Write On The River presents
A SUMMER WORKSHOP WEEKEND
“FOCUS ON FICTION”
Saturday, June 23 from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. at Wenatchi Hall on the Wenatchee Valley College campus
FULL DAY: $85 (only $70 for WOTR Members)
Register by June 10 for a $10 discount!
Free passes available for WVC Staff and students. Interested? info@writeontheriver.org
Includes two 3-hour classes, an (optional) writing critique and a box lunch
Friday Night Special! Meet the presenters!
A Book For All Seasons presents a reception, book signing and Q&A at the Leavenworth Public Library at 6:30 Friday June 22.
Bill Johnson and Anthea Sharp are two past WOTR conference presenters,
both highly-praised, who are eager to engage Wenatchee and north central
Washington writers for a full day of “focus on fiction.”
“Nailing Narrative Tension”
“When a character is blocked from resolving a compelling issue of
human need, that character will be in a state of tension. The more
powerfully a character’s tension is transferred to an audience, the more
that audience will be caught up in a story, and the more will be their
relief at its culmination. The goal of this workshop is to guide writers
to recognize narrative tension in popular novels and stories and to
learn how to create that key element, typically embodied by a main
character, at the beginning of their own stories.”
Bill Johnson has taught writing around the United States, and most recently an online workshop on narrative tension
for Pennwriters. He has produced videos on storytelling for
OregonWritersSpeak and is web master of Essays on the Craft of Dramatic
Writing. He is a playwright with a recent production in Brighton,
England. Bill’s workbook, A Story is a Promise and The Spirit of
Storytelling, explores principles of dramatic, engaging writing using
reviews of popular movies, books and plays. Author Carolyn J Rose said,
“Bill’s work made me take a longer look at what matters to readers at
the emotional core. I feel my characters are deeper and more memorable
because of what I learned.”
“Writing to Market – it’s not what you think!”
“As storytellers, we’re moved to write by what inspires us. But at
some point, the reader enters the equation: friends and family, an agent
or editor, the reading public. We all want to craft a compelling book
that resonates with readers, and this workshop will give you the tools
you need to take your writing to that next level. We’ll dive deeply
into story arc, genre expectations (including memoir, nonfiction, and
literary fiction as well as the “standard” genres), and how to engage
and delight readers while staying true to your own voice and story.”
Growing up on fairy tales and computer games, Anthea Sharp has
melded the two in her award-winning Feyland series. She is a USA Today bestselling,
award-winning author of YA Urban Fantasy. Anthea now makes her home in
sunny Southern California, where she writes, hangs out in
virtual worlds, plays the fiddle with her Celtic band Fiddlehead, and
spends time with her family. Her books have won or placed in the PRISM,
the Maggie, the National Reader’s Choice Award, the Write Touch Reader’s
Award, the Heart of Excellence, and the Book Buyer’s Best contests. She
also is a RITA-nominated author of historical romance under her pen
name, Anthea Lawson.
Check-in at Wenatchi Hall opens at 8:00 a.m. Feel free to step in and out of ongoing workshops
for your critique appointment. Lunch is an informal box lunch in the atrium or outside
ONE-ON- ONE WRITING CRITIQUE (OPTIONAL)
If you would like to schedule a 20-minute personal writing critique
session with either one of the presenters, please submit your manuscript
directly to them by email, as an attachment. Send up to 10 pages in
Times New Roman 12-point font, double spaced. Indicate whether it’s
fiction or non-fiction (Johnson can also accept scripts) and whether
it’s the start of a longer work or an excerpt.
Be prepared to exit the workshop and re-enter after your critique.
Send your manuscript by June 10 to:
Bill Johnson:
bjscript@teleport.com OR Anthea Sharp:
antheasharp@hotmail.com