2023 Prerecorded Class List

You will learn common types of fraud, the mechanics of how frauds are perpetrated, the psychology of fraudsters, and methods of fraud detection. I'll share real-life examples of fraud, opening your eyes to a new world of devious dramatic possibilities. You'll also get to hear about Scrooge McDuck’s lax internal controls.

Authors (or soon-to-be authors,) if you are interested in learning about turning your book into an audiobook, this class is for YOU! We will go over (1.) The Cost Breakdown for your specific book, (2.) Where to Start/How to Find a Narrator/Engineer, (3.) The Process, (4.) What Happens After Your Audiobook is Made.

Building tension in stories can be a difficult balance between competing drives in your story. How do you know when a surprise will be more effective for the audience than the slow burn of suspense. How do you accomplish them? This class will walk you through that process.

Ever wondered when you should set up an Amazon Author account, or what to do with one? I’ll go over the basics whether you’re new to publishing, or experienced in either traditional publishing or indie-publishing.

Ever feel like those commas got sprinkled into your document at random by an editor? Want to know how to produce cleaner copy that will save time and editing costs? Let’s go over the basics of copy editing.

Whether you are making the jump from editing fiction or from writing poetry, or you just want to be able to critique someone’s poetry effectively, you can learn how to edit poetry without taking over writing the poem. Learn editing basics as they apply to poetry. Learn the poetry jargon to communicate with the poet.

You can fill your poetry with angst without making it sound whiny. You can make your readers feel deep, complex emotions with simple passages. You can pour out your soul behind layers of meaningful metaphors and careful diction and syntax. Do you want to write poetry packed with more emotion? You can!

A class about the most visceral genre - HORROR. We'll discuss its evolutionary origins, compare it to its sister genre, then explore it, categorize it and wrestle with it to explore techniques to effectively use horror in our own writing.

Learn how to get reviews for your work, how to give reviews of other peoples work, and how to use those reviews.

The best stories root themselves in conflict which means your characters are going to suffer. This presentation will explore how to use the Kubler-Ross grief cycle to help your characters work through the toughest of the turmoil you toss at them.

Steve will bring his academic chops to bear in this introduction to historical research. He'll also help you get to thinking about how the research will play into your scene-setting and other elements of your writing.

Everyone knows what you should do AFTER your book is published, but what about before your book is even created? This presentation will go through the must-knows to pre-market your book.

It doesn't matter how good you are at your craft, each time you step out of your comfort bubble you face imposter syndrome. In this class, learn tips and tricks that will tame the imposter monster and help you find the confidence you need to take that critical next step.

In this class, you'll get an inside look into how cover artists, cover designers, and AI art generators all work and what the heck to do with them. We'll go over the differences between illustrators and designers, what to look for to make a good cover, and how to work with independent contractors.

Conflicts are a complicated, but inevitable part of life and fiction. Learn how stakeholders behave at different levels of conflict both in the real world and in fiction, and how conflict mapping can help build a roadmap to conflict resolution in your writing.

Janelle and Sabine met at a writers group/kids playgroup for moms over ten years ago. Now between them, they are a Publicist, a published author, and a Senior Editor. But the road was long, unexpected, and not always easy. This course covers the trials of making your dreams come true and the surprise detours to watch for.

We will discuss the story drive, the psychology, and the aftermath of the death of a character in your fiction. We'll talk about when it's a good idea, when it's necessary, and how the other characters respond.

Some people are outliners, while others are not. Some understand story structure, while others don't. How can you make the most of outlines and structure tailored to your writing style? Let's discuss outlines in relation to the story structure you’re after, and what you can do to match it to your writing style.

Wondering how to write pros that pop? Learn how to harness short and long words in a way that provides dynamic and engaging prose that convey exactly what you mean, using masters of voice, including Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare, and Ward Farnsworth.

This crash course in poetry will teach you the fundamentals you need to get started writing poetry: the different types of poems, stress and meter, line breaks and sentence structure, literary elements, choosing the sounds, applying the senses, and using the POV, characters, and subject to enhance your theme.

Learn how to link personal experiences to universal truths (and vice versa) and how to steal a technique from artists to add depth, elevating your story from a series of anecdotes to a truly powerful memoir, personal essay, or other creative/narrative nonfiction.

This workshop digs into the specifics of excising fluff and powering up word choices to create more effective, more interesting, and more pleasing prose. I’ve presented this one before, at Pre-Quills 2021.

For writers of longer fiction and others. Begins with reasons to write short fiction (which also answers who & when), then focuses on how. Seven near-absolutes, with excerpts to illustrate them. Briefly: avoiding paralysis by too many rules, then finally an encouraging cup of beef barley soup for the tortured writer's soul.

If you want to be successful in today's market you need to have a great book AND know how to market it. This course covers editing “must do’s” to make your book shine and marketing “know how’s” to get your masterpiece seen.

An overview of common mistakes in grammar, spelling, and usage and easy ways to remember how to avoid them.

The basics of what it's really like to play an instrument for a symphony orchestra and a rock band

Investigate what makes fiction young adult and also what makes great young adult fiction. From gatekeepers to theme, taboos and responsibilities, it’s a time of change and we must embrace it. A class for writers and fans of the genre.