Workshops: Stepping
into your Character’s Shoes, Balancing Emotion and Pacing or Unforgettable
Fiction, Tackling the On-Going Search for Discoverability
Presenter: Priscilla
Oliveras
Cost to attend:
$25, registration open November 19th
Friday night: Annual chapter dinner details to be announced, but there is an Inn Restaurant that serves three meals a day. The villas have stoves/fridges for cooking and snacks if desired.
Saturday: workshops galore!
Friday night: Annual chapter dinner details to be announced, but there is an Inn Restaurant that serves three meals a day. The villas have stoves/fridges for cooking and snacks if desired.
Saturday: workshops galore!
Stepping into your Character’s Shoes: At the heart of every romance novel, no matter the
subgenre, lie the characters. They’re the ones we befriend, fall in love with,
and, for many readers, the reason why we place a book on our “keeper shelf” to
revisit again and again. Actors and writers are cousins in the art of bringing
characters to life. This presentation discusses and demonstrates several techniques
and exercises found in Brandilyn Collins’ how-to text Getting into
Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors to help writers
succeed in their quest to create believable, unforgettable characters.
Balancing Emotion and Pacing or Unforgettable Fiction: As authors we know that emotion is the key to engaging
readers in the story, but we’re often urged to trim backstory and inner
dialogue and focus on driving the story forward. This presentation shares
practical tips and tools to help us get that critical emotion on the page while
maintaining the right speed of pacing. When it comes down to it, properly
balancing emotion and pacing can help you deliver the emotional impact your
story needs to keep readers turning pages and push a scene or novel beyond
competent to unforgettable.
Tackling the On-Going Search for Discoverability: Discoverability, visibility, cross-promotion,
marketing…these are all buzz words we often discuss, maybe even stress about,
with fellow authors and industry professionals. And while writing can be a
solitary endeavor, promotion doesn’t always have to be. In fact,
cross-promotion with the right individuals can be beneficial and fun! From
author self-evaluation intended to help you discover your own strengths and
brand, to identifying comp titles and authors, to ways you might be able to
pinpoint authors with whom you share commonalities that might lead to
cross-promo opportunities… this presentation shares tips, tools, and lessons
learned in the bid to crack the age-old discoverability code.
Bio: PRISCILLA
OLIVERAS is a 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary
romance with a Latinx flavor. Proud of her Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, she
strives to bring authenticity to her novels by sharing her Latinx culture with readers. All three books in Priscilla’s
debut (Matched to Perfection) series, His Perfect Partner, Her
Perfect Affair, and Their Perfect Melody, earned Starred Reviews
from Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Since earning an MFA in
Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, she serves as English
adjunct faculty at her local college and teaches an on-line course titled
“Romance Writing” for ed2go. Priscilla is a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba
aficionado who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.
Follow along on her fun-filled and hectic
life at www.prisoliveras.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/prisoliveras or on Twitter & Instagram via @prisoliveras.
Sign up for the retreat by paying $25 via PayPal here:
Please contact the board if you have questions or concerns. To account for the fact that some members' names are not exactly like their PayPal emails, please please put your name in the notes section above or by emailing our treasurer, Susan Bickford, to give her a head's up!
For lodging, you will independently make and control your reservations with Montgomery Bell.
There are various types of rooms, cabins and suites. The hotel does require a one night deposit, which is refunded when you check out so that appropriate charges can be made if you shared your accommodations. For the discounted rate the code is 9280. The phone number to call for reservations from their website is 1-800-250-8613. And the website is
https://tnstateparks.com/parks/montgomery-bellDirect other questions to Charissa Weaks at charissaweaksauthor at gmail.com