Heat makes me angry.  Wait, let me reframe.  Bay Area heat makes me angry.  There is no lovely air to support me during the heat, no azure sea, no pina colada, no air conditioning except in my car.  I become a grumpy, sullen, migraine-y pain-in-the-ass kind of person, and the less I say to you right now the better.

So let me plug my upcoming one month, bargain priced, fabulous online class.  Though it is run by an RWA chapter, you don't have to be writing romance--it's a genre inclusive class.  All welcome!  Sign up now!  No knives included, but you will get some work done should you sign up.

July
4 Weeks
7/6 - 7/31
$20/$25
Developing Plot and Tension in the Novel

Instructor:  Jessica Barksdale Inclan

Registration Deadline: 7/5/09
 

You may have wonderful ideas for your novel, fascinating characters, and beautiful writing, but those attributes alone won't tie a novel together. Plot and the ensuing tension that a carefully constructed story engenders are what keeps your readers tied to your words. In this workshop, we take your material and create a storyline, working on creating successful beginnings, middles, and ends. We also see how your characters and your writing style work in conjunction with your plot. Working from a complete draft of a novel, a partial draft, or an outline of an idea, we explore your stories. Through lecture, discussion, in-class writing, and workshopping, we follow the arc of your story, discussing how all the components work together. Among the topics considered are structuring an effective "hook," watching for the middle "sag," and tying up loose plot ends. We also work on creating effective, round characters and focus on the theme of your work.

Click here for more info.