UPCOMING WRITING WORKSHOPS January–December 2023 From Laurie Schenbly Campbell

Laurie Classes for 2023! 

Online: PSYCHOLOGY FOR CREATING CHARACTERS
(Jan. 9-20) SoCalRomanceWriters/events

• 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: BLOCK-BUSTING / PROMO TO SUIT YOUR PERSONALITY
(Jan. 14, 10:15-1:30 Pacific) Orange County RWA (registration opens 12/31)

• Putting the joy back in writing, & promotions that won’t grind you down.

Zoom: CONFLICT FOR EVERYONE IN YOUR BOOK
(Feb. 4, 1 pm Mountain): Coeur du Bois

• 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.

Zoom: CHOOSING YOUR HERO’S FATAL FLAW
(Feb. 14, 8:30 pm Eastern) Greater Detroit Romance Writers (members only)

• Which of the nine enneagram types will give your characters the best story?

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.”

Zoom: HIS PERSONALITY LADDER
(March 11, 10 am Eastern) Connecticut RWA

• Track your hero’s arc through seven core steps he’ll need to climb in his story.

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.

Blog: WHERE THE TROUBLE STARTS
(April 26) writers in the storm blogspot

• It begins a long time before the first meeting, explosion, or lingering glance....

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 A SERIES...
(June 5-16) s in c guppies dot wild apricot dot org (Guppy members only)

• It’s one thing to write a stand-alone novel. It’s another to write a sequel, a trilogy, a box set or an open-ended series that’ll continue for as long as you want. While great storytelling is great storytelling no matter the format, there are techniques to keep in mind when writing a series that will not only keep your readers on board through every story, but keep you from burning out while they’re still waiting for more.

Online: HOW TO WRITE YOUR FIRST (OR 45th) SYNOPSIS
(June 19-30) 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 Mad Men techniques to interest “consumers” (whether they’re agents, editors, reviewers, or whoever) in your product.

Zoom: MAKING REJECTION WORK FOR YOU
(July 1, 4 pm Eastern) Women’s Fiction Writers Assn

• Turning rejection into a profitable experience, personally and professionally.

July is always a no-class month, which sounds a bit rowdy...hmm. :)

Blog: EDGE OF THEIR SEATS
(July 28) writers in the storm blogspot

• How long should you keep readers in suspense? When should it rise and fall?

Online: TICK...TICK...BUILDING TENSION
(August 7-18) groups.io/g/Tension

• The ticking clock. The infamous day. The elusive stranger. The sizzling glance. The unbreakable promise. The haunting memory. The forbidden love. Tension is what keeps readers awake far too late at night, and what makes them rave about your book even before they reach the final page. How do you create that kind of tension? Think of a story you’ve already started writing, or are just beginning to plan, and see how to build...build...build....

Online: THE HERO’S JOURNEY, FOR HEROINES
(Sept. 4-29) writeruniv.com/classes/journey-for-heroines/

• Christopher Vogler identified 12 steps for daredevil heroes who explore the outside world and return with the elixir. But a character whose emotional journey leads to flowering change instead of physical adventure, as described in Kim Hudson’s 13 steps, will embark on a journey filled with other -- more internal -- challenges. For writers whose heroine faces her own less traveled road to discovery, this class offers a fascinating map.

Online: GROWING YOUR HEROINE
(Oct. 2-13) writeruniv.com/classes/growing-your-heroine/

• This limited-enrollment master class picks up where September’s ends, focusing on the heroine’s journey through everything she needs to overcome from beginning to end. Starting with a “stick figure” and moving to your work in progress, chart the route she’ll use for transcending her weak points -- as well as those of people she cares about -- while avoiding both the false triumph and false disaster of her own story.

Blog: FORWARD, BACK, FORWARD, BACK
(October 30) writers in the storm blogspot

• No reader wants a perfectly smooth ride, but how many roadblocks are okay?

Online: HIS PERSONALITY LADDER
(Nov. 6-17) groups.io/g/Ladder

• Track your hero’s arc through the seven core steps he’ll need to climb during his journey from a not-yet-heroic character to one who’s fully earned his victory by the end. Of course, the heroine has her ownladder to climb, often in parallel stages...until the finale, when they reach their ultimate triumph. (There’s even a ladder for the villain, although he seldom makes it to the top.)

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.