January 29, 2010
Fat Plum's Book Boot Camp is Back!
What is Book Boot Camp? It is an intensive six-week workshop designed to take your work in progress from mediocre to marketable!
To quote yesterday's Publisher's Lunch, the newsletter of www.PublishersMarketplace.com, it read, "Even in the digital age, the power of meeting face-to-face cannot be underestimated."
While this quote was in reference to attending the London Book Fair, the writer was correct. Face-to-face meetings can be a powerful way to impact your writing.
Book Boot Camp's small group sessions offer writers targeted feedback specific to individual writing projects with a focus on improving the manuscript, taking it to the next level. Constructive, targeted suggestions cover content, editing, and marketing concerns.
The format is positive and comfortable yet focused and intense. Each attendee will read aloud from his/her work in progress each week and receive specific suggestions to be applied to the writing project. Other workshops often invite attendees to read only once or twice over the duration of the course. At Fat Plum's Book Boot Camp, we're hitting your project hard each week, shaping it into a more readable, marketable manuscript by the end.
There will be a maximum of 8 attendees in the session. By keeping the group small, each reader will receive plenty of individual critique time each week!
Due to the stressed economy, we at Fat Plum decided to keep the cost of the Boot Camp the same as it has been since 2007. The fee is $240 for six three-hour sessions.
So what are you waiting for? For additional information, click on the "Register Now" button above and enlist today!
Posted by Judy at 09:08 AM | Comments (0)
October 27, 2009
It's NaNoWriMo Time!
You might already know that NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month (http://www.nanowrimo.org), a time when writers all over the world join in a writing frenzy during the month of November. The goal: To write a 50,000 word novel in just 30 days. Sound crazy? It is, but it's also addictively motivating!
This upcoming November 1st will be my fifth NaNoWriMo kick-off day when I stuff my laptop into my bag and head to the nearest Panera Bread to write. I stay as long as it takes to get in my required 1667 words that will serve as the day's quota.
"Not writing fiction," you say?
I say, "Who Cares?" Join NaNoWriMo today and make some serious headway on your nonfiction book, articles, essays, memoir, or even your outline.
The point is to use the NaNoWriMo community as a place of accountability. Quite literally, you can track your word count, post comments, and check out how the writers on your Buddy List are progressing. It's a positive, pressure-filled (in a good way) environment that propels you through the greatest word count you'll ever produce in 30 days (unless you're Stephen King who's been known to write 2000 words per day on a regular basis).
I've completed my 50,000 words in the years 2005 and 2007. In 2006 and 2008, I wrote from 35 - 40,000 -- nothing to be embarrassed about.
Don't offer excuses that work is too busy or your family's too demanding. Last year, in addition to living the usual Frantic Woman's life I lead, I was in the midst of helping my daughter with the exhausting college application process as well as facing the grave illness of a family member. If I could do it then, so can you.
Stay tuned for some tips I'll offer in an upcoming blog post about how to cope through the NaNo frenzy.
For now, sign up. It's easy and it's free. (I always give a tax-deductible donation, but you don't have to.) After you become a member of the prestigious NaNoWriMo community, add me to your Buddy List. My author name there is "novelnut."
Let me know what project you'll be working on next month. And hurry! Only a few days remain before it's time to hit the keyboard.
See you at Panera!
Judy
Posted by Judy at 09:58 AM | Comments (14)
June 29, 2009
Sign Up for This Course, Today: Begins July 1
Urgent: Sign Up for This Course Today!
Nancy Martin is an inspiring speaker and author of over 50 books including the Blackbird Sisters Mystery Series. She is teaching an online course through Pennwriters that begins on July 1, 2009 and runs through July 22 (with 3 sessions per week). The course is called HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER-DRIVEN PLOT. You can register using PayPal or a credit card at this address: http://tinyurl.com/PennwritersCourse200907
The fee is $25 for Pennwriters members and $30 for nonmembers.
I have seen Nancy speak on several occasions and can't get my pen to write fast enough in her presence. She is informative and encouraging with a there's-room-for-all-of-us-to-succeed attitude. I'm sure the notes on Day One will be worth the entire course fee!
See you in class!
Judy
Posted by Judy at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2009
WRITE NOW Writing Camp for Kids: Pittsburgh's Original Creative Writing Camp
The Fifth Annual WRITE NOW Writing Camp for Kids is now accepting registrations.
My colleague and friend Mary Patouillet and I founded an exciting, information-packed WRITING CAMP INTENSIVE for students entering grades 4th - 8th. Borders Books and Music in the Shops at Northway on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh has offered us our premium venue for the past five years. Borders employees are extremely accommodating. In fact, their Regional Vice President and other regional managers have visited the camp and commented on what a unique offering WRITE NOW Writing Camp is! It's a warm and encouraging, positive experience that both parents and students truly enjoy.
This year, WRITE NOW Writing Camp will be held the week of June 22 – 26, 2009. Due to demand over the past three years, we host two sessions. Choose either the 9:00 AM – noon OR 1:30 – 4:30 PM session. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
The camp features Brainstretch Exercises and Round-robin Breakout sessions in fiction, nonfiction (including essays), and poetry. We also focus on various skills and techniques that help students learn to edit and improve their writing projects. At the end of the week, the students take home a bound book of their camp creations. It is a keepsake that is both a reference guide and a memory book.
As a unique feature, WRITE NOW's curriculum changes every year due to the high number of returning campers.
This year we're hosting our fifth annual WRITE NOW Writing Camp. We've attracted campers from 33 different schools and homeschoolers, as well. Kids come together from as far north as Evans City and as far south as Upper St. Clair to enjoy this event. We provide a unique, comfortable environment that encourages self-expression and interaction. What better way to release your child's creativity?
WRITE NOW Writing Camp is designed for students who love to write and for those whose parents wish they did! Click below to find out how to register and for more details.
WRITE NOW Writing Camp for Kids: Pittsburgh's Original Creative Writing Camp
WHEN: June 22-26, 2009
WHERE: Borders Books and Music in the Shops at Northway, McKnight Road, Pittsburgh
SESSIONS: Choose from 9:00 AM - Noon OR 1:30 - 4:30 PM
WHO: WRITE NOW is for students entering grades 5 through 8 who love to write and for those who want to learn to write better. (This camp is not remedial.)
FEE: Cost is $130 and includes a t-shirt, notebook, folder, writing supplies, and a bound book of camp creations.
Space is limited.
Email me for more information and a printable registration form.
WRITE NOW Writing Camp: Building Writing Confidence in the Classroom and Beyond
Posted by Judy at 09:17 AM | Comments (2)
June 05, 2008
WRITE NOW Writing Camp for Kids
Upcoming Event: My colleague and friend Mary Patouillet and I are offering an exciting, information-packed WRITING CAMP for students entering grades 4th - 8th at Borders Bookstore in Northway Mall on June 16 – 20, 2008. We're hosting two sessions from 9:00 AM – noon and 1:30 – 4:30 PM. The camp features brainstretch exercises and breakout sessions in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
This is our fourth annual WRITE NOW Writing Camp. We've attracted campers from 27 different schools and homeschoolers, as well. Kids come together from as far north as Evans City and as far south as Upper St. Clair to enjoy this event. We provide a unique, comfortable environment that encourages self-expression and interaction. What better way to release your child's creativity?
WRITE NOW Writing Camp is designed for students who love to write and for those whose parents wish they did! Cost is $130 and includes a t-shirt, notebook, binder, writing supplies, and a bound book of camp creations. Space is limited. Email me for details and availability.
Posted by Judy at 12:30 PM | Comments (2)
April 17, 2007
Perfect Your Blog & Your Brand at Boot Camp PGH
One of the big debates in the writing world today is whether or not writers benefit from using MySpace. No matter where you stand on that question, you know, like it or not, you should at least be blogging. And whether you're just getting your blog off the ground or you're looking to increase traffic to your site, the upcoming Boot Camp PGH is a can't-miss for us all!
Here are the details:
When: Saturday, April 21, 2007
Where: The Art Institutes of Pittsburgh, 420 Boulevard of the Allies, 15239
How Much: Absolutely Free!!
Another buzz word in the industry is "brand." In answer to the question, What is your brand?, many writers respond, "Huh?" Established authors know that your brand is the whole package, it's you -- what you write, what you look like, how you dress, who you are. These all need to blend together to sell your product, your books and your voice.
And speaking of voice, presentations at the conference cover everything from Finding Your Voice or Photoblogging, to Podcasting and Building Your Brand. Like it or not, writers, this is part of what we must do. First, we need to write a great book, article, essay, or poem. And then, yes, we need to sell it. And all of the above techniques will help us do so.
So quit sitting around wishing you could hire a publicist to write your blog and sell your work. The presenters at Boot Camp PGH will show you how easy it is to get started and/or to keep pushing forward! There are even hands-on labs where they'll walk you through the steps to get started using MySpace or Twitter and much, much more. And throughout the day, you'll be able to speak one-on-one with these experienced individuals.
As of right now, 116 people are registered. You don't want them to know more than you do, right? So hop on over to the Boot Camp PGH site and register, now. The best part is, it's free. Note: This is NOT like one of those free financial seminars where they give you a doughnut and try to get you to invest in something. Nope, I know several of the speakers. They're just caring, sharing, knowledgeable people who want to help, really!
I'll be at the event on Saturday, and I hope you will too!
Click on the links above for more details! The time is now!
Posted by Judy at 09:43 PM | Comments (3)