Past Events

Write Like An Actor: Acting Tools for Writers


Saturday October 5, 2019
Noon – 1pm CT
$25

This class will show you—the writer—that acting and writing are not so different after all. By studying the craft of acting, writers can learn to write better dialogue, get in touch with their characters’ emotions and motivations, develop strong points of view, and choose character details that are specific and important. Acting can help any writer live more fully inside the messy truth of human relationships and make imaginary people come to life. Participants will leave this class with a new, unique box of tools that will help them take their writing to the next level.

Join live on October 5 at Noon Central Time. Recording also available.


The Value of Blogging and How to Love Your Own Blog Forever


Saturday September 21, 2019
9am – 10am CT
$25

Learn how to use a blog or newsletter to share your journey–literal and metaphorical–with your readers, even when you aren’t feeling the magic.

Join live on September 21 at 9 a.m. Central Time. Recording also available.


The Sustainable Writing Practice:
To Be a Better Writer, Understand Yourself

A three-part online workshop series.

$45

Three writing instructors and coaches share their thoughts on how you can get serious about living a writing life. You will receive the recordings of all three sessions. You can also attend the online workshops live. Sessions include:

  • Find Your Why: consider the two core reasons why people write and the issues inherent in each.
  • Space, Time, and Magic: The Writer’s Process: discover what you need to create a sustainable, productive writing practice.
  • Procrastination is Not the Problem: move beyond procrastination and start writing.


Image Is Everything: Constructing Extraordinary Images in Prose


Saturday June 15, 2019
10am – 11am CT
$25

Improve your writing by using imagery to enrich the visual detail in your stories. The best writers employ vivid (concrete), moving (dynamic), and convincing (persuasive) images in order to ground their readers in the fabric of their written world. In this workshop, we will examine a range of successful images and then use exercises to practice their construction so that we can then create them in our own work.

Join live on June 15 at 10 a.m. Central Time. Recording also available.


Writing for Kids & YA Readers


Saturday May 18, 2019
9am – 10am CT
$25

Want to write for kids or YA but don’t know where to start? Agent Kevin O’Connor takes you through various kids’ book formats from boardbooks to YA, the formal parameters for each format, and how they address kids’ developmental needs. Get insight into how a bookstore is organized to know exactly how & where your book will be and how it will stack up against the competition.

Join live on May 17 at 10 a.m. Central Time. Recording also available.


Revision: The Art, the Craft, the Magic


Saturday, February 23, 2019
9am – 10am CT
$25

Come learn the reviser’s alchemy by which narrative lead turns to gold. In this workshop, we’ll cover the purely chemical processes of proofreading and editing, but we’ll also explore the higher magic—and frankly, there are some conjuror’s tricks involved—that imbues a gnarly rough draft with focus, coherence, and internal resonance.

Join live on February 23 at 9 a.m. Central Time. Recording also available.


Stepping Stones to Memoir


Saturday, January 26, 2019
9am – 11am CT
$45

Whether you long to be the next Cheryl Strayed or just write your memories for your children in a way that’s readable and entertaining, Rebecca Mahoney will address memoir’s common challenges:

  • How to structure your memoir
  • How to create a story arc
  • How to develop and write about the people in your story
  • How to incorporate dialogue

She’ll discuss the issue of recreating material, i.e., where do you draw the line between fact and fiction? When is it okay to fill in the blanks and when is it not?

This workshop will get you started on the right foot or help you self-correct midway. A perfect follow-up to our popular Online Memoir Success Summit.

Join live on January 26 at 9 a.m. Central Time.

Recording also available.


Memoir Success Proposal


Thursday, Dec 6, 2018
11am – 12pm CT
$25

Rachael Herron will lead you through the steps to create a killer proposal. She will be following the process outlined by literary agent Renee Fountain of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management.

Make sure your proposal shines!!

This workshop will be led by Rachael Herron, beloved speaker of our Memoir Success Summit. Rachael will give you deeper direction into proposal requirements and take your questions about your own proposal.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to get your all-important proposal right!

Recording also available.


Be the Gateway: Build Your Book Launch Marketing Plan

Oct 15 – Nov 9, 2018
online

In this four week primer, Dan Blank will take you through his Be the Gateway methodology to prepare you for the key areas of creating a marketing plan for launching your book. Dan’s focus will be on the foundational aspects of how to identify your audience, your message, and forging true connections between the two.

Full details and registration here.


Self-Editing: The Step-By-Step Process

September 1, 2018, 12pm – 3pm CT

You’re done! Wait, no you’re not. Editing is not sitting down with your manuscript and a cup of tea and reading through it. Editing should be a step-by-step process that gives you the opportunity to see your manuscript from different angles and in new lights.

In this workshop we will teach you how to put your manuscript under twelve different microscopes and what you can learn from each.

This workshop is an excellent summation of the complete series or, for those just coming into the series, a good introduction to editing your work. Either way, it’s an overview that will have you seeing your manuscript like never before.

The guidelines in this workshop will help you know that your finished book is as good as it can be.

Register here for this single event.


Dialogue and Setting That Keep Readers Engaged

July 14, 2018, 12pm – 3pm CT

Dialogue is not just conversation, despite those admonitions to writers to “listen.” Dialogue is a carefully-crafted construct with a very definite purpose. And setting is equally crafted for a purpose, not just a description of the country or the room. In this workshop you will learn how these two elements can be used to control your readers’ reactions and to keep them fully engaged.

  • What to Say
  • How to Say it
  • Setting–More than a Place
  • Setting–Friend or Foe?

Nothing kills a story faster than boring dialogue. And nothing establishes the tone of a story like a well written, clearly defined setting

Learn how to handle both of these essentials in this one workshop.

Register here for this single event.


Create a Plot that Readers, Agents and Publishers Love

June 9, 2018, 12pm – 3pm CT

A story is more than just a bunch of scenes strung together like train cars. Even character studies must have an arc, and most stories fall into a three-act structure. In this workshop you will learn what these terms mean and how to make sure your story moves smartly upwards to its conclusion.

The workshop will teach participants methods for generating a plot that hooks agents, publishers, and readers, using the three-act structure as a starting point, but not limiting the process to that. Participants will receive worksheets to help them in developing their plots. The workshop will include short work sessions aimed at getting participants started building their story structure.

A proper understanding of plot will give you a tighter story, written in less time, and with less hair-pulling. Plot is critical to agents and publishers (which is why they want a synopsis).

If you want your story to be accepted, make sure your plot meets their criteria.

Register here for this single event.


Becoming a Writer in the 21st Century: Craft, Publishing, Platform and More

June 2, 2018, 1pm – 4pm CT

In this online workshop, Stephanie Vanderslice will bring to life chapters from her Bloomsbury book, The Geek’s Guide to the Writing Life, to help set writers on the path to achieving their writing goals. She’ll explore the different kinds of education that can benefit different kinds of writers, describe the keys to publishing your work that go beyond opening Writer’s Market or Duotrope, offer an introductory guide to Literary Citizenship and Platform Building, and describe key steps to finding an agent and publishing your book.

Register here.



Thirteen Ways to Make Your Characters Come Alive

May 26, 2018, 12pm – 3pm CT


Nothing is as important as your characters, even in a plot-driven thriller. Your characters much be real people with their own conflicts, angsts, and insecurities. The best of them must be flawed and the worst of them must have some sympathetic trait.

In this workshop we will look at thirteen ways to make your characters come alive and to make your readers care about them. We will look at narrative tension more specifically as it relates to character, and we will look at narrative distance as the lens through which your characters are viewed.

Learn the character creation techniques used by professional writers. Register here for this single event.


Everything You Need to Write a Beautiful Story Workshop Series

May 12 – September 1, 2018


In this online workshop series, Alison Taylor-Brown, Director of the Village Writing School, teaches everything (and more) that she learned getting an MFA in Fiction. This series is appropriate for those new to writing and for experienced writers who want to review the many complex aspects of their chosen craft.

This online series is presented in eight session across four months.

More than just a bunch of random workshops, this series will show you everything you need to write a beautiful story, whatever your chosen genre (yes, zombie stories, too). A beautiful story is a well-crafted story, a readable story, a publishable story.

Make your story a beautiful story.

To register for the entire workshop series or individual sessions, click here.



How to Begin Your Story

May 12, 2018, 12pm – 3pm CT


The first page is the most important page in your book. Agents, editors, and potential readers all judge a book by its first page. But there are many decisions that must be made before that first line is written, and those decisions have the power to make or break your story.

In this workshop we will look at critical questions, such as point of view. We will make sure you understand the concept of narrative tension that must be present on that first page. And we will lay down some basic rules that a writer must never forget, such as:

  • How to Begin
  • Asking the Right Questions
  • What is Voice?
  • Narrative Arc
  • Narrative Tension
  • Writing Rules to Live By

Get your story off on the right foot and avoid massive rewrites by understanding the power of the first page. Register here for this single event.


Join us Wednesday, April 11, 2018, for a one-day event to take your historical fiction to the next level. This online summit will help you:

  • Improve your writing with advice from bestselling authors
  • Identify exactly the story you need to tell and how to do it
  • Weave history into your story in a manner that grabs readers while remaining accurate
  • Determine what literary agents want to see (and not see!)
  • Identify research techniques for the non-historian
  • Develop your audience even before your book is finished
  • Connect to a community of other historical fiction authors

You can access all sessions from the comfort of your home or even your smartphone!


Forging Your Own Path: A Self-Publishing Primer

Saturday, February 17, 2018
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Diane KrauseDo you love the idea of self-publishing but don’t have a clue where to begin? In this workshop you’ll get a guided tour of the self-publishing process, from start to finish. You’ll learn how to prepare your manuscript for publishing, where to look for cover designers, how to get an ISBN (if you even need one), and what resources to use for publishing your print and e- books. By the end of the workshop you’ll understand how CreateSpace is different from Kindle Direct Publishing, and that you may need both. You’ll walk away with a roadmap for your self-publishing journey and a list of resources to help bring your story to life. Join Diane Krause who will be leading this workshop.

This is an online event
This event happens online, meaning that you will login to view it from wherever you are. Simple instructions on how to access the live workshop will be emailed to you after you register. You will be able to ask questions to the instructor during the event. A recording of the presentation will be available for one week after the workshop date.

 

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Magazine Writing

Saturday, February 3, 2018
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Rebecca MahoneyLearn to turn your experiences and ideas into published essays and articles for magazines. From identifying story ideas to successfully pitching to editors, this course will help you get started in magazine writing.

We’ll cover all the basics: identifying magazine-worthy pieces (travel, personal essay, journalism), finding an angle, choosing target magazines, writing for a magazine audience, online vs. print opportunities, reporting vs. personal experience, finding a balance, and pitching your story to a magazine. Join Rebecca Mahoney who will be leading this workshop.

This is an online event
This event happens online, meaning that you will login to view it from wherever you are. Simple instructions on how to access the live workshop will be emailed to you after you register. You will be able to ask questions to the instructor during the event. A recording of the presentation will be available for one week after the workshop date.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Writing From Your Soul

Saturday, January 20, 2018
Two sessions:
9am – Noon and 1pm – 4pm
Price: $25 each session

Linda Apple
Morning Session:
For any worldview. Learn what inspirational writing is, what it isn’t, how to find your story, and how to write it in a way that connects with your readers. Learn to find and share the unique inspiration from your own life. This session will be aimed at sharing life truths that fit everyone, no matter how their beliefs lean.

Afternoon Session
Writing for the Christian devotional market. In this session we will learn how to write our faith experiences in a way that will inspire and encourage as well as identifying the common flaws that weaken your message.

Join Linda Apple who will be leading this workshop. Seating is limited.

Register here:


Rogers/Bentonville Writers’ Night Out

1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Jones Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary’s, 1200 W Walnut St., Rogers

Bring a sack supper. Writers’ Night Out is open to anyone who has an interest in writing. We’d love to meet you and discuss your writing goals and dreams.

This I Believe: Writing the Personal Essay

Saturday, January 6, 2018
9am – 4pm
Price: $45

Kathy ManusBased on NPR’s This I Believe series, this workshop will teach you to identify, focus, and express your core beliefs in a short, powerful form appropriate for essays, blog posts, letters to the editor, or as a basis for a longer piece.
A variety of writing exercises will show you how to write a Personal Belief Essay. Learn to articulate what matters to you. Join Kathy Manus who will be leading this workshop.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Online Workshop: Make 2018 the Year of Your Story

Wednesday Dec 13, 2017
Noon – 1pm CT
Price: $5

Every year, even in the midst of the holiday scramble, there’s a little voice in our heads that says, “This new year, I’ll really work on my book. This will be the year that the story in my head finally makes it to paper!” But sadly, years goes by, and though we may make a valiant effort right after the Christmas tree comes down, by the end of January we are no closer to our goal.

Make 2018 the Year of Your Story is an online webinar that looks at the three things you must have to achieve your writing dream THIS YEAR. Yes, commitment is one. But commitment without the other two will not get you there, as you may already have learned. Join Alison Taylor-Brown, Director of the Village Writing School, as she helps you put all three elements into place in your own life so that, truly, 2018 is the Year of Your Story.

This is a virtual workshop. You simply call in at the right time and join our workshop from the comfort of your home. You can just listen in or ask questions as well.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Character as Setting

Saturday, November 11, 2017
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Sanderia Faye In this workshop, Sanderia Faye will delve into the world of “seeing” as a sensory experience and place as character. Participants will look at passages from writers like Toni Morrison, Harper Lee and Maya Angelou to explore how these writers draw readers into their world, how that world is an organic being shaping and being shaped, and how the story could only have taken place there. Join Sanderia Faye who will be leading this workshop.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Writing the Short Story: Five Essential Steps

Saturday, November 4, 2017
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Nancy HartneyWriting a short story is different from writing a novel. Length is a factor, but what other elements distinguish short fiction? Workshop participants will examine five criteria required of a short piece. Concrete tips for improvement, short writing categories, and techniques for successful submission will conclude the workshop. Participants will complete in-class original exercises as well as deconstructing well-known examples of short work. Join Nancy Hartney who will be leading this workshop.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

An Evening With Editor Denise Roy

November 2, 2017
6:30 pm – 7:30pm
Price: $15

Denice RoyJoin editor Denise Roy for a discussion on editing and crafting books that engage readers. Denise has decades of experiences as an acquisitions editor for Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Penguin. We will meet in our library and bring Denise in on our big screen. She will be able to see and interact with the entire room, directly answering your questions.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Improving Your Author Website and Media Kit

October 28, 2017
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Jamie SmithIn this workshop, we will cover the basics of what components make an effective author website then work in pairs to perform a hands-on website review. Reviewers will be provided a punch list that will guide them through the review process. Each participant will use the review to develop a website improvement plan. Bringing a laptop or mobile device is necessary. Join Jamie Smith who will be leading this workshop.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

How To Turn What You Know Into A How-To Book That Sells

October 14, 2017
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Lin WellfordDo you have a hobby or a talent that others have admired? Whether it’s a skill you’ve developed on your own or something your learned and then took to a new level, writers can use their communication tools to create interesting and inspiring nonfiction. Join Lin Wellford who will be leading this workshop.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

An Evening With Editor Denise Roy

October 5, 2017
6:30 pm – 7:30pm
Price: $15

Denice RoyJoin editor Denise Roy for a discussion on editing and crafting books that engage readers. Denise has decades of experiences as an acquisitions editor for Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Penguin. We will meet in our library and bring Denise in on our big screen. She will be able to see and interact with the entire room, directly answering your questions.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Writing for Resiliency: Using Expressive Writing to Heal

September 30, 2017
1 pm – 4pm
Price: $25

Learn how to restore and heal the self from the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ with the curative powers of expressive writing. The healing principles informing radical acceptance, self-compassion and mindfulness converge in the use of emotion focused writing when applied correctly.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Becoming a Bestseller: Marketing and Promotions for Writers

Saturday September 9, 2017
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Price: $25

Stephanie StoreyDiscover how to promote your work from a 15-year media veteran Stephanie Storey who turned her debut novel into a bestseller. Learn insider media tips, keys to the dreaded—but necessary—author platform, and how to execute a successful “book tour.” No matter where you are in your career, working on self-promotion now will help you become a bestselling writer… for life.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

An Evening With Editor Denise Roy

September 7, 2017
6:30 pm – 7:30pm
Price: $15

Denice RoyJoin editor Denise Roy for a discussion on editing and crafting books that engage readers. Denise has decades of experiences as an acquisitions editor for Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Penguin. We will meet in our library and bring Denise in on our big screen. She will be able to see and interact with the entire room, directly answering your questions.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

New York Editor Discusses One-Page Synopsis

Thursday August 3, 2017
6:30pm – 7:30pm
Price: $25

The one-page synopsis is an important tool used by agents and editors to evaluate a manuscript. It is often attached to the query letter. A well-written synopsis can make or break a book’s chance to be read by an agent or publisher. Attendees of this workshop are invited to submit a synopsis for review on September 7.

This workshop will be guided by Denise Roy, who has decades of experiences as an acquisitions editor for Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Penguin. We will meet in our library and bring Denise in on our big screen. She will be able to see and interact with the entire room, directly answering your questions.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Image Is Everything: Constructing Extraordinary Images in Prose

Saturday August 5, 2017
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Price: $25

Learn to construct a range of images (sliding and layering image, for example), identify those moments best anchored in image, and employ dynamic images that invite our readers to fully experience the “moving picture” of our narrative.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Learn the Most Powerful Writing Tool: Scrivener

Monday July 24, 2017
6:30pm – 7:30pm
Price: Free!

Scrivener is a popular writing software program that many writers claim to be the most useful. It is, however, a bit tricky to get started.

 We’re offering a six-week course in the basics of Scrivener designed for those who want some guided instruction. We’ll go nice and easy, step-by-step, in learning this software. By the end of the six-week course, you’ll be using Scrivener for your writing projects and discovering the depth of possibilities it offers.

This class is open to all, free of charge. Bring laptop or tablet. If you don’t have the Scrivener software, we’ll show you how to download your free trial.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Dr. Book Promo: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Internet

Saturday July 15, 2017
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Price: $25

Students in this workshop will learn the basic stages of book promotion and develop a first draft of a marketing plan for their book. They will look at possible objectives a writer might have for various promotional activities. They will be exposed to, and interact with, many of the resources available to writers. Promotion plans can be developed for all budgets. Many resources are free; many are reasonable; some are costly. The workshop will consider all three types.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Coffee with the Editor: Query Letter Critiques

Thursday July 6, 2017
6:30pm – 7:30pm
Price: $15

Denice RoyA great query letter is an essential way to get agents and publishers interested in your book. Even if you are planning on self-publishing, mastering the art of the query letter will help you maximize the interest of others in your book.

In this session, Denise Roy, who has decades of experiences as an acquisitions editor for Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Penguin, will be critiquing query letters from the group, and providing an insider’s account of what works. Bring your own query letter or simply sit and listen as she analyzes those from others. No pressure!

We will meet in our library and bring Denise in on our big screen. She will be able to see and interact with the entire room.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

The Zen of Writing a Sequel

Saturday June 24, 2017
1:00pm – 4:00pm
Price: $25

Are you stuck in a sequel rut? Confused about how much backstory to include? Battling with time constraints? Lack of motivation? Through discussion and exercises, Jan Morrill’s workshop will provide the focus you need to start and complete your sequel.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Best Practices For Your Online Writing Platforms

June 10, 2017
9:00am – 4:00pm
Price: $50

Every non-profit organization or small business (including authors), must communicate with their audience using various online platforms. Online writing has different considerations from traditional print writing. Additionally, each platform, including websites and blogs, have their own best practices. This all-day workshop will guide participants through general best practices for online writing, and how to apply those to their website and blogs.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Coffee with the Editor: Query Letters

June 1, 2017
6:30 pm – 7:30pm
Price: $15

Denice RoyDenise Roy, who has decades of experiences as an acquisitions editor for Simon and Schuster, Random House, and Penguin, will be talking with us every month! We will meet in our library and bring Denise in on our big screen. She will be able to see and interact with the entire room.

There will be a theme for each “chat,” and Denise will talk for a little while on that theme. Then the floor will be opened for questions. Preference will be given to questions on the theme, but if there is time left, you can ask her anything. The theme for the June 1st chat is Query Letters.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Be the Gateway: Find Your Readers

6-week series starting Thursday, May 25
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Price: $50

Many writers are overwhelmed by the process of connecting with an audience. In this workshop series, Alison Taylor-Brown will lead you through the process established in Dan Blank’s book Be the Gateway. You will learn how to best develop the platform for your writing, understand your ideal audience, and begin to engage with them. How and why you create is a story — and that narrative is the best asset you can use to truly engage people. This workshop shows you how to use that gift with joy and confidence. Your copy of the book Be the Gateway is provided when you register. Dan Blank will conduct a special live Q&A discussion (via video feed) in the final session of this series.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

Moments of Truth: The Arc and the Epiphany of Your Memoir

Saturday, May 20
1-4p.m.
Price: $25

Pat CarrEvery life is packed with stories. This memoir workshop will help you decide which story is vital to you right now and which you’re ready to write. You’ll find the opening, the narrative arc, the ending realization–the moment of truth you’re aiming for–and you’ll have the plot points and symbols you need to get there. Join Pat Carr, the author of eighteen books, for this workshop.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

You Can Publish Now!

Saturday, April 22
1-4p.m.
Price: $25

It’s a Brave New World for the publishing industry as it attempts to keep pace with the digital age. The technology boom has markedly broadened the world for today’s writers. Learn the new methods of publishing novels, poetry, memoirs, and short stories. Choose the best method for your writing and let’s get you published now.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.


Simplifying the Art of Business Blogging

Tuesday, May 9
1-4p.m.
Price: $25

Have you been told you need a blog to attract attention to your website and business? Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to achieve a positive ROI on their efforts.

This seminar will simplify how to make that happen so you can get on your way to better business success. The information will help small business owners either be prepared to start a business blog or will help them understand what to look for in a blog written by a freelance writer. This is the third workshop in this three part series.

Seating is limited so make sure you register here.

More Than Meets the Eye 

Writing the OTHER Four Senses

Marian Szczepanski

marian

A sure-fire way to captivate your readers is with concrete details–BUT describing the appearance of a person, place or thing is just the beginning. Your characters, like your readers, have four other senses—hearing, taste, smell and touch—and each one offers you countless opportunities to render those characters’ experiences more vividly. By extension, the reader’s experience of fiction, memoir, and/or creative nonfiction embedded with sensory details will be deeper, more compelling, even downright visceral. 

We’ll read and discuss examples of sensory detail from such contemporary writers as Anthony Doerr, Lily King, Michael Ondaatje, Chitra Divakaruni and Lauren Groff. The class also will include writing prompts for using sensory details in new or in-progress work. Please bring a laptop or paper and pen to class. Handout provided with excerpts, writing exercises and bibliography of works cited. STUDENTS SHOULD READ THE VERY SHORT STORY “BRILLIANT MISTAKE” (IN HANDOUT) BEFORE CLASS. It will be emailed to you when you register.

To register click here.

Marian Szczepanski is the author of Playing St. Barbara (High Hill Press, 2013), praised by Huffington Post as “a stunning debut novel that shimmers with unforgettable characters while casting necessary light on a dark chapter in American history.” Her short fiction has garnered the deMaine Award for an Emerging Writer from Clackamas Literary Review. She has received fellowships, grants, and awards from Hedgebrook, Vermont Studio Center, the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow and Houston Press Club. She holds an MFA in fiction from the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College and teaches creative writing workshops at Writespace (Houston), the Writers League of Texas (Austin) and beyond.


The Words that Fall Between Us

Fall Poetry Workshop Series

FREE TO THE PUBLIC

www.villagewritingschool.com

 

Molly Rector MOLLY RECTOR

Self Portraiture / Saturday, October 29th @ 1-3 PM 

LOCATION: Rogers Library / 711 S Dixieland Rd, Rogers, AR 72758

In this workshop, which is suitable for all ages, we will look at various kinds of self-portraiture in poetry and in visual art. We’ll examine symbols, including objects, colors, and structure, and discuss our own personal symbols. Each workshop participant will then use those symbols to write a self-portrait poem.

Molly lives and works in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where she co-curates the Open Mouth Reading Series and serves as poetry editor for The Arkansas International. She teaches English for the University of Arkansas, where she is earning her MFA in poetry. She is a 2016 Edward Albee fellow. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in SAND, Hobart, and Nimrod.

 

Eszter Takacs ESZTER TAKACS

Writing Away from the Subject / Saturday, November 12th@ 1-3PM

LOCATION: Center for Nonprofits / 1200 West Walnut, Suite 1260 Rogers, AR  72756

In this poetry workshop we will locate and shake loose the spirits of our poem-ready narratives through juxtaposition of dissimilar images, opposing forces, unlike thoughts and unlinked objects. Poets like Emily Pettit, Nick Sturm, Natalie Eilbert, James Tate and Heather Christle, whose poems we will explore, often write through a lens of innocence, use playful language, and create what seem to be imaginary worlds. They write poems away and around their triggering subjects, defining only the sentiments of existing narratives and thus, allowing readers the space to exist within them. We will attempt to replicate these modes of writing the anti-narrative poem.

Eszter is the author of the chapbooks Together We Will Talk Right Down to Earthand The Spectacular Crash. Her poems have appeared in Alice Blue, Hobart, Sonora Review, Yalobusha Review, Forklift Ohio, Ampersand Review, Ghost Proposal, Salt Hill, and Soft Blow. She is a Fulbright Teaching Fellow at the University of Arkansas and has taught creative writing at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She is the recipient of writing scholarships from The Juniper Institute and The Ashbery Home School. She holds an MFA in poetry.

 

Rodney WilhiteRODNEY WILHITE

 Poetry That Redirects Itself / Sunday, December 4th @ 2-4 PM

LOCATION: Rogers Library / 711 S Dixieland Rd, Rogers, AR 72758

In this workshop, we will look at the nature of metaphor and how metaphor can be a tool for generating surprise in a reader. Then we’ll look at ways to coax our poetry into taking surprising detours and discuss how those detours can shape a new understanding of ourselves. We will also look at some examples of successful poems that employ similar tactics and participate in a few writing exercises designed to generate some new ideas.

Rodney’s poems have appeared in Pleiades, 14 Hills, Cartographer, The Idle Class, The Puritan, and Splash of Red. He teaches at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and lives in Fayetteville with his wife and young daughter. Much of his writing focuses mostly on themes of poverty and the disappearance of a local culture in rural areas–specifically (but not exclusively) in northeastern Oklahoma.

 

Poetry Meets Visual Art 

Thursday, January 5th 6:30-8:30 PM

LOCATION: Crystal Bridges Museum

In this workshop, we will consider the poetic image as it connects with the visual art at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. When it comes to writing about a work of art, what does essential description look and feel like? Beyond description, what narratives and ideas might we glean from a painting, sculpture or photograph? Along with this conversation, we will look at poets who have mastered the art of ekphrasis, or writing inspired by art, as we attempt to compose our own poetic responses to particular works of art using guided writing exercises that will take us through a museum experience. We will meet in Crystal Bridges’ lower lobby. Some walking required. Materials (clipboards, pencils, paper) will be provided.

 

Mary AngelinoMARY ANGELINO

Mary Angelino’s publications include the Best New Poets 2015 and 2010 anthologies, Shenandoah, The Journal, New Ohio Review, and Sugar House Review. She is the recipient of the Lily Peter and the Felix Christopher McKean prizes in poetry from the University of Arkansas, and of an Individual Artist Grant from the Arkansas Arts Council. Mary taught Creative Writing for the University of Arkansas while she earned her MFA, and she currently leads a bi-monthly poetry workshop for The Village Writing School. She teaches composition courses on contemporary poetry at NorthWest Arkansas Community College, where she is the Poetry Advisor for the Creative Writing Club.

                           

Tobias WrayTOBIAS WRAY

Tobias Wray is a poetry editor for cream city review. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in BlackbirdBellingham Review, Mid-American Review, Third Coast, and elsewhere. He is a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a coordinator for Eat Local :: Read Local, a program that partners local restaurants with poets from Milwaukee and Madison. He holds an MFA in poetry and translation from the University of Arkansas.

 

No registration required for these events.


Who the Heck is Talking?

Characters, Narrators, and the Slippery Slope of Narrative Distance

Saturday, October 15th from 1:00 PM to 4:00

What’s the difference between the following lines of fiction? “It was winter of the year 1853. A large man stepped out of a doorway.” vs. “Snow. Under your collar, down inside your shoes, freezing and plugging up your miserable soul.”

In one, the narrator keeps his distance from the protagonist; in the other, the narrator shares sensibilities with the protagonist. In this workshopBrad Gambill will show you how professional writers manipulate “narrative distance” to bring added life and vitality to their characters and their fiction.

Brad GambillBrad Gambill was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma and received an English degree from the University of Oklahoma.

He received a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where he worked with two Pulitzer Prize winners,  Marilynne Robinson and James Alan McPherson.

At Oklahoma State, he received his PhD in in fiction writing and Native American literature and completed Baby’s Blues, a coming-of-age novel set in the 1970s. At Waynesburg College (PA) and John Brown University, Gambill has taught creative writing courses in fiction, poetry, and playwriting and helped create and run writing/art festivals for high school and college students.

His full-length, Oklahoma-based play, The 5 & Dime Girls, received a staged reading at JBU, and he is currently writing a novel titled No Joy for Matisse.

Learn to take your writing to the next level by controlling narrative distance. 

Cost: $25


True Story

The Art of Writing Narrative Nonfiction

Mini-Workshop
with
New York Times Bestselling Author Nathalia Holt October 10 – 6 p.m.

Nathalia will discuss the narrative and reporting techniques used in writing her recent book, Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon to Mars.
Come meet Nathalia and learn about creative nonfiction at this
FREE EVENT.

Nathalia Holt, Ph.D. is a science writer and the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us from Missiles to the Moon to Mars (Little, Brown, 2016) and Cured: The People who Defeated HIV (Penguin Random House 2014).

Her work has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, and Time. She has trained at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard University, the University of Southern California, and Tulane University. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in Boston, MA.

 

 


Writing Compelling Dialogue

Learn to write crisp, compelling dialogue that creates memorable voices, brings characters to life, gives each character a distinctive presence in the work, and engages the reader.

In dialogue, characters come alive. In this workshop, students will learn how to shape dialogue with tone, emotion, tension, and misdirection using a set of specific techniques. The class will look at the relationship between voice and character and will practice using dialogue to create character.

Students will learn how to use rhythm and silence to create powerful dialogue and how to compress dialogue to make it more intense. And finally, the class will consider the most effective use of dialogue tags. To accomplish these goals, students will read examples of great dialogue and practice writing their own great dialogue through focused exercises.

Gary GuinnGary Guinn is a retired professor of literature and creative writing. He has taught creative writing workshops through Village Writing School and other venues.

His fiction has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies. His first novel, A Late Flooding Thaw, was published in 2005. His second novel, Sacrificial Lam, will be coming out later this year.

Mark your calendar: September 17 at the Center for Nonprofits, 1200 West Walnut in Rogers. Cost: $25


family banner 3

FAMILY WRITING

Rodney Wilhite

Family is one of the most universal and engaging topics in literature. Every reader, for better or worse, has some form of a family. Let’s look at ways to explore family relationships in your writing in a way that is more interesting and less predictable.

Rodney bioIn this single course we will be discussing various models of what I consider successful depictions of family in literature, and what makes them successful. We will have a series of short exercises designed to generate more exciting, less obvious ways of exploring the family dynamic, focusing less on one’s own personal, subjective experiences and more on bigger picture issues, such as class and social expectations. What lessons can we glean from our encounters with the environment that shaped us that might be interesting for our audience?

 Rodney Wilhite is a poet and educator living in Fayetteville, Arkansas. A recent graduate of the MFA program at the University of Arkansas, he has a background of teaching workshops and classes to students of a wide variety of ages and backgrounds.
Much of his own writing focuses on themes of poverty and the disappearance of a local culture in rural areas–specifically (but not exclusively) in northeastern Oklahoma. He is fascinated by the relationship between the past and present–how the present is informed by the past, how we see the past through the lens of our present concerns.
Sunday, August 21 – 2-5 pm
Village Writing School
1200 W Walnut, Rogers
$25


this i believe

Writing the Personal Essay

a four-week series

this i believeKathy Manus, who teaches this curriculum in the public schools, will show us how to craft amazing personal essays and blog posts along the lines of NPR’s This I Believe.

The workshops will be taught in both Eureka Springs and Rogers on the following Tuesdays. Mark your calendars now.
July 12, July 19, July 26, Aug 2

In Eureka, the series will begin at 9: a.m. at a location Eureka Library Annex, Spring Street.
In Rogers, we will meet at 6:30 in the Center for Nonprofits.

This series is being offered free.

If you ever wanted to be articulate in expressing your ideas, this is the way.

One-Act Plays in Arts Festival

 
Three one-act plays by NWA playwright Brad Gambill will be performed in Eureka Springs as part of the May Festival of the Arts. The plays are directed by Jan Lauderdale, Instructor of Theatre at John Brown University. Cast includes: Amanda Neely, Kaitlin Thompson, Will Gambill, Luke Mitchell, Franklin Davidson, and Nathan Greathouse.
 
Dr. Brad Gambill was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma and received an English degree from the University of Oklahoma, where he also studied dramatic writing under Dr. Theodore Herstand. He received a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where he worked with two Pulitzer Prize winning authors, Marilynne Robinson and James Alan McPherson. At Oklahoma State, he received his PhD in in fiction writing and Native American literature and completed Baby’s Blues, a coming-of-age novel set in the 1970s. At Waynesburg College (PA) and John Brown University, Gambill has taught creative writing courses in fiction, poetry, and playwriting and helped create and run writing/art festivals for high school and college students. In addition to plays, he is currently writing a novel titled No Joy for Matisse.
 
The three plays explore both the light and dark sides of human motivation. In the play, “McAdoo and Aimes,” a veteran wing-walker and his mid-twenties co-performer, perform their routine in the skies over Topeka, Kansas. In “Truck” a drunk soldier places his helmet on top of the battalion flag pole and places his friends in a dilemma as the sun rises over an American Army post in Germany. In “Record-Keeping,” a fresh-out-of-school nutritionist, Sunny, begins to question her “charge” of keeping a patient alive so he can gain two more pounds to set the world record for being the heaviest man. Rachel, a nurse with an edge of cynicism, complicates the moral question. 
 
The plays will be presented at Main Stage, 67 North Main in Eureka Springs on May 21 at 3:00 p.m. A wine and cheese intermission will complete this free event. 
 
For more information, visit www.VillageWritingSchool.com or phone 479 292-3665.
Gambill Play Poster
Brad GambillBrad Gamball is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and teaches creative writing and American/Native American literature at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, AR. In addition to the one-act plays “Truck,” “Aimes & McAdoo,” and “Record-Keeping,” he recently completed The 5 & Dime Girls, a full-length play set in small-town Oklahoma, in the 1950’s.

Strong Women

Sanderia Faye
Sanderia Faye
Diane Les Becquets
Diane Les Becquets

Literary Luncheon

May 14th, 2016

11:00am to 2:00pm

Strong Women

Have Lunch with these Strong Women Authors.

Here’s your opportunity to ask two acclaimed authors anything about writing and publishing. Each author will speak and take questions, and they will spend time at every table during lunch.

Diane les Becquets’ novel Breaking Wild features two strong women surviving physical and emotional hardships in the Colorado wilderness.

breaking wild
Breaking Wild

“This is a powerful story of survival, wilderness field craft, and fractured relationships packed into a suspenseful plot with more than a few surprises….After three young adult novels, Les Becquets scores big with this very adult thriller about two women facing life and death challenges in western Colorado’s rugged wilderness.”
Publishers Weekly

“In Les Becquets’ crisp, immersive novel…she chronicles the harsh beauty of wintertime in the mountains while reminding us that people aren’t puzzles to be solved; they are fierce works in progress.”
— Isabella Biedenharn, Entertainment Weekly

You can find out more information on her website here including an NPR interview.

Sanderia Faye’s novel is about a young girl growing up strong during the Civil Rights struggles in southern Arkansas.

mourner's bench
Mourner’s Bench

“Mourner’s Bench should be mandatory reading for those seeking understanding of this part of the civil rights struggle. Sanderia’s deft touch in creating her characters makes her novel accessible to wide audiences on multiple levels. ...Surely Mourner’swill become a classic selection for higher education.” —Dr. April Burris

“Mourner’s Bench rings historically and emotionally true… The participants of the freedom struggle Faye describes are not one-dimensional heroes but rather multifaceted human beings who are forced to balance their activism alongside the challenges of family life and obligations. … This compelling novel will appeal to literary enthusiasts and history buffs alike.”
—Jennifer Jensen Wallach

Sanderia’s website has more about her book and about her life.

To keep the luncheon personal and make sure everyone has time with the authors, seating is limited.

A $50 donation will secure your invitation. All proceeds go to support the writing programs of the VIllage Writing School.

Make your donation HERE.

Is Your Story a Memoir or a Novel? – Pat Carr
April 9, 2016

Memoirs and novels are distinct genres. You’ll learn the differences between them and decide which would be more effective for your particular story. You’ll learn the differences between memoirs and novels and decide which genre is more effective for your story.

Sometimes the ‘stranger-than-fiction’ stories are just too strange to make a convincing novel and their power lies in the fact that they actually happened. When you decide which genre you want to use for your particular story, you’ll set up the connecting thread or core event, the setting(s), the characters and the beginning and ending. By the end of the afternoon, you’ll have the core event of a novel or the defining aspect of a memoir, the characters, the setting(s), and the beginning and ending of your unique story.You’ll have begun the rough draft.

carr_pat-150x150Pat Carr has published 18 books, including prize-winning short story collections, novels, and a memoir on the writing life. She has a B.A. and an M.A. from Rice, a Ph.D. from Tulane, and has taught literature and creative writing in universities across the South. In her most recent interview (February, 2016) she said she wants writers to write as honestly and as consciously as they can. And basing her workshops on her own writing and teaching experience, she wants to help every writer be great.

Plotting and Planning – Dr. Gary Guinn
March 26, 2016

The objective for the workshop will be that writers who come with a story idea, or a story in the early stages of development, will walk out the door with a first draft outline of the events of the story. We will begin by answering a set of questions focused on our main characters–our protagonist and our antagonist–developing the necessary motivations, strengths, and weaknesses that drive the story. We will then go through a similar questioning process to define the central conflict, the inciting incident, and the most important events in the story. We will discuss the issues of choice, consequence, and change as they reflect the cause-and-effect within the story. Finally, using three-act structure as a background, we will identify key plot points in the story structure and, using the material developed in the exercises above, map out the most effective sequence of events.

We will be listening to your story idea and making suggestions on structure. If you don’t have a story idea, come learn what you need to consider in developing one.

gary

Dr. Gary Guinn is retired Distinguished Professor of English from John Brown University, where he taught literature and creative writing. His short fiction has appeared in literary journals and anthologies, and his novel A Late Flooding Thaw was published by Moon Lake Publishing in 2005.

Blogging – Jackie Wolven 
March 19, 2016

Everyone wants to be published and writing a blog can help you refine your message, story or style by giving you a canvas that people actually read.

In this session you will learn:

Why you need a blog
All about SEO
Best practices for blogging
How to grow your blog
Developing your personal and professional brand through your blog
Technical aspects to blogging
Blog scheduling and calendars
The blogging community
and more.

If you have a blog and it has been floundering, this is the workshop to take. If you know you need a blog, but you haven’t done it yet, this course can help get you on track. If you aren’t sure if blogging is something you want to do for you, your writing or your business – come see and then decide.

If you don’t have a blog before the class starts, email jacquelinewolven@gmail.com for easy instructions to starting one or a connection to a low-cost guide who can help you get set up.

Having a blog prior to the class isn’t a requirement, but it might help you understand some of the technical aspects to blogging.

Who is this class for? Writers, artists, nonprofit directors, business owners, and anyone who wants their voice to be heard.

A laptop is not required but may be helpful.

JackieHeadShotWomen Blogger member Jacqueline Wolven relocated to Eureka Springs over 10 years ago from San Francisco with her family sight unseen. She doesn’t regret that for a minute! She works with small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide to brand themselves and grow into strong values-based business. Her blog is a mix of personal stories and inspiration about slowing down and living simply and solid, easy to understand business advice. She runs the Northwest Arkansas Bloggers community, speaks at blogging conferences nationwide, writes for the Huffington Post and Beliefnet.com. You can find out more about her and get inspired at JacquelineWolven.com.

Subtext, High Events, and Closings – Alison Taylor-Brown
March 12, 2016

When the story is between the lines, over the top, or at the end.

Subtext will be in the morning session.

    • Below the Surface of Story, Plot, Context
    • Implicit Narrative

High Events & Closings will be in the afternoon session. 

    • Weaving the Dramatic & the Subtle
    • Two Mistakes with High Events
    • Endings can Culminate or Imply Continuation
    • Ending Literal or From Afar?

*If you are unable to attend the full-day workshop, you may register for the morning or afternoon session separately.

alisonAlison Taylor-Brown has an MBA from the University of Mississippi, an MFA in Fiction from the University of Southern New Hampshire, and a lifetime of teaching experience.  Find out more about her and what she writes at www.alisontaylorbrown.com, or read her full bio here.

Alison’s goal is to help writers take the next step, whether they’re beginning or established writers. If you’d like to know more about the program or have some ideas you’d like to share with Alison, contact her at 479-292-3665 or alisontaylorbrown@me.com.

Platform with Jackie Wolven – February 20, 2016

It isn’t just social media anymore – you are developing a platform to share your message and attract the right customer, publisher, investor or visitor. Tying together social media, blogging, and brand development you will walk through all the elements you need to get yourself noticed. We will cover the basics of what a platform is and how you craft yours – helping you through exercises to cast away what isn’t serving your brand. We will cover brands that are rocking their platform on every media and those that are sorely lacking to help you see the difference. Tools, tips and tricks will be part of this session – be prepared to take notes and walk away know what you want to do to develop your platform.

Jacqueline Wolven has 25 years experience creating marketing platforms for Fortune 500 products, small businesses, entrepreneurs and towns. She is constantly researching what works and what doesn’t, refining her tool belt to offer the very best strategies to her clients and classes. Understanding that there is an end goal and you are trying to cross that finish line, she isn’t interested in what’s flashy but what works! She brings that to each workshop she teaches and building your platform is the final piece of the marketing puzzle that she will help you place!

JackieHeadShotArkansas Women Blogger member Jacqueline Wolven relocated to Eureka Springs over 10 years ago from San Francisco with her family sight unseen. She doesn’t regret that for a minute! She works with small businesses and entrepreneurs nationwide to brand themselves and grow into strong values-based business. Her blog is a mix of personal stories and inspiration about slowing down and living simply and solid, easy to understand business advice. She runs the Northwest Arkansas Bloggers community, speaks at blogging conferences nationwide, writes for the Huffington Post and Beliefnet.com, and was recently named a So Fab Writer. You can find out more about her and get inspired at JacquelineWolven.com

 

Branding with Jackie Wolven – January 16, 2016

Writers, Bloggers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Artists. It isn’t just for Tide and Coca-Cola! In this session you will understand how your brand lives online and in real life. The session explores the making of a great brand and all of the elements you need to develop yours.

Your brand includes:

    • Color Palette
    • Logo
    • Fonts
    • Photo/Images
    • Tag Line
    • Hashtags
    • Mission & Vision

This hands on session will help you clarify your brand and help you define yourself to your customers and competitors.

JackieHeadShotJacqueline Wolven has 25 years experience developing brands for Fortune 500 products, small businesses, entrepreneurs and small towns. Her work is featured in the Pampered Chef museum and used by small towns nationwide. She has helped companies rebrand aspects of their core business, product launches, and events. Her ultimate goal is that people live their brand everyday. See the work she does with her own brand at JacquelineWolven.com.

The Word and the Sentence – Alison Taylor-Brown


How to use language to manipulate the reader to get the reaction you want.

WORD&SENTlogo

  • Diction
  • Sound Devices
  • The Sentence
  • Figurative Language
  • Types of Phrases
  • Style

 

December 5, 2015
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Jones Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary’s , 1200 W Walnut St.

 

Nature Writing at Hobbs State Park – Madison Woods

natureNature is a treat for the senses but sometimes it takes effort to get past the immediate sensory input and experience a deeper relationship. Madison Woods will lead the class on a voyage of listening, looking, and feeling for connections that transport. The class will include an optional easy nature walk, a communing exercise, a discussion and practice of nature translation through words, art, and photography.

November 22, 2015
Time: 1 pm – 4 pm
Rogers: Hobbs State Park, 20201 East Hwy. 12

 

Social Media Survey – Jackie Wolven

What’s a platform and why does it matter to a writer, blogger, entrepreneur, speaker SMVWSweblogoor consultant? Social Media is an important piece of the platform puzzle. In this workshop, we will survey Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Periscope, YouTube, and Pinterest, discuss which ones are right for you, and how you integrate your vision of who you are online. Hands on, we will talk though specific issues, set goals, and walk out with a plan. No other social media workshop like it!

November 21, 2015
Time: 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

 

Dialogue and Setting – Alison Taylor Brown

  • What to Say
  • How to Say it
  • Setting–More than a Place
  • Setting–Friend or Foe?
  • The Four Elements to Research
  • How to Research

 

November 14, 2015
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

 

Maumelle Publishing Series

Dr. Tom has returned from his two-month writing retreat in Wyoming and will begin his Monday night workshops on Publishing on October 5.

This workshop will meet every Monday night for seven weeks from 6 – 8 p.m.

Topics covered will include:  Publishing Publishing Options, their Advantages & Disadvantages • How Publishers Choose • Agents • Your Right Market • Self-Publishing • Subsidy/Co-op • Run-on-Demand • Small Presses • “Traditional” Publishing • How to use Catalogues & Published Market Reports to Your Advantage • Writer’s resume • Query Letters • Manuscript Preparation • Understanding Your Contract • Legal & Aesthetic Negotiations • Legal & Publishing Vocabulary • Networking in the Industry & More. . .

You will have the opportunity to bring your query letter and synopsis to Tom for individual help.
The workshop will be held at our Maumelle location at the Jeff Odom Community Center, 1100 Edgewood Dr, Maumelle, AR 72113

If you live in Central Arkansas, this is your opportunity to learn how to get that book into the world!

 

Blog Right – Get on Track with Blogging – Jackie Wolven 


New to blogging? Think you want a blog, but aren’t sure why you would have one. Have a blog and want to know how to get the most out of it? This session is for you! Learn the basics of blogging, SEO, branding, voice and all the pieces of the blogging puzzle. After this day-long session, you will have your blog on track and know where you want to go.

 

October 17, 2015
Time: 9:30 am – 1:30 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe

 

Shameless Self Promotion – Marian Szczepanski

MarianS.Learn how to build a buzz for your small press or self-published book without hiring a publicist: identify target market(s), budget for travel, create publicity materials (including social media platforms), pitch venues, solicit reviews, brainstorm creative presentations, reach out to book clubs, and hone your instincts for detecting fresh marketing opportunities long after the launch.

September 26, 2015
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe

 

How to Make the Most of a Moment: Slowing the Pace to Enhance Your Narrative – Marian Szczepanski

MarianS.Learn how to deepen characterization, increase tension, and fuel your plot with greater complexity by strategically slowing the pace with “quiet,” low-activity scenes and passages of description, rumination, remembrance, decision-making, and flat-out awe.

Optional afternoon extension: Students will bring 5-10 pp. of work-in-progress (additional hard copies for every participant) to read aloud, followed by group discussion and constructive critique.

September 19, 2015
Time: 9 am – 12 pm
Eureka Springs: The Village Writing School

 

 platformlogoIt isn’t just social media anymore — you are developing a platform to share your message and attract the right customer, publisher, investor or visitor.

Tying together social media, blogging, and brand development this workshop will walk through ALL the elements you need to get yourself noticed.

We will cover the basics of what a platform is and how to craft yours — helping you through exercises that cast away what isn’t serving your brand. We will cover brands that are rocking their platform on every media and those that are sorely lacking, to help you see the difference. Tools, tips and tricks will be part of this session — be prepared to take notes and walk away knowing what you want to do to develop your platform. 

September 12, 2015
Time: 9 am – 2 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe

 

Self-Editing – Alison Taylor-Brown

alison
More About Alison
  • From First Draft to Finished Manuscript in 12 Steps
  • Reviewing and Applying all the Writer’s Tools

$45 for the all day workshop.  Special discount for all 5.

September 5, 2015
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe

 

Branding – Jackie Wolven

More About Jackie
Writers, Bloggers, Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Artists – everyone who is trying to share a message or sell a product needs to understand their brand. It isn’t just for Tide and Coca-Cola! In this session you will understand how your brand lives online and in real life. The session explores the making of a great brand and all of the elements you need to develop yours.
 
This hands-on session will help you clarify your brand and help you define yourself to your customers and competitors.
 
August 22, 2015
Time: 9 am – 2 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe

 

Power Proposals – Mike McIntyre

FullSizeRender-2
More About Mike

Organizations need resources to survive or grow. New ideas take money. People in organizations know that there are resources “out there” that they might be able to get – but how? ” It is too complicated. ” ” We tried once, and we were turned down” ” We don’t have anyone to write the thing up” ” We had a proposal funded once and it was a big problem. We won’t do that again” ” Funders don’t seem to want to fund a group like ours” These are some of the responses people have toward writing proposals, so they don’t try. The POWER Proposal system will walk participants through the process AND build a program that they can implement effectively once they get the funds.

August 11, 2015
Time: 9 am – 3 pm
Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

 

Subtext, High Events, Closing – Alison Taylor-Brown

alison
More About Alison
  • Below the Surface of Story, Plot, Context
  • Implicit Narrative
  • Weaving the Dramatic & the Subtle
  • Two Mistakes with High Events
  • Endings can Culminate or Imply Continuation
  • Ending Literal or From Afar?
August 1, 2015
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

Social Media Survey – Jackie Wolven

JackieWolvenpic
More About Jackie

What’s a platform and why does it matter to a writer, blogger, entrepreneur, speaker or consultant? Social Media is an important piece of the platform puzzle. In this workshop, we will survey Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Periscope, YouTube, and Pinterest, discuss which ones are right for you, and how you integrate your vision of who you are online.

Hands on, we will talk though specific issues, set goals, and walk out with a plan. No other social media workshop like it!

July 25, 2015
Time: 9 am – 2 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

 

The Word and the Sentence – Alison Taylor-Brown

alison
More About Alison

How to use language to manipulate the reader to get the reaction you want.

Diction
Sound Devices
The Sentence
Figurative Language
Types of Phrases
Style

July 11, 2015
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

Eureka Springs Weekly Classes – Kenzie Doss

Kenzie
More about Kenzie

For the first time, we are teaching our complete creative writing curriculum as a weekly class. Everything you Need to Write a Beautiful Story will be offered in two eight-week sessions on Mondays from 6 – 8 p.m. Beginnings, Character, Setting, Dialogue, High Events, Subtext, Closings, Self-Editing, and More!

April 20 – August 3, 2015
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

 

Blog Right – Get on Track with Blogging – Jackie Wolven 

JackieWolvenpic
More About Jackie

New to blogging? Think you want a blog, but aren’t sure why you would have one. Have a blog and want to know how to get the most out of it? This session is for you! Learn the basics of blogging, SEO, branding, voice and all the pieces of the blogging puzzle. After this day-long session, you will have your blog on track and know where you want to go.

June 13, 2015
Time: 9 am – 2 pm
Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

 

June 6, 2015: Dialogue and Setting – Alison Taylor-Brown

More About Alison
More About Alison
  • What to Say
  • How to Say it
  • Setting–More than a Place
  • Setting–Friend or Foe?
  • The Four Elements to Research
  • How to Research

June 6, 2015

Time: 10 am – 4 pm

Rogers/Bentonville: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

 

 

May 15-17: Publish!! 2015  ~ A 3-Day Writers’ Retreat

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

To view the schedule for the Publish 2015! weekend, click HERE.

TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING

New Wisdom for Traditional Publishing

New York agent, Joëlle Delbourgo

headshot_joelledelbourgo

Joëlle Delbourgo is President and Founder of Joëlle Delbourgo Associates. She was a senior editorial executive at Harper Collins and Random House for more than two decades. She represents a broad range of adult nonfiction and fiction, as well as young adult and middle-grade fiction and nonfiction.To keep our conference affordable, Joëlle will speak via Skype.

 

The Latest on Social  Media & Platform Building

New York agent, Jacqueline Flynn

Jacquie-headshot-011-122x150Jacqueline Flynn represents thought-provoking non-fiction in business, history, self-help, memoir, current events, and science, as well as fiction and children’s titles. She uses her finely-developed editorial acumen to guide authors through the process of positioning their books for the marketplace and specializes in coaching authors to use Social Media and other marketing tools to build and connect with their reader community. To keep our conference affordable, Jacqueline will speak via Skype.

 

SMALL PRESSES

FINDING YOUR PERFECT PARTNER in a SMALL PRESS

Thomas Eaton, PhD

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Dr. Tom Eaton teaches one of the few eight-week workshop series on Publishing offered in the United States. He has a multi-book contract with a small press, for whom he also works as an editor. His presentations will focus on how small presses choose books and how each author should choose his small press.

 

GETTING YOUR BOOK into the WORLD – The NEW WRITERS’ CO-OP APPROACH

Pam Foster, Distribution Director for Oghma Creative Media.

Pam Foster

 

Oghma Creative Media is a small press with big ideas on how to market your book. Pam Foster will discuss their unique approaches.

 

 

 

SELF-PUBLISHING

WHAT a FOCUSED STUDY ON SELF-PUBLISHING REVEALS

Richard Jespers

Decided to self-publish? Don’t jump in blind. Learn from the study and experience of award-winning writer Richard Jespers, who has lots of knowledge to share on your many options as a self-publishing writer.

 

 

To view the schedule for the Publish 2015! weekend, click HERE.

Also this weekend:Books in Bloom Literary Festival and Made By Me Festival featuring self-published authors. A weekend for writers in beautiful Eureka Springs.

(www.booksinbloom.org)

 

Time: Friday 6 pm – Sunday noon   Cost: $125

$75 for Friends of the Village Become a Friend

Specially negotiated hotel rate for our group.

 

 

The First Page/Character – Kenzie Doss

Kenzie
More About Kenzie
  • How to Begin
  • Asking the Right Questions
  • What is Voice?
  • Narrative Arc
  • Writing Rules to Live By
  • 13 ways to make Characters REAL
  • Narrative Urgency

May 2, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Bentonville/Rogers: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd.

 

Heirloom Writing Workshop – Elizabeth Mack

ElizabethMack
More About Elizabeth

In this workshop, you will learn a simple 3-step process of compiling and writing your life story. We will first work on re-remembering our stories, compiling ideas on what to include. We will then discuss methods of organizing our narratives, including creative ways that reflect each person’s background and interests. The workshop will culminate in outlining and composing the first essay. At the end of the day, you should leave with an outline of your ”Heirloom” collection and a draft of the first essay.

May 1, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Bentonville/Rogers: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd.

 

Business & Brilliance: Writing for the Boss

“Business & Brilliance: Writing for the Boss” will take you through methods for providing any writing that the boss wants – -from simple email etiquette to writing the advanced report. This course is not the instructor lecturing to you, but a course where you can bring whatever project you are working on in your job or education and receive one-on-one assistance. This workshop will be coupled with training in email expectations, marketing, web-content writing, customer service responses for client retention, grammar and social expectations in writing, RFP/grants-writing assumptions, resume and cover letter design, and audience recognition for every writing project your boss throws your way. Remember, the internet serves you but you and your company serve the internet too. This course will prepare you to be one of your company’s “wordsmiths” and add to your leadership within the corporate structure regardless of the business in which you serve.

Business & Brilliance: Writing for the Boss” will be offered in an eight-week session in the upstairs writers’ room at the Jess Odom Convention Center, Edgewood Drive, Maumelle, AR. on WEDNESDAYS from April 22 – June 10 from 6-8 PM.

You are invited to bring any business projects on which you are working. Fee is $200.00 for the 8-week, 16-hour session – that is 12.50 per hour for both one-on-one editing and strengthening your business writing skills.

 

 

From Book Talk to Table Top

Everything you need to know to write a beautiful story. 

 

April 21 – June 9     Creative Writing – Series 1

Tuesdays Nights 6 pm – 8 pm

The First Page 

How to Begin • Asking the Right Questions • What is Voice? • Narrative Arc • Writing Rules to Live By 

Character

13 Ways to Make Characters REAL • Narrative Urgency 

Dialogue and Setting

What to Say, How to Say It • Setting, More than a Place • Setting, Friend or Foe? • The Four Elements to Research • How to Research

The Word and the Sentence

Diction • Sound Device • The Sentence Figurative Language • Types of Phrases • Style 

8-Week Series $150

 

April 20 – June 8     Creative Writing – Series 2 

Monday Nights 6 pm – 8 pm

Subtext, High Events, Closing  

Below the Surface of Story, Plot, Context  Implicit Narrative • Weaving the Dramatic & the Subtle • Two Mistakes with High Event • Endings can Culminate or Imply Continuation • Ending Literal or From Afar? 

Self-Editing

From First Draft to Finished Manuscript in 15 Steps • Reviewing and Applying all the Writer’s Tools

8-Week Series $150

 

 

The Distilled Memoir: How to Publish Excerpts – Pat Carr

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Discover how to focus a memoir, unearth its most dramatic moments, and learn to condense those climactic incidents into publishable articles or stories that can also serve as chapters for your longer work. Each participant should have at least two excerpts ready to submit by the end of the afternoon.

April 25, 2015

Time: 1 pm – 4 pm

Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

 

Blog Right – Get on Track with Blogging – Jackie Wolven 

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More About Jackie

New to blogging? Think you want a blog, but aren’t sure why you would have one. Have a blog and want to know how to get the most out of it? This session is for you! Learn the basics of blogging, SEO, branding, voice and all the pieces of the blogging puzzle. After this day-long session, you will have your blog on track and know where you want to go.

April 11, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

 

Self-Editing – Kenzie Doss

Kenzie
More about Kenzie
  • From First Draft to Finished Manuscript in 15 Steps
  • Reviewing and Applying all the Writer’s Tools

April 4, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Bentonville/Rogers: Whole Hog Cafe, 1400 Southeast Walton Blvd

 

Space, Time and Conflict: Writing for Stage Performance – Keith Scales, AEA; AFTRA; SAG 

The novelist’s tools are thought and imagination presented in words, to be read at leisure. The playwright’s tools are actors, interacting with each other and an audience in real time. Common to both forms of expression are plot, character development, and conflict. We will employ the 10-minute play form to demonstrate the fundamentals, challenges and potential of writing for performance.

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More About Keith

March 28, 2015

Time: 10 am – 4 pm

Eureka Springs:  Main Stage, 67 N Main

 

 

 

 

Be Your Own Coach, Essential Strategies for Writers & Other Creatives – Jessie Rex, CLC

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More About Jessie

March 14, 2015

Time: 1 pm – 4 pm

Eureka Springs:  Village Writing School

Do you feel stuck or like you’re not getting where you want to be with your writing?
This workshop will give you the resources, information, and the know-how to be your own coach and get to that next important step in reaching your goal.

There will be times in our life that we need to seek advice, ask questions, and get professional advice. However, many times the answers we need are already within us, we just need to discover the right path to obtain the answers.

We have families, work, social life, and social media. We need to make every minute count.

 

 

 

Subtext, High Events, Closing – Kenzie Doss

March 7, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR

  • Below the Surface of Story, Plot, Context
  • Implicit Narrative
  • Weaving the Dramatic & the Subtle
  • Two Mistakes with High Events
  • Endings can Culminate or Imply Continuation
  • Ending Literal or From Afar?

Time: 9 am – 4 pm     Cost: $45

 

 

Due to  incoming inclement weather, the blogging workshop is rescheduled for April 11. 

Blog Right-Get On Track with Blogging – Jackie Wolven

February 28, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

New to blogging? Think you want a blog, but aren’t sure why you would have one. Have a blog and want to know how to get the most out of it? This session is for you! Learn the basics of blogging, SEO, branding, voice, and all the pieces of the blogging puzzle. After this day-long session, you will have your blog on track and know where you want to go.

 

 

 

 

February 21, 2015:  Screenwriting ~ Carole Parker  CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

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More about Carole

Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR

Ever had a great idea for a movie — but didn’t know how to write a screenplay?  This workshop will cover the nuts and bolts of the craft, how the biz works, what’s selling in Hollywood – and what’s not.

We’ll study story structure, outlining, and how to get your screenplay started on the right foot.  Then we’ll talk about how to get an agent.  Not an academic theory class, this workshop will be spiced up with insider tips galore.

While Carole Parker describes herself as a Noir/Pulp/Hard-Boiled dame, she’s been around the block in Hollywood. As an independent film producer, Carol co-produced CAPPUCCINO, a micro-budget film noir written and directed by Craig Ross, Jr., which won the IFFM Gordon Parks award. She has worked with Warner Brothers, Disney, MTV and New Line Cinema, and at Jaffe/Braunstein films, where she worked on 9 TV movies and 2 miniseries (including THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN reboot, a co-production with Scott Free). To date she has written 26 features, 7 pilots and 5 shorts.In 2008, her political mockumentary A NEW TOMORROW played the festival circuit and won the audience award at the Seattle Independent Film Festival. In the last few years Carole has developed material with several producers: ZOMBIE & JULIET with Mark Ordesky (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and BABY HEISTER with Daniel Ostroff (THE MISSING), and is in discussions with Vince Gerardis (GAME OF THRONES) to write for his new series, THE RIVIERA

Time: 1 pm – 4 pm     Cost:  $25

 

 

Back to the Past – Pamela Foster

February 14, 2015

Time: 9 am – 12 pm

Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

Historical fiction demands the writer understand not just facts and dates, but the culture and mores at the time of the book’s setting. You’ll learn to determine how much research is necessary, and where to find the information you need, but most importantly, we’ll discuss how to make your characters appealing to modern readers while being true to attitudes and beliefs that existed when your book takes place.

 

Back to the Past, Part 2 – Pamela Foster

February 14, 2015

Time: 1 pm – 4 pm

Eureka Springs: Village Writing School

The afternoon workshop will provide additional writing practice and sharing and discussion. There will also be deeper and more individualized instruction, in-depth exercises, personal critiques, and one-on-one discussion of your project with advice specific to it.
 
Attendance at the morning session is not a prerequisite for attending the afternoon workshop but is encouraged.
 
 

The Word and the Sentence – Kenzie Doss

February 7, 2015

Time: 9 am – 4 pm

Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR

  • Diction
  • Sound Devices
  • The Sentence
  • Figurative Language
  • Types of Phrases
  • Style

 

 

January 17, 2015: Plotting and Planning ~ Dr. Gary Guinn

Eureka Springs, AR:  Village Writing School

Learn to find the opening and plot points for your rough draft so you start off on the right foot.

 

 
 

About the workshop:

The objective for the workshop will be that students who come with a story idea will walk out the door with an understanding of the central tension that drives their story, an idea of who the characters will be, a clear idea of the inciting incident, and a first draft of the outline of the events. 
 
 

We will be listening to your story idea and making suggestions on structure.

If you don’t have a story idea, come learn what you need to consider in developing one.A perfect workshop to help you live the writing dream in 2015!!

 
Time: 1-4  Cost: $25

 

January 17, 2015:  Dialogue and Setting ~ Kenzie Doss

Rogers:  Schlotzky’s, 2709 W Walnut St, Rogers, AR

Kenzie

Everything You Need to Write a Beautiful Story

Rogers, AR

  • What to Say
  • How to Say it
  • Setting–More than a Place
  • Setting–Friend or Foe?
  • The Four Elements to Research
  • How to Research

Time: 9 am to 4 pm     Cost: $45

 

December 6: Claiming the Land ~Pat Carr

Village Writing School 

Claiming the Land:
 
  • Your favorite places
  • Making your settings come alive with sensory details
  • Utilizing symbols
  • Owning the past
 Time: 1-4  Cost: $25
 
 
 

 

November 15: The First Page/Character  ~ Kenzie DossKenzie WK

Schlotzkey’s, 2709 W Walnut St, Rogers, AR

 

Everything You Need to Write a Beautiful Story

Topics Covered
 
  • How to Begin
  • Asking the Right Questions
  • What is Voice?
  • Narrative Arc
  • Writing Rules to Live By
  • 13 ways to make Characters REAL
  • Narrative Urgency

Time: 9 am to 4 pm     Cost: $45

 

More about Kenzie
Kenzie

Mackenzie has a Masters degree in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Her undergraduate degree was in Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara with specializations in Literature of the Mind and Early Modern Studies. She has participated in many workshops and has organized and hosted numerous open mic nights across Edinburgh City. Having spent several years within the writing community in Edinburgh, she is excited to be back in the United States to contribute to the universal creative process. After traveling through eleven countries on three continents, she wholeheartedly believes in the connective power of storytelling. She also writes for the Eureka Springs Independent and Fun Guide.

 

 

Nov. 1: The Way of the Story ~ Catherine Ann Jones

Inn of the Ozarks, Convention Center

“We’ve become lopsided living only in our heads. Writing, in order to serve the soul, must integrate outer craft with the inner world of intuition and feeling.”  – Catherine Ann Jones, NY TIMES

Time: 10pm – 4pm       Cost: $99   

 

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The Way of Story offers an integrative approach to writing narrative, combining solid craft with experiential inner discovery. Craft alone is not enough. No other writing workshop offers the solid craft to guarantee a good story along with the intangible inner dimensions of writing.

For writers of all levels & all narrative forms including plays, screenplays, stories, novels, non-fiction including memoir

“At last, a working, professional writer who teaches writing!” – Joe S., San Francisco

“Your structure gave my story wings. I’ve never been so clear on what I want to write.”  – Linda L, Ann Arbor, MI

“A spiritual experience as well as practical.”   – Gard J., Nevada

CATHERINE ANN JONES is an award-winning author, playwright & screenwriter whose films include Unlikely Angel, The Christmas Wife, & the popular series, Touched by an Angel, as well as the books, The Way of Story and Heal Your Self with Writing (Nautilus Book Award 2014). Fulbright Research Scholar to India studying shamanism, winner of the National Endowment for the Arts Award, author of The Way of Story: the craft & soul of writing and Heal Your Self with Writing (Nautilus Book Award 2014), Catherine offers workshops for all forms of narrative writing. She has taught at The New School University, University of Southern California, Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the Esalen and Omega Institutes. She works as a writing consultant and teaches globally in USA, Europe, and Asia. For more info:www.wayofstory.com 


Reviews for the workshop: The Way of Story: the Craft and Soul of Writing

 

Catherine Ann Jones’s focus, clarity, and gentle but spot-on reactions help identify the weak or lazy spots in your writing. Thank God! She is the elevator of purpose.

Joan Buck, Vanity Fair

A safe place in which to discover oneself as a writer. Great exercises which open up a deeper process while learning the essential steps of story structure.

Linda Leonard, Jungian analyst and author of Wounded Woman

(Healing Father- Daughter Relationship)

The Way of Story invigorated my work in a special way. Catherine is a writer’s writer and a gifted teacher.

Barry J. Mills, M.D., Ph.D., Santa Barbara, CA

More about Catherine

Catherine Ann Jones holds a graduate degree in Depth Psychology and Archetypal Mythology from Pacifica Graduate Institute where she has also taught. After playing major roles in over fifty plays, she became disappointed by the lack of good roles for women and wrote a play about Virginia Woolf (On the Edge) and her struggle with madness in a world gone mad, ie, WWII. The play won a National Endowment for the Arts Award. Ten of her plays, including Calamity Jane (both play and musical) and The Women of Cedar Creek, have won multiple awards and are produced both in and out of New York. Her films include The Christmas Wife (Jason Robards & Julie Harris), Unlikely Angel (Dolly Parton), and the popular TV series, Touched by an Angel. A Fulbright Research Scholar to India studying shamanism, she has taught at The New School University, University of Southern California, and the Esalen and the Omega Institutes. Her books, The Way of Story: the craft & soul of writing and Heal Your Self with Writing, are used in many schools, including New York University writing programs. Based in Ojai, California, she leads The Way of Story and Heal Your Self with Writing workshops throughout the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Asia.

 

 

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What a delight! I was looking forward to this workshop – little did I know how profoundly this day would affect me. Part craft, part self-realization. The day was filled with surprises.

Catherine Ann Jones had a delightful manner. Her presentation was clear, direct, and profound. She opened a whole new way of looking at writing beyond craft, beyond exercise.

Wonderful! Very educational with a personal touch. I look forward to using the techniques and doing the exercises. Enjoyed the workshop!

Catherine Ann’s content was jam-packed with substance! She is clearly full of information, tips, wisdom and inspiration. It was an honor to participate!

 

 

Oct. 4: Bring on the Bad Guys ~ Marian Szczpenski

Enough Sympathy Already…Bring on the Antagonists

Think Iago. Think Scrooge (before the ghosts arrived). Think Mephistopheles and Dr. Moriarty and Voldemort.

Sympathetic characters are made much of in today’s literary circles. But what about the bad guys (or girls)? Without question, they stir things up. They lie and lust and lead the good guys (and girls) shockingly astray. They can be counted on to propel a narrative, often at break-neck speed. In short, they deserve attention and thoughtful rendering on the part of the writer in order to reach their full potential as characters, rather than flimsy caricatures of evil.

Time: 9 am – noon  Cost: $25

 

 

 

Oct. 4: My Book’s Journey ~ Marian Szczepanski

The transformation from writer to published author can be exhilarating, as well as exhausting.  This workshop will move from the first hurdle—getting attention from the right publishing powers-that-be—to the finished product (and what to do with it). We’ll discuss the steps to publication, options available to today’s authors, and the realities of marketing your book in a social-media-saturated world.Each participant is encouraged to bring a three-sentence “elevator pitch” designed to grab an agent’s or editor’s attention. The class will conclude with role-playing and collective editing to help participants polish their pitches.

Time: 1pm – 4pm   Cost: $25

 

Sept. 20: Vision, Voice, & Point of View ~ Pat Carr

* Defining your vision
* Making or breaking a story–the crucial role of point of view
* Choosing the most effective/authentic point of view
* Finding your voice
The workshop will feature step-by-step techniques and will give participants time to write. Each seminar should result in writers having rough drafts to work with and polish by the end of the session.

Time: 1pm – 4 pm Cost: $25

 

Aug. 23: Plot ~ Dr. Gary Guinn

Winston Churchill said that History (life?) is just one damn thing after another. E.M. Forster said that “the king died and the queen died” is a story, while “the king died, and then the queen died of grief” is a plot. So how do we take a simple series of events (one damn thing after another) and turn them into a plot? More importantly, a plot that other people will want to read? This workshop will explore the characteristics of a good plot, examine several effective plot structures, and experiment with some ways to generate those structures. And then we will generate a plot or two.

Time: 9am – noon Cost: $25

 

Aug. 23: Magical Realism and the Literary Fantastic ~ Kevin Brockmeier

In our afternoon ON FANTASY & PROPHECY, Kevin will give a lecture, lead the discussion of two short stories, and open the room to questions and free-ranging discussion. If you are interested in including elements of magical realism and literary fantastic in your writing or if you’re just a Brockmeier fan, come join us for illumination.

Time: 2pm – 5 pm Cost: $25

 

July 26: Intro Into Screenwriting ~ Carole Parker

Ever had a great idea for a movie — but didn’t know how to write a screenplay?  This workshop will cover the nuts and bolts of the craft, how the biz works, what’s selling in Hollywood – and what’s not.We’ll study story structure, outlining, and how to get your screenplay started on the right foot. Then we’ll talk about how to get an agent.  Not an academic theory class, this workshop will be spiced up with insider tips galore.

Time: 1pm to 4pm  Cost: $25

 

July 12: Infinite Choices ~ Pat Carr

   * Getting to know your characters before you start
   * Giving every character a motive
   * Making the reader care
   * Resolving the conflict with psychological truth
The workshop will feature step-by-step techniques and will give participants time to write. Each seminar should result in writers having rough drafts to work with and polish by the end of the session.

Time: 1 pm to 4 pm  Cost: $25

 

May 18: CPR For Your Story, Books in Bloom @ the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs

  • Do you have an idea for a novel or memoir but don’t know how to begin?
  • Have you made a start but now you’re stuck?
  • Do you wonder if your first page will hook a reader or publisher?

WE CAN HELP!

Time: Noon

 

May 31: Kelly Madigan ~ Writing a Self-Help, How To Book

Have you overcome obstacles or succeeded at a difficult task?  Do you have hard-won wisdom that can illuminate another’s person’s pathway?
But what makes your experience meaningful to others? Why should they trust you? What makes your story stand out from the multitude of stories coming at us every day?

Time: 9 am to Noon  Cost: $25

 

May 31: Kelly Madigan ~ It’s Not Who You Know

As an unknown writer with no academic affiliation, many miles from New York City or L.A., Kelly Madigan struggled to get her work out into the world. Eventually, through trial and plenty of error, she discovered multiple tools that helped her acquire an agent, sift through book deal offers from major publishing houses, win prizes from literary magazines, receive a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and get invited to amazing locations to settle in and write for up to a month at a time – while they paid her to be there.

Time: 2 pm to 4 pm  Cost: $25

 

June 22: Paula Morell ~ Tales from the South, Tales on the Rail

An Oral Storytelling Workshop with Paula Martin Morell, Executive Producer of Tales from the South. Here’s your chance to learn how to write, present and perform your work for Radio or Public Storytelling.

Time: 1 pm to 4 pm   Cost $35 for workshop includes a 1- hour train ride.Departing from Rogers at 1st & Poplar St.

 

April 5: Marilyn Collins ~ Tell Your Story Your Way

Join this fun and interactive writing workshop and lean to write your own life story. You know, the one you’ve always promised yourself you’d write. Take this opportunity to tell your story, your way. You’ll learn to select which stories to tell, tips on organizing all that memorabilia and photographs, how not to start a family feud, and much more. You’ll learn, write, and share. Everyone has stories worth telling and preserving—and so do you. “When other people define the story for you, they are likely to define it incorrectly.” (Kim Goodwin)

Time: 9 am to 1 pm  Cost: $25

 

April 24, May 22, & June 26: Rebecca Mahoney ~ Spring Memoir Series

If you want to be the next Cheryl Strayed, this is for you.  Rebecca will address the common but thorny problems with memoir such as:

·      how to create a true scene,

·      how to incorporate dialogue,

·      how to create a story arc,

·      how to create characters.

She’ll discuss the issue of recreating material, i.e., where do you draw the line between journalism and fiction?  When is it ok to fill in the blanks and when is it not?

Time: 3 – 5 pm  Cost: $90

 

May 3: Pat Carr ~ Short Stories

Award-winning short story writer Pat Carr will teach you the A-Z of short stories and you’ll go home with a draft of your own story.

The workshop will cover these important elements:

*Finding the core incident

*Making the reader care about your characters

*Keeping your voice

*Setting the scene

*Plotting the story arc

*Beginning and ending the story

*Revising and submitting the story

Time: 9 am to 4 pm  Cost: $25

 

April 19: Subtext, High Events, Closing

Below the Surface of Story, Plot, Context

Implicit Narrative

Weaving the Dramatic & the Subtle

Two Mistakes with High Events

Endings can Culminate or Imply Continuation

Ending Literal or From Afar?

Time: 9 am to 4 pm  Cost: $25

 

February 22 or March 15, 2014: The Word and the Sentence

Diction

Sound Devices

The Sentence

Figurative Language

Types of Phrases

Style

Time: 9 am to 4 pm

 

February 1 or 15, 2014: Dialogue and Setting

What to Say

How to Say it

Setting–More than a Place

Setting–Friend or Foe?

The Four Elements to Research

How to Research

Time: 9 am to 4 pm

 

January 18: The First Page Character

How to Begin

Asking the Right Questions

What is Voice?

Narrative Arc

Writing Rules to Live By

13 ways to make Characters REAL

Narrative Urgency

Times: 9 am to 4 pm

 

February 6: Rebecca Mahoney ~ Feature Writing

Learn to write a Feature Story for magazines and newspapers.  Rebecca Mahoney, who has published numerous feature articles in the Boston Globe, the L.A. Times, the Orlando Sentinel, and many other newspapers, as well as Associated Press online, will teach a workshop, via Skype, on how to find, organize, and write a feature story. To see some of Rebecca’s work, go to rebeccamahoney.com

Time: 3 pm to 5 pm  Cost: $20

 

October 19, 2013: Elizabeth Mack ~ Mindful Writing 

In this full-day workshop, students will learn how to unlock creativity, write without judgment, and explore the endless possibilities in their stories. Through guided instruction on the craft of writing as well as mindfulness practices, participants will learn how to avoid roadblocks that get in the way of their writing. This workshop is for those who have not considered themselves a writer before, while also providing keen insights into the craft for seasoned writers. Re-energize your mind and your writing and take your writing to the next level!

Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Cost: $45

 

October 5, 2013: Pamela Foster ~ The Golden Trilogy

Pamela Foster’s workshop, The Golden Trilogy, teaches the art of weaving sense of place with point of view and internalization.   The author believes that when, as writers, we braid these three components seamlessly together, we drop our readers into our stories and allow them to experience the world we invent and to inhabit our characters. The workshop includes a series of presentations and examples, as well as writing exercises and critiques.  Foster will share with you her method for building a sense of place that encompasses all five senses, as well as the memories and the expectations of the point of view character.

Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

 

September 21,2013: Jan Morrill ~ Characters!

Characterization is one of the most important drivers of fiction or creative non-fiction. In this workshop, Jan Morrill will demonstrate how to create multi-dimensional characters that will come alive with personality, quirks, secrets, habits and senses, to keep the reader turning the page for more.

This class will have several exercises to demonstrate the following methods:

    • Interviewing Characters
    • Writing Letters
    • Describing Photos or Art in Character’s Voice
    • Writing a Scene in a Different Point of View

Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

September 7, 2013: Linda Apple ~ Inspire! Writing from the Soul

To inspire is to motivate, guide, and stimulate. To write from our soul is to use our knowledge and life experiences to inspire our readers in a positive way.

Two Mini Workshops ~ Take One or Both!

Morning (9 a.m. – noon): How to write inspirational stories no matter what your worldview or faith tradition. Learn to share the life lessons that you’ve learned. $25

Afternoon(1 p.m. – 4 p.m.): Christian Inspirational writing in the style of the Master of storytellers

We’ll also discuss ways to get our stories into the hands of readers.

Time: 9 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

 

August 17, 2013: Jackie Wolven ~ Blog Right

Jacqueline Wolven, Executive Director of the Eureka Springs Downtown Network and an instructor for the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, will teach blogging for the Village Writing School on August 17.

Time: 9-4.  Cost: $45

 

July 27, 2013: Publish Conference

Over fifty area writers attended The Village Writing School’s conference, PUBLISH! Your Questions Answered, at the Inn of the Ozarks on Saturday.  Via Skype, speakers from New York and Florida joined six live presenters to cover the full range of options available in today’s publishing world.

 

Rebecca Mahoney, whose features and essays have been published by The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The L.A. Times, The Orlando Sentinel, and many others, will teach a Memoir workshop for the Village Writing School on June 22 and 25.  Mahoney, who teaches at Southern New Hampshire University will bring her years of experience writing both fiction and creative nonfiction to bear on the exciting process of telling a personal story.  For more information and to register contact Alison Taylor-Brown at 479 292-3665 oralisontaylorbrown.com.
Cost for the all-day workshop is $45.