2016 New England Crime Bake

A profound sense of place is a hallmark of great fiction.  You should think of it as one of the most important and compelling characters in your story.  In this session, we’ll examine the elements of setting, and look at ways to maximize their impact in your writing.  And then we’ll give it a try.
Class limited to 50 attendees
Additional payment required
Preregistration required

Once disdained by serious writers, self-publishing is fast gaining ground as a smart, respectable way for authors to gain income and readers in a crowded market. In this workshop, we’ll talk about what it takes to self-publish a mystery or crime novel successfully, and whether that’s the right route for you. Then, we’ll move onto specifics.

You’ll get an overview of the benefits, drawbacks, and pitfalls of publishing through the major retailers–Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Draft2Digital, Kobo, and Smashwords– before we go in depth to learn:

• How to price your book
• How to strategically use keywords and categories to find your audience and attract more readers
• How to get all-important online reviews, and
• What it takes to get your self-published novel charting with the major online retailers, whether it’s just been released or your titles have been out for months – or even years.

This course does not go into the technical aspects of formatting or uploading your manuscript, but will still be beneficial for those just exploring the self-publishing process, as well as beginning and veteran independent authors. Many of the selling strategies are also helpful for traditionally published authors, so all are welcome.
Class limited to 50 attendees
Additional payment required
Preregistration required

In this class we’ll use lecture, discussion and exercises to discover ways to keep your plot moving forward and your reader turning pages. Please watch the movie BIG before the class.
Class limited to 50 attendees
Additional payment required
Preregistration required

You've got your book written, now how do you tell the world? This class will answer your questions about marketing, advertising, and publicity. Topics will include newsletters, book trailers, email, advertising, events, and social media. You'll learn how to decide whether to spend your own money, and whether you need the help of other professionals (like website developers and graphic designers). You'll also learn how to work with your publisher on marketing and publicity. Feel free to bring examples of your own marketing, or other authors' materials that you found effective. Additional payment and preregistration required. Limited to fifty attendees.

Your manuscript is finally finished...now what? Whether you're a beginner trying to attract an agent or editor, or a seasoned professional wanting to make less work (and more brownie points!) for your editor and publisher, or you're preparing your work to send to an independent editor for your indie publishing project, learning to self-edit will help you go beyond Spell Check and put your best work forward. In this workshop we'll discuss: the most common grammar, syntax, and word choice mistakes authors make, and how to identify and root out overused words, phrases, and physical movements, head hops, POV issues, and passive language. We'll also talk about which rules can be bent or broken in the name of literary license. Finally we will touch on tension and pacing, story structure and plot holes, and characterization. You will come away from this workshop with the specific tools to shine up your own manuscript to a dazzling finish.
Class limited to 50 attendees
Additional payment required
Preregistration required

This workshop looks at how creating characters with conflicting goals creates conflict and tension essential to any good mystery, suspense, or thriller novel. We’ll analyze the web of character in an example, then examine the participants’ works in progress through the lens of the character web.
Class limited to 50 attendees
Additional payment required
Preregistration required