So far I have put on two writing workshops at a local book shop, and it has been really fun! My friend Brandon let me know about Turn The Page Bookshop moving to the Williamsburg Outlets, and I had to check them out. One day, I was brave enough to ask Ralph (the owner) if I could put on writing workshops.

I was beyond anxious to even ask let alone move forward with actually doing one, but with the support and encouragement from my husband, friends, and family I did an editing workshop. I would love to see all authors embrace editing as an exciting and wonderful part of their journey.

The second workshop I did was about character development. Once again I had amazing support. And this time, I remembered to take a few pictures. It was right before Halloween and I played off the saying Kill Your Darlings. Sometimes your character is not right for your project, no matter what you do.

The past two workshops were two hours. The first hour I gave a PowerPoint presentation of information on the subject. The second hour those in attendance worked on either their work in proress or started something new.

I like this setup because it allows time to work on your project right away. I want people to be able to get excited about writing and editing and character development, etc, and then feel the exhilaration that comes from working on a creative project.

These workshops have encouraged me to sharpen my own writing skills and knowledge. I research and plan out my presentations, which has in turn inspired me on a few of my own projects.

Which lead me to the idea of my next discourse. Note, this one isn’t a workshop. This next one will be a one hour session of me providing tips for laying a firm foundation for beginner writers. What’s amazing about these tips, though, is anyone who has been on the writing journey for some time can still benefit from this session. I am being reminded of this as I put these presentations together.

This time, I am going to set up a video camera and have a link for those who cannot physically make to the bookshop. Be sure to purchase a ticket to reserve your slot either online or in person.

Hope to see you there!