Writer's Conference Coming Up in March!

Need some writing, editing or publishing assistance? Can't afford to spend tons of money on a conference? Then you'll want to check out:



I will be teaching a class entitled: Marketing Your Book on a Budget: How To Market With Little or No Money.

Check out the Facebook page.

You can learn more about the conference here: http://writehereinephraim.weebly.com/.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I would be happy to help.

I have been to many, many conferences, but not one that does a great job for $15! Come and have some fun!

Writers Conference!

The time is nearing for the Storymakers Conference! If you haven't signed up yet to attend, now is the time to do so!

Check out the class options here: http://ldstorymakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013-Workshop-Descriptions-5-2-2013.pdf.

I will be teaching on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in the Aspen Room of the Provo Marriott Hotel.

I will, of course, have all of my books at the conference for sale, but I want you to pay special attention to this one. Every writer needs a quick, self-help book on getting their book or their future book out there!

I would love to sign a copy for you!

6 Tips on Teaching a Writing Class (Part 1)

So, you're thinking you have some things to share--some writing tips and tricks you'd like to pass on to other writers. How do you get your name out there? How do you set up a class? How do you get interested writers to sign up?

I am also in the running for teaching some writing classes. I've taught them before, but for the last few years I've been focusing my time on mentoring and attending college, and from what I hear, some things have changed in the "teaching" department.

Here are some things I am either re-learning or learning for the first time:

My backyard is small, but I was able to hold a
small class for teens here last year

• Start small. Your classes can be held at home; even in your back yard. My first few classes for teens were held this way. The library is a free venue though they usually don't allow you to sell your book(s). Places like art centers are also good to host your first few classes--and you CAN sell your books here.
• Because you're going to have varied students in your class, with different learning styles and different levels of writing, it's a good idea to teach with more than one method in mind. For example, you may use hand-outs at the appropriate times (more about that later), but you may not have an idea for experiential exercises that would engage students a different way. Experiential exercises include talking to a neighbor about your writing, sharing with the group your writing style, or being given an opportunity from the instructor to share your work. 
• I focus on 3 areas when I am teaching:
• 1. Hands-on opportunities--this includes music, writing and drawing
• 2. Experiential sharing exercises
• 3. Learning--information is given from the instructor to expand the writer's thinking

• Workshops work better if your numbers are under 25 students; over 25, you're looking at a lecture type of presentation.
• Your first few classes may need to be free. Until your name is out there and enough people have taken your courses, you might find it difficult to fill a room. Or you can try piggy-backing on other writers through conferences that have been successful. Teach a class at a conference, and if it's well received, there's no doubt that future numbers will improve. 
• Advertising is BIG but it is also expensive. Use your already established resources first when advertising your class. Social networking sites are excellent but so are your church related resources as well as those people you associate with within the community. Fliers don't usually work to bring in writers. What brings them in (until you're established as a speaker) is others talking about what you do. 

Guidebook I use for "Conquering Your Writing
Goliaths Workshop"

• Hand-outs are great for a class, but use them only when you'll be discussing the hand-out. If you bring the hand-out out too early, students might be reading over the hand-out instead of listening to you. If you're using a manual or workbook like I am, this makes things a bit more tricky. (If anyone has a suggestion for this one, please let me know).

Teaching tips and tricks in teaching are abundant on the Internet. What's important, is that you try a few ideas on the first class, see what works, and use the same tips in the future. Not every tip or trick is going to work for you and that's okay. The best presenters, present themselves as well as the material. People continue to take their classes because they are not only informative, but the class is fun and engaging. 

Tomorrow, I'd like to talk a bit more on setting up a class, how long your classes should be, and what you can expect from writers in a writing class. 

Take a Class to Help you with Your Writing

As I writer, we spend hours in front of the keyboard; minutes that take us in to days and months and years, but how often do we take a well needed break?

I took one just today. It was a class called, "Limitless Living," and it was taught by Marnie L. Pehrson. In the class I learned some important keys to living, among them:

• "We are energy living within an ocean of energy. Energy can also be called light, truth and intelligence."
• There are 4 core passion types: Service, Truth, Empathy and Potential. I learned how my passion type helps me in life both negatively and positively. (If you take the test link that I posted yesterday you'll have a greater idea of what I mean). 



Photo by: Deejay_fbr, courtesy of Flickr

• I am Potential, which means I like to inspire others to action. You may be Potential or you may be Service, Truth or Empathy.
• I also learned that I'm not the only person struggling with the same issues. Being in a class with others desiring to improve their life empowers and connects me to them. I learn a lot, not only from the instructor, but from other class members.
• I also learned how BIG money was in stopping me from my dreams and I got some things cleared up. What is stopping you? 
• I learned about feelings. "Feelings are not bad or good, they just are." 
• I also learned that if I wanted to lose weight I needed to stop thinking of it as "losing weight." From now on I will call it "releasing weight." I will be grateful for my body and how wonderfully it functions for me now. I will thank if for what it has given me today.

No, this wasn't a writing class, but in all experiences, especially those that change you for the better, a writer has an opportunity to use it for good. I plan on doing that very thing.

Talent & Publishing

Am I talented enough to publish? The question may be one we ask ourselves often because we are either in the beginning stages of writing or we have been writing for a few years without a single acceptance of our work.

I wrote steadily for 8 years before my first acceptance and I thought everything would be smooth sailing after that.

It wasn’t.

I still struggled to sell my work, to get the right piece to the right place, to take criticism. Though that 8 year mark was my send off point, I still continued to hone my craft, get cuddly with the genres (I enjoyed children’s writing, journalism, story writing, and novel writing) and continued to learn from mentors who knew more than I did. I took writing classes, received feedback on my work, and spent time reading books and writing every day!

Many years later I am still learning! Though I am a mentor for writers who are just beginning I am still learning what makes a story work, what creates writer’s block, what keeps writers writing what they are most passionate about, and why a certain piece of work never sells.

You are talented enough to publish if you haven’t given up. Say it’s been 10 years and you haven’t published a single solitary piece! Keep writing! Keep learning! You’ll never be talented enough to publish if you quit.