Join us for an hour of manipulation and mayhem! Bring a marionette & practice techniques for manipulation & get advice from other puppeteers. Learn how to stand, sit, & walk your puppet and more!
Description:
Join us for an hour of manipulation and mayhem! Participants are invited to bring their marionettes, including the ones constructed in Making Marionettes, and practice puppeteering. Participants will have space to practice interacting with objects and other puppets in a relaxed environment. Learn the basics like how to properly hold your puppet and “find the floor." Practice walking, sitting and climbing for a smooth performance. Learn tips for creating a character and changing your voice. If you’re feeling extra brave, hop in the Puppet Hot Seat and introduce the world to your brand new character!
Marvelous Medium of Masking Tape: Make a Puppet or Prop
Summary:
Come turn your idea for puppets, props, decor and more into 3 dimensions with the marvelous medium of masking tape! Let Matt McGee guide you through the process of bringing your creation to life!
Description:
Props, masks, puppets, decor, and more, find out how this roll of inexpensive sticky stuff can be one material you never want to be without in your art supplies. Learn some tricks and techniques from award-winning master puppet builder Matt McGee on how to turn your ideas into 3 dimensions (regardless of your skill level), using nothing more than masking tape, some other common household materials, and your imagination. Ages 10 and up are a-okay! Matt McGee is an award-winning stage actor, puppet designer, and creator of the 2-time Jim Henson Foundation grant-awarded world premiere play, Under the Sea with Dredgie McGee. Originally raised by puppets in the wilds of Central CA, Matt built his professional career in the Washington, DC area and now works full time at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater as their head puppet builder and Director of Digital Media.
Mastering Fiction: Brainstorming Your Way to a Breakout Novel
Summary:
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches brainstorming techniques.
Description:
Novels begin with an idea, and the bigger the idea, the more likely you are to attract the notice of agents, editors, and readers. In this seminar with author Brad Beaulieu, learn techniques that can help you generate your Big Idea from the start, which will help to guide you to writing a novel that will stand out from the crowd. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches techniques of effective - and memorable - character creation.
Description:
Stories that work begin with characters. But crafting characters that connect with readers is difficult. In this talk, author Brad Beaulieu will discuss how to create characters that readers love or hate or love to hate. He'll also discuss how the cast as a whole works to create a compelling story that moves the reader emotionally. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Mastering Fiction: Connective Tissue For Stories that Resonate
Summary:
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches enhancing a story as a whole.
Description:
In writing, there are many different techniques that are rarely discussed together. Foreshadowing, parallel threads, theme, tone, character building, and more. In this seminar, author Brad Beaulieu will discuss these topics from the viewpoint of strengthening the story as a whole, taking a story that feels loose and directionless and working with the material that’s already there to make it strong and vibrant. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Mastering Fiction: Plotting Techniques of the Professional Writer
Summary:
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches techniques of plotting and structure.
Description:
Plotting is one of the more difficult disciplines to master in writing. Some writers have an innate sense of what makes a story work, but most writers, particularly those early in their apprenticeships, will benefit from plotting. In this seminar, author Brad Beaulieu will focus on various plotting techniques, from basic structural concepts, initial plotting and eventual refinement, how to break the dreaded writer’s block and how to avoid it in the first place. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches techniques of developing effective tension in writing.
Description:
Tension is one of the basic building blocks of modern day fiction. If you know how to lay the seeds of tension, and how to coax them, you can transform your fiction from merely noteworthy to exceptional. In this seminar, author Brad Beaulieu will discuss the different types of tension are discussed, as well as ways to maximize them to keep your reader glued to the page. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Mastering Fiction: The Patterns That Lead to Compelling Stories and How to Use Them
Summary:
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches how to use patterns to craft next-level writing.
Description:
The ability to recognize patterns is a basic human trait. We use it over and over again in our fiction. In this seminar, author Brad Beaulieu will discuss how to use patterns to your benefit by both setting and breaking expectations. Learn how to draw your reader in by challenging their expectations, and take character building, plot progression, plot twists and setbacks, and world building to the next level. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches techniques for the construction of powerful scenes.
Description:
Well-structured scenes make for compelling storytelling. How can you construct powerful scenes? And how do you string scenes together to create a vivid and stirring piece of writing? In this seminar, you’ll learn from author Join Brad Beaulieu how to structure scenes that work, whether you’re writing a short story or the next breakout novel. Track: GCWS Classroom.
Writer Bradley P. Beaulieu teaches comprehensive worldbuilding techniques.
Description:
Join Brad Beaulieu for a detailed discussion of the ins and outs of creating a compelling, vibrant world from scratch, extrapolating from history, or shading our own world slightly differently to create a unique setting for your novel. Track: GCWS Classroom.