Saturday, June 30, 2018

5 Ways to Rratchet Up the Tension in Your Fiction



What’s the secret to writing a story that grips readers? Tension. Finding ways to ratchet up the tension in your story will keep readers flipping pages because they simply have to know what comes next! As the author of four nail-biting suspense novels, Patchell shares some practical tips on how to increase the story tension and keep your readers enthralled.
 
Chris Patchell is the bestselling author of In the Dark and the Indie Reader Discovery Award winning novel Deadly Lies. A former tech worker turned full-time author, Chris Patchell pens gritty suspense novels set in the Pacific Northwest.
 

About the Meetings

The Portland Chapter holds monthly meetings for writers in the Portland metropolitan area. Members from other chapters are always welcome as are writers new to Willamette Writers.
Unless otherwise stated…

Meeting Time

The Portland Chapter meets on the first Tuesday of each month except for August when we head to the Willamette Writers Conference.

Meeting Location

Meetings are held at the historic Old Church in downtown Portland.
The Historic Old Church
1422 SW 11th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201

Meeting Format

  • 6:30-7:00 p.m., Meeting Setup, Signup, Fellowship and Refreshments
  • 7:00-8:15 p.m., News and Announcements followed by the Program
  • 8:15-8:30 p.m., Book signings, silent auctions, or other events in the back room
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Meeting Cost

Monthly meetings at all the chapters are free for members of Willamette Writers. Fee for nonmembers to attend meetings at the Portland chapter meetings is $5 (suggested donation).

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Summer Workshops with Anthea Sharp and Bill Johnson

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