Friday, June 14, 2019

Upcoming Writing Workshops from Janice Hardy

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I’ve got a lot going on the rest of 2019, and there will be a few more added to this list in the months ahead (two are still being finalized--one in Tampa in August and another in St. Augustine in November).

If you live in Florida, or will be heading down to Florida, there's a decent chance I'll be at a conference or workshop event near you. I'll also be traveling to Texas this October. Not only will it be my first time doing a workshop in that region, it'll be my first visit to the state. A busy, but exciting year for me.

Here’s an updated list of my workshops and events:

June 


Winter Park, FL: Orlando Word Lab 
Wednesday, June 26, 7pm
Winter Park Library
460 E New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789

This workshop is free and open to the public.

My Workshop: Building Your Story World: Developing Setting and World Building

World building is vital to every novel, but it’s more than just describing the setting. It’s conveying the rules of the world, the subtext of a society, and the role your characters play in that story. A well-crafted setting draws in readers and makes them feel part of the world, and better still—makes them want to return to that world again and again. In this workshop, writers will learn tricks to bring their story world to life without it taking over the novel. They’ll also discover how to background setting and world details, use point of view to enhance the setting, and show, not tell, their story world.


July


Delray Beach, FL: The Authors Academy Writers Workshops 
Saturday, July 13, 10:00am to Noon
Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore
At their new location: 104 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach

All workshops are $25 per person. Reservations are requested.

My Workshop: The Muddle in the Middle

The “boggy middle” has claimed many a writer, but with a little planning and forethought, writers can sail right through it. In this workshop, you'll discover why the middle is such a troublesome chunk of the novel, and how it’s really where all the fun happens in a story. You’ll also learn how to avoid getting sucked into the mire, what to do keep your pace moving, and some nifty plotting tricks to help you create stronger story arcs and conflicts. 

The Florida Authors Academy Writers Workshop series runs all summer long, with workshops every Saturday. Get the full lineup of workshops here.


October (two events)

Midland, TX

My Workshops: Planning Your Novel in Ten Easy Steps and Revision Readiness: How to Revise

Planning Your Novel in Ten Easy Steps: Writing a novel can be a daunting process, but a little planning can go a long way to making that process easier. Even predetermining a few key turning points in the story can keep writers focused, whether they prefer to outline every scene or pick a story direction and write toward it. In this workshop, writers will learn how to create the critical elements of a novel’s plot, how to use goals, conflicts, and stakes to build a story and develop characters, and how to approach a novel in a way that will make it easier to write and be more marketable to agents, editors, and readers.

Revision Readiness: How to Revise: Revision is part of writing, but sometimes knowing where to start can be overwhelming. It can be even harder if you need to trim down a large manuscript or change a major storyline. In this workshop, writers will learn how to approach their revisions with a plan, focusing on macro, medium, and micro issues to tighten their novel on a layer by layer basis. They’ll also learn how to mentally approach revisions, and how to strengthen their story from the top down.

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Fort Lauderdale, FL: All Write: Jump Start Your Novel 
Saturday, October 26, 10am - 3pm
The Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (FMWA)
Nova Southeastern University
3100 Ray Ferrero, Jr. Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314

The event is free and open to the public.

My Workshop: Understanding the Scene: The Engine of Your Story

Scenes are the building blocks of a novel, but they don't always unfold the way we want them to. In this workshop, you'll learn the mechanics of scene and its troublesome partner, the sequel, and how to use this pairing to drive your story. You'll also learn how to develop scenes and weave them together to build strong and focused plots, as well as what to do when you story grinds to a halt and you don't know why.

Hope to see some of you at these events!

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