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Writing Workshops To Be Offered in
August
Northeast Alabama Community College is pleased to announce that
five three-hour writing workshops will be presented by Michael
Garrett of Birmingham. Garrett is an internationally respected
editor. He served as Stephen King's first editor and has also
edited the works of such greats as Joyce Carol Oates, Harlan
Ellison, Lawrence Block, and many others for major publishers
like Pocket Books and Kensington Publishing. He is also an
internationally published author and has been extensively
published since 1979, in periodicals ranging from Twilight Zone
magazine to his novel, Keeper, which sold out its initial
printing and was optioned for a movie. His short story "At the
Count of Three" was optioned as the pilot episode of a late
night cable television series. His works have been published in
England, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Poland,
Czechoslovakia, Spain, Finland and Russia, as well as in audio
book format. He serves as co-editor of the internationally
award-winning Hot Blood anthology series, a popular
selection of the Doubleday, Mystery, Literary Guild, and Science
Fiction Book Clubs. He served as an Editorial Associate of the
Writer's Digest School for over fifteen years, and since 1986
has presented highly acclaimed writing workshops at major
colleges and universities across the nation. He is a featured
speaker at numerous writers' conferences and currently serves on
the Advisory Board of Kentucky's Green River Writers.
Cost for tuition is $75 for each session.
Students may register by contacting Pat Bridgeman in the Office
of Workforce Development, room 148, Pendley Administration
Building, or by mail to the attention of Pat Bridgeman,
Community Services Coordinator, Northeast Alabama Community
College, P O Box 159, Rainsville AL 35986. Courses are described
below, along with dates and times.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SELF-PUBLICATION
Traditionally, self-publication, or
the “Vanity Press,” has been frowned upon for all but the
most ambitious non-fiction writers. Today, however, with the
advent of print-on-demand publishing, self-publication has
become the perfect low-cost solution for many writers who
wish to target a small specific audience and maintain
complete control over their finished books. With as little
as a $500 investment, your professional-quality book can be
available for sale, but beware of the misleading promises of
certain print-on-demand publishers. Discover if your book is
right for self-publication and what you can realistically
expect or decide if you should pursue traditional publishers
instead.
One Session, Three Hours
Friday, August 1, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
SCREENWRITING FOR THE MOVIES
Hollywood has never been more eager to
buy cutting-edge motion picture scripts. Have you ever
thought about writing a movie? Screenwriting requires a
decidedly different approach from fiction writing; producers
look for specific qualities to distinguish one screenplay
from another.
Here's a workshop designed to help beginners break into an
exciting career as a screenwriter! You'll view and analyze
film clips, as well as learn:
• Proper screenplay format
• Recommended screenplay development software
• Where and how to contact a Hollywood agent
• Effective storyline development procedures
• Creation of desirable roles to attract Hollywood's hottest
stars
• How to communicate with the audience through your script
and set design.
One Session, Three Hours
Friday, August 1, 2008
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
HOW TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR
What does it take to become a
published author? Like any other profession, becoming a
professional writer requires a career plan. Where should
your initial focus lie to meet your goal of publication?
Success as a writer requires far more than just sitting at
the keyboard. Learn the secrets to success in today’s
competitive publishing industry, including marketing
techniques that move you closer to publication. Your book
could be the greatest ever written, but if you don’t know
how to get it into the hands of someone who can buy it, it
will never sell.
Taught by a professional editor and internationally
published author, HOW TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR
discloses:
• How to keep your submissions out of the editor’s “slush
pile”
• How to overcome "writer's block"
• How to get editors to ask for your submission
• And much, much more!
If you’ve already completed your novel, use what you’ll
learn to produce a more marketable rewrite.
One Session, Three Hours
Saturday, August 2, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
CREATING YOUR NOVEL
Writing a novel requires
an enormous investment of time; however, specific techniques
can make the task far more manageable. CREATING YOUR NOVEL
offers a step-by-step methodology to help you produce a
marketable novel. Under the guidance of a professional
editor and internationally published author you’ll create a
cast of characters, formulate a novel outline, decide which
point of view and structural form are most appropriate and
develop a specific marketing plan. Demonstrated techniques
are easily adaptable to your own work, regardless of your
category of interest. You’ll learn:
• How to create realistic characters
• What is the universal “formula” for a successful first
novel
• How to target specific publishers before you even start
writing
You’ll meet other local writers with similar interests, pick
up valuable pointers and challenge your imagination as well.
One Session, Three Hours
Saturday, August 2, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
SHORT STORY AND NOVEL FEEDBACK
Most short story and novel submissions
are rejected within the first few pages, regardless of how
many were submitted. Publishers rarely read every word, and
rejection slips seldom explain why your manuscript fell
short. Here's an opportunity to sit face-to-face with a
professional fiction editor who’s worked with such noted
authors as Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block
and others as he evaluates your submission. You’ll be
surprised as minor mistakes in your writing, likely the
source of manuscript rejection, are constructively pointed
out to you. If you prefer not to have your own writing
reviewed, you'll benefit by listening to other critiques. If
you do wish to have your writing reviewed, bring only the
first five pages of your manuscript.
Discussions include:
• How editors evaluate submissions
• The importance of a strong opening
• Placement of essential manuscript ingredients
Don’t avoid feedback. You’ll be amazed at the degree by
which it will improve your writing.
One Session, Three Hours
Saturday, August 2, 2008
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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