ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

Show Don’t Tell: The Writer’s Golden Rule looks at different techniques of putting your readers into your story, and how to use them.

We will cover:

• Show vs. Tell?—Examines the difference between telling a story and showing it.
• The Five Senses—How to use the senses effectively.
• Action!—Using strong, active verbs past.
• Actions Speak Louder Than Words—Using Body Language.
• I Second That Emotion—Action, reaction, and inner thought.
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue—The unique voice and speech tags.
• The Devil’s in the Details—Using details while avoiding detail overload.
• Where in the World?—Using setting to show your story.

Included in the workshop is a workbook with assignments, checklists, worksheets, and more.

This workshop is one week in length and self-paced. Lessons will be provided in a "text-based" format, meaning, the lessons will be placed as text on a page within the workshop AND a PDF of the exact same lessons will be available for you to download for study purposes. There are no pre-recorded videos or virtual meetings for this workshop. Everything is “text-based.”

SCHEDULE (subject to change):

• On or prior to January 19, 2024, you will be sent a “Welcome Email” for this workshop which will contain your personal link to our Programs Community Website where we hold all of our workshops. This email will also have an attachment with a simple set of instructions that will assist you in maneuvering throughout the workshop.

• Lessons will be posted and available by 5 AM ET each day of the workshop.

• Cynthia Owen will check in periodically within the workshop to respond to comments and questions.

• This workshop ends on January 27, 2024. On February 29, 2024, at 5 AM ET this workshop will be archived, which simply means you will no longer have access to the workshop and any materials that have been provided.  Please save any materials you wish to prior to this workshop archiving.

PARTICIPATION IN THE WORKSHOP IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS

• Please plan to visit the workshop daily to review the lessons.
• Respond to any homework assignments that may or may not be included in each lesson.
• Interact with fellow students and Cynthia Owens. Ask questions, post comments, start conversations, and participate in discussions on the lesson materials.

IMPORTANT:

• Once registered for this workshop, please remember we do not offer refunds unless this workshop needs to be canceled for any reason.
• If you have a question concerning this workshop, please email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: CYNTHIA OWENS

My passion for reading made me long to write books like the ones I enjoyed, and I tried penning sequels to my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries. Later, fancying myself a female version of Andrew Lloyd Weber, I drafted a musical set in Paris during WWII.

A former journalist and lifelong Hibernophile, I enjoyed a previous career as a reporter/editor for a small chain of community newspapers before returning to my first love, romantic fiction. My stories usually include an Irish setting, a hero or heroine, and sometimes all three.

I’m the author of The Claddagh Series, historical romances set in Ireland and beyond, and The Wild Geese Series, in which five Irish heroes return from the American Civil War to find love and adventure. 

I also teach specialized workshops for writers on various subjects such as research, settings, backstory, and more.

I’m a member of the Romance Writers of America and Hearts Through History Romance Writers. A lifelong resident of Montreal, Canada, I still live there with my own Celtic hero. I have two adult children.