Lana Williams

More Great News!   TRUST IN ME has taken first place in The 2010 Sheila Contest sponsored by The Valley Forge Romance Writers. 

Pikes Peak Writers Spring Workshop

What:   Opening Your Story with Power with award-winning authors Annie MacFarlane, Michelle Major, and Lana Williams

When:  Saturday, March 6th, 8 am-12

Where: Candlewood Suites, 6450 N. Academy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918

Cost:     $35 PPW members, $45 non-members

www.PikesPeakWriters.com

                                            Opening Your Story with Power

Looking for a killer opening to snag the editor and agent of your dreams? Join us on Saturday March 6 as three award-winning authors share their tools and techniques to hook that all important reader in just 120 words.

In this fun and interactive workshop, you'll learn how to open your story with power by analyzing your beginning with a 6 step opening test and creating characters that jump off the page.  You'll learn to pinpoint your character's true self by discovering what he or she needs in order to transform by the end of your novel.

•  You'll understand the difference between a character's visible goal (external motivation) and his transformational (internal) needs.
• And you'll learn how to make the reader "become your character”.

Please bring the first 120 words of your story and a character from your story to use during workshop exercises

Bios:

Multi-contest finalist Annie MacFarlane, after a long web marketing development career went from figuring out how to make people "click and buy" to deciphering what causes people to "turn pages and sigh" and loves every minute of it.

Michelle Major has a passion for novel writing and has completed three manuscripts - mainly in the hours before 6:30 a.m. when her kids wake up.  She has a degree in Journalism from Ohio University.

Lana Williams writes historical romance, is a member of PPW, PPRW and RWA, and her work took first place in the romance category of the 2009 Pikes Peak Writers Contest.

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Sunday, January 24, 2010   2:00 - 4:00 p.m.  

Pikes Peak Romance Writers of Romance Writers of America® Presents:

"Great Beginnings—Starting Your Year and Your Story With Power"

with Annie MacFarlane and Lana Williams

Join Annie MacFarlane and Lana Williams as they present “Great Beginnings” – a workshop to help you visualize your year and give you the tools you need to create a page-turning opening to your manuscript.   

Start 2010 by finding out what motivates you, how to stay focused on your goals, and create a Visualization Journal to remind you of your objective and purpose.  

Learn how to let the reader “become” your character, how to fulfill the promise of your story and create a page-turning opening by having your character take action. Learn how to use emotion to keep forward momentum going.  

Bring the first 120 words of your story and analyze it with a “6 Step Opening Test” to see if your first two pages pack enough emotional punch to hook the reader.   Other tips for creating a page-turning opening will be shared.  

Lana Williams writes historical romance, is a member of PPRW and RWA, and her work took first place in the romance category of the 2009 Pikes Peak Writers Contest. Multi-contest finalist Annie MacFarlane, after a long web marketing development career went from figuring out how to make people "click and buy" to deciphering what causes people to "turn pages and sigh" and loves every minute of it.    

PPRW Members, free. Guests, $5.00.  

Pikes Peak Romance Writers, A Chapter of Romance Writers of America www.pprw.org

Falcon Police Station

7850 Goddard Street

Colorado Springs, CO    

Transforming Your Characters Workshop

Writing compelling characters allows you to create an emotion-filled, page-turning story.  Whether you’re a “plotter” or a “pantser”, Transforming Your Characters will provide you with the tools to create a strong internal character arc and connect that arc to the plot.  RWA PRO Writers Annie MacFarlane, Michelle Major, and Lana Williams present this workshop with a unique twist for romance writers and discuss the challenge romance writers face when writing a two hero journey. 

Transforming Your Characters is a “working” workshop where attendees are asked to bring along one of their characters and walk them down the path of transformation.  Using examples from well-known books and movies, workshop participants will complete a worksheet that will help them explore the depths of their character.

Attendees will learn:

·        The difference between internal and external goals.

·        Emotion drives the internal character arc and plot drives the story.

·        How to pinpoint your characters’ true selves by discovering the differences between desire, tragic flaw, protective belief, fear, false front, need, and true self.

·        Why the author must know the characters’ backstory and how to share that without an info dump.

·        What the characters have to do or have in order to transform and complete their internal character arc.

·        How to get the biggest emotional impact from internal conflict.

·        How to test your hero and heroine’s conflict by applying three simple tests.

·        How to create an emotional struggle that creates a deep emotional connection in readers using the characters' true selves and false fronts.

·        Where, why, and how to best place the emotional “falling in love” scenes and sex scenes within your story.

·        How to place 2-4 pivotal scenes that allow the characters to face situations that challenge their protective beliefs and force them to see their true selves.

·        How to create a satisfying ending by allowing the reader to watch as the characters choose to embrace their true self.