Marketing Your Writing - Starts Wednesday!

The next WIES Workshop starts Wednesday - Marketing Your Freelance Writing.

Writing is an art. Publishing is a business. Do you think like a business manager as you market your writing to publishers? The marketing mix model, used by businesses everywhere, will give you a new way to look at your marketing efforts. The marketing mix has four components: Product, Promotion, Place, and Price. The Christian business marketing mix contains a Fifth P, Prayer. Learn to manage the P's to create your own personal marketing plan for your writing career.

Topics covered will include:

· Overview of the marketing mix concept
· Defining your product
· Promotion methods and message
· Networking, being in the right place and the right time

· Pricing your work
· The role of prayer in planning


Instructor: Emily Akin
Course Dates: September 15, 2010 - October 8, 2010 (4 weeks)
Cost: $100

Register today!



 

Want to Learn How to Blog?

Blogging is more than a web journal, it encompasses everything from marketing to ministry and so much more. If you're thinking about blogging but don't know where to start, are intimidated or frustrated by the details of setting up a blog, Clearing the Blog Fog will get you going.

In this six-week online course, you'll learn the benefits and the basics of blogging, and how to set up a blog from start to the final tweaks. When you're done, you'll have a blog that's ready to roll.

This course will cover:

• Benefits of blogging

• Setting up your blog

• Posting

• Basics of blogging

• Pictures Plus!

• Ready-made layouts

• Personalize your blog – Decorate!

• Sensible and super sidebars

• Personalize that header

• Pages and Nav Bar basics

• Create siggys, separators, buttons, and banners

• Feedburner and Facebook

Instructor: Patty Wysong

Course Dates: August 23, 2010 - October 1, 2010 (6 weeks)

Cost $125

Register here today to reserve your space.

Register Now for Introduction to Writing Christian Novels

One of our most popular courses returns next month at WIES Workshops - Introduction to Writing Christian Novels. And because I'm still having problems with my other Web site, you'll need to register from this page. Please help us spread the word about this powerful course!

This six-week course addresses the fundamentals of novel writing for the Christian market, and then builds on basic skills to take writers a step beyond -- everything you need to help you craft a compelling story from concept to completion! Topics covered will include: Great Beginnings, Characterization, Mastering Point of View, Writing Techniques, the DOs and DON’Ts of Dialogue, and Spit and Polish Revisions.


Instructor: Virginia Smith

Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker with the release of her first novel Just As I Am. Since then she has contracted fourteen novels and published numerous articles and short stories.

She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including Murder by Mushroom, Stuck in the Middle, and her newest releases, Age before Beauty and Scent of Murder.

In March of 2008 she was named "Writer of the Year" at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. Ginny has taught writing skills at conferences such as American Christian Fiction Writers, Florida Christian Writers Conference, and Kentucky Christian Writers Conference. She also serves as a judge in ACFW’s Genesis contest, and provides detailed feedback to aspiring writers through a variety of critique venues. An energetic speaker, Virginia loves to exemplify God's truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, "Biblical Truths in Star Trek."
Visit Virginia Smith's Web site.

Course Dates: July 12 - August 20, 2010


Cost: $125
Registration Now Open. Deadline to register is Tuesday, July 7th.

To Register: Click on the button below and submit your registration fees. Your payment is your registration. A few days prior to the beginning of your course, you will be added to the course e-mail group. If you wish to use a different address than the one submitted with Paypal, please add a note to your payment, or send Tracy an e-mail when you send payment.

  

Writing the Historical Romance

 Morning, Pixels! Just a quick post this morning.

My Write Integrity web site was "attacked" by some kind of malware (we're not sure how it happened - that's still being investigated.) The hosting company has removed it, and everything is back to normal - except for Google's block of the site. We've requested a review, and are waiting for them to review it to remove the block.

In the meantime, we have another WIES Workshop coming up, and people may not be able to get to the site to register for it. So, I'm posting a link here on the blog in hopes that anyone interested in taking the course can register here if they can't get through on the web site.

Here's the course info:

Writing the Historical Romance

Students will get an overview of the most common time periods and settings selling in the CBA. A variety of research techniques, scene setting, use of historical details and figures within stories will also be discussed. Students will do a market analysis and prepare a proposal for submission, along with developing a resource file.

Instructor: Kathleen Fuller

Course Dates: June 7, 2010 - July 16, 2010

Cost: $125

To Register: Click on the button below and submit your registration fees. Your payment is your registration. A few days prior to the beginning of your course, you will be added to the course e-mail group. If you wish to use a different address than the one submitted with Paypal, please add a note to your payment, or send Tracy an e-mail when you send payment.

Basics for Beginning Fiction Writers

I'm excited to announce our next WIES Workshop - I've taken some of Jeanne's classes myself, and she is an excellent instructor. This class is perfect for anyone wanting to learn how to write fiction, so be sure to tell your friends about it.


To write fiction, one must know more than the average punctuation, usage, grammar and style. In the Basics for Beginning Fiction Writers class you will learn the different components of a work of fiction that must be present, whether writing short stories or full-length novels.


Instructor Jeanne Marie Leach uses a concise and methodical system to help beginning writers of fiction to know which step to take next, regardless of where they are in their writing endeavors.

This course will cover the following:

• Opening hooks and chapter ending hooks
• For full-length novels – what needs to be shown in the first chapter
• Point of View (POV)
• Proper dialogue, including tags and beats
• Novel formatting
• Plot development and research
• Character development and emotions
• Showing vs. telling
• Active vs. passive
• Proper use of flashbacks or back story
• Consistency in character traits and scene props
• Preachiness in Christian novels
• Overused words that mark the writer as a beginner to publishers and agents
• Over explanation that insults the reader
• Uncertainty of character actions

This class gives beginning writers a springboard from which they can gain direction and understanding of the basic mechanics of writing. Information gleaned from many sources is arranged in a step-by-step timeline and an order most beneficial to beginning writers.

Course Dates: April 26, 2010 - May 21, 2010

Cost: $100

Register today to reserve your spot. (Deadline to register is Monday, April 19th.)

Need Help with Dialogue?

We have an awesome line-up of WIES Workshops for April - and today (Monday) is the registration deadline for one of them!

Dynamics of Dialogue is a four-week course taught by the incredible Eva Marie Everson.

What are today's readers (and editors!) looking for when they thumb through your book? White space. Simply put, white space is dialogue. Formatted properly, it shows the reader with one glance that this will be a quick, easy, entertaining read. And this is exactly what they are looking for. But dialogue is an area of writing both fiction and nonfiction that screams, "Amateur!" faster than anything else. Editors today are amazed at how little potential writers know about writing dialogue properly and in such a way as to pull a reader into a scene rather than making him want to scream as he runs away!

In this four-week course, allow Eva Marie Everson to show you the dynamics of writing dialogue. From tag lines to staggering tags, from adding action and voice inflection, you will learn it all in a fun, hands-on workshop. By the end of four weeks, writing dialogue will come to you as naturally as ... well ... speaking!

Instructor: Eva Marie Everson

Course Dates: April 5, 2010 - April 30, 2010

Cost: $100

Read what students have to say about this course.

Today is the deadline to register for Dynamics of Dialogue - register here!

Want to Write for Children?

Do you love children and have a desire to write for them? Learn to engage a children’s heart and mind with words and stories in Karen Whiting's online course, Learn to Write for Children.

This six-week course will cover:

*Making words count with onomatopoeia, repetition, and figures of speech
*Show don’t tell exercises
*Verbs that tell instead of show
*Pizzazz factors
*Great openings
*Trends in the children’s market
*ABCs of children’s markets
*Plot and story
*Layered activities and games
*Getting into a child’s mind exercise
*Children’s genres
*Picture books
*Devotions for kids
*Nonfiction
*Stories
*Activities
*Teacher resource books


Instructor: Karen Whiting
Course Dates: March 15 - April 23, 2010
Cost: $125

Deadline to register is this Monday, March 8th, so reserve your spot now!

www.WIESworkshops.com


If writing for children isn't your cup of tea, be sure to check out the full WIES Workshop schedule - we've got some great courses lined up the coming months!

Taking Settings to the Next Level

Author Lena Nelson Dooley will begin teaching "Taking Settings to the Next Level" on Monday, March 1. Deadline to register for this awesome course is TODAY.

Is your novel peopled with living, breathing characters in interesting situations that are played out on a bare stage? Learn the finesse of adding setting details that are not overwhelming, but enhance the story almost like another character. We'll deal with what kind of details to add and how and where to add them so they don't slow down the book, but give it more layers of texture.

Instructor: Lena Nelson Dooley

Course Dates: March 1, 2010 - March 26, 2010 (4 weeks)

Cost: $100

Deadline to register is TODAY, Friday. Register here.

Check out our latest schedule for all of the WIES Workshops.

Are Your Characters Flat, Dull, Lifeless, or Clueless? Here's Help!

The next WIES Workshop begins Monday, February 15th.

From Flat to Full: Characterization in Fiction

Are you challenged with how to breathe life into flat characters? In this six-week course we'll explore several characterization techniques, highlighting the use of dialogue, point of view, and description. With weekly assignments, the course is suitable for beginners as well as experienced writers.

Week 1: We'll do an overview of fiction writing 'rules' esp. showing vs. telling and writing in active voice.

Homework: Examine pre-written pieces, making them stronger by using active voice and showing more than telling.

Week 2: We'll create detailed character sketches.

Homework: Create detailed character sketches of major players (antagonist, protagonist, etc.)

Week 3: We'll explore how different points of view, the use of internal thought, and emotions can help flesh out characters.

Homework: Write a scene from two different points of view, using inner thoughts only and emotions.

Week 4: We'll add more depth with dialogue.

Homework: Write a scene between two opposing characters, using internal thought, dialogue, and minimal action. Additional exercise may be to have the student visit a public place to study real dialogue.

Week 5: We'll add to our dialogue skills by exploring how action, reaction, and interaction can make characters more 3-D.

Homework: Strengthen a previously written short piece by using the techniques from the week's lesson. May lengthen the piece to up to 12 pages.

Week 6: We'll add more depth and personality by using description and particularization

Homework: Use the previously written piece. Add more layers, may lengthen the piece by up to 10 additional pages.

Instructor: Linda Leigh Hargrove
Course Dates: February 15, 2010 - March 26, 2010 (6 weeks)
Cost: $125

To register for the course, visit WIES Workshops.

View the full WIES Workshops schedule.

Two Ways to Improve Your Writing

There's no better time to improve your writing than the first of the new year. Online writing courses are a great way to achieve that goal.

Registration is now open for our next two WIES Workshops. Both courses start this Monday, January 18th, so reserve your spot now.

The incredible Ramona Richards will be teaching how to write romantic suspense. If you've been wanting to try your hand at this genre, now's the time to delve in. She's a master, and will teach from her experiences as an editor and as a writer.

Jeanette Hanscome will be teaching the course on writing devotionals. Jeanette publishes regularly in a wide variety of markets - you could probably pick up any Christian magazine and spot her somewhere inside, so she knows the business, and she knows how to help you tap into this market. In her last class, one student had been too intimidated to submit her work, but Jeanette worked with her to craft a query, and before the class ended, the student had received a request for her manuscript!

For more information or to register, just visit:

Writing Romantic Suspense

Writing Devotionals


For a list of the entire WIES Workshop schedule, visit www.WIESworkshops. com.

You can read Student Testimonials.

Please feel free to pass this information to any of your friends or family who might be interested.

Do You Know How to Write a Proposal?

Have you just returned from a writer's conference with requests for a proposal, and have no idea how to proceed?

Virginia Smith is teaching an online course on writing Fiction Book Proposals that will help you make the most of this opportunity. Here's a description of the class:

In this four-week course, award-winning author Virginia Smith will present the elements of the successful novel proposal. You’ll examine samples, and have an opportunity to apply the skills you’ve learned. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll receive individualized feedback on your completed book proposal.

Note: Feedback provided only to course participants who submit a completed proposal, minus sample chapters, within two weeks of the conclusion of the course. The critique will include the proposal elements and the first five pages of the manuscript.

Ginny recently signed her 12th contract in four years, so she knows the business.

The course starts this Monday, October 5, so register today!

Is Writing Dialogue Difficult for You?

Do you struggle with dialogue in your manuscript? Is it boring, dull, lifeless, or senseless? Do you know how to use dialogue to progress your story?

Eva Marie Everson's online writing course Dynamics of Dialogue will help make your dialogue sing!

What are today's readers (and editors!) looking for when they thumb through you book? White space. Simply put, white space is dialogue. Formatted properly, it shows the reader with one glance that this will be a quick, easy, entertaining read. And this is exactly what they are looking for. But dialogue is an area of writing both fiction and nonfiction that screams, "Amateur!" faster than anything else. Editors today are amazed at how little potential writers know about writing dialogue properly and in such a way as to pull a reader into a scene rather than making him want to scream as he runs away!

In this four-week course, allow Eva Marie Everson to show you the dynamics of writing dialogue. From tag lines to staggering tags, from adding action and voice inflection, you will learn it all in a fun, hands-on workshop. By the end of four weeks, writing dialogue will come to you as naturally as ... well ... speaking!

Eva Marie Everson is the award-winning author of The Potluck Club series, The Potluck Catering Club series (both Revell), The Shadow Series (Barbour), and a new line of Southern Fiction beginning with Things Left Unspoken (2009). She will see two novels published in 2009, two in 2010, and is already contracted out for the next three years with Southern Fiction for Revell.

Dynamics of Dialogue starts Monday, August 17, so reserve your spot now. The cost of the course is $100. Class size is small - usually 5-10 students - so instruction is personalized and one-on-one to help you grow as a writer.




Schedule of other online courses offered by WIES Workshops.

Interested in Writing for the Christian Market?

Two online courses, offered through WIES Workshops, start this Monday, July 6th. Feel free to pass along the info to any friends or family who may be interested.

Introduction to Writing Christian Novels - this is a great course to take if you are interested in breaking into the Christian market. Fiction is the fastest growing genre in Christian publishing, so the time is ripe to break into it. This 6-week course is taught by Virginia Smith, who recently signed a contract for her 11th book (since 2005.)

Head Games: Exploring Point-of-View - POV is a difficult area for many writers. This four-week course will delve into deep POV, and writing in 1st, 3rd, and omniscient POV. It will help you determine which POV style fits your writing voice best. The course is taught by Ramona Richards, an award-winning writer, freelance editor, and former acquisitions editor for Thomas Nelson.

Registrations are coming in daily, so reserve your spot now, before it's too late.

Happy 4th, y'all!!! May our words and actions continue to remind this country, and the world, that we are indeed one nation UNDER God!

Plotting Your Novel Course Starts Monday

Last chance to register for this extensive course that starts Monday, June 1st.

Plot Shots: Plotting Your Novel in 12 Easy Snapshots is an online course taught by multi-published author Janice Thompson. The online course lasts eight weeks, is taught by weekly e-mail lessons.

Every story needs a beginning, middle, and an end. Careful plotting will lead the reader on a satisfactory, realistic journey through each of those stages, creatively weaving in and out, up and down.

But how do we begin to plot our stories? Is there a magic formula?

There are many ways to “start plotting.” How you begin will depend on your personal preference/style. Some work off an outline. Others use Randy Ingermanson’s “Snowflake Method.” Others use the storyboard method.

In this exciting course by multi-published author Janice Thompson, you will learn to use a 12-step plotter, which focuses on plotting your novel in 12 easy "snapshots."

Instructor: Janice Thompson
Course Dates: June 1, 2009 - July 24, 2009
Cost: $150

A wide variety of courses (4-, 6-, and 8-week) are offered year-round through WIES Workshops. We've recently added a course for Writing Women's Fiction, taught by Deborah Raney, and a writing course specifically for young authors, taught by Susan Marlow.

Check the schedule regularly for course descriptions, instructor bios, and updates.