Workshop Description: If you want the reader to be turning the pages as fast as they can, you need a compelling plot. You might think a compelling plot is one filled with car chases and gun fights and a lot of action. The truth is, what keeps readers glued to your book, is an emotional connection with the character. But how exactly do you create that? Join New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump, who has published 85 books in 24 countries, for this workshop on how to take your book to the next level with a page-turning plot! Bio: New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump didn’t have the willpower to diet nor the talent to master under-eye concealer, so she bowed out of a career in television and opted instead for a career where she could be paid to eat at her desk–writing. She turned to the world of romance novels, where messes are (usually) cleaned up before The End and no one is calling anyone a doodoo head. In the worlds Shirley gets to create and control, children listen to their parents, husbands always remember holidays and housework is magically done by elves. Though she’s thrilled to see her books in stores around the world, Shirley mostly writes because it gives her an excuse to avoid cleaning the toilets and helps feed her shoe habit.

Workshop Description: The appeal of the supportive and kind romance hero and how to write him, using moments from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s real-life romance as examples. A cinnamon roll hero never goes out of style! Recent trends in romance publishing show that readers love a sweet, kind and supportive hero. Cinnamon roll heroes (sometimes called Golden Retriever heroes) are swoony on the outside, but have a soft, gooey center. In this workshop, we will examine this character archetype and how to incorporate it into your manuscript, using moments from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s real-life romance as examples. We’ll also have a bonus discussion about why their relationship has captivated so many people and what romance authors can learn from #Traylor in terms of getting readers emotionally invested in our stories. Bio: USA Today bestselling author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teri’s books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction and a 2022 inductee into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame. When she’s not writing, Teri enjoys visiting schools and health care facilities with her Cavalier King Charles spaniel Charm, a registered therapy dog and reading education assistance dog. Teri also loves pretty dresses, cupcakes, going to the ballet and following the British royal family. Visit her at www.teriwilson.net or on Instagram @teriwilsonauthor.

Workshop Description: Silence happens—in real life and on the page. But sometimes when writers share silence on the page it’s blah-blah bland. Powerless. It’s stated, then the scene continues. No power there. That’s a massive missed opportunity to add emotion! In real life, what happens when a room goes silent? Hellooo subtext. Hellooo instinctive reactions and visceral responses. Hellooo glances, gaze aversions, and loaded facial expressions. Good start. But how you convey silence on the page needs to be fresh and powerful. We’ll cover how silence can: Strengthen emotion. Elicit a visceral response. Share relationship dynamics. Add tension or release tension. Create a chance to slip in backstory. Add big-time power to pauses and hesitations. Deepen the scene by sharing how it impacts the POV character. Come on, join me! You’ll learn lots of ways to empower silence. You’ll also learn some deep editing gems that will make your writing bestseller strong! Bio: Margie Lawson left a career in psychology to focus on another passion—helping writers make their writing bestseller strong. Using a psychologically based deep-editing approach, Margie teaches writers how to bring emotion to the page. Emotion equals power. Power grabs readers and holds onto them until the last page. Hundreds of Margie grads have gone on to win awards, find agents, sign with publishers, and hit bestseller lists. A popular international presenter, Margie’s taught over 200 full day master classes in the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as multi-day intensives on cruise ships in the Caribbean. She’s taught over 220 5-day intensive Immersion Master Classes across the U.S. and Canada, and in France, Scotland, and seven cities in Australia too. She also founded Lawson Writer’s Academy where you’ll find over 30 instructors teaching online courses through her website. And you’ll find lots of webinars on her website too. She developed 35 webinars that share her deep editing techniques and more! To sign up for Margie’s newsletter, visit www.margielawson.com.

Workshop Description: Dream of being a Disney Princess? A Marvel superhero? Do you want to expand on the world of your favorite fandom—and actually get paid to do so? In this presentation, Disney author Mari Mancusi takes you behind the scenes of media tie-in writing and demystifies this unique niche of traditional publishing. She’ll explain how to break into the world, give you the pros and cons of writing for a property/company versus your own works (Fun fact: it’s still super creative!), and walk you through the entire process from hire to finished book.

Workshop Description: Kishōtenketsu is an East Asian narrative structure that differs but is complementary to the more traditional three-act structure used in the west…and in romance novels. Join A.M. Lau to learn what this structure is, and how you can use it in developing your own work

Workshop Description: The ability to write short fiction is an important part of an author’s toolkit. Short stories are perfect for newsletter magnets and bonus material to treat our readers. We can sell our short fiction into traditional markets, or band together with other authors for a cross-promo anthology or collection. But how does a short story work? How does a writer go about crafting a compelling piece of short fiction? What’s the difference between a short story and a novella? The great news is that you already have all the tools you need! We’ll explore how to shift your mindset into writing shorter pieces and you’ll come away with the confidence to start crafting shorter works of your own.

Workshop Description: Best-selling author Theodora Taylor will be providing a friendly introduction to Universal Fantasy™ Storytelling Butter and how to “proof” for it with your blurb.

Workshop Description: USA Today best-selling, award-winning author Kathryn Le Veque will be discussing the different tropes of romance novels – past and present. What may have worked even twenty years ago has evolved as readers’ tastes change. We’ll talk about what works today, what doesn’t, what can be tweaked and twisted, and what can’t be. We’ll talk about what’s popular by genre (Historical Romance in this case, but this can be expanded into Contemporary and beyond) but also what tends to be universally popular. We’re going to talk about the fun part of tropes – making them our own, as an author, and how the reader looks for the author’s unique touch on a common trope. We’ll talk about how tropes work for ALL romance – because love is love. We’ll also talk about No-No tropes and how to avoid them. Trope’s the word!

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Workshop Description: Plot is the action in your story. Structure is the framework for organizing that action. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, follow the Hero’s Journey or Save the Cat, all stories contain the same three major parts: A beginning, a middle, and an end. The most common – and easiest – way to understand story structure is by understanding Three-Act Structure. Barb will break down the various transition and turning points you need for your story to flow from Act 1 (the beginning) through to Act 3 (The end). She’ll also talk about how the three-act structure relates to theme and character arcs.