PLRW members offer workshops on a number of different subjects. Following is a list of PLRW members and the workshops they can offer to your organization. To contact a PLRW member about presenting a workshop, please click on that person’s name.
Kathleen Coddington
Castles to Corsets: Researching and Writing Historical Fiction
Contrary to popular belief, historical fiction is not dead. Viking warlords, knights, Scottish lords, feisty women in corsets and bonnets and bawdy ladies of the evening are still a popular draw. This workshop is designed for those interested in diving into the world of the past and bringing it to life. It provides a broad overview from where to begin, organizing your research, characterization, handling language and dialog effectively to tips for putting it all together and setting up a marketing plan.
Biography
Kathleen Coddington has been writing romance for 15 years. She writes paranormal and historical romance and has three books published with Cerridwen Press. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Pocono Lehigh Romance Writers and the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. In addition to writing, she teaches a novel writing course at Northampton Community College. She is a member of two Civil War reenacting units and is a frequent lecturer at schools and historical societies. She has also published several articles about the fashions of the mid-19th century.
Autumn Jordon
The ARC; Author Reader Connection
Every day we experience a whole gamut of emotions and show them in many ways; some are obvious and some slight, yet many writers struggle to convey their character’s emotions in a way to move their readers.
The objective of this one-hour workshop, is to show participants techniques which will up the emotion in their story so well their readers will bond with their characters like old friends and their book well be placed on the keeper shelf.
Writing The Romantic Suspense Novel
Can suspense and love go hand in hand? Sure they can. Join awarding-winning romantic suspense author Autumn Jordon for a discussion on the romance subgenre and ways to intertwine the two elements.
Romance: Not Your Mother’s Bodice-Rippers Anymore.
Awarding-winning romance author Autumn Jordon will share insight to what romance genre is really about and what makes it the number one selling category today. During the hour long presentation, we’ll also learn where to begin and how to structure a romance.
Biography
2010 Golden Leaf Winner for ‘Best First Book’ and 2009 RWA (Romance writers of America) Golden Heart© Finalist author Autumn Jordon is a quiet nut who has earned the title of ‘trouble’ by her family and friends. She is published in romantic contemporary fiction, romantic suspense and personal essay with the ‘Cup Of Comfort’ books.
Autumn loves to travel and learn about the areas she visits while making new friends. No matter what she is doing, she is always busy dreaming up ideas to put the characters of her romantic thrillers in grave danger. To learn more about Autumn visit www.autumnjordon.com For more info on her workshops contact her at autumnjordon@yahho.com
Kathy Kulig
Screenwriting Tools for Building a Novel
Kathy has taken workshops with award winning screenwriters/producers Bill Pace, Michael Hauge and Robert Gately. She believes all novelists should take a screenwriting course even if you never plan to write a screenplay.
This workshop is especially helpful for plotting a novel—beginner to advanced writers.
Shy Girls Guide to Writing the HOT Stuff
Steamy, racy stories sell and not just for the romance market. Sex scenes are found in thrillers, science fiction, horror, comedy, etc. But whether or not you want to write for the erotic romance market, adding love scenes, or even a little sexual tension, takes skill and planning. This workshop talks about love scenes, how to write them with emotion, conflict, depth of character and more. A love scene isn’t just about the sex and sex isn’t all choreography.
Good to Great
What makes a good writer great? Award-winning author Kathy Kulig discusses techniques and inspirations to help you transform your writing and career from good to great.
Biography
Kathy Kulig is the award-winning author of paranormal, contemporary and erotic romance. She has published ten novels and novellas with Ellora’s Cave. Her books have finaled in the PRISM, EPIC and Maggie contests as well as other contests. Critics have described her writing as “very raw and hot”, “wonderfully unique” and “entertaining and captivating”. Her interest in mythology, quantum physics, the supernatural, and also her extensive background in science provide inexhaustible material for new writing projects. Besides her career in writing, she’s a cytotechnologist and has worked as a research scientist, medical technologist, dive master and stringer for a newspaper. To find more information visit: www.kathykulig.com
Roni Denholtz
Revision: The Two-Step Process
Revising your novel means looking for both the big problems and the minute details to make your story the best it can be. Roni uses a two-step approach to help writers at every level revise their work.
Biography
Roni Denholtz is the award-winning writer of 7 romance novels, 9 children’s books and over a hundred short stories, article and poems. Her romance “Marquis in a Minute” won the 2007 NJ Golden Leaf award for Best Regency Romance. Her children’s book “Jenny Gets Glasses” was listed as one of the top 20favorite books of first graders in a nationwide study by the Reading is Fundamental Group. Roni lives in northwest NJ with her family. She is active in several romance writing groups and at her local animal shelter.
Tori MacAllister
Writing Tools Cage Match: Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs vs. Scrivener
Discover the ins and outs of Microsoft Word that can help writers use this program more fully to enhance their writing process as well as for when that novel is ready to be submitted. What about using a program that autosaves everything, let’s you easily share with your critique partner for comments, and actually saves multiple versions of it so you don’t lose anything? Google Docs is a wonderful option with lots of powerful tools to help a writer get feedback, backup her work, and collect information in one location. Scrivener is considered by many to be the Cadillac of writing tools, and after a tour it’s easy to see why. Easy access to character sketches and research while you write, an interactive cork board of your scenes and chapters, and flawless manuscript formatting for submission are all drool-worthy features of this program. Let’s pit them against each other and see which program wins!
Savoring Goodreads for All It’s Worth
The 10th largest social network and the only one devoted entirely to reading, Goodreads offers writers the ability to determine popular books in their genre as well as offer a direct link to communicate easily with readers. Author profiling, excerpts, access to retail venues, and the powerful ability of lists and recommendations to find readers willing to add your book to their “to-read” list are all vital features to optimize in order to reach this audience of seven million members (and growing). The academic research the staff has conducted to understand the reading audience is simply icing on the delicious cake of Goodreads. So come and take a bite!
Biography
Tori MacAllister is the pen name for an energetic librarian and technology teacher based out of Northeast Pennsylvania. She spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about the romance industry between bouts of writing and is always thinking about how new technology tools will impact authors and romance lovers. Helping literally hundreds of teenagers not topple into a melodramatic abyss on a daily basis gives her a profound appreciation for human drama, but she loves a good happily ever after. She jumps out of bed every day, knowing that there is always something great on the horizon. You can get a window into her thoughts at her website at www.torimacallister.com.