SWW Storyteller

Classes

SouthWest Writers offers classes to advance the skills and marketability of writers. Experienced instructors guide participants through lecture, example and, often, critique to increase the quality of their writing.

What is the difference between a class and a workshop? A class is more than one session and usually includes assignments to be completed outside of class. A workshop is one session, and any work required of the students is done during the workshop session.

New Workshop and Class Refund Policy

To ensure that SouthWest Writers can cover the cost of space rental, meals, and instructor fees, we have implemented a new workshop and class refund policy. If you cancel one week before the workshop or class beginning date you will receive a full refund. Cancellations after one week prior up to 24 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop or class will receive a credit only toward a future workshop or class of your choice. If you do not cancel or don’t show up for the workshop or class you will receive no refund and no credit. For multi-session classes, if you miss a class, you receive no refund. We pay our instructors based on how many students enroll, so you are part of that roll count if you don’t cancel as detailed above.

If you have any questions, e-mail Bob Schenck and Dennis Kastendiek, workshop chairs, at or Dodici Azpadu, class coordinator, at .

CREATIVE MARKETING FOR AUTHORS

by Loretta Hall

Four- sessions, Saturday Afternoons
2:00 - 4:00 PM
January 21 and 28 and February 4 and 11
$160 members and $190 non-members

SouthWest Writers Conference Room
3721 Morris NE, Ste A (northwest corner of Comanche and Morris)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Classes Limited to 14 Students

Whether your book is self-published or produced by a publishing company, you will have to be its primary marketer. Not only is this a simple fact of life, but it is also the most effective approach. No one understands your book better than you, and no one else has as much passion for it. But what can you do, besides an excruciating string of bookstore signings where you try to hawk your book to people who just came in to rent some movies for the weekend? In this class, Loretta Hall will share a variety of strategies and techniques she has developed over the past seven years. Her experience is in promoting her nonfiction books, but the techniques can be applied to marketing fiction as well.

Loretta Hall is the author of five nonfiction books, two of which she actively markets because she earns royalties on them. Only 30 percent of published books ever earn back their advance, and Loretta’s earlier book, Underground Buildings: More than Meets the Eye, is about to achieve that milestone. The later one, Out of this World: New Mexico’s Contributions to Space Travel, published in 2011, appeals to a very different audience, but she is adapting the strategies she learned with the earlier book and adding some new twists.

Don't miss this! Sign up now online or register by calling SWW (505) 265-9485.

SURFING YOUR ENTHUSIASM
How to Make Writing Goals Work For YOU!

by Sue Sullivan

Monday Evenings, 3-sessions
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
January 23 and 30 and February 6, 2012
$90 members and $120 non-members

SouthWest Writers Conference Room
3721 Morris NE, Ste A (northwest corner of Comanche and Morris)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Classes Limited to 14 Students

Course Description - At SouthWest Writers meetings, do you get enthusiastic and determined to write, but find the next meeting sneaks up on you without you actually writing any where near as much as you would like? Or have you done a lot of writing in the past, but find you resist picking up those pieces and actually finishing them? In Surfing Your Enthusiasm you’ll work with writing goals that support you in developing your internal motivation so you don’t have to force yourself to sit down and write, in gently working past your fears in rewarding ways, in staying in tune with what you love to write, and in becoming the writer you were always meant to be.

Sue Sullivan has been actively involved in personal development for nearly 30 years. A few years ago, she discovered she loved to write. She took classes and got great feedback. But at one point, she found that she hardly wrote any more and couldn’t find the motivation to continue. Instead of just setting it aside, she decided to explore what was happening. In the process, she found the underlying issues and is now writing regularly, enjoying it, and excited about where her writing is leading her. For more information visit: http://surfingyourenthusiasm.com/blog/

Don't miss this! Sign up now online or register by calling SWW (505) 265-9485.

DAZZLING DESCRIPTION: How to Show-Not-Tell

By Chris Eboch

Tuesday Afternoons, 2-sessions
2 pm - 4 pm
January 24 and 31, 2012
$80 members and $110 non-members

SouthWest Writers Conference Room
3721 Morris NE, Ste A (northwest corner of Comanche and Morris)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Classes Limited to 14 Students

You’ve been told, "Show, Don’t Tell." Now learn how. Kirkus Reviews praised Chris Eboch’s middle grade novel, The Well of Sacrifice, for its "richly textured depiction of ancient Mayan society." Learn her secrets in this fun, hands-on-pen workshop. Make your settings sparkle, your characters come alive, your emotions explode on the page. We’ll discuss facts versus opinions, sense data, body language, showing through dialog, and what point of view really means. These techniques can help you take your work from dull to dazzling!

Chris Eboch teaches writing workshops around the world. Her book Advanced Plotting helps writers fine-tune their plots and her Write Like a Pro! blog offers free writing advice (http://chriseboch.blogspot.com). Chris is also the author of 13 books for young people. Her novels for ages nine and up include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure; and the Haunted series, which starts with The Ghost on the Stairs. Learn more at www.chriseboch.com. Chris writes for adults under the name Kris Bock. Rattled launches her new series featuring treasure-hunting adventures in the New Mexico wilderness. Read the first three chapters at www.krisbock.com.

Don't miss this! Sign up now online or register by calling SWW (505) 265-9485.

EXPLORE INDIE PUBLISHING
How to develop your own business plan

By Chris Eboch

Tuesday Evenings, 2-sessions
6 pm - 8 pm
January 24 and 31, 2012
$80 members
$110 non-members

SouthWest Writers Conference Room
3721 Morris NE, Ste A (northwest corner of Comanche and Morris)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Classes Limited to 14 Students

You've heard the buzz about self-publishing. New authors are using it to get past the gatekeepers. Midlist authors are bringing back their out-of-print books and continuing series dropped by the publisher. Even big name authors are self-publishing new books because they'll have more control and make more money.

But is it right for you? And if so, how do you make it happen? On the first day of this workshop, we'll discuss who should and shouldn't self-publish (and why), explore the pros and cons, and study an overview of the process. You'll start making a list of your goals, resources and expectations.

The following week, we'll develop those initial lists into step-by-step business plans with timelines. You'll receive resources for editing, proofreading, cover art, and more, plus information on how to get the word out about your book. This class will help you decide if this is the path for you, and if so, get you on your way.

Chris Eboch has 12 traditionally published books and two self-published books, with one more of each on the way. Her novels for ages nine and up include the indie-published title The Eyes of Pharaoh, an ancient Egyptian mystery, and the traditionally published novels The Well of Sacrifice and the Haunted series: The Ghost on the Stairs, The Riverboat Phantom, and The Knight in the Shadows. Read samples or learn more about Chris at www.chriseboch.com.

Chris also writes for adults as Kris Bock. Rattled launches her new romantic suspense series featuring treasure hunting adventures in the Southwest. Read the first three chapters at www.krisbock.com.

Chris writes a monthly column for the SWW Sage. Her blog covers the craft of writing and the business of self-publishing: http://chriseboch.blogspot.com. Look for her upcoming $.99 e-book, Advanced Plotting.

Don't miss this! Sign up now online or register by calling SWW (505) 265-9485.

X-RAY, MACHETE AND SCALPEL: Shaping the Novel

by Betsy James

Wednesday Evenings, 8 sessions
6:00 - 8:30 PM
February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and March 7, 14 and 21
$320 members and $370 non-members

SouthWest Writers Conference Room
3721 Morris NE, Ste A (northwest corner of Comanche and Morris)
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Classes Limited to 10 Students

You’ve got a draft. It’s too long/not long enough. It limps; it wanders. You love it. You hate it. You know it needs a lot of work. What now?

Join novelist Betsy James for a class that will help you whip that puppy into shape. With a focus on structure, we’ll use respectful peer critique to consider aspects of the novel such as plot and pacing, characterization, dialogue, word-pruning, and the infamous 'show, don’t tell."

Applicants will submit a 2-page synopsis, first 20 pages, and description of main characters (one paragraph each). Much of the value of peer critique is discussion of the work of the rest of the class; expect to review 15-30K words each week.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE IN THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN JANUARY 25 WITH PAYMENT INCLUDED. CHECKS PREFERRED. PLEASE PUT "ATTENTION BETSY JAMES" ON THE ENVELOPE.

Betsy James is the author of sixteen books and many short stories for adults, young adults and children. Her most recent title, Listening at the Gate (Atheneum 2006), is a James Tiptree Honor Book and a New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age; her short stories appear in Realms of Fantasy. Visit her on the web at www.listeningatthegate.com (adult) or www.betsyjames.com (juvenile).