September 12: Platform ~ Jackie Wolven
Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR
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.9:30-1:30
September 19: How to Make the Most of the Moment: Slowing the Pace to Enhance Your Narrative ~ Marian Szczepanski
Eureka Springs: The Village Writing School 
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.
9:00-12:00
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September 26: Embracing Shameless Self-Promotion: How to Be Your Book’s Best Publicist ~ Marian Szczepanski
Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR
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.
10:00-1:00
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October 17: Blog Right – Get on Track with Blogging ~ Jackie Wolven
Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR
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.
9:30-1:30
October 24: The First Page/Character ~ Alison Taylor-Brown
Rogers/Bentonville: 1400 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville, AR
So you’ve got a terrific story idea! You sit down at your computer and begin to … stare at a blank screen.
For many writers, the greatest challenge is not creativity, story concept or imagination. No, their most daunting hurdle is simply how to get started.
This is not surprising because your story’s beginning—your First Page—is the most demanding key to a successful tale. Your First Page sets the tone, voice and narrative style that govern the balance of your manuscript. Without a strong and well-crafted beginning, the greatest story idea will fail to hook readers, agents, or publishers.
In this workshop…
You will learn how to insure your beginning (First Page) is right for your story—and for your readers. Topics include the critical questions you must resolve before you begin to write: story arc, voice, point of view and narrative urgency. You’ll also learn the specific rules every writer must know for successful storytelling.
This workshop will give you precise methods to address the questions above, plus many more. Each technique is explained in a detailed, organized manner, complete with useful demonstrations. The accompanying workbook/reference book will be an invaluable resource on your writer’s desk.
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