SPEAKER CONNECTION: REGION TWO (Midwest)

Kylie Brant
E-mail address: kylie@kyliebrant.com
Website Address: www.kyliebrant.com
Location: Iowa

The Two R's:  Realism and Research

Research/Craft

Length of workshop:  1-2 hours depending on requirements

Fact may be stranger than fiction, but that's not necessarily true in publishing.  Our stories have to believable and no coincidences or contrivances are allowed.  It's important to get our details straight and bring a sense of realism to our plots.  But that doesn't mean we're limited to what we know first hand.  Kylie Brant will offer tips and techniques for acquiring expert contacts for your story and using the Internet and non-fiction references to find the information that will add a dash of realism to your book.

Murder and Mayhem:  Crafting the Romantic Suspense Novel

Craft

Length of workshop:  2-3 hours, depending on requirement

Romantic suspense requires a balancing act between two sub-plots.  Let up on either of them and the pacing suffers.  Kylie Brant explains how to weave the two for a seamless storyline, and describes the unique role that setting, characterization and research play in the romantic suspense novel. 

The Author has Left the Building:  Goal Setting and Time Management

Career

Length of workshop:  1 hour

How do you juggle your writing time with: job, family, outside obligations?  Where do you find the time to write every day?  Having learned to write in the midst of family chaos, Kylie Brant offers a unique perspective on finding regular writing time despite children, a full-time job, volunteer duties and a husband that likes to be fed regularly.  Learn to manage your time more effectively, how to prioritize and make progress toward realistic writing goals.

REJECTION!  WHEN THEY SAY YOUR BABY IS UGLY
When a writer receives a rejection, the toughest thing to do is step back from the mss, take an objective look, and try to see what the editor/agent/contest judge saw. You have to decide: ignore them, take their word and fix it--or toss it under the bed and move on to something else.

THE EIGHT YEAR JOURNEY TO MY OVERNIGHT SUCCESS: A Career in Three Acts
A humorous look at the climb to publication. 

THE TEXAS RANGERS: WARRANT OF AUTHORITY
From one man protecting the Texas frontier to the elite of modern law enforcement, the history of the Texas Rangers is as colorful as the land and people they protect. This workshop takes a look at some of the myths and realities of the legend called the Texas Rangers.
 

How to be the Heroine of your own Life
Writing life/ motivation.
Length of workshop:  30 to 45 minutes
We are all authors of our own lives.  This uplifting presentation will help you apply what you know about the heroines in books to shaping the story of your own life.  Appropriate for writers and readers alike.

Marketing is Not a Four Letter Word
Marketing.
Length of workshop:  Two versions.  One hour overview.  Can be expanded to two hours to give participants time to develop their own marketing strategy.
With the help of a thirty-year veteran of the consumer marketing wars, you’ll gain insights you can use to take charge of your own career.  First, we’ll decode the marketing mumbo-jumbo and apply the terms directly to the publishing industry.  Then, you’ll develop your own “ten minute marketing strategy.”  This workshop is not about whether to use bookmarks or reader contests, but about what message to send, no matter how you communicate.  (Presented at RWA National.)

The Writer’s Toolbox:  How to shape your Story from Macro to Micro
Craft.
Length of workshop:  Workshop can be tailored, from hour long version to a half-day.  (Short version will focus on only one aspect, e.g. plotting through theme or scene/sequel construction.)
Whether you’re a plotter or a pantzer, you’ll find some new tools to sculpt your story into shape.  On the story level, integrates the Four Act Structure, the hero’s journey, the character arc, and the romance arc.  Defines scene and sequel, the role of each, how to use them for pacing, and how to craft them to make the reader keep turning pages.  Finally, within each scene, explains how to make your sentences carry the story briskly.  This is a technical workshop which assumes knowledge of the basics of romance writing.

Stalking the Wild Agent
Career
Length of Workshop:  One Hour
Agents are elusive beasts and at the same time critical to a writing career.  How can the aspiring author capture one of her own?  This workshop will discuss ferreting out information about the reputation of individual agents, narrowing your list of possible agents, querying, what you should ask interested agents, and the etiquette of hiring your dream agent.

Polishing to Publish
Craft
Length of Workshop:  One Hour
To sell in today’s competitive market, your manuscript doesn’t just have to be good, it has to be perfect.  Learn both revision and editing techniques in this workshop so that you can polish your manuscript to perfection for the editor of your dreams.

Dialogue: Writing Between the Lines
Craft
Length of Workshop:  One Hour
Writing fantastic dialogue can lift your book from good to SOLD.  In this workshop we’ll cover the mechanics of dialogue, how to tell if your dialogue is working, and how to show what your characters are thinking when they’re not speaking.

The Scoop: Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Romance Writing Career
Craft/Career/Publishing/Newbie
Length of Workshop:  Two Hours
Manuscript formatting, POV, queries and hooks, oh my!  Feeling a bit confused about what you should know as a beginning romance writer?  In this workshop we’ll cover the basics and more to set you on the right path in your new career.

Zen and the art of Publicity and Promotion
Promotion.
Length of workshop: 1 or 2 hours depending on requirements
Pain is inevitable; suffering is not.  In terms of marketing, that means expense is inevitable, but crippling outlays of time and money are not.  After you’ve written a good book, Jade Lee will help you choose a good path for your strengths, your brand, and your ultimate purpose.

Energy Healing for Writers
Research / writer’s life.
Length of workshop:  1 hour – 2 hours depending on how much hands on healing
Every living thing is suffused by an individual energy field that is in turn part of Earth’s whole energy network.  Unfortunately, our fields are often cluttered and chaotic.  We can be linked to undesirable energies, blocked from important aspects of our total possibility, and so completely scattered that our writing efforts become equally confused.  Jade Lee has been working with energy for years—as a healer and as a writer.  She will explain basic energy principles including the energy root behind many common ailments.  She will also set you on the path to clearing and accessing your own creative power.

The Business of Writing – an Overview
Business.
Length of workshop:  1-3 hours depending on requirements
What happens after the manuscript is written?  What now?  Award winning author Jade Lee will walk you through the basics of the business end of writing including the career path of agents and editors (and how it relates to you), finding your brand, appropriate publicity and promotion, and most important: how to stay sane in an insane business.

From Cliches to Keepers: Knowing Your Characters Through Myers-Briggs

Craft -- Length: 1-2 hours / Online: 2-3 weeks

Cardboard. Cookie cutter. Cliche. When it comes to characterization, those are hideous words! Whether you're writing your first book or your fiftieth, creating flesh-and-blood protagonists can be a huge challenge. But how to fund and nurture that spark of life? By using Myers-Briggs personality assessments, you can dig past surface observations to understand your protagonists' true natures. You'll learn their strengths and potential weaknesses, how they view the world, what causes them stress, who they trust, what they value, and how others regard them. In doing so, you'll not only creatre believable characters with more realistic emotions, but you'll develop more consistent plotting and sizzling romantic chemistry.

Beyond Research: Stronger POV and the Effective Use of Detail

Craft/Research -- Length: 1 hr / Online: 3-2 weeks

Everyone knows a good romance author does her homework. But how do you integrate juicy details into a steamy, compelling, tear-jerking novel? How much detail is enough? What to keep and what to ditch? And how do those details enhance character point of view? This course will cover key aspects of melding research and fiction. Although designed and taught by a recovering historian, this course will be geared toward any kind of research, and how detail can make every story more memorable and more emotional.

Snakebite Scenes and Hollywood Plots: Enhancing Action and Emotion in Romance

Craft -- Length: 1 hour / Online: 1-2 weeks

You have the beginning. You know how it should end. But what to do with those hundreds of pages in the middle? Use my so-called "snakebite scenes" to help characters acknowledge their deeper passions and bond over moments of danger--even when surviving everyday dramas--and analyze movie classics to see how Hollywood tells a rip-roaring story. For plotters, pantsers, and everyone in between, this course can unblock your creative process and help you add action and heart to every page.

The Tiny Art of Elevator Pitches: How to Craft Them & How to Use Them 

Craft -- Length: 1-2 hours / Online: 2-4 weeks

Every word counts. If you've ever considered attending a conference, you've probably heard the term "elevator pitch," which is nothing more than a bare-bones summary of your novel. But reducing tens of thousands of words down to 30 or less can be difficult, daunting and confusing. Carrie will share the elevator pitches that got her in the door, as well as her techniques for making them both concise and effective. Each student will be encouraged to share his or her pitch(es). We'll also discuss how elevator pitches can help your career: from query letters and off-hand conversations, to finding your hook and focusing your writing before you even start!

The Great Agent Search
Industry.
Length of workshop: Online, can be presented over a week (intensive) or a month (more laid back). In person, 1-2 hours, depending on time limit of chapter.
Everything you ever wanted to know about researching, querying, hiring, working with and even firing an agent. Includes information vital to authors at every stage in their careers.

The Why, The How, and The What of s for Authors
Industry.
Length of workshop: Online, can be presented over a week. In person, 1 hour.
This workshop breaks down the reasons why a writer may want to design a website at any stage in their career, how you go about getting a website and the elements I feel any writer needs to have a successful, interesting site.  The workshop involves a handout of website example links. 

So I Wrote This Book, Now What? Building the House of Your Career Brick by Brick
Industry.
Length of workshop: Online, can be presented over a week. In person, 1 hour.
Multi-part workshops discusses the industry issues each author must face, including learning about the industry in general, the agent question, editor talk and other advice. The workshop includes lots of links to resources.

www.jennapetersen.com or www.passionatepen.com