Workshops
Want to learn more about writing, editing and/or publishing your own novel?
With four books published, N.L. Blandford’s invaluable knowledge will help you with your writing goals.
From drafting a story ‘for your eyes only’ or putting a book out into the world, the following workshops have you covered!
1. Dream To Draft
Do you have an idea for a fiction novel but unsure where to start? Are your characters begging to be brought to life?
Or
Have you started your novel but it’s a bunch of ideas/scenes that don’t seem to tie together? Do your characters seem to do things you don’t want them to?
This workshop will provide you with some tools, and hands on experience, to:
Identify what type of writer you are (Plotter/Dreamer (panster) etc) and what that means for your writing life.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses so that you can keep your writing passion alive.
Identify what your story is really about.
Develop your idea into a plot.
Start developing your characters.
The basics of discovering settings and senses without overloading the reader.
Create a Book Bible to keep your characters/locations/timeline straight.
Recommended Experience Level: New and emerging fiction writers.
5. Slaying Your Manuscript (Self-Editing)
Congratulations you have a draft of your novel!
It’s time to slash, invigorate, and finesse your words, into a well rounded story.
This workshop will provide you with some tools, and hands on experience, to help you:
Identify what to filter out of your novel.
How to show a reader what is happening versus telling them.
You don’t like to be told what to do, why would a reader?
Assess your dialogue and emotion mechanics
For example, are all of those adverbs necessary?
Use the five senses.
Analyze your word choice and potential use repetition
Identify if your exposition is getting in the way of your story.
Recommended Experience Level: New and emerging writers. Participants will find it easier if they have the entire manuscript available on a laptop/device so we can edit in real time! However, at least a first chapter printed or on a device will work as well.
8. The Alliance of Independant Authors (ALLi):
A global membership association for self-publishing authors. A non-profit, our mission is ethics and excellence in self-publishing.
We offer advice and advocacy for self-publishing authors within the literary, publishing and creative industries around the world.
As the Canadian Ambassador, N.L. Blandford will discuss:
What Alli is.
Their advocacy campaigns for the equitable treatment of the independent author.
What the latest research shows about the publishing industry and trends.
The benefits of an individual or organizational membership.
Recommended Experience Level: All writers and writer organizations.
2. Draft A Novel
Do you have an idea for a book but are unsure how to get started?
Is the blinking cursor on your computer taunting you to put words on the page?
Let’s start a draft of your novel together!
This workshop will provide you with some tools, and hands on experience, to help you:
Identify your main story arc
Choose the novel structure that best suits your story
Identify your theme
Start a basic outline.
Write at least 1 scene in your novel.
By the end of the workshop you will have an understanding of what your story is about and written words on the page!
Some time in the workshop will be spent writing; please bring a laptop, notebook or paper etc
Recommended Experience Level: New, and emerging authors..
4. HOOK Those Readers:
Captivate Readers So They Binge Read Your Book Down
Do you find your story is slow in some places?
Do you want to create a story that keeps readers interested and can’t put the book down?
This workshop will provide writers with some tools, and hands on experience, to help them:
Create an opening sentence(s) that hooks the reader.
Create hooks/cliffhangers at the end of chapters that intrigue readers to keep reading.
Understand story elements that readers thrive off (part of handout)
Examples of hooks/cliffhangers (part of handout)
By the end of the workshop writers will have had the opportunity to:
Draft a captivating first sentence(s).
Draft chapter endings for their story that will hook a reader.
Recommended Experience Level: New, emerging and seasoned writers. Although all genre writers are welcome, the focus will be on thriller/mystery.
7. Writing A Book BLurb:
Grab A reader’s ATtention Before They Open The Book
Are you curious how to create a book blurb similar to those that grab your attention?
This workshop will provide writers with some tools, and hands on experience, to:
Understand how less is more when it comes to the back cover of a book.
Review blurbs that work and those that may not.
Choose what details should be included in the blurb.
Craft a concise and gripping book blurb.
By the end of the workshop writers will have had the opportunity to:
Draft and edit your book blurb
Recommended Experience Level: New, emerging and seasoned writers with a minimum of one draft of a novel complete.
3. Develop Those Characters
Learning who your characters really are.
Do your characters seem boring, unengaging for readers or less interesting than you’d like them to be?
Do your characters seem to do things you don’t want them to?
Do you feel something is missing from your story but unsure what it is?
Characters are the building blocks for a great story and to have a great story you need great characters.
This workshop will provide you with some tools, and hands on experience, to help you:
Identify who your characters are.
How to make them more engaging to readers
How to keep track of all of your characters, their habits/mannerisms, life events.
By the end of the workshop you will have a deeper understanding of at least one of your characters.
Recommended Experience Level: New, emerging and seasoned writers.
6. Introduction to Independent Publishing
Are you considering publishing a novel, a book of poetry, a children's book - a book of any kind?
Unsure if you want to approach a traditional publisher or take the self-publishing path?
During this workshop you will learn and discuss:
A comparison of the indie-publishing industry and traditional publishing
Advantages of being a self-published author
An overview of how to self-publish
Some resources available to self-published authors
My mistakes and learnings as a self-published author
Recommended Experience Level: Anyone interested in exploring the basics of self-publishing.