I'm happy to share this list of Laurie's upcoming classes.
I'm a huge Laurie fan and love her method of teaching.
online: FROM PLOT TO FINISH
(April 3-14)
writeruniv.wordpress.com/
A continuation of the March process open solely to people who've taken PVM online or in person at some point, this no-more-than-30-people group gets you plotting a brand new or already-begun book (using your completed 14-point worksheet) from start to finish. No need to prepare a new story idea, character bios, goal charts or anything else, because you'll see how to plot an entire book -- and actually have it ready to type -- by the end of this hands-on workshop.
blog: WHY FATAL FLAWS RARELY ARE
(April 18) seekerville.blogspot.com
How will your characters overcome weakness for a happy ending?
live in Atlanta, GA: ALL-DAY WORKSHOP
(April 22) georgiaromancewriters.org/
A day with Plotting Via Motivation & From Plot To Finish, plus Block-Busting and Revisions.
online: NINE FLAWS, NINE TRIUMPHS
(May 1-26) rwamysterysuspense.org/node/
Writers who discover the versatility of enneagrams, the nine personality types and subtypes discovered by the Sufis and brought west a century ago, are fascinated by how easy it is to identify their existing characters and create new ones -- each with uniquely heroic and distinctive traits, as well as a fatal (or not so fatal) flaw that naturally brings them into conflict with other characters AND with themselves.
live in Phoenix: THE ALPHA MALE, FROM ABE TO ZEUS
(June 2, 9:30-10:30) desertroserwa.org
What makes an alpha male? How can you make yours compelling?
online: BLOCK-BUSTING
(June 12-23)
sinc-guppies.org
This class offers practical and psychological techniques for dealing with writer's block. Part of that block is a lack of joy in the process, so this roll-up-your-sleeves session looks at the causes -- including boredom, exhaustion, and fear of success -- and the benefits of getting blocked. Writers finish with new awareness of what works for them, and with renewed inspiration for returning to the craft they love.
live in Columbus: ALL-DAY WORKSHOP
(July 15, 9-4) cofwevents.org/meetings
Alpha Males, Building Characters, Plotting Via Motivation and From Plot To Finish
live in Cincinnati: INFORMAL AFTERNOON
(July 16, 1:15-3:30) email booklaurie@gmail.com
A casual get-together over Description & Dialogue, followed by The Personality Ladder
Laurie Schnebly Campbell loves giving workshops for writer groups about "Psychology for Creating Characters," "Making Rejection WORK For You," "Building A Happy Relationship For Your Characters (And Yourself)" and other issues that draw on her background as a counseling therapist and romance writer.
In fact, she chose her website (www.BookLaurie.com) so people would find it easy to Book Laurie for programs.
But giving workshops -- for students from London and Los Angeles to New Zealand and New York -- is just one of her interests. During weekdays, she writes and produces videos, brochures and commercials (some of which feature her voice) for a Phoenix advertising agency. For several years she would turn off her computer every day at five o'clock, wait thirty seconds, turn it on again and start writing romance.
It finally paid off. Her first novel was nominated by Romantic Times as the year's "Best First Series Romance," and her second beat out Nora Roberts for "Best Special Edition of the Year." But between those two successes came a three-year dry spell, during which Laurie discovered that selling a first book doesn't guarantee ongoing success.
"What got me through that period," she says, "was realizing that the real fun of writing a romance is the actual writing. Selling is wonderful, sure, but nothing compares to the absolute, primal joy of sitting at the computer and making a scene unfold and thinking 'Wow! Yes! This is great!'"
After six books for Special Edition, she turned her attention to writing non-fiction -- using her research into the nine personality types to help writers create plausible, likable people with realistic flaws. Her other favorite activities include playing with her husband and son, recording for the blind, counseling at a mental health center, traveling to Sedona (the Arizona red-rock town named for her great-grandmother, Sedona Schnebly) and working with other writers.
"People ask how I find time to do all that," Laurie says, "and I tell them it's easy. I never clean my house!"
Laurie welcomes email from readers—send her a "Hello!"
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