to form a writers’ group and hold regular meetings at Gondor. As we have done this before and miss the informal contact with other writers, we decided it would be an excellent idea. The meetings will take the form of a critique group and we will have guest speakers and talks on writing. The first meeting will set out the way the critiques will be done. We are open to suggestions as the timing and the frequency of the meetings. We are holding the first on Wednesday April 26th at 7pm. Those in attendance can help us decided what will happen from there. If you are interested in attending, please email me before the 26th. elaine@gondorwriterscentre.com OUR NEXT WORKSHOP: Creating a wondrous setting. Saturday April 22nd. Suitable for advanced writers and beginners: When we read a novel with a graphic description of the setting, we are transported to that place. Setting is the time, place, and mood in which a story takes place. It is often the heart of the narrative. For the reader to be able to relate to the story, you must identify those details in your story that establish the time, place, and the overall mood of the story. In this workshop, you will be given examples of how that is done and exercises on creating a setting that draws your reader into the world of your story. Book online at http://www.gondorwriterscentre.com/workshops.html or phone 54 399 038. |
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