Spies, Lies, and the Secrets We Keep – Spy fiction, what is it and how do we write it?
Two-Part Event:
March 25th: 4-6 p.m. PT | 7-9 p.m. ET
April 1st: 4-6 p.m. PT | 7-9 p.m. ET
This two-part symposium explores the unique elements and techniques for writing spy fiction.
The symposium will open with a discussion about the real world of espionage and intelligence agencies, but the focus is to examine the following:
- The basic components of spy fiction
- The traditional as well as unique facets of character and character arcs
- How to develop intrigue and conflict in an espionage context
- How to use dialogue and setting
- The various writing styles that comprise spy fiction
- Research methods
- Q&A
At the conclusion of this two-part event, the intent is for attendees to have a deeper understanding of what makes a novel fall into the spy fiction genre, as well as how to write stories that possess the basic elements of spy novels.
Additionally, although the majority of the discussion will be around spy fiction, the principles discussed are applicable to thrillers and mysteries in general.
Both sessions will be recorded.
In this session with comic writer and founder of Avina Comics John Avina you will learn how to tell stories in a sequential manner, and write for not only your audience but also for an artist.
John will cover panel layouts, budgeting space for dialogue and telling a character arc across one issue. The goal is to get you on your keyboard and ready to take your idea from a thought to a completed comic.
- Introduction to sequential storytelling:
- Taking a look at Familiar Dungeons
- Pacing a page
- Design
- Scripting:
- Looking at Familiar Dungeons Script
- Laying out a page
- Description
- Dialogue
- Completing a narrative:
- Looking at Familiar Dungeons arc
- How many pages should your comic be?
- Does it tell a full story?
What attendees have said ...
John gave me an idea of how the business end of the Comics industry works. His information and examples are appreciated.
I learned so much and feel more confident in what I am doing after coming here today.
Unique solid content from someone genuinely willing to share a lot practical, high-value information.
Señor Aviña presented the ideas clearly and with good examples.
Writing Your Second Draft: Elevating Your Story
After an author types “the end” on the first draft of a novel, the real work is about to begin. You’ve heard the adage that writing is revising, and that’s largely true. The difficulty is knowing how to begin the revision process. Where do you start? How do you identify weaknesses in your first draft? Is there a right way and a wrong way to go about this?
In this workshop, you’ll learn the following:
- How to identify and prioritize rewrites to turn a so-so first draft into a much sharper second draft.
- Using a detailed five-point checklist, we’ll focus on main character, emotional stakes, essential scenes, pacing, and world-building.
- You’ll have a strategy and a tool to help you analyze these facets of your own work to figure out where and how to prioritize changes during the rewrite process.
- You’ll take away a clear sense of how and where to attack rewrites and prioritize what areas need the most work.
What attendees have said ...
"Amy's succinct advice was invaluable to relieve my anxiety about tackling this rewrite. And the handouts are a wonderful reference!"
"Amy and Jeanne were both warm, inclusive, and knowledgeable. I attend a lot of webinars and this one felt like I was hanging out with friends, uplifting each other."
Querying Literary Agents: Query Letter Essentials
The path to traditional publication can seem daunting, especially when it comes to finding literary representation. In the end, though, agents are just very busy people who really love books.
As someone who grew up in the publishing world, Zoe Quinton has not only known many agents but also worked as one herself. She will help you navigate the landscape of writing queries and finding the right representation for your writing career.
This presentation will include:
- How to look for agents
- Tips on writing a query letter
- When to give up (hint: don’t)
*Note: The live event included a query-letter critique, but the on-demand session does not include a critique.
What attendees have said ...
"I love that you dedicated a good amount of time for questions, even personal situations so writers could really make the best out of the seminar."
"I'm looking forward to the recording so I can retain the bullet points on the slides—all extremely important and helpful but so much was covered (a good thing!) so quickly that it was tough to absorb it all."
"As I get ready to query in the next couple months I will be using the information to structure my query letter."
Writing believable, compelling dialogue is one of the hardest parts of constructing fictional narrative.
In this session, you’ll learn:
- Why writing good dialogue is one of the most powerful tools in a writer’s toolbox.
- How to craft unique voices.
- How to elevate lackluster dialogue to sharp language that hooks audiences.
- The secret sauce that goes around dialogue to make it shine.
- The delicate art of writing funny.
- How to decide between what is said aloud and what is implied.
There will be hands-on exercises and tools to create and shape snappy dialogue that will engage your audience.
What attendees had to say ...
Great organization for a sound approach to the art of dialogue.
It was inspiring. I particularly remember the sound of silence. That it can be full of stuff. And ways to check your dialogue to not be boring.
Julia and Jeanne were very responsive to all questions and provided a different slant on writing dialogue.
A Crash Course in Novel Writing
One of the biggest obstacles any writer faces is writing the first draft of a novel. As Nora Ephron said, “I think the hardest part about writing is writing.”
Your story matters, and "someday" is not the time to write it. If something has been holding you back from writing your novel—whether it be lack of time, lack of motivation, lack of knowing how to write it, or just plain fear—then Grant Faulkner, former Executive Director of National Novel Writing Month, can help you get your creative juices flowing and take the first steps to planning your novel.
The first half will explore what's holding you back, and the second half you'll do a burst of writing exercises to break through your fears and demonstrate how quickly you can not only get words on the page, but also come up with a long list of ideas for character creation, conflicts and plot, so be prepared to write.
The presentation will cover:
- Deep dive into evaluating and overcoming creative obstacles
- How to use small bits of time to write with abandon
- Develop the main character of your novel
- Writing exercises to help discover story conflicts and plan the basic plot of your novel
What attendees have said ...
"Loved the writing exercises! Instructor was terrific—very generous in sharing his expertise."
"Very useful information was conveyed. The exercises helped tie it all together. He was easy to understand and congenial."
"If you're doing a writing challenge like National Novel Writing Month, or just a personal challenge to push through your first draft, Grant's advice will help!"
One-on-One with J.T. Ellison
J.T. Ellison is not only a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, she's also an EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS, and one of the most generous professional writers in the industry.
As always, our Symposium one-on-one conversations are a community event. While Jeanne Veillette Bowerman and J.T. converse, your questions will be addressed, too!
Pour a beverage, sit back and relax. Join the dialogue.
Resources from this session:
J.T. Ellison's Website
J.T.'s Substack
J.T.'s Newsletter
Reckless Creatives Podcast with John Truby
Symposium: "Self-Publishing: The Fundamentals and Beyond"
Troubled Waters: Navigating the Agent/Author Relationship
For agented and un-agented authors.
It can be devastating when a literary business partnership changes and you're searching for the right fit for an agent ... again. Also, how can you be sure you're picking the right agent in the first place?
Agent Stacey Graham from 3 Seas Literary Agency will share how to recognize the signs of when your agent/author relationship may be headed for the rocks, what to try to right the ship, and when it's time to head for the lifeboat in this fast-paced presentation.
Included:
- If the partnership can't be saved, what are the next steps to get you back on the path to publication?
- What happens with projects that are currently on submission.
- Tips on where to find agents taking on new clients, queries, and how to tell a new agent that they've left representation so it doesn't get weird.
- What to ask your agent before you sign with them to be more confident the fit will be right.
- Setting realistic expectations.
What Attendees Have Said ...
"The information shared was phenomenal!"
"Stacy Graham was a lovely choice to discuss the ins and outs of breaking a current relationship between authors and agents with grace, kindness, and aplomb. The information she provided on outside resources to find an agent, write queries, etc., was also invaluable."
"I had a general knowledge of the topic, but there were aspects of the Agent/Author Relationship that I had not considered that were covered."
"Loved hearing straight from a working agent what the business relationship is like, agent/client. Though not all are the same, Stacey was straightforward and down-to-earth, exactly the personality type of the new agent I'm looking for, so this really worked for me ... there is so much good material here it would be great to offer the workshop to authors at all levels. I'm sure other agents would appreciate potential clients receiving the education so expectations can be understood and negotiated/set right from the beginning."
One-on-One with Writer Beware's Victoria Strauss
Because of writers' passions for pursuing their dreams, we seem to be prime victims of scammers. No one works as hard as Victoria Strauss to investigate and educate writers on the people trying to rip money out of our hands.
Jeanne Veillette Bowerman chats with Victoria about her career and passion for protecting writers, including you in the conversation with a live Q&A during the chat.
Join us and learn what to watch for when an unexpected email shows up with an offer that's too good to be true.
Resources:
Booking Author Speaking Engagements
You’ve written your book, gotten it published and even done a book tour, congratulations! You are probably noticing that some authors are popping up at conventions, conferences, colleges and at the local library but don’t seem to be talking about their newest book, so what gives?
They have probably been invited by someone like me to speak for a literary event and now a whole new world of literary engagement is unfolding for them. So how do you get on this side quest and find other ways to connect with audiences?
Led by a literary events expert, this workshop will teach you how to:
- Spotlight on You: Learn how to create visibility around yourself as a speaker by putting together a clear route for engagement from initial contact to speech.
- Crafting the Perfect Talk: Discover the key elements of an effective title and talk that grabs attention and gets you invited back.
- Networking Strategies: Tips on how to connect with the right people and expand your speaking opportunities.
- Overcoming Rejection: Learn how to turn a no into a maybe for a different engagement.
- Everybody’s Doing It: How to get your literary friends to recommend you when the
- opportunity arises.
- Q&A Session: You’ve heard me talk for a while now so let’s hear from you!
By the end of this workshop, you will have a better understanding of different types of speaking gigs, how to connect with the right people, and how to make a great impression at your first or next speaking gig.
What Attendees Have Said ...
"This was lovely. So many generous tips that emerging authors need to hear. Thanks especially for sharing the realities of gig compensation/honorarium rates ... Thank you for putting this together and sharing from your industry experience."
"Ashley Wilkin's class was great and it opened me up to thinking on a larger scale about what I would speak about and how I can get the word out about my debut novel."
"I felt like Ashley's tips were very practical and she really dove into the nitty-gritty about speaking and how to engage once you have been contacted. Great points!"
"I confess to being a Pipeline Symposium aficionado. They are always interesting. And Ashley's calm, informative presentation hammered in some things I can't forget."