The Craft of Writing Format: MP3 Download or USB Flash Drive These lectures were audio recorded at the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshops between 2010 and 2018. Download the MP3 files today or have them shipped to you on a USB flash drive. Listen to these wonderful speakers recorded live. THIS PACKAGE INCLUDES ALL OF THESE PRESENTATIONS: Their, There, They’re: A Guide to Improving Communication and Using Words Goodly Leighann Lord Do you have a love/hate relationship with the English language? Are you annoyed by acronyms? Humbled by homonyms? Does punctuation make you panic? You’re not alone. First words, last words, magic words, bad words. Logophile (word lover) Leighann Lord takes attendees on a fun frolic through the land of word nerdery, exploring the power that language has to hurt and heal; entertain and inspire. And why sometimes, even for professional speakers and writers, our communication efforts can fail. But fear not! Attendees will take away a renewed appreciation for the English language and concrete tools on how to use it better. In this fun refresher, Leighann will show you: • The importance of text, tone and body language • Why subtext and context matter • Why autocorrect is not your friend • Why you should not ignore Microsoft Word’s “red” and “green” lines • The three things you should do before you hit send • The most important question to ask before you hit send • five great resources literally at your fingertips How to Uncover Your Own Voice and Get it Down on Paper Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff Using a series of improvisational writing techniques and a simple kitchen timer, this hands-on workshop will help you get past your self-criticism, reveal your unique voice and help you incorporate that voice into your writing. You’ll learn how to use your voice to paint a clear picture for readers, helping them experience who you are, where you are, who you are to the others in your scene and what makes this day so important in the story. Come prepared to write without self-editing and to give your imagination a good workout. Developing Voice and Style Susan Pohlman An agent once told Susan Pohlman that the one thing she looks for in a submission is a solid sense of voice. Craft can be taught, editors can be hired, but voice is the real deal. A command of voice and style proclaims to the reader that you can be trusted to lead them on a worthwhile journey to a place of truth. This interactive workshop will clarify the definition of voice and equip you with specific tools to develop your own distinct writing style. Come ready to write and have some fun! Memoir Boot Camp Marion Winik In this hands-on workshop writers will explore a step-by-step process of turning a memory into a crafted essay. A series of prompts will break this mysterious transformation into bite-sized tasks, from choosing what to write about to developing characters, setting and dialogue, to thinking about theme, structure and organization. Participants will give each other feedback along the way and all walk out with the first draft of a short essay. Marion will also share some insights about the ethics of writing about your family and friends, and about the uses of both research and imagination in memoir. Write Without the Fight: Free Your Writing From Doubt and Delay Julia Roberts Write Without the Fight takes participants through five steps to see and master their resistance within the creative process. (See it, Name it, Claim It, Tame It, Live it.) Take-aways include: • Knowing exactly what you do — without being aware — that causes your resistance • The one mind-tool that is right for you to get over the hump and just write • How to choose your best collaborators and work with the right people Geared for beginning writers, though appropriate for all who struggle with writer’s block. Create Vivid, Believable People, Places and Scenes in Fiction or NonFiction Sharon Short Through a mix of examples and writing exercises, writers will learn how to create compelling descriptions without stopping action, slowing pace or overwhelming readers. Techniques include bringing the senses to life, using simile and metaphor, creating context, mastering dialogue tags, describing action and knowing the difference between scene and narrative — or show and tell — and when to use which style most effectively. Developing the Writer’s Eye Katrina Kittle To be a great writer, you need to do three things: write a lot, read a lot and pay attention. This class is all about that paying attention part. Paying attention takes practice and training because our culture doesn’t value it. (Our culture values filling up every second of spare time and attention with devices and being “productive.”) Whether you’re an experienced writer who needs your ideas energized or a beginner who wants to develop better habits and skills, this class will focus your observation skills as well as your ability to capture those observations in writing. A series of exercises will stoke your creativity, fan your senses and wake up your figurative language. This will be an inspiring, energizing class developing your artistic mindfulness and curiosity. 10 Top Lessons Learned From 10 Years Interviewing Bestselling Authors Jessica Strawser Jessica Strawser, editor-at-large for Writer’s Digest magazine, distills best-in-class writing and process advice from her Writer’s Digest conversations with the likes of David Sedaris, Alice Walker, David Baldacci, Lisa Scottoline, Lisa Gardner and others. Skipping the Parts People Skip: Strengthening Description Katrina Kittle Best-selling author Elmore Leonard said, “I try to leave out the parts people skip.” Nothing makes a reader skim more than long, flat passages of description that stop a story’s momentum. No matter what kind of writing you do (fiction, memoir, poetry, essay), this class is chock-full of tips, tricks and exercises designed to make your descriptions come to life. We’ll give tired old clichés a makeover, bolster our figurative language and embrace concrete, sensory details. Everyone is always telling writers, “Show, don’t tell,” but this workshop will show you to actually do that effectively and creatively. We’ll look at lots of published samples of description that is doing double- and triple-duty in a story, and you’ll write some of your own as well. How to Uncover Your Voice and Get It Down on Paper Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff Using a series of improvisational writing techniques and a simple kitchen timer, this hands-on workshop will help you get past your self-criticism, reveal your unique voice and help you incorporate that voice into your writing. You’ll learn how to use your voice to paint a clear picture for readers, helping them experience who you are, where you are, who you are to the others in your scene and what makes this day so important in the story. Come prepared to write without self-editing and to give your imagination a good workout. The Art of the Anecdote: Crafting Small Stories Shannon Olson The anecdote has been the focus and the building block of work by writers as different in style and voice as Erma Bombeck, Garrison Keillor, David Sedaris, Dave Barry, Russell Baker and Jo Ann Beard. Though small in scale, the anecdote packs a punch on the page. Told well, these little stories — often amusing, sometimes profoundly moving — draw readers in by offering an illustration of shared experience, by opening a window on a moment. In this workshop, novelist Shannon Olson will show participants how to make their own small personal stories come to life. This interactive session includes brief writing exercises. Welcome to the Writers’ Room Joel Madison Writing scripted comedy is a dynamic, collaborative process. Re-writing scripted comedy is what a writers’ room is all about. This session will mirror the tasks and atmosphere of a professional rewrite room as you and your fellow attendees dig into a real sitcom script under the direction of industry veteran Joel Madison (“Roseanne,” “Fresh Prince,” “Undeclared”). You will have the opportunity to review and study pages of a real script in the weeks before the workshop and gather your thoughts on how to improve a few pages from your own comedy perspective. Then, in a group setting, pitch your new jokes, scenes and even entire story lines to Joel and your fellow attendees as everyone collaborates to hammer out a better, funnier version of the script. As Joel moderates this fun and lively session, he will also share his own hilarious anecdotes from the TV and movie trenches, giving you a true insider’s view of the scripted writing experience. Whether you want to jump in and pitch your own jokes or you simply want to see what a real comedy writers’ room is all about, this session will give you a perspective that you can’t get anywhere outside of Hollywood. How to Write a Compelling Story, One Vivid Scene at a Time Susan Pohlman All of us have treasured scenes from movies or books that have imprinted themselves upon our souls forever. They make us laugh, cry or root for the hero/heroine. Scene is the element of craft that captures the heart of the reader. Designed for all levels of writers, this session will clarify the difference between narrative summary and scene and present the fundamentals of how to create effective scenes. You’ll leave with a user-friendly checklist that will help you strengthen your scenes and take charge of your writing. Novel-Writing for the Faint of Heart Anna Lefler Do you have an idea for a comic novel that you’ve been lovingly stroking for ages but can’t seem to sit down and begin? Does the thought of writing anything longer than a blog post make you want to lie down — and not in the sexy way? Do you have a passion to tell a long-form story but you’re not sure what that process would look like in your busy life? Great! Bring ALL of that (and your idea, if you happen to have one) to this session, where we’ll be digging into the processes and practices of getting you started on your novel-writing journey. From silencing insecurities to combating procrastination to carving out time to write, this session will provide you with a “tool kit” of techniques, resources, and — yes — downright tricks that you can rely on for the long haul. Along the way, we’ll wrangle with a real-world exercise that will focus your energy and leave you fired up to get started … writing your novel. Crafting Compelling Personal Essays Adair Lara Writing coach, columnist, essayist and author of Naked, Drunk and Writing, Adair Lara will teach you how to write very funny short pieces using setup, angle and voice. A humor columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle for 16 years, she will show writers how to use ordinary details and events to create extraordinary insights. Workshop includes great handouts (including a list of essay markets) and some fun (and useful!) writing exercises. Hundreds of Adair’s students have gone on to successful writing careers (including her son, who writes humor pieces for the New Yorker). Introduction to Memoir: Write What You Know Susan Pohlman Everyone has a natural writer within, and everyone has something meaningful to say. Our lives hold many tales, but how do we bring our personal and family stories to life on the page in a compelling manner? This interactive workshop, tailored for less experienced writers, will explore the art and craft of memoir writing and include writing exercises to help you narrow your focus, be authentic — and take readers on an emotional journey of the heart. You CAN’T Write a Book! David Braughler You don’t have the time. What would you write about? Who would even want to read what you’ve written? How many writers have talked themselves right out of publishing a book? (And whose name did you just mutter under your breath?) David Braughler works with authors to help them turn their stories into published books. Under direct coercion of many of his authors, he is currently co-authoring a tongue-in-cheek book, You CAN’T Write a Book, that addresses many of the rationalizations he’s heard over the years from reluctant authors. In this publishing boot camp, he will address some of the bigger culprits — along with ways to move past them — so that you can self-publish your book. You’ll leave feeling a little less guilty about not writing, along with a clear plan on the steps you need to take to successfully self-publish, price and market your book. Finding Your Writer’s Voice Sharon Short Tailored to more advanced writers, this interactive session will help writers develop a deeper understanding of what makes a compelling writer’s voice — and how to bring yours to life on the page. In this session, writers will learn to demystify the concept of “voice,” using examples from literature, film, music and even one’s own speaking style and voice. Through writing exercises, you’ll learn how to identify, embrace and apply your unique voice to your own writing — whether it’s fiction, memoir or humorous essay. Women Writing Their Lives — Truth-Telling, Wisdom and Laughter Suzanne Braun Levine, Gina Barreca and Ilene Beckerman, moderated by Patricia Wynn Brown The first editor of Ms. magazine, the first lady of humor studies and the queen of style and fashion share their lives and how they found their writing voices. Patricia Wynn Brown, creator of The Hairdo Monologues Project, will moderate. The session is designed to inspire and help you find your distinct voice as a writer. Writing Non-Fiction: Connecting People Through Stories Kelsey Timmerman Writers of creative nonfiction explore truths through verifiable facts, shaping the narrative using the same tools as writers of fiction: scene, pacing, setting, characterization, etc. Students will be introduced to these elements and given the opportunity to use them in their own writing and share them in the class. Which Comes First: Plot or Character? Katrina Kittle Much like the chicken and the egg question, the answer to "which comes first — plot or character?" troubles many writers and causes needless anxiety. This session will contend that it doesn't matter which comes first because they are essentially the same thing. A well-structured plot will naturally unfold if the writer focuses on some "simple" questions about character motivation. Whether deep in a work in progress, or just beginning to form an idea, writers will leave with a clear road map for their story that will keep a plot moving forward and avoid meandering detours. A Writer's Purpose W. Bruce Cameron The Three H’s: Heartbreak, Humor and Honesty Wade Rouse