RWA Online Chapter 2010 Workshop Schedule

PERSONALITY PLUS: MAKING YOUR CHARACTERS REAL 
Instructors: Sue Viders and Becky Martinez
Dates: Jan 10th 2010 – Feb 6th 2010
Registration Opens: December 27th, 2009 – January 9th 2010
Personality is a critical part of any character's make-up. It can mean the difference between a great character, one you remember forever, or a mediocre one you forget as soon as the book is read. This class looks at how to build and define a character’s personality and how to add those little details that make that character more realistic in his/her actions.

THE SELLING SYNOPSIS
Instructor: Sherry Lewis
Dates: 1 – 31st March 2010
Registration: 15th - 28th February 2010
Learn how to show editors and agents that you can put together a compelling story filled with sympathetic characters. Learn how to include the motivation and conflict editors are looking for in a synopsis, how to format a synopsis, how to decide what to include and what to leave out, how to write a functional query letter, and how to pace the story to keep the editor hooked.

THE WARRIOR-WRITER— IMPROVE THE AUTHOR, IMPROVE THE WRITING.
Instructor: Bob Mayer
Dates: 1 – 30th June 2010
Registration: 17th - 31st May 2010
Still vowing to finish that novel one day? Still not published? Published, but not where you want to be in your career?
Joined critique groups? Read stacks of books about writing? Paid big money to attend writing classes and conferences? Think you are doing everything right, but still something is missing? Maybe your writing isn’t what needs to change. Maybe it’s you. 

Warrior-Writer is a one-of-a-kind Workshop focusing on you, the author. behaviors become habits. Habits become character. Character defines destiny. 

What is your destiny? 

In Warrior-Writer Bob Mayer applies the battle-tested strategies of the Green Berets to the world of being an author. He’s taught thousands of writers over the years, but this new and innovative program goes deeper than words on the page. It is designed to teach you the writer to think, plan, and act like the elite.
The Green Berets are proof these tactics work, and the benefits will extend far beyond your writing. You will progress through two levels of Who Dares Wins: (1) An overall strategy for change and success. (2) Specific tactics you can apply immediately.

Become the change you seek, and take charge of your writing destiny.

PRUNE YOUR PROSE! Ten Tips to Tighten Your Fiction Writing
Instructor: Linnea Sinclair
August 16th – 28th, 2010
Registration August 2-15, 2010
As the saying goes, “Close only counts in…hand grenades.” Don’t let your manuscript bomb because of easily overlooked errors, or for lack of sophistication and polish. Learn how to make every chapter count, every scene earn its keep, every main character memorable. Award-winning Bantam Random House author Linnea Sinclair will take you though ten tips (and more!) that will make your story shine, move it out of the slush pile, onto an editor’s desk so that—when on the shelves—it can garner reviews that note: A must-read, by an author who never disappoints!

Attendees should bring sample pages of their work-in-progress (including their first page) and be prepared to share and improve!

SHORT STORY, BIG IMPACT: Taking the Short Story Road to Success
Instructor: Anna Hackett
Dates: 4st – 31st October 2010
Registration: September 20th - October 3rd 2010
Short stories pack a big punch! They can provide a path into the publishing world, a way to build writing credits or advance your career as part of an anthology. Not to mention that in today’s busy lifestyle, readers are looking for convenient reads of the perfect length. So what’s the difference between flash fiction, short stories, novelettes and novellas, and why write one? How can writing a short story help with crafting full length books? Anna Hackett provides writers with the skills they need to write a short story: from structure to pacing, characters to conflict*** Added Bonus: Join all of the RWA Online members in our annual KIA Marathon writing competition the entire month of October! 

Hook 'Em and Hold 'Em
Instructor: Teresa Bodwell
Dates: November 29th, 2010 – December 12th, 2010
Registration: 15th - 28th November 2010
Your novel may be 90,000 words, but most readers (including agents and editors) will make their buying decision in the first few pages. Learning how to hook those readers and keep them turning pages is a critical skill for every writer. Using examples from published books along with writing assignments from your work in progress, this workshop helps you learn the techniques you need to grab readers and make a sale. 

Writing assignments include the opening paragraph, first page, first five pages and first ten pages of your work in progress