Keep This Updated Class List Handy ~ Laurie Schnebly Campbell Workshops

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
July 2022-June 2023

live in Washington DC: THE FATAL FLAW, IN PERSON
(July 30, 10:30) If you’d rather get the class below in just one hour, here it is!

online: CREATING YOUR HERO’S FATAL FLAW
(August 8-19) groups.io/g/FatalFlaw
       The ideal flaw isn't totally random, tossed in at the last minute to keep a character from being Too Perfect. Instead, it's built right into their personality--which means it's guaranteed to create turmoil that’ll keep the plot moving, along with a flip-side asset that'll enable your character to triumph in the end. See what kind will work best for your people, whether they're starring in a current story or taking the lead in another to come.

blog: HOW MUCH DOES GENRE MATTER?
(August 19) writers in the storm blog dot com
       Is it a useful tool? Is it a crippling stricture? What can “genre” do for you?

Zoom: KEEPING THE WRITING FIRE LIT 
(August 27, noon-1pm Eastern/9-10am Pacific; info TBA in the July 29 email)
       Free for anyone who donates any amount of time or money to any (not-their-usual) charity they feel like God has in mind.

online: YOUR PLOT / CHARACTER / STORY BRAID
(Sept. 5-30) writeruniv.com/classes/braid
       Weaving the different strands and levels of your story is trickier than making a simple braid, but the idea is the same: you need to give equal attention to every separate element that’s part of the finished creation. Whether you’re braiding 
the conflict and resolution of a thriller, romance, fantasy, mystery, women’s fiction or any other journey of discovery, learn how to deliver the balance your readers expect.

live in San Diego: SHOWING EMOTIONS
(Sept. 10, 10:30 Pacific) SoCalRW.com/meetings/
       Just like the May class, but in person--come ready to do some writing!

online: BUILDING YOUR BRAID
(Oct. 10-21) writeruniv.com/classes/building-braid
       Once you’ve outlined the elements of your braid in September, this hands-on master class takes you through the steps of assembling it from beginning to end. Each day’s assignment will keep you going, accomplishing more actual writing than in any usual two-week period, with individual feedback during every segment of the process.

Zoom: 9 TYPES, 999 CONFLICTS
(Oct. 15, 9am Pacific): AgedToPerfectionRomanceWriters.com/workshops/
       No matter which enneagram types your characters are, there’ll be trouble.

live in Southern California: CRW FULL-DAY WORKSHOP
(Oct. 22) https://form.jotform.com/221227303113034
       Block-Busting, Double Ds, Personality Ladder, Revision & one-to-one chats.

live in San Diego: FALL RETREAT
(Oct. 23-26) Ask about the private-room waitlist for this gathering of 8 writers.

blog: SWEET, SCARY, OR SOME OF EACH?
(Oct. 31) writers in the storm blog dot com
       It goes beyond Halloween decorations. What’s going to draw your readers in?

Zoom: CHOOSING THAT FATAL FLAW
(Nov. 5, 1pm Eastern): FFPRWA.com/choosing-that-fatal-flaw/
       Which of the nine enneagram types will give your characters the best story?

online: BOFFO BEGINNINGS & FAB FINALES
(Nov. 7-18) groups.io/g/Boffo-Fab
       How can you make sure your book will draw readers in from the very first paragraph, through the next several pages, continuing into further chapters until they realize they’ve been reading so fast and so deep they can’t put this story down? How can you leave them, after reaching The End, so wonderfully satisfied with the book they just finished that they’re already vowing to read whatever else you’ve written and are going to write next? That’s what this class is about.

live in Houston: TOPICS TO COME (not yet open for registration)
(Nov. 12 & 13) for Houston Romance Writers & Sisters In Crime
       Rumor has it the mystery writers will hear about Creating A Villain...

Zoom: YOUR EDITOR-AGENT PITCH
(Nov. 19) https://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/
       Tips for perfecting your pitch, no matter to whom/when/how you’re doing it.

Zoom: CREATING A CHARACTER BIBLE 
(December 3, noon-1pm Eastern/9-10am Pacific; info TBA in the Oct 31 email)
       Free for anyone who donates any amount of time or money to any (not-their-usual) charity they feel like God has in mind.

online: PSYCHOLOGY FOR CREATING CHARACTERS
(Jan. 9-20) SoCal Romance Writers (not yet open for registration)
       Tools for determining naturally lovable (and intriguingly flawed) characters include Adlerian birth order, Jungian thought/feeling scales, the Dewey priorities, and other theories of temperament. Learn which ones will offer the best opportunities for conflict between your realistic hero & heroine...whose “inborn” personalities will both oppose and attract.

Zoom: CONFLICT FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR BOOK
(Feb. 4, 1pm Mountain): Couer du Bois (Boise, Idaho)
       Co-workers? Siblings? Neighbors? Lovers? See how to give them all trouble.

online: DEEP & DEEPER POV
(Feb. 6-17) s in c guppies dot wild apricot dot org (Guppy members only)
       We all know readers like getting deep into a character’s soul, and we know the way to make that happen is through Deep POV. But how exactly do you present someone’s viewpoint so fully that readers will feel like they’re truly inside this person on the page? There are a surprising number of techniques for making that process easier, whether you’re creating a brand-new character or intensifying one who’s already in progress.

online: PLOTTING VIA MOTIVATION
(March 6-31) writeruniv.com/classes/plotting-via-motivation/
       Here’s what writers have said about the course in previous years: “I never thought I could plot my entire book from start to finish, but here it is. This is AWESOME.” / “This month has truly changed the way I think about writing. I wish I’d taken Plotting Via Motivation before giving up on my earlier novels.” / “Now that I look back in the notebook where I wrote all my homework, I realize I’ve got my book right here.”

online: FROM PLOT TO FINISH
(April 10-21) writeruniv.com/classes/onemaster-class-from-plot-to-finish/
       For anyone who’s taken Plotting Via Motivation online or in person at some point, this group gets you plotting a brand new or already-begun book (using your completed 14-point worksheet) from start to finish. No need to prepare a new story idea, character bios, goal charts or anything else...because you’ll see how to plot an entire book, and actually have it ready to type, by the end of this hands-on workshop.

online: BUILDING CONFLICT FROM THE HEAD DOWN
(May 8-19) groups.io/g/ConflictHD
       Great conflict comes from not only the situation, but from within the characters themselves. This class offers tools for shaping basic personalities into heroic, appealing characters who'll naturally wind up in conflict. Explore the various types, archetypes and subtypes--ideal for creating clashes between genuinely likable people--and see which will offer the best opportunities for conflict that's built in right from the start.

online: WRITING YOUR SYNOPSIS
(June 5-16) groups.io/g/Synopsis
       If you've ever had trouble writing a synopsis, here's a hint: pretend you're writing an ad. An advertising copywriter for 25 years, Laurie was amazed to discover that the same skills which helped her sell bikes, bouquets and birdbaths ALSO helped her sell books. Discover how to use those "Madison Avenue" techniques to interest editor-agent-reviewer-reader "buyers" in your product.

JUNE Q&A

Q: Even though I know feedback will improve my story, I’m afraid to send other readers the manuscript for fear they won’t like it as much as I do.

A: I totally get how scary it can be to find someone else doesn't love your story the way you do. I always used to feel like that before giving a live speech -- what if somebody yawned? What if somebody spent the whole time looking at their phone? What if somebody (gasp) walked out?

Then I realized that it only meant THAT person wasn't the one who needed what I was going to say. In every group, I assured myself, there was at least one person who really needed to hear this speech...and if somebody walked out, it just meant they WEREN’T that person. (Amazingly, a lot of people have come up after speeches and said "I really needed that," so it's nice to see the premonition was true.)

But the same thing applies to critique partners. Some of them might not be your readers. And some of them WILL be...which means THEY'RE the ones you're looking for!

Laurie, figuring that makes any less-than-100%-delighted response less disturbing...after all, you wouldn't expect your grandma to jump for joy over a video game that would thrill your teenage nephew :)

Laurie's  Bio:
Laurie Schnebly Campbell published half a dozen romances with Harlequin, including one that beat out Nora Roberts for “Best Special Edition of the Year,” before discovering the only thing she loves more than writing is working with other writers. So she started giving workshops every month, online and in-person, and now has a special area on her bookshelf full of books with acknowledgments from authors who’ve loved her classes.