SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS THAT KAREN TEACHES
Invite Karen to Speak to Your Group about
- The Summer of Grace
- Death for Beginners
- The Craft of Writing
Invite Karen to teach a Writing Workshop
The Summer of Grace
Karen is available to visit in person if your group is near coastal Virginia, or with her Zoom page. She will answer questions, explain how she came to write the story and take any suggestions for the sequel she is writing! Send her an email at [email protected]
Death for Beginners
Karen is available for workshops and seminars on issues related to how to plan for your death. She has given workshops and seminars at churches, retirement homes, hospitals, hospice workers, veterans groups and estate planning seminars. She can structure the talk to suit your time frame and informational needs. All talks include handouts. Books can be available for purchase if a 3 week notice is given. Costs are adjusted for time and organization requesting the seminar/workshop. References are available on request.
Karen will also be happy to answer questions from book clubs that are reading Death for Beginners. She will also participate in book club discussions by Zoom.
To inquire about scheduling Karen for your event, send an e-mail to: [email protected]
Structuring a Writing Life
Dig In and Write – Have you been waiting for the “inspiration fairy” to wave her magic wand? Learn how to bypass the waiting and write on demand. This morning workshop will help you find the time, place and structure for steady-paced writing. Relaxation techniques, exercises to increase creativity and learning how to deal with the fear of committing one’s self to a project will also be featured.
How Do I Begin? – Have you always wanted to write a book but had no idea where to begin? You can begin right here. This practical hands-on workshop will help you clarify your direction and focus your goals. You will learn how to find the stories you want to write, use your creativity, and develop the discipline to complete a manuscript.
INSPIRATION
Finding the Book Within
This 2 hour workshop will teach you ways to liberate your creative flow and find those illusive stories, organize your ideas, chart a reasonable path for actually sitting down and writing, and build the discipline required to write your book.
CREATIVITY
The Creative Edge (3 hours) – An examination of techniques for finding your subject including research and brainstorming techniques; plot organization strategies including outlines, circle diagrams, charts, slanted lines; dividing the story using scenes, sequels and bridges; a discussion of plot arcs, the use of index cards for plot points, scenes and bridges; successful methods for finding your characters using the character sketch, the timeline, the relationship sketch, character tags and character emotions; techniques for finding your setting, real versus imagined settings; exercises for the creative jumpstart.
The Creative Edge (1 hour) – Jump-start your creativity with unique brainstorming techniques; discover methods for unearthing your subject; learn to capture intriguing characters and find the right setting; become skilled at creative research.
NOVEL WRITING
Ingredients of a Successful Novel (2 hours) – This 2 hour seminar will include a discussion of mythic structure and its importance in developing the story; the different types of characters, their defining traits, and how to incorporate them into the plot, the different
uses of setting including setting as character and dramatic device; and an examination of the dramatic scene including the theory of illumination and advancement, and the necessary elements of the climatic scene.
Ingredients of a Successful Novel (3 hours) – A discussion of mythic structure and it’s importance in developing the story; the different types of characters, their defining traits, and how to incorporate them into the plot; the different uses of setting including setting as a character and dramatic device; an examination of the dramatic scene including how to build tension and create more questions to move the story, the theory of illumination, the theory of advancement, and the necessary elements of the climatic scene.
The Hero’s Journey – Unlock the secrets of the design and principles that govern the structure of storytelling. Based on the mythic studies of Joseph Campbell, this session will teach you the critical ingredients of a successful story and help you look at your past work with a fresh perspective.
The Art of Revision – Learn how to tackle your first draft and make it the manuscript you know it can be. Creative and practical revision strategies will be examined. This session involves lecture and hands-on writing exercises.
Mythic Structure for Writers: The Craft of Plotting – Unlock the secrets of the design and principles that govern the structure of storytelling. Based on the studies of Joseph Campbell, this session will teach you the critical ingredients of a successful story and help you look at your past work with a fresh perspective. Program involves lecture and hands-on writing exercises.
Make Your Characters Come to Life – Spend a morning learning the techniques and developing the skills necessary to construct believable characters and make your characters come alive. Program involves lecture and hands-on writing exercises.
Mythic Structure for Writers: Developing Compelling Characters – Discover the techniques for constructing characters who reach inside where readers live. Based on the studies of Joseph Campbell, you will learn the different types of characters, their defining traits, and how to incorporate their development into your plot. This workshop includes lecture and hands-on writing exercises.
HANDS-ON WRITING WORKSHOPS
Ready, Set, Write! – Spend an active morning writing. And writing. And then writing some more. This face-paced workshop will explore character, setting, dialogue and ‘showing-not-telling’ through a series of directed writing exercises. Sharing your work is hoped for but not required. Constructive and kindly critiquing will hopefully encourage everyone to share their work with the group.
Intensive Writing Session – Spend a productive and creative morning doing what you like to do best, writing. These 4 hours will involve both short-burst creative writing and reflective writing. Students will be encouraged to share. Expect lively, humorous, kind and constructive dialogue.
BUSINESS
Ingredients of a Great Query Letter – The seminar will define the query letter for both fiction and nonfiction, describe the elements of the query package, and show how to write an effective query letter including the cover letter and the one page synopsis.
Finding an Agent – Unlock the secrets of targeting the right agent, learn how to shop your work, understand the difference between selling fiction and nonfiction, and develop your personal query letter package. This session involves lecture and hands-on writing exercises.
Handling the Media – In today’s world, perception is critical. Too often judgments are made before quality is assessed. Nowhere is this more important than when dealing with the media. This workshop will provide you with the skills necessary for effective interaction with both newspapers and television. You will learn how to choose the best outlet, decide which show/edition will serve your needs, formulate the proper approach, develop the essential “local hook”, and participate in a successful interview.
