Rowena’s Workshops:
To book a class for you or your group, email
“Fantasy Genres…Where Do I Belong?”
How many fantasy genres are there, and where does your manuscript fit in? Can Science Fiction and Fantasy integrate in a successful novel? Discover the genres and subgenres of fantasy, where your novel would fall, your target audience, and ways to help your story find its niche.
“Are you an Editor?”
Or are you shopping for an editor but not sure what kind you need? From Acquisitions to Line, from Content to Copy, find out what types of editing jobs are in the publishing industry. Whether you are looking for an editor or thinking about becoming one, this class may help you decide. Find the editor you want, or unleash the editor within.
“The Reality of Publishing Fantasy”
CBA vs. ABA, large publisher vs. small, vanity press vs. royalty-paying: finding the right audience and right house for your fantasy novel. Covers the pros and cons for submitting to various publishers, what houses to approach, and how to skip the slush pile.
“Firsts”
First sentence, first page, first chapter. This workshop focuses on how to capture your audience, apply these techniques to all your chapters, and instill loyalty in your readers to follow your story to the very end.
“Backstory Blowout: The eradication and successful reintegration of pesky backstory information”
Have you ever been told to remove backstory from your novel, but you think your story needs it to make sense? Discover techniques to remove backstory and reincorporate it into your manuscript where and when it belongs.
“The 2-hour Movie, Broken Down into 15-Minute Webisodes”
How to write 15- minute screenplays to produce your 2 hour movie. This is a step-by-step guide to build a complete movie in 15 minute blocks. Each webisode will have a beginning, middle, and end, plus a hook for the rest of the series.
“From Script to Screen, the Process of Film Production”
The differences between novel rights and movie rights when signing contracts with film producers. The role of the screenwriter vs. that of the producer and director. The steps a screenplay undergoes as it is translated from words on paper into life onscreen.
“Format My Screenplay”
Whether using Final Draft, Celtx, or Word, find out how to format your screenplay for proper scene setting, dialogue placement, and script structure per industry standards.
“Pack Your Short Film”
From the 30 second commercial to the 30 minute short, discover the top 10 elements every short film should have to deliver its message to your intended audience.
“Screenplay Surgery”
Edit your screenplay for content, character development, scene structure, and pacing to produce the highest impact using the least number of words.
“Cliché Me This”
Mood, Action, Setting, and Characterization as written in your screenplay can utilize clichés and short phrases in a manner that would be immediately recognized by your cast and crew as to how to portray each scene.
“Adapt Your Story into a Screenplay”
Step by step formula for adapting either a full-length novel into a 2-hour screenplay or a short story into a 15min film. What essential elements a screenwriter should incorporate to interest potential producers.
“The Ultimate Book Proposal”
Whether fiction or non-fiction, a polished book proposal could make the difference between rejection and publication. Find out what your book proposal should include to attract the attention of an editor, agent, or publishing house.
“The Most Common Writing Mistakes and How to Fix Them”
Rejected and don’t know why? What distinguishes a professional manuscript from those requiring revision? The top 10 reasons for rejection a publisher won’t tell you about and what you can do to avoid these mistakes.
“How to Take off and Land Without Crashing”
From first sentence to last line. What elements do you need to hook your readers and keep them loyal to the very last sentence?
“How to Please an Editor, Preparing Your Manuscript for Publication”
Forget the fancy fonts and the perfumed paper. From query to proposal to the submission of a full manuscript, find out how to attract the attention of an acquisitions editor and capture a publishing contract.
“Discovering Your Unique Voice”
What is author’s voice? Is your voice compelling enough to hook your reader in the first few sentences? We will discuss the top 5 key elements characteristic of an alluring author’s voice, specific techniques to developing your gifts, and effective ways to infuse your writing with your particular signature. Discover what it takes to unlock your unique voice, capture your audience with your first words, and hold that audience captive until the last page.
“Research Techniques”
Wiki-me-not! If history is written by the victors, then make history by writing it yourself. Discern fact from fiction, theory from law, and Churchill from Plato. State your position, but be prepared to back it up using reliable sources. Where do you start when researching material for your written work? How do you attribute researched information once you find it? And does it all have to be so boring? Whether you love or hate research, but have to do it anyway, this is the class for you.
“The Editing Process”
Whether editing your own work or editing for others, what essential elements should you incorporate into a polished manuscript? What should you avoid? From self-editing to working with an editor, here is a step-by-step guide to getting that manuscript to published to perfection.
“Mastering Realistic Dialogue”
What are the vital components to writing engaging dialogue between your characters? From books to screenplays, effective dialogue factors into the success of each scene, delivers the message you want portrayed, and guides the overall tone as your story unfolds. Discuss the methods, vernacular, and culture behind the motives of your characters and how these impact the relationship between your characters and your reader. Utilize the top 10 traits that can captivate your audience through the emotions embedded within dialogue exchange and distinguish your writing from what is ordinary to what can be considered profound.
“How to Write with a Christian Worldview in a Secular World”
Do you want to write for the secular audience? How do we deliver Christ’s message without sounding preachy, and how do we preserve our Christian morals while keeping the attention of a non-Christian audience? Whether your goal is to address a hurting world or write to entertain, this workshop focuses on presenting your story to the general market with a Christian worldview.
“Christian Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror”
Do you write speculative fiction but not sure what lines to cross in the Christian market? What are the pitfalls to avoid? What is acceptable and what isn’t? Find out whether your book belongs in the Christian or in the general market.
“Not Just Books: Careers in the Publishing Industry”
Whether you are a book author waiting to get published or want a career in the publishing industry but not sure where to start, find out what other jobs may be available to you. If you need a little extra income or would like to survive on your writing skills, there are options open to you to develop and prosper your professional publishing career.
“The Top Ten Characteristics of Bestselling Books”
Have you ever asked yourself what bestsellers have that your books don’t? Discover traits to implement into your own writing to get your book to the top of the lists.
“The Content Edit”
Does your story need an overhaul? Here are 10 simple techniques that you can use to make sure your novel has the pacing, sequence of events, and revelations for impact and success.
“Turn Your Long Story Into a Series”
Do you have an epic novel that is over 120,000 words? Perhaps you have been told to cut it in half. This workshop gives you the 10 steps you can implement to ensure each novel in your series can stand alone yet encompass your grand story.
“End Credits Who’s Who: The Crew Behind the Cast”
Have you ever sat through the End Credits of your favorite movies and wondered who a “Best Boy” is? In this workshop, we will go over the roles of various crew members for your potential movie. Screenwriters who want to be filmmakers, find out what essential crew members you need and how much they should be paid to budget for when writing your screenplay.
“Your Author Legacy: What Happens to Your Work After You’ve Gone to Heaven?”
This workshop discusses how to prepare your legacy to survive and thrive after you. Like your children, your work has impact on the world and its future. Even your unpublished manuscripts may have a future. We will discuss the legalities, personal and professional, to bestow your work upon future generations.
“The Fantasy in Your Science Fiction Novel”
Does your manuscript have both Fantasy and Science Fiction elements? This workshop focuses on the effective integration of both genres into your novel and ways for your book to find the right audience.
“Getting Past the Publishing Gatekeepers”
What if you knew what publishing professionals really wanted? Let’s take a guided tour of how to win the hearts of agents, publishers, editors, and readers. Discover what it takes to unlock each “gate” within the publishing industry.
Continuing Class
Part 1:
“My Backcover Masterpiece”
Workshop: What should be in your backcover copy and what should not? In this continuing class, we will discuss how to write a 500-word description and a 300-word back cover copy for your novel. What keywords do you need? We will also develop your long and short author bios, along with requirements for a stunning author headshot thumbnail. Come find out the essentials for a compelling back cover or description symphony for Amazon, your author website / social media.
Part 2:
“My Backcover Masterpiece Practicum” (Maybe offer more than once if more than 6 writers want this practicum)
Come with your rough draft of your 500-word description, 300-word backcover copy/long and short author bio. In a critique group format, we will help each other compose the description symphony for your novel to best engage readers and optimize sales.