Bootcamp for Novelists Fall Courses

To Enroll or Get More Information Go to the Bootcamp website

July 22 to September 2
Late registration accepted until July 29
CONNIE'S 6-WEEK BOOTCAMP CLINIC . . .
C1 Applying the Hero's Journey

Mythology was made famous by Joseph Campbell and later applied to screenwriting and storytelling by Hollywood, yet the principles of this powerful tool to readers' subconscious common links are still only vaguely understood. Learn how the archetypes are actually placeholders and that the journey itself takes many forms. This course is six weeks long and features considerable discussion as well as exercises for employing the "Journey" method.
FEE: $48

August 5 to September 16
LINDA'S 6-WEEK BOOTCAMP CLINIC . . .
LS1 Secrets To a Killer Synopsis
Plus Query Letter and First Three Chapters

The best story in the world won't sell if the editor can't get past the query letter and the synopsis. Most publishers give very specific guidelines on what they want in a submission, but they don't tell you how to make your submission stand out among those hundreds of submissions they receive daily. In this class, you'll learn how to do just that, and you'll get direct feedback on your query letter and your synopsis. It is recommended that you have completed at least half of your manuscript in order to get the most from the class.
FEE: $48

September 2 to September 16
CONNIE'S FALL 2-WEEK SIDEBAR
SB1 Haiku Magic — a gentle journey into poetry

Haiku is a Japanese poem structure that is traditionally three lines long, each line is a specific length - line one is five syllables, line two is seven syllables and line three is again five.

Why haiku? Bootcamp students know I'm constantly after them to write concisely and make precise word choices. What better way to learn that skill than playing around with a form of simple poetry that limits you to seventeen syllables. Plus, it asks you to form a mental image with those few sounds. Talk about showing, not telling.

It also frees the creative mind, kind of like mental doodling. At $15, this course is a steal, and just what many of you need to relax those overworked mental muscles of yours.
FEE: $15

September 9 to October 7
7B Punch Up Your Prose w/Connie Flynn

You can have great characters, excellent plots,and zingy dialogue but if you don't write the story with brevity and clarity and evocative words you'll lose readers by page three. You'll learn how to stay in active voice, what excitement killers must be avoided and how to exploit sentence structure and punctuation to get the most out of your writing. engaging.
FEE: $28

October 28 to November 18
8P The Big Black Moment

Dramatic, powerful storytelling doesn't just happen. There's a plan. A story plan. The Big Black Moment is only one piece of the plan, but it's one of the most important and many writers fail to get it right. Most writers understand that this is the moment when all seems lost, but they don't understand why or what goes into making it that way. In order for TBB to be emotional, certain components must be there. In this class you'll learn what TBB really is and how you can make it the most powerful, emotional point in your story.
FEE: $28

BOOTCAMP PACKAGES ARE BACK!

Like regular Bootcamps, each of these package courses is a full four weeks and covers the same material as a regular Bootcamp. There will be a one-week break between each course and you still have the option of registering for each Bootcamp individually, just without the package discount.

PILLARS OF STRUCTURE PACKAGE
Begins September 30
1B - Creating Characters
2B -Dynamic Plotting
3B - Sculpting Scenes
4B - Conflict That Sizzles

These four courses develop your basic writing skills and give you the foundation for writing your book. You'll go through step-by-step exercises that can sometimes be frustrating but are designed to help you identify how to create the memorable characters, can't-put-it-down plotting, and tense, crackling scenes that are found in all the best books. Plus, knowledge at a bargain. Individual courses are $28 each. You''ll save $20 by enrolling in the combined package.
PACKAGE FEE: $92

TECHNIQUES OF THE PROS PACKAGE
Begins November 11
1P - The First Three Chapters
2P - Deepening Character
3P - Escalating Consequences
4P - Creating Strong Subplots

The advanced techniques in these four classes are designed to expand and build on your basic foundation skills to take your writing to another level. The lessons and exercises, using your own work, will give you hands on experience as you learn the concepts and practice the techniques that create the kind of stories that make a bestseller...complex stories with memorable characters that readers will remember long after they've turned the last page. Individual courses are $28. You'll save $20 by enrolling in the four-class package.
PACKAGE FEE: $92

Bootcamp for Novelists September On-Line Classes

BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS ONLINE SEPTEMBER BOOTCAMPS

*September 5 - October 2 Author Spotlight*

Synopses - How to Take the Bite Out of Writing Them . . .
. . . using the classic movie, JAWS, as an example

Taught by Harlequin American author Cathy McDavid

*Whether plotter or pantser by nature and whether you write them before
or after you've written the book, the darned synopsis is often the part
of professional writing we hate the most. Yet, to be successful, we must
do a passable job of constructing one.

Unfortunately, there's no secret to writing a synopsis. However, in this
workshop we'll cover basic and simple steps that will let you produce
that passable, and possibly very good, synopsis. We'll also debunk some
common myths about synopses that may have been making the task more
difficult than it needs to be.

If you haven't watched JAWS recently (or ever), you might want to view
it before the course starts. For the romance plot, our example will be
Cinderella.

*COURSE FEE: $30
*
REGISTER AT http://BootcampforNovelists.com/current-courses.html

September 5 to October 2 Bootcamp Courses
*
POLISH TRACK*
*4P SUBPLOTS AND LAYERS/ taught by Linda Style/ *
Some of the most successful techniques used by bestselling authors are
the judicious use of subplots and layering, both of which add depth,
texture and interest to a story. But many writers don't make full use of
their subplots and sometimes even mistake a secondary plot for a
subplot. Many writers believe layering is simply adding more stuff to
make it interesting. Not so. In this class, you'll learn the intricacies
of subplot and layering and how to use them to your story's best
advantage. We'll cover what the subplot can do for your story, the
start, the finish and the why plus weaving, braiding, intersecting and
all that jazz and a look at the secret ingredients of the subplot*

_BASIC TRACK_

5B SPARKLING DIALOGUE /taught by Connie/*
Dialogue is not hard to write. But neither is it like real
conversations. Dialogue has a story purpose beyond showing that your
characters have voice boxes. This course gives techniques on writing
dialogue that reveal character and moves along the plot. We'll master
using dialogue to move your story, learn why how he thinks is how he
speaks, and cover techniques for dynamic dialogue and how to weave it
smoothly into your narrative.

These 4-week courses are delivered as a weekly lesson that
includes an exercise and detailed personal feedback.
FEE PER COURSE: $28
REGISTER AT http://BootcampforNovelists.com/current-courses.html

February Bootcamp for Novelists On-line Classes

WHAT'S UP AT BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS IN 2010?

February Courses -- February 14 thru March 13

QUERY, SYNOPSIS, and MARKETING
with Linda Style

Nothing is more important than that first impression with an editor. That first query letter you send, the synopsis you write to represent your story... each is a first impression the editor gets before reading your story. Your query and synopsis represents you and your work, so you want them to be the best they can be. This is a "How To, Hands On" class in which you'll learn not only how to write the perfect query letter and synopsis, but also how to make itglitter and shine.
Then you'll learn how to sell yourself. Query, Synopsis and Marketing is the completion course of the 10-month Polish Track. Because it is so hands-on, it is the only course Linda will teach in February.

Beginning with March, she'll return to teaching two courses per month.

FEE: $25

Enroll at http://bootcampfornovelists.com/

Need more info?
Email Linda bootcamp4novelists2@yahoo.com

SATISFYING ENDINGS
with Connie Flynn

A classic truism is that readers decide to buy your book after reading the first page andthen decide whether to buy your next book after reading the last page. This course shows how the story's ending finds its foundation in the beginning and why no book can end with a bang that doesn't start off with a some fireworks. We'll explore what readers look for in endings and why different genres must satisfy different expectations, and what elements must be present at every ending, whether it's happy, tragic or bittersweet. Satisfying Endings is the completion course of the 10-month Basic Track, and takes students through the last chapter of their book.

FEE: $25
Enroll at http://bootcampfornovelists.com/

Need more info?
Email Connie mailto:Conniebootcamp4novelists@cox.net

MOOD and SETTING
with Connie Flynn

The balance of attention paid to mood and setting vs. action varies between and even within genres, but the techniques for developing atmosphere and setting remain the same. This courses will teach you how to build world rules and world views into your story without slowing the pace. You'll create plot devices and touchstones to keep readers oriented and learn how to keep track of details.

FEE: $25

ENROLL at http://bootcampfornovelists.com/

Need more info?

Email Connie bootcamp4novelists@cox.net