Workshop 1: We Need a Hero - Pam Halter (10:00
am)
What do The Lord
of the Rings and The Princess Diaries have in common? We'll go on The Hero's
Journey to find out, and we'll see how we can use that Journey to pump our
own stories.
Pam
is a children's author and former home-schooling mom. She has
published picture books, articles and devotions. Pam is currently
working on inspirational fantasy novels. She does free-lance editing of
children's books. In her spare time, Pam enjoys quilting, gardening,
reading, theatre, and cooking. www.pamhalter.info
fairiesfantasyandfaith.blogspot.com
Workshop 2: Putting Words in Their Mouths - Tim
Shoemaker (11:00 am)
Talk may be
cheap, but poor dialogue in your manuscript will cost you. We’ll learn
how to dump the dull stuff and sharpen your dialogue skills.
Tim
is the dad of three grown boys and the author of eight books including
Smashed Tomatoes, Bottle Rockets…and Other Outdoor Devotionals You Can Do
With Your Kids; Mashed Potatoes, Paint Balls…and Other Indoor/Outdoor
Devotionals You Can Do With Your Kids; Bashed Burritos, Green Eggs…and Other
Indoor/Outdoor Devotionals You Can Do With Your Kids; Reboot Your Brain…Byte
Sized Devotions for Boys; and Dangerous Devotions for Guys. His
latest book, Code of Silence, will be released by Zonderkiz in spring
2012. A former “one hour photo” lab owner, Tim now writes and speaks full
time. Tim lives in Illinois with his wife.
Pizza Feast! (12:00 to 12:30)
Workshop 3: Plotting, Not Plodding - Eddie Jones &
Cindy Sproles
(12:30 pm)
Learn how to map your
story using the plot points that mark every journey. From introduction and
motivation to the hero/heroine’s moment of maxim angst, you’ll see how easy
it is to develop a story line and keep your characters on the path to a
compelling climax.
Eddie
is Acquisition
Editor for the book division of Christian Devotions Ministries -
www.christiandevotionsbooks.com. He has authored
four nonfiction books, one adult and a young adult novel. He’s written
hundreds of articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications.
He teaches writers workshops and co-writes the popular devotion, He Said,
She Said with Cindy Sproles.
Cindy
is a contributing writer to
Novel Journey and Novel Reviews, and Christian Devotions. She writes for PML
Programs and contributes to the Times-News.net. Her devotions are published
weekly in newspapers across the eastern seaboard. She is a contributor to
CBN.com. Cindy co-writes the He Said, She Said devotions with Eddie Jones
which appear in
Common Ground Christian
Newspaper and
The Good Life Christian
Newspaper.
Workshop 4:
Creating & Developing Dimensional Characters -
Torry Martin (1:45 pm)
We'll be conceiving original, primary, and secondary characters, including
heroes and villains, protagonists and antagonists. We'll learn about
researching characters to avoid stereotypes, and look at character
motivation and growth. Finally, we'll learn how to write a bio of your
characters.
Torry
is an
award-winning actor, screenwriter, comedian and author. In addition to
penning humor columns for a variety of national print and online
publications including Cloud Ten Pictures, On Course Magazine, Enrichment
Journal, and Clubhouse Magazine, Torry is the author of seven comedy
sketchbooks published by Lillenas Drama Publishers. Martin’s unique sense of
humor caught the attention of the producers of the popular children’s radio
series, Adventures in Odyssey, who enlisted him to lend his writing skills
to the show. Torry went one step further, creating the delightful recurring
character of Wooton Bassett.
www.torrymartin.com
Workshop 5: I Want to Be Published . . . But I'm
Just a Kid - Patti Shene (2:45 pm)
Your friends and family praise everything you write. But are your words good
enough to be published? As Executive Editor for Starsongs, a magazine
for kids by kids ages 9-19, I offer tips that will get your work off your
computer and into a real magazine. Topics covered include editing your work,
proper format and protocol for submission, why work is rejected, and what
the author’s responsibility is after acceptance. Learn what catches an
editor’s eye and what guarantees immediate rejection!
Patti
is the Executive Editor of
Starsongs
Magazine,
a publication of
Written World Communications that is interested in work by writers, artists,
and photographers age 9-19. She is eager to mentor young people interested
in writing. She considers each manuscript for potential publication if a
writer is willing to accept constructive criticism, follow guidelines, and
work to strengthen the quality of his/her work.
www.writtenworldcommunications.com
Workshop
6: Impress the Editor - Joy Kieffer
(4:00 pm)
Time to
put your drama queen tactics into practice! Play the role of editor as you
review submissions; then get real with your own writing goals and questions
about getting published. Plan to bring a page or two of your own work to
share with Joy and Patti Shene, editor of Starsongs Magazine.
IMPORTANT: Don’t forget pen and paper. By the end of the day you’ll have
pages of notes, which will be invaluable as you role-play editor-in-chief of
your own publishing syndicate.
Joy
is a freelance
writer (www.joykieffer.com)
and artist. Her artwork has been to the White House, but she has not. Joy is
the (only) wife of a pastor, radio host, church planting center director and
college chaplain (The
Foundry Church) and mother of teenagers (sorry, no links to the
teenagers) who has recently been awarded the title of Missionary for
Cultural Creativity for the Southern Baptist Convention (www.joymsc.com).
She and her husband lead mission teams doing outreach projects which combine
service and the creative arts to impact unchurched people and then share
those ideas with anyone interested in reaching their culture for Christ.
As the founder and senior editor of J.A.M.
Magazine, she was on hand while her student writers interviewed Tammy Trent,
Rebecca St. James, Steven Mark Pasch, Marvin Frazier, Randall Cunningham,
Trent Dilfer, David Robinson, and more. To her amazement, she continues to
receive submissions from kids from all over the world even though the
magazine was never distributed outside the continental United States. Her
message to writers young and old is; "Never set limits on where your words
will go—once you release them, they’re in God’s control."
