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As writers, we strive to constantly hone our craft and improve our skills. Preferably without spending too much money or taking a lot of time away from our current manuscript. Online writing classes are the perfect solution. Most of them are fairly inexpensive, and you can devote as much or as little time as you chose. (Candace Havens even hosts a number of fabulous FREE workshops on her WriteChat loop. Check it out!)
I’ve taken a number of great workshops, many of them from the Low Country RWA chapter. A couple of years ago, they asked me to teach one based on my nonfiction witchcraft books from Llewellyn. The result was “Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author.” The class was fun to teach and went really well, so they asked me to come up with a second workshop.
At the time they asked me, I’d spent months working on the world and character building for my urban fantasy, PENTACLES AND PENTIMENTOS. I started out by asking myself a simple question: What kind of paranormal characters can I use to people this world, without resorting to those that are currently somewhat overused. In short, NOT VAMPIRES.
Don’t get me wrong; I love vamps. And werewolves, and such. But I wanted to create a world that was completely different from anything already out there. And that meant coming up with unusual paranormals. Hence, the workshop—
Beyond Fangs: Creating New & Interesting Paranormal Characters
By Deborah Blake
Class Description:
Want to write a paranormal romance or urban fantasy, but don’t want to be just another Vamp in the crowd? Yearning to create a completely original paranormal character, but don’t know where to start? Author Deborah Blake moves beyond Vampires to delve into a wide range of paranormal folk who don’t need to hide from the sun. From Witches to Weres, Fae to Phantasms, this class will explore the alternatives to over-used supernatural stereotypes and help you to create your own unique paranormal character. The class will include a discussion of current trends, suggested reading, hints for character building, and an overview of authors who have successfully gone beyond the traditional.
The class will cover what’s already out there and a few ways to make the more common your own. It will also explore some alternatives, as well as suggest a few helpful resources for creating something new and different. And it will give an example or three from PENTACLES AND PENTIMENTOS, in case you’re curious.
If you want to know more, feel free to join me for this class. Check it out at http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
Happy writing!
Showing posts with label lowcountryrwa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lowcountryrwa. Show all posts
Monday, September 19, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Upcoming Writing Class "Beyond Fangs"
Hi All!
I just wanted to let you know that I will be giving my last online writing workshop of the year over at Low Country RWA in October. The class starts on Oct 5th and runs through the 21st, and is only $16! But sign-up ends on October 2nd, so if you're interested, you should go sign up as soon as possible. These classes fill up fast sometimes!
The name of the class is "Beyond Fangs: Creating New and Interesting Paranormal Characters." I will only be giving it once next year, so I hope to see you in October!
http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
Please spread the word!
I just wanted to let you know that I will be giving my last online writing workshop of the year over at Low Country RWA in October. The class starts on Oct 5th and runs through the 21st, and is only $16! But sign-up ends on October 2nd, so if you're interested, you should go sign up as soon as possible. These classes fill up fast sometimes!
The name of the class is "Beyond Fangs: Creating New and Interesting Paranormal Characters." I will only be giving it once next year, so I hope to see you in October!
http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
Please spread the word!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author class!
Hey all you writers out there!
It's that time again--I am giving my "The Real Witch: Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author" online writing class over at the Low Country RWA loop. It is only $16 and you don't have to be a member of LC or RWA to take it. This has been my most popular class (and was the one that prompted people to ask me to start the Creativity Cauldron loop for paranormal writers).
I hope you'll join me!
Go here to register or get more information:
http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
And pass the word to all your writer friends who might be interested :-)
It's that time again--I am giving my "The Real Witch: Witchcraft for the Paranormal Author" online writing class over at the Low Country RWA loop. It is only $16 and you don't have to be a member of LC or RWA to take it. This has been my most popular class (and was the one that prompted people to ask me to start the Creativity Cauldron loop for paranormal writers).
I hope you'll join me!
Go here to register or get more information:
http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
And pass the word to all your writer friends who might be interested :-)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Some thoughts and advice on online writing classes
I’ve been thinking a lot about online classes lately, in part because I have spent the month of October teaching my first one, WITCHCRAFT FOR THE PARANORMAL AUTHOR. The class is going great: 40 participants, great folks taking part, and an enthusiastic and positive response from those who are taking it. They’ve already asked me to teach it again next year. Who could ask for more?
Which got me to thinking about what makes a good online class, and how to choose the one that’s right for you. I’ve taken a bunch of classes online over the last couple of years, and I got more out of some than others. What made the difference between a class that was right for me and one that wasn’t?
In some cases, it was the teacher. There are some folks who teach A LOT of classes. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good teacher, but it often helps. There are also particular sites (especially some of the RWA chapters and associations) that specialize in presenting great classes. The Low Country RWA (www.lowcountryrwa.com) is where I took my first bunch of classes (and where I’m teaching my current one) and they have a fabulous assortment at a really reasonable price: only $16 for a three-week class!
I found one of my favorite online teachers at lowcountry, and have since taken a bunch of classes with her (pretty much every time she offers one, I take it—she’s just that good). Lois Winston is both a writer (TALK GERTIE TO ME) and an agent. She and a friend have started a site specializing in classes for writers who are just starting out. I asked her to give me the lowdown on her new venture:
The url is www.beginningwriterworkshops.com . We offer 10 workshops a year, stressing the fundamentals and skills needed to succeed as a published author. Most of the courses are geared toward writing fiction, but we also offer one workshop in memoir writing and one in non-fiction writing. All workshops are given by me and author Dianne Drake. As you know, I'm an award-winning author, multi-published in novel length fiction and short fiction, as well as non-fiction, and am also an agent with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Dianne is the award-winning author of 25 novels and 7 non-fiction books, as well as over 500 national magazine articles.
Another one of my favorite places to find classes is at Write_Workshop, which is the creation of author Candace Havens. The loop is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Write_Workshop/
Candace gives classes herself, gets lots of her author friends to give classes, and also runs a yearly Fast Draft for those on the loop (kind of like NaNoWriMo, but with periodic boots to the butt applied lovingly by Candy). The best part of all? All the classes on the loop are FREE. That’s right, you heard me. Free. The only thing Candy asks is that you support those giving the classes by buying their books. [Candace has two series out, both paranormal romance, and I HIGHLY recommend them both.]
Other online teachers who come highly recommended by some of my current students include Terry Spear (especially her “Show vs. Tell” class), Connie Flynn (“Conflict”), Beth Cornelisan (“Secondary Characters: The Good, the Bad, and the Quirky”), Mary Buckham (“Sex Between the Sheets”) and Margie Lawson. And here is a link to a loop that lists lots of online classes and will send out notices to let you know when they are: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Announceon linewritingclass es/
When looking for an online class, you may want to consider a few of the following issues: what does it cost (they can range from free to very expensive) and how long does it run (some classes are one day, some are as long as a month—do you have the time to do a longer class justice, and do you need lots of time to get the assignments done?). And look for the classes that will give you help in the areas you need most. If you are already pretty good at developing characters, you might want a class on conflict development or pitching queries.
No matter what the topic is, or who is teaching it, you will only get out of an online class what you put into it. Since there are no grades, and no one looking over your shoulder, it is up to you to pick a class that will interest you enough to put in the necessary time and energy. But if you do, I guarantee that you will have fun, learn something, and –hopefully—come out of it a better writer. And those are pretty good reasons to take a class.
Which got me to thinking about what makes a good online class, and how to choose the one that’s right for you. I’ve taken a bunch of classes online over the last couple of years, and I got more out of some than others. What made the difference between a class that was right for me and one that wasn’t?
In some cases, it was the teacher. There are some folks who teach A LOT of classes. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee a good teacher, but it often helps. There are also particular sites (especially some of the RWA chapters and associations) that specialize in presenting great classes. The Low Country RWA (www.lowcountryrwa.com) is where I took my first bunch of classes (and where I’m teaching my current one) and they have a fabulous assortment at a really reasonable price: only $16 for a three-week class!
I found one of my favorite online teachers at lowcountry, and have since taken a bunch of classes with her (pretty much every time she offers one, I take it—she’s just that good). Lois Winston is both a writer (TALK GERTIE TO ME) and an agent. She and a friend have started a site specializing in classes for writers who are just starting out. I asked her to give me the lowdown on her new venture:
The url is www.beginningwriterworkshops.com . We offer 10 workshops a year, stressing the fundamentals and skills needed to succeed as a published author. Most of the courses are geared toward writing fiction, but we also offer one workshop in memoir writing and one in non-fiction writing. All workshops are given by me and author Dianne Drake. As you know, I'm an award-winning author, multi-published in novel length fiction and short fiction, as well as non-fiction, and am also an agent with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Dianne is the award-winning author of 25 novels and 7 non-fiction books, as well as over 500 national magazine articles.
Another one of my favorite places to find classes is at Write_Workshop, which is the creation of author Candace Havens. The loop is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Write_Workshop/
Candace gives classes herself, gets lots of her author friends to give classes, and also runs a yearly Fast Draft for those on the loop (kind of like NaNoWriMo, but with periodic boots to the butt applied lovingly by Candy). The best part of all? All the classes on the loop are FREE. That’s right, you heard me. Free. The only thing Candy asks is that you support those giving the classes by buying their books. [Candace has two series out, both paranormal romance, and I HIGHLY recommend them both.]
Other online teachers who come highly recommended by some of my current students include Terry Spear (especially her “Show vs. Tell” class), Connie Flynn (“Conflict”), Beth Cornelisan (“Secondary Characters: The Good, the Bad, and the Quirky”), Mary Buckham (“Sex Between the Sheets”) and Margie Lawson. And here is a link to a loop that lists lots of online classes and will send out notices to let you know when they are: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Announceon linewritingclass es/
When looking for an online class, you may want to consider a few of the following issues: what does it cost (they can range from free to very expensive) and how long does it run (some classes are one day, some are as long as a month—do you have the time to do a longer class justice, and do you need lots of time to get the assignments done?). And look for the classes that will give you help in the areas you need most. If you are already pretty good at developing characters, you might want a class on conflict development or pitching queries.
No matter what the topic is, or who is teaching it, you will only get out of an online class what you put into it. Since there are no grades, and no one looking over your shoulder, it is up to you to pick a class that will interest you enough to put in the necessary time and energy. But if you do, I guarantee that you will have fun, learn something, and –hopefully—come out of it a better writer. And those are pretty good reasons to take a class.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Writing class has started
Today was the first day of my online writing class, Witchcraft for Paranormal Authors (that is to say, those authors who write paranormals...not actual paranormal authors).
So far, so good.
I actually posted the first lesson (an intro to me and the class) late last night, because I had a REALLY early meeting before work this morning. But even before then, lots of the class participants had signed on and introduced themselves. This is great, because one of the challenges of online classes is that one often gets lots of "lurkers" (who just read all the lessons but don't actively take part). This isn't a bad thing, necessarily--I've taken a few online classes myself [which is actually how I got sucked into giving this one, if fact], and sometimes I just don't have time to be an active participant.
But it is great that most of the folks taking the class are already excited and ready to jump in and get going.
No pressure :-)
I also found out from one of the organizers from www.lowcountryrwa.com where the course is given that my class has a higher enrollment than any they've given in quite a while. Wow. How cool is that?
So for the moment, I am cautiously optimistic about the way the class is shaping up--although also mildly freaked out by how much time it is already taken up, and that's BEFORE we get to the assignments I'll have to respond to. Wait, isn't this why I got out of regular teaching?
I'll keep ya posted. Wish me luck.
Teacher Deb
So far, so good.
I actually posted the first lesson (an intro to me and the class) late last night, because I had a REALLY early meeting before work this morning. But even before then, lots of the class participants had signed on and introduced themselves. This is great, because one of the challenges of online classes is that one often gets lots of "lurkers" (who just read all the lessons but don't actively take part). This isn't a bad thing, necessarily--I've taken a few online classes myself [which is actually how I got sucked into giving this one, if fact], and sometimes I just don't have time to be an active participant.
But it is great that most of the folks taking the class are already excited and ready to jump in and get going.
No pressure :-)
I also found out from one of the organizers from www.lowcountryrwa.com where the course is given that my class has a higher enrollment than any they've given in quite a while. Wow. How cool is that?
So for the moment, I am cautiously optimistic about the way the class is shaping up--although also mildly freaked out by how much time it is already taken up, and that's BEFORE we get to the assignments I'll have to respond to. Wait, isn't this why I got out of regular teaching?
I'll keep ya posted. Wish me luck.
Teacher Deb
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Giving an Online Class for Paranormal Authors
**Permission to repost** (Pretty please!!!!)
Online workshop
October 6th-29th
Cost $16.00
Given by Deborah Blake, author of 5 books on Witchcraft (Llewellyn Worldwide) and writer of Paranormal Romance
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
Witches are the new hot character in Paranormal Romance. (According to RT Book Reviews, October 2009 issue!)Popular authors who write using witches include Yasmine Galenorn, Candace Havens, Linda Wisdom, Kim Harrison, Annette Blair, and Anya Bast! If you're writing Paranormal Romance featuring witches, this class will help you get it right.
October 2009 — The Real Witch: Witchcraft Basics for the Paranormal Author
Presented by Deborah Blake
Dates: October 6-29
Deadline: October 4
Course Description:
Have you ever wondered about the differences between historical witches and modern-day Wiccans? Are you curious about familiars? How do you create a witch character for fiction? Deborah Blake can answer these questions and many more with her class about witchcraft and creating a character practicing the magical arts. You will learn how to create witch characters for different genres including Chick Lit and Paranormal. You will learn how to create a witch with real strengths and weaknesses. You will learn the basics of Wicca and spell casting. You will learn some of the historical views on familiars. You will learn how to write scenes in which your character practices magic and how the character would create a spell. You may not be allowed to turn an agent into a toad, but you are allowed to create a great character for your book!
Instructor Bio:
Deborah Blake is a Wiccan High Priestess who has led her own group, Blue Moon Circle, since 2004. She is the author of Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (Llewellyn 2007), Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Inspirational Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft (Llewellyn 2008) and The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch (Llewellyn 2009). She took third prize in the Pagan Fiction Award contest and her short story “Dead and (Mostly) Gone” was published in the Anthology of Pagan Fiction: 13 Prize Winning Tales (2008). She is currently working on a novel featuring a Witch as a protagonist. Deborah lives in upstate New York in a 100 year old farmhouse, where her activities both magickal and mundane are supervised by her five cats.
Online workshop
October 6th-29th
Cost $16.00
Given by Deborah Blake, author of 5 books on Witchcraft (Llewellyn Worldwide) and writer of Paranormal Romance
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
Witches are the new hot character in Paranormal Romance. (According to RT Book Reviews, October 2009 issue!)Popular authors who write using witches include Yasmine Galenorn, Candace Havens, Linda Wisdom, Kim Harrison, Annette Blair, and Anya Bast! If you're writing Paranormal Romance featuring witches, this class will help you get it right.
October 2009 — The Real Witch: Witchcraft Basics for the Paranormal Author
Presented by Deborah Blake
Dates: October 6-29
Deadline: October 4
Course Description:
Have you ever wondered about the differences between historical witches and modern-day Wiccans? Are you curious about familiars? How do you create a witch character for fiction? Deborah Blake can answer these questions and many more with her class about witchcraft and creating a character practicing the magical arts. You will learn how to create witch characters for different genres including Chick Lit and Paranormal. You will learn how to create a witch with real strengths and weaknesses. You will learn the basics of Wicca and spell casting. You will learn some of the historical views on familiars. You will learn how to write scenes in which your character practices magic and how the character would create a spell. You may not be allowed to turn an agent into a toad, but you are allowed to create a great character for your book!
Instructor Bio:
Deborah Blake is a Wiccan High Priestess who has led her own group, Blue Moon Circle, since 2004. She is the author of Circle, Coven & Grove: A Year of Magickal Practice (Llewellyn 2007), Everyday Witch A to Z: An Amusing, Inspiring & Inspirational Guide to the Wonderful World of Witchcraft (Llewellyn 2008) and The Goddess is in the Details: Wisdom for the Everyday Witch (Llewellyn 2009). She took third prize in the Pagan Fiction Award contest and her short story “Dead and (Mostly) Gone” was published in the Anthology of Pagan Fiction: 13 Prize Winning Tales (2008). She is currently working on a novel featuring a Witch as a protagonist. Deborah lives in upstate New York in a 100 year old farmhouse, where her activities both magickal and mundane are supervised by her five cats.
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