Sunday, April 05, 2015

Working the Workshops

For many years I’ve attended workshops and have always found them helpful. But now, after more than thirty years of writing, editing, publishing, promoting, and selling books I find that I’ve become the person who is now giving the workshops.

I haven’t done many presentations, maybe ten in all, but I’ve found that I really enjoy this part of my writing life. As it turns out, I have a lot to say because I’ve learned a few things. Still am, actually. The feedback and shared experiences I receive from attendees enriches my life. So, I’m very much looking forward to conducting the first of two workshops this spring.

The first is called “Balancing Lies and Truth in Fiction”. Here’s the descriptor:

When is the truth too much? When is it not enough? What are the risks you run as an author? Learn to weigh the benefits against the drawbacks of incorporating well known settings, people, and events in your fiction. Discover how to successfully blend real-life places, characters, and incidents into compelling scenes for your novels and short stories.

For those who live in BC’s Lower Mainland, the event will take place on Saturday, April 18 from 9:30 to 12:00 p.m. at Kyle Centre, (behind old city hall) on St. John’s Street, Port Moody. Registration can be done online at http://www.portmoody.ca/index.aspx?page=20

The second workshop is part of Port Moody Library’s event, Get Published: Explore Your Options on Saturday, May 2 from 9:30 to 2:00 p.m. The workshop I’ll be giving for this one is “Landing That First Contract”. Here’s the descriptor:

Finding the right publisher for your book involves much more than completing a beautifully written and carefully edited manuscript. Debra will discuss the importance of research, proper manuscript preparation, networking, and social media visibility to maximize your chance of success.




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