Tag: Online Class

10 Commandments of Grammar for Fiction Writers” with Grammar Divas – Annie Oortman & Darlene Buchholz

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Hi everyone! Check out the exciting online classes offered by the
Orange County Chapter of RWA!

“10 Commandments of Grammar for Fiction Writers”
with Grammar Divas – Annie Oortman & Darlene Buchholz
April 11 – May 7, 2011

Love grammar? Hate grammar? Love to hate grammar?

Contrary to popular belief, grammar is not a sinister conspiracy plot designed by evil English teachers (the Grammar Gods) to ruin every writer in the free world’s fun by screwing with personal style. (Seriously, it’s not.)

However, good writing requires good grammar. Without it, you can’t really be sure your reader will understand the information you’re trying to convey, the story you’re trying to tell, and the mental picture you’re trying to paint. Which kind of defeats the purpose of fiction writing, right?

So what rules are the most important ones for a fiction writer to follow and which ones are kinda-follows? From subject-verb agreement to passive voice, faulty construction to misplaced modifiers, word choice and usage to quotation marks and commas, the Grammar Divas (an English teacher and a professional copywriter) sort through the all the rules and share in a fun yet informative way the ten most important grammar issues every fiction writer should understand and practice.

About the Instructors:

Grammar wasn’t Annie Oortman’s first love (actually, it was a cute boy in her second-grade class named Henry Talley) or even her second (avoiding barn work). However, after getting an A for content but an F for readability on a third-grade book report, she learned having great ideas was one thing, communicating them well on paper another. Annie became a disciple of the church of Proper Grammar. Nowadays, she aspires to become a romantic suspense author, diagrams sentences for fun (yes, for fun), and argues with Darlene on the acceptability of ending a sentence with a preposition. Don’t do it!

Darlene Buchholz fell in love in the first grade with a boy named Neil. He shared his crackers and milk at recess after someone took her snack and never got caught. By the third grade, she discovered Nancy Drew mysteries and developed a great passion for perky heroines who drove convertibles (proof they were in charge of their own lives). She’s written about romance and intrigue ever since. Darlene never thought of grammar as a challenge. It was, instead, a tool to help her express the ideas she felt passionate about, especially on the acceptability of ending a sentence with a preposition. Yes, you can!

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassApr11.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members

Coming in May, 2011

“Some Like It Hot”
with Louisa Bacio
May 16 – June 11, 2011

Let’s talk about sex. Whether you’re writing a short story, novella or a full-length novel, an erotic thriller, paranormal or historical romance, the basics of the Erotic Romance remain the same: it’s all about plot and keeping it hot.

This workshop will cover the basics of characterization and motivation, and then delve into the heart: The sex scene(s). When writing about the physical aspects of love, it takes more than the cliché of “putting tab A into slot B.” The love scenes need to come organically from the work that’s being created, and the reader needs to believe in the connection.

Adult Content: Note that with the subject matter of this workshop, the language may become explicit. Come with an open mind, and be prepared to learn.

Erotic romance writer Louisa Bacio released her full-length novel PHYSICAL EDUCATION through Ravenous Romance and to quote Happily Ever After Reviews: “Ms. Bacio cleverly crafts a world of wicked pleasure and mystery that pulls the reader into this erotic thriller.” She’s currently working on an erotic paranormal set in New Orleans, and a sequel to Physical Education.

COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members

http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html Check out our full list of workshops.

Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group!
Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html
or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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“Mauled Men, Drowned Dames and Crispy Critters: a Body Disposal Primer for Writers” with Jeanne P. Adams

“OMG I ♥ It: Writing the YA Teens Want to Read ” with Suzanne Lazear

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Hi everyone! Check out the exciting online classes offered by the Orange County Chapter of RWA!

“OMG I ♥ It: Writing the YA Teens Want to Read”
with Suzanne Lazear
February 14 to March 12, 2011

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb11.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE CLASS:
The Young Adult market seems the place to be, but how to you not only make your story stand out in the crowd, but write a story teens want to read?

Teens are smart, savvy, and the books they read today are not your mother’s teen fiction.

Come join us and find out what teens expect out of a YA novel and how to write the YA story you want to tell in a way that appeals to today’s teens. Learn about the different genres from paranormal to contemporary and from clean teen to racy reads.

This hands-on class will work on the mechanics of writing YA and how it differs from writing for adults. Topics include creating realistic dialogue, characters, worlds, and plots teens can relate to, tone and pacing, and other differences and avoiding common YA pitfalls as well as what teens expect from today’s YA authors.

All YA manuscripts in all genres are welcome from “I have an idea” to polished and ready.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Suzanne Lazear writes for teens because her dancers made her and she never looked back. Sometimes known as “Lolita Suzanne,” she’s a regular blogger at the Steampunk group blog Steamed! www.ageofsteam.wordpress.com/ and a member of the Los Angeles Romance Writers. She’s never had trouble standing out in the crowd, but wearing a tiara will do that.

Her Steampunk Dark Fairytale for teens, “Innocent Darkness” will be released by Flux in August, 2012. She occupies a small corner of the West Coast where she lives with the hubby, the tot, a hermit crab, and two chickens, and is currently trying to make a ray gun to match her ball gown.

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb11.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members

Coming in March 2011
“Mauled Men, Drowned Dames and Crispy Critters; a Body Disposal Primer for Writers”
with Jeanne Adams

You’ve axed, shot or otherwise knocked off a key character in your latest book, now what? You have to do SOMETHING with the body! Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the pernicious particulars of body disposal and how to use minutiae of death to throw your characters together or drive them apart.

Jeanne P. Adams knows a thing or two about getting rid of a body, in reality as well as in books…her third book, Deadly Little Secrets (Zebra, Sept. 2010) is already being hailed as “One of the best Suspense Books of the Year!” by Romantic Times. She also is a multi-published non-fiction writer and consultant with twelve years of funeral business experience working both for a cemetery and several funeral homes. In her reading, she’s winced over a variety of mistakes dealing with the story’s dead guy (or gal), which led to this class!

Check out our full list of workshop at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html

Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group! Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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