Program Topics

Magic on the Page: The Fiction-Writing Process
E. L. Doctorow famously said, “Writing a book is like making a long car trip at night. You can only see as far as the headlights reach. But you can make the whole trip that way.” In this session, I discuss how writing a novel is different from writing a term paper. I answer the following questions:
What elements are common to all types of fiction, whether genre or literary fiction?
How does a novel progress from idea to finished work?
What do you do with that first draft once you have it?
What common weaknesses should you look for in the revision process?
Why is a critique group important?
How do you go about marketing your finished work?

Worldbuilding: Writing and Publishing Young Adult Fantasy.
In this session, I discuss elements of fiction, including character, setting, and plot, plus the integration of magic that makes it fantasy. We discuss rules, tools, and limitations of magic with examples from popular fantasy novels. Then I talk about the publishing process: writing, revising, selling your work and how a book gets designed and produced.

Fantasy Writing Workshop
Designed for small groups who have already attended one of the core sessions above. Following a brief discussion about elements of fiction, students complete a story worksheet, with descriptions of possible characters, settings, plot problems, and magical schemes for their own fantasy stories.

Conferences
I can speak on any of the topics above for conferences. I have also done presentations on specific craft topics such as Writing Effective Dialogue, Elements of Fantasy Writing, Writing for Young Adults, and Finding An Agent.