How to take your humor writing from amusing to amazing: fine-tuning, tweaking, and rewriting -- Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant
What do you do when it’s funny, but it’s not funny enough? Pray to the humor gods? Play computer games until inspiration hits? Go to the pharmacy in search of a medication that has “Funny Spells” as one of the side effects? You could, but you don’t need to – not when you can use some tried and true techniques such as Mood Swings, That’s Illogical, and Tabloid Teasers to take your comedy writing from head-nodding to thigh-slapping. This session is guaranteed to help you think funny, AND you can operate heavy machinery afterward. Just in case you hear a forklift calling your name.
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 9 to 10:30 a.m.
How to write humorous greeting cards -- Tom Ellsworth
Introduction to funny card formulas and writing techniques. Tom will have you thinking like a card writer, considering how the occasion, sender/receiver relationship and overall tone work together to create humorous copy that not only gets a laugh, but makes a freelance sale. This session relies on your wit and participation.
This session is also offered Sat., April 5, 2008 -- 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Shaping your life experience for the page -- Sheila Bender
In this hands-on workshop you'll get started with new material or refresh older material you've had trouble successfully putting on the page by learning to pair "write questions" with particular personal essay forms. You'll find organizational patterns that lead to vivid imagery, surprising
insight and much discovery for both reader and writer.
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Podcasting for writers: Bonding with your audience -- Dave Jackson
Podcasting is a way to reach a global audience on a tight budget. Dave Jackson, creator of The School of Podcasting, provides the basics of podcasting. His advice will help you create a bond with your listeners, resulting in better insights into your readers, and sales of your writing.
This session is also offered Sat., April 5, 2008 -- 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
How to choose the right self-publishing company -- Mark Levine
Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, shares why self-publishing your book might be the smartest step you can take. His presentation will cover the eight most important factors in picking a self-publishing company, how to avoid bad companies, and why the Internet is the most effective and affordable way to successfully market your book.
This session is also offered Sat., April 5, 2008 -- 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Online promotion for writers -- Steve O'Keefe
After this session, you'll finally have a reason for spending so many hours watching YouTube! You're doing research -- that's right, RESEARCH -- on what makes a good online video. For the last four years, veteran book publicist Steve O'Keefe has criss-crossed North America filming authors in their native habitats and posting the results at web sites such as AuthorViews, YouTube and iTunes. In this workshop, he shares behind-the-scenes stories of the making and distribution of book-related videos. You'll learn a little about how to make your own videos and a lot about what to do with them after you make them.
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 9 to 10:30 a.m.
