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Workshops

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Online classes are an easy and inexpensive way to hone your craft or learn about the business, all from the comfort of your home and at your computer! YRW strives to offer the best options available. 

  • One-Step Sign Up: Pay and register all at once! Just click the "Buy Now" button below your chosen course to pay by PayPal.
  • To pay by check: Download the registration form by clicking the link below, fill out and send with payment to the address noted on form.
  • YRW does not offer cash refunds.  We offer class credit only.
  • All workshops are through Yahoo groups. Invitation to join group and lessons are via email from the instructor.
 

YRW WORKSHOP REGISTRATION FORM

WORKSHOP EVALUATION FORM
Please use this form to evaluate each workshop taken. Comments and opinions are useful to instructors and to YRW in planning future classes.
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Revision Hel--No, Heaven
Instructor: Laurie Schnebly Campbell
Dates: May 7 – May 18, 2012


Every writer knows about Revision Hell. But the chance for re-“envision” of any concept that’s attracted attention can be a golden opportunity. This is an intensive class with daily lessons. It covers the psychological and the practical aspects of revision:  when to do it, why (and why not) to do it, how to  make the process easier, and--most important of all--how to know when you’re finished.

About the instructor:

Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves giving workshops that draw on her experience writing for Special Edition (where she won "Best of the Year" over Nora Roberts) and non-fiction (about fatal flaws & character development for fiction writers). Her other favorite activities include playing with her husband & son, recording for the blind, working with other writers, and NEVER cleaning her house. Visit Laurie at:   http://www.booklaurie.com/

 

 

Prices

 

 

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Call of the Wild: wolf lore, truths and myths every writer should know
Instructor: Eva Gordon
Dates: July 9-27, 2012


Meetings/CallofWild.jpgA three week seminar for writers who are interested in writing about wolves and werewolves in their stories but who want more background on the basic biology and behavior of real wolves.  Writers will learn why the wolf evolved from admired archetype to savage, evil nemesis of man. The instructor will include original interviews of a few famous werewolves and the workshop will end with the students creating their own myths based on their created shifter characters.


About the instructor:
Eva Gordon, author of paranormal lycan romance and fantasy, has a BA Zoology, MA Biology and a California Secondary Teaching Credential in the Life Sciences. Eva volunteers as a wildlife educator and has volunteered at the Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary in Southern Oregon. She loves delving into wolf and werewolf lore.  Visit Eva at:  http://evagordon.blogspot.com

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Principles of Good Website Design for Writers
Instructor:  Catherine Chant
Dates:  September 9-21, 2012

PRE-REQUISITE: Students are expected to be familiar with the basics of setting up a website (domain name, software, etc.). This class focuses on design principles and how to make your website more user friendly, appealing and effective. It is NOT an HTML class on how to program your website or how to use website design software.


At the end of this workshop you will have a better understanding of what goes into making your author website more appealing and inviting to a visitor and thus more effective for promoting you and your work. 

This two-week workshop will cover the golden ratio of layout design, web fonts and web-safe colors, using white space, user interface considerations and website organization, web graphics for the artistically challenged, and the importance of testing websites with multiple operating systems and browser applications.

 This workshop is aimed at writers who have websites already and want to make them better, OR writers who are planning to set up a website and want to know more about how the content should be arranged, either because they plan to do it themselves, or they want to be more informed when hiring a professional designer.
 The workshop will include exercises designed to strengthen the concepts discussed. Students do not need to have an active website to participate, but may find the lessons more "hands-on" if they do. The instructor will offer feedback on any student's website during the workshop if the URL is offered during the class.



ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: 
Catherine Chant is an award-winning writer from New England. She is a PRO member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA), and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She worked for fifteen years at Boston College as a computing & communications consultant and spent several of those years serving as BC's web information services manager, maintaining and supporting the university web servers. She now provides freelance web editing and design services to other writers and clients such as BC's Lynch School of Education. Her young adult time travel romance WISHING YOU WERE HERE was a finalist in the 2008 Golden Heart awards. She is currently working a new young adult novel. You can visit her online at http://www.catherinechant.com
 

 

Prices

 

 

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Tips and Techniques for More Effective Proofreading
Instructor:  Ally Broadfield
Dates: October 2012, 4 weeks length

Editing is one of the most difficult tasks a writer faces and even seasoned authors often have difficultly detecting errors in their own work. When writers proofread their own work, it’s not unusual for them to overlook errors because their mind knows how the text should read and automatically corrects it. Whether you’re polishing your manuscript for a contest, preparing to submit to an agent or editor, or planning to self-publish, knowing how to effectively proofread your work is an essential skill. This class will cover tips and techniques for better proofreading, how to identify common errors in capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, verb tense, and dialogue, misplaced and dangling modifiers, homonyms, and plural and possessive forms. Workshop participants will create a comprehensive proofreading checklist during the class and a list of grammar resources will be provided.


List of Topics Covered:

  • Tips& Techniques for Better Proofreading
  • How to Identify and Correct Common Errors in:
  • Capitalization
  • Punctuation
  • Sentence structure
  • Verb tense
  • Dialogue
  • Misplaced and dangling modifiers
  • Commonly confused words/homonyms
  • Plural and possessive forms
  • Grammar Resources


Lessons will include techniques for improving proofreading skills, examples of correct and incorrect usage, and homework assignments to reinforce the lessons. Individual feedback will be provided on all exercises. Instructor will review all assignments posted to the class loop. She will also provide help with exercises as needed and respond to all questions.

Presenter Bio: A graduate of The George Washington University, Ally Broadfield is a former school librarian who runs her own freelance proofreading business. She is also a News Writer for the Best Friends Animal Network and an RWA PRO. Her first manuscript she didn’t consign to the dust bunnies under her bed is currently on submission. She writes historical romance and young adult paranormal/fantasy romance, and is an active member of SCBWI and several RWA chapters, including YARWA, FF&P, HHRW and NTRWA.
 

Prices

 

 

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Candid Confessions of a Newbie Authors
Instructor: Alexa Bourne
Dates: November 2012, 4 weeks length

Have you ever wondered what happens after the contract is signed? Alexa Bourne takes you on a candid tour of her world from the moment she received THE CALL until long after the book hit the cyber shelves. She'll give you the inside scoop on all the behind the scenes work that the readers and unpublished authors don't get to see. She'll give you the pros & cons, ups & downs, that accompany each step of the process. and she'll share how she's handled (or struggled with) each one. Join us for a sneak peek into the life of a newbie author!

Week 1:

  • Introduction, reasons for teaching this class, class schedule
  • Lesson 1-The CALL- how it feels, what it really means
  • Lesson 2-Paperwork, lots and lots of paperwork!


Week 2:

  • Lesson 3-Edits (content edit, line edit, galleys) and how they make you feel
  • Lesson 4-Promo, Promo, Promo
  • Lesson 5-Release Day


Week 3:

  • Lesson 6-Sales rankings, reviews, wasted time & worry
  • Lesson 7-Promo Revised
  • Lesson 8-Next Projects, Rejections- You mean I'm supposed to still be writing????


Week 4:

  • Lesson 9-Dealing with 2 books at once & promo, etc for both
  • Lesson 10-Promo Again???? YES!
  • Wrap Up- Last minute questions, Conclusion, Class Survey


Instructor Bio: Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romantic suspense writer by nights, weekends and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes such as “Killer Openings”, “Contests: The Basics” and “Finished…Now What?” throughout the year. Her first book, Her Highland Champion, is a contemporary Scottish romantic suspense released from Decadent Publishing in March 2012. She is a contributor to the Daily Dose of Decadence blog, Get Lost in a Story Blog and the Celtic Hearts blog.


When not traveling and exploring cultures or crafting thrilling romantic suspense stories, she spends her time reading, watching brainless TV and thinking about exercising. She has a Bachelor's in English Literature and a Master's in Education. To learn more about her, visit www.alexabourne.com or http://alexabourne.blogspot.com

 

Prices

 

 

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