Saturday, October 24, 2009

Announcing a 2011 workshop for FF&P

January 2011 may seem a long way off, but I've been asked to do a month-long, online workshop for FF&P (Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal)--a chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America). I'll be doing "Cause-Effect Sequences for Action Scenes." This is not the same comprehensive workshop I'm doing next month for Pennwriters (www.pennwriters.com). The one for the FF&P will be strictly about to look for and how to emply cause-effect to best advantage for action scenes.


Saturday, October 17, 2009

November 2009-online workshop

Here are the details for my November online course:

CAUSE & EFFECT SEQUENCES: Intensive Online Writing Course

INSTRUCTOR: Catherine E. McLean
DATE: November 2-23, 2009 (4 weeks, 1 session per week)
COST: $30 Pennwriters members; $35 non-members

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Interesting stories that grab a reader's attention and keep them turning pages don't happen by accident. Those stories employ techniques and devices of Cause & Effect Sequences that you can learn. This intensive online course will teach you how to use Cause & Effect Sequences to:

* Add urgency, suspense, conflict, and drama to your scenes and plots
* Seamlessly enter or depart flashbacks or remembrances
* Enhance the flow of your story with ease
* Suspend reader disbelief
* Validate motivations for character's behavior, thinking, reactions, and decisions
* Develop characters & validate motivations for their behavior, thinking, reactions, and decisions
* Produce cleaner, more marketable copy

Participants will be required to submit the first 500 words from the opening of one of their stories. Excerpts from your story will be privately critiqued by the instructor for use of Cause & Effect Sequences; however, with your permission, some may be used as examples for the group. There will be weekly assignments.

(NOTE: This course is for writers familiar with story structure, writing and story terms, and who have completed fictional short stories and novels.)

FREE bonus with this course: "Bloopers & Blunders"--a list of 46 common mistakes made in writing fiction.

Discover how to write engaging stories readers and publishers love.

Enroll Now. REGISTER: http://tinyurl.com/PennwritersCourse200911
- OR -
http://www.pennwriters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=172&Itemid=72

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Guest Blogging at Polka Dot Banner

Just a quick announcement: I'll be guest blogging at the Polka Dot Banner (www.polkadotbanner.com) on December 8.