2022 WFWA Workshops 

Grabbing the Reader
January 23-30, 2022 

You’re working on your first (or next) novel and wonder if it’s any good. All those other writers seem to have it all together. Wouldn’t it be great to take a peek at the first 500 words of THEIR manuscript? And wouldn’t it be even better if others would give you feedback on YOUR first 500 words? 

That’s the idea behind the GRABBING THE READER WORKSHOP, a free, week-long event for members. You bravely open yourself up to a group of 5-7 other WFWA writing peers to read your work and give you feedback, while agreeing to take time to read their work and give them feedback as well. 

If you want to sell a book, you need to GRAB THE READER within the first 500 words. Agents, editors, potential interviewers, and readers (who will become reviewers) all need to want to keep reading. Take the time in this safe environment to workshop your beginning pages so you’ll be ready when the time comes. This is a FREE yearly event for all WFWA Members.

Ready, Set, Query!
March 3-31, 2022
Instructor: Kristin Owens

Using multiple points of view to tell the story in your novel can be very effective, but the process of writing in multiple POVs is challenging.   

MICHELLE SCHUSTERMAN, writing instructor and critically acclaimed author, will share her process for developing a multi-POV novel. Her technique requires NO outlining! (no kidding). This method is character-driven and includes a character chart that will help writers generate endless scene ideas. 

Michelle is an author, ghostwriter, and writing instructor who has published over a dozen critically acclaimed novels for middle-grade and young adult readers.

Scrivener 3
May 9-23, 2022 
Instructor: Gwen Hernandez

Learn everything you need to get started with Scrivener—or level up—as the author of Scrivener For Dummies walks you through the basics, covers some of her favorite tips and features, and answers all of your questions. Great for pantsers and plotters alike!

Separate tracks for Mac and Windows will cover:

• - Creating and understanding projects and templates.
• - Getting familiar with the Scrivener interface.
• - Working with files and importing your existing work and research.
• - Adding comments and annotations for later follow up.
• - Planning or reviewing your story with the Corkboard.
• - Finding anything in your project.
• - Protecting your work with backups.
• - Compiling (exporting) to DOCX and EPUB.
• - A quick roundup of other handy features like color coding files, saving old versions and tracking word count.

Grabbing the Reader
July 17-23, 2022

You’re working on your first (or next) novel and wonder if it’s any good. All those other writers seem to have it all together. Wouldn’t it be great to take a peek at the first 500 words of THEIR manuscript? And wouldn’t it be even better if others would give you feedback on YOUR first 500 words? 

That’s the idea behind the GRABBING THE READER WORKSHOP, a free, week-long event for members. You bravely open yourself up to a group of 5-7 other WFWA writing peers to read your work and give you feedback, while agreeing to take time to read their work and give them feedback as well. 

If you want to sell a book, you need to GRAB THE READER within the first 500 words. Agents, editors, potential interviewers, and readers (who will become reviewers) all need to want to keep reading. Take the time in this safe environment to workshop your beginning pages so you’ll be ready when the time comes. This is a FREE yearly event for all WFWA Members.

Creating Page-Turning Tension
August 19 - September 9, 2022 
Instructor: Sandy Vaile

This workshop will give you the skills to:
▪ Build tension to enhance conflict, pace and character development.
▪ Know when to release information for the maximum effect.
▪ Develop hooks, from killer openings to cliff-hanger endings.
▪ Appreciate the role of emotions in creating tension.
▪ Identify opportunities to increase uncertainty.

Writing an Identity Not Your Own
October 3-28, 2022 
Instructor: Alex Temblador

As authors, we often hear, “Write what you know.” But our stories may include many characters who are not just like ourselves. In this October workshop, award-winning author Alex Temblador will address the challenges of portraying characters from historically marginalized racial and ethnic identities. Topics will include unconscious bias, conscious character building, skin tones, preferred terms of identity, stereotypes and cliches, writing discrimination scenes, dialogue and identity, intersectionalism, and much more.  Through self-reflection, participants will face their own biases and learn tools for portraying characters with diverse ethnic or racial identities.

Learn more about Alex at https://www.alextemblador.com

Amplifying the Inner Journey
November 6-16, 2022
Instructor: Donald Maass

This workshop will enable writers to weave the inner journey with the plot points of the outer journey to make a forward-driving story.  Through online lessons and feedback on your assignments from a small group of your fellow participants and the workshop presenter, you will explore your story in a new way. Donald Maass is inviting you to be bold, are you ready for the challenge?

• Lesson #1: From Suffering to Seeking
• Lesson #2: Building the Outer Journey of Inward Seekers
• Lesson #3: Making Seekers Iconic
• Lesson #4: Low Odds and Timeless Endings
• Lesson #5: Out of the Inner Bubble