Teaching Lab Descriptions
Wednesday Full Day Teaching Labs Ron Benson and Lee Warren – On Ramp On-Ramp is more than just a class; it’s a way for new conferees to get up to speed before moving into the frenetic flow of CLASS Christian Writers Conference. Those who have never attended a writers conference before or those who are new to this conference often need some direction, some shepherding, some counsel, and some hand-holding. But once the conference kicks into gear, it’s too fast and furious for most of that stuff to happen.On-Ramp can help give first-timers the confidence to handle the speed. Dwight Bain - Building a Successful Seminar Business: The step by step process to generate significant income from speaking and training events (additional fee) Have you wondered what it takes to be well paid as a speaker? Do you want to be given more respect as an expert who speaks? Have you considered the possibilities of helping a lot more people in a lot less time? Do you want to experience a dramatic increase in your income as a communicator? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes” this intensive training event is for you. Every step and detail will be mapped out for you to build a successful seminar business that fits your unique background and skill set. You will be shown how to re-engineer your career to build income from speaking events, to both nonprofit and corporate groups. Tama Westman – Book Proposal Blitz (additional fee) At Book Proposal Blitz, you will take your current or in-progress book proposal, utilize excellent resources and add the wisdom and skills of our CLASS team and mentors to help you "beef up" your proposal so it will quickly gain the attention of editors. In today's competitive market, a well-crafted book proposal is the best chance your book has for seeing the light of day. Thursday- Saturday Teaching Labs 10 a.m.-noon Bucky Rosenbaum - Nonfiction Nancy Moser - Writing and Editing Your Novel: Getting the Words Right Learn how to make your novel exciting and sellable, and find out how to be your own best editor. Nancy will dive into plotting, characterization, dialogue, truths about the publishing business, and other nitty-grittys that arise as we carry on our quest to get the words right. Learn the ins and outs of creating fiction that will reach the hearts of your readers. DiAnn Mills - Fiction Techniques for the Advanced Writer This advanced fiction class is designed to take the writer to a new height in the craft of writing. The purpose of the class is to focus on each writer’s strengths and areas of improvement in an interactive environment through hands-on exercises. The goal for each participant is to understand and apply the tools needed to develop his/her novel. The exercises and techniques will show writers how characterization influences plot and how to strengthen those aspects of their writing through genre, plot, setting, dialogue, and narration. The participants will work independently and as a team to understand emotive conflict, tighten dialogue, and focus on the critical first page. Jerome Daley - Writing Strategies for a New Generation of Readers Popular speaker Jerome Daley returns with a mission: to help new and seasoned writers alike grapple with the implications of a changing culture upon our role as writers, communicators, and leaders. Every generation wrestles with the challenge of communicating an unchanging message in a rapidly-changing world. And our world is changing in seismic dimensions: culture change, economic change, industry change, and leadership change top the list. This workshop will be intense – challenging you with provocative perspectives on the new culture, equipping you with new tools and insights for publication, and inspiring you toward Kingdom influence in the new generation. As a trained leadership coach, former pastor, and experienced writer, Jerome looks forward to investing in your life and ministry! Jeannie St. John Taylor - Write Sellable Kids’ Stuff with Sizzle and Snap Jeannie shares all her secrets in this hands-on class. Learn all you every wanted to know about children’s writing: How to write a ‘tween novel in six weeks or less Jeannie’s Sure Fire Picture book technique Editor etiquette Proposals and dummy construction Ideas to sustain you till the market picks up Craig von Buseck – Writing for the Web Karen Porter – Advanced Career Track Not sure where to go next in your career? You’ve learned the basics and you’ve been published in a book or magazine, now what? Learn what’s happening in the industry; why it is changing and why is it changing so fast! Learn how to build a platform. Practical tips you can use now! Marketing tips from the experts for your book and your speaking career. Sessions on the craft of writing (both fiction and non-fiction) guaranteed to ignite your creative juices. Interactive sessions with industry experts including editors and professional writers. Special guests throughout the week will inspire, encourage, and motivate you. Get up-close and personal with industry leaders and hear off-the-record inside information. Discover what good time-management can mean to your writing career. Laura Bagby – Get Published Now “I want to Get Published – NOW!” Have you ever said that? Sometimes the road to that first publishing credit seems long and hard to travel. It feels like you will never be able to say, “I am a published writer.” If you have had those thoughts, be encouraged. Take advantage of the Get Published Now class at the CLASS Christian Writers Conference. You can arrive at the Ghost Ranch an unpublished author and leave as a published author! Is the class limited to unpublished authors? Absolutely not! Having a personal mentor for three days can take every writer to the next level.
This is a hands-on, interactive workshop where you will learn the specific elements editors look for in a proposal by working with experienced mentors from the fields of writing, editing, and marketing to revise and recreate your book proposal into the best it can be.
Bonus: A special “pitch session” allows you to practice, polish, and perfect pitches, and to discuss how you can make the most of your interactions and meetings with editors and publishers.
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