Writer and researcher Dr. James Ryan hosts a discussion with authors about their practices of invention, and getting to the root of personal theories of where ideas come from and how they work.
Description:
Hosted by Dr. James Ryan, Assistant Professor of Writing/Communications, University of Alaska, Southeast. Questions may include: Where do ideas come from? How do they pick the ones to work on? Where do they go when we feel uninspired? What gets them out of a funk and into the flow again? What stories do they have about their first encounter with an idea for a specific work? Featuring: James Ryan, Carlos Hernandez, Erin M. Evans, Jesse J. Holland, Linda D. Addison #gcws #writing
Liminal Identities in Speculative Fiction and Gaming
Summary:
Join our panel of experts as they discuss liminal identities, such as biracial, bisexual, pansexual, "invisible" disability, immigrant status, and how these are explored through fiction and gaming.
Description:
Featuring: Victor Raymond PhD, Jordan Kurella, Michael R. Underwood, Sarah Sharp, Toiya Kristen Finley #gcws #worldbuilding
Mastering Fiction: Brainstorming Your Way to a Breakout Novel
Summary:
Author Bradley P. Beaulieu shares brainstorming techniques for writing your breakout novel.
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, 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. Featuring: Bradley P. Beaulieu #gcws #classroom #writing
Author Bradley P. Beaulieu shares ways to create heroes readers cry over, antagonists they hate, and a wider cast of allies and enemies that feel varied and real.
Description:
Stories that work begin with characters. But crafting characters that connect with readers is difficult. In this talk, we'll discuss how to create characters that readers love or hate or love to hate. We'll also discuss how the cast as a whole works to create a compelling story that moves the reader emotionally. Featuring: Bradley P. Beaulieu #gcws #classroom #writing
Mastering Fiction: Connective Tissue For Stories that Resonate
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Author Bradley P. Beaulieu shares various techniques to create stories that really resonate with your readers and live beyond the pages of the book.
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, these topics are discussed from the viewpoint of strengthening the story as a whole, taking a story that feels loose and directionless and working with the material thats already there to make it strong and vibrant. Featuring: Bradley P. Beaulieu #gcws #classroom #writing
Mastering Fiction: Plotting Techniques of the Professional Writer
Summary:
Author Bradley P. Beaulieu shares plotting techniques to aid you in creating a gripping, page-turning story.
Description:
Plotting is one of the more difficult disciplines to master in writing, and even discovery writers will benefit from learning basic plotting techniques. This seminar focuses on various plotting techniques, from basic structural concepts, initial plotting and eventual refinement, how to break the dreaded writers block and how to avoid it in the first place. Featuring: Bradley P. Beaulieu #gcws #classroom #writing
Author Bradley P. Beaulieu shares techniques to maximize various kinds of tension to create a narrative that readers can't put down.
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, the different types of tension are discussed, as well as ways to maximize them to keep your reader glued to the page. Featuring: Bradley P. Beaulieu #gcws #classroom #writing
Mastering Fiction: The Patterns That Lead to Compelling Stories and How to Use Them
Summary:
Author Bradley P. Beaulieu shares rarely discussed techniques to create more compelling stories.
Description:
The ability to recognize patterns is a basic human trait. We use it over and over again in our fiction. This seminar discusses 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. Featuring: Bradley P. Beaulieu #gcws #classroom #writing