Laurie Campbell Schnebly's Writing Craft Classes for 4th Quarter

 

Now is the time to look at Laurie's classes which will pump up your writing. 

As always no classes in December, BUT there are a couple of classes posted for 2021 already. 

Zoom: YOUR PLOT-CHARACTER-STORY BRAID

(Oct. 3, 1pm Mountain Time) Coeur du Boise RWA, CBCrwa.com
A distillation of next September’s class, condensed into an hour...type fast!

Zoom: “PREMIER” VIRTUAL RETREAT WEEKEND
(Oct. 10-11, 9-6 Pacific Time) email BookLaurie@yahoo.com
Plot & character workshops, timed group brainstorming, and four one-on-one sessions with Laurie about whatever you’re writing, planning or targeting.

online: GROWING YOUR HEROINE
(Oct. 12-23 -- sold out, ask about waitlist)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/classes/growing-your-heroine
This limited-enrollment master class picks up where September’s ended, 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.

Zoom: PUTTING THE JOY BACK IN WRITING
(Oct. 17, 11am Central Time) North Texas RWA, NTrwa.org

Zoom: BRAIDING YOUR BOOK
(Oct. 17, 10:30am Pacific Time) Sisters in Crime, SinC-CoastalCruisers

Zoom: “NEW & IMPROVED” VIRTUAL RETREAT WEEKEND
(Oct. 24-25, 9-6 Pacific Time) email BookLaurie@yahoo.com
See the Oct. 10-11 description and holler if you’re interested.

online: THE ALPHA MALE, FROM ABE TO ZEUS
(Nov. 2-12)
heartsthroughhistory.com/workshops/alpha-males
Readers love alpha males. (Maybe not for a real-life marriage, but for a book of romantic adventure there’s nothing better.) Yet writers sometimes find it tricky to create an alpha male without falling into stereotypes. What makes an alpha male? (It’s more than just power.) What challenges does he face? (The answers will surprise you.) How can your hero take on solely the alpha-male traits you want? Get ready to find out…and maybe to fall in love.

Zoom: YOUR PLOT-CHARACTER-STORY BRAID
(Nov. 21, 11am Eastern Time, only for members of New Jersey RWA)

Zoom: PSYCHOLOGY FOR CREATING CHARACTERS
(Dec. 6, 2pm Central Time, only for members of Houston Sisters in Crime)

Zoom: BLOCK-BUSTING: MOVING PAST WRITER’S BLOCK
(Dec. 12, 1pm Pacific Time) Rose City RWA

And, yep, December is always a no-classes holiday. Which seems contradictory.

online: PERFECT PITCH
(Jan. 4-15, 2021, only for members of Sisters In Crime Guppies)
SinCGuppies
Are you pitching your work at a conference? In an email? By letter, by phone, by chance if you run into someone browsing for a good book? The techniques will be slightly different for each situation -- and while writers tend to feel more anxiety when pitching face-to-face, it’s useful to have a plan of action for every possible scenario. Whether you’re pitching an agent, editor, interviewer, publisher or regular reader, learn how to make it a good experience for you both!

online: NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
(Jan. 18-29, 2021)
https://rwasd.com/classes/ (scroll down on page for class info)
Whether it’s the first rejection, the 50th-book slump, or just not getting the story you want, frustration is part of every writer’s life. For some, it’s a nuisance; for others, it’s the end of a career. For anyone determined to make 2021 a Better Writing Year, this class offers both practical and psychological techniques for dealing with rejection, writer’s block, frustration, motivation, and other issues that keep writers from loving their craft.

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.

2nd Quarter Classes From Writing Master ~ Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Never Stop Learning

online: FROM PLOT TO FINISH
(April 6-17)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/classes
     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.

maybe live in Phoenix, AZ: CHALLENGING COUPLES IN LOVE
(April 28, 7pm) https://drrwa.rwa.org/

     If you want likable people, how can you make ‘em drive each other nuts?

online: THE WHOLE POINT OF POINT OF VIEW
(May 4-15, only for members of Sisters In Crime Guppies)
Guppy Chapter, SinC - Public
     In theory, it’s simple: whose head is the reader in? In practice, it can be a bit (or a lot) more tricky. Whose head is best for this scene, this section, this story, this series? How do you know when it’s time to switch? What if the reader gets bored? What if the POV character doesn’t know something you want the reader to know? Learn the techniques that make Point of View easier to work with, no matter who your readers will be.

blog: BOOK TWO, BOOK SIX, BOOK SEVENTEEN
(May 27) http://originalitybydesign.blogspot.com
     Why would/wouldn’t you want to go the series route? (Free-class prize.)

online: WRITING A SERIES…
(June 1-12)Series groups.io Group
     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 what 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.

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.

Class Flash with Laurie Schenbly Campbell ~ A Full Year To Plan By

online: CREATING YOUR HERO'S FATAL FLAW
(Jan. 7-Feb. 1, 2019)
heartsthroughhistory.com
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: SOS: POV, ASAP!

(Feb. 4) writersinthestormblog. com
Are yours AOK? How about (LOL) theirs? WTF is POV about, anyway?
live in San Diego: “ROLL YOUR OWN” RETREAT
(Feb. 7-10, 2019) wait-list info at mailto:booklaurie@yahoo.com
Includes 150 minutes of one-on-one input for each of just eight writers.

online: THE WHOLE POINT OF POINT OF VIEW
(Feb. 18-Mar. 1, 2019)
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/ groups/PointOView/info In theory, it’s simple: whose head is the reader in? In practice, it can be a bit (or a lot) more tricky. Whose head is best for this scene, this section, this story, this series? How do you know when it’s time to switch? What if the reader gets bored? What if the POV character doesn’t know something you want the reader to know? Learn the techniques that make Point of View easier to work with, no matter who your readers will be.

online: PLOTTING VIA MOTIVATION
(March 4-29)
writeruniv.wordpress. com/classes
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 8-19)
writeruniv.wordpress. com/classes A continuation of the March process open solely to people who've taken PVM online or in person at some point, this no-more-than-30-people 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: TECHNIQUES FOR SHAPING CHARACTERS
(May 13-24)
heartsthroughhistory. com
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.

blog: GRAB ‘EM, KEEP ‘EM, BRING ‘EM BACK
(May 31) writersinthestormblog. com
Sure, you’ve got to start strong. But that’s not necessarily enough.

online: BOFFO BEGINNINGS & FAB FINALES
(June 10-21)
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/ groups/BofFab/info 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.
(Once again, no July class…although, who knows, maybe someday that’ll change.)

blog: WHERE WHEN WHY
(August 2) writersinthestormblog. com
You’ve dreamed up the who & what already, but that’s just the beginning.

online: MORE THAN SETTING: WORLD-BUILDING
(August 12-23)
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/ groups/MTSWB/info Of course your book needs a setting that contributes to the story, but your characters’ story world goes far beyond just the time and place they occupy. It’s also the people who surround them, the expectations they take for granted, the rules that infuriate them, the attitudes they share with their society --whether or not they realize it -- and more. All those elements belong in your story world’s setting…and here’s how to build a world that works.

online: YOUR PLOT / CHARACTER / STORY BRAID
(Sept. 2-27)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/ classes
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 or any other journey of discovery, learn how to deliver the balance your readers expect.

online: BUILDING YOUR BRAID
(Oct. 7-18)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/ classes
Once you’ve outlined the elements of your braid, 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 feedback during every segment of the process.

online: PLAUSIBLE PROBLEMS
(Nov. 4-15)
heartsthroughhistory. com
Writers who discover the versatility of enneagrams, the nine personality types and subtypes, are fascinated by how easy it is to identify their existing characters and create new ones -- each with uniquely heroic and distinctive traits, as well as a fatal (or not so fatal) flaw that naturally brings them into conflict with other characters AND with themselves.

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.

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