NCW Members Receive $5 off
A Website’s Five “Must-Haves”
Widgets,Domains, Videos, Social Media, Hosting, SEO, Links Back, Keywords, Metadata … the list of what people say their webmasters sold them goes on and on. What is really necessary? What does more harm than good? Want to be sure? Whether you build your own website or hire a web developer to do it for you, it is wise to be an informed consumer. Maryjo Faith Morgan, freelance writer and partner in Fred’s Used Websites will give you the straight scoop.
Maryjo Morgan is a full time writer whose articles have appeared in magazines, newspapers, journals, newsletters and anthologies. (See: http://Mj-Morgan.com.) She seeks to encourage and enlighten her readers and her subjects' creativity or business acumen. Bios and case studies are her favorite assignments.
Active in Chambers of Commerce, “Mj” believes in TOMA (top of mind awareness) and network marketing. She partners with husband Fred Richart at FredsUsedWebsites.com. When not at their desks, she and Fred pedal their tandem all over Northern Colorado bike trails. Write Mj at Maryjo@FredsUsedWebsites.com. |
NCW Members save $10
PRESENTER: Kerrie Flanagan
 At times, social media feels like it is taking over. People all over are tweeting, facebooking and blogging and if you don't understand what is going on, you feel out of the loop. This 2-hour workshop will explore Facebook, Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn and share with partipants how each of these platforms work and how they can help you stay connected to family and friends, as well as be used as marketing tools for your business.
This class is a very basic social media class designed for those with little or no knowledge about this topic. |
Members save $10.00
PRESENTER: Dori Ransom
 Even if your manuscript is not all drama and action... or has none... using the principles of 'Punch, Power, & Pizzazz' will help you finesse your work into a piece that holds the attention of the reader... at the agent level as well as from the book shelf to the register. This 3-hour workshop focuses on potent ways to self-edit your manuscript as well as ways to put your critique group to work for you even when it's your turn to critique for other group members. Whether you are on your 100th revision or your 1st, this class will bring it all home and will leave you with the tools you need to (finally) finish what you've started and take it to the next level.
'Punch, Power, & Pizzazz' focuses on ways to clean up your manuscript in a way that turns any kind of writing into dynamic, page-turning writing that will get the attention of agents, publishers, and your target audience: turning words into poetic prose, honing punctuation and grammar skills, getting rid of passive voice, pacing, and hooking and re-hooking your reader are some of the tools you will leave with in order to turn your manuscript into a polished package ready for submission. Please bring a hard copy of the first 5 pages of your manuscript and be prepared to work!
Editing and writing for over 20 years, Dori has assisted in the revision of creative non-fiction, fiction, text books, and professional/scientific articles. Her passion for helping others and for writing shine through in her workshops where she effectively shares the tools necessary to bring writing dreams to fruition.
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Members save $20.00
3-WEEK CLASS June 9, 16, 23
PRESENTER: Todd Mitchell
 Knowing the story is everything. No matter where you are in the writing process, discovering and shaping the right story for your characters makes all the difference in the world. This three session course is designed to help writers in any stage of the process, from those who want to write a novel and struggle with getting started, to those who’ve already written a novel, and want to improve the structure, pace, and appeal of their story-telling.
Session 1: The big picture. Focuses on developing character and plot ideas, conceiving character arcs, and creating a compelling and effective story structure for novel-length narratives.
Session 2: Devil in the details. Focuses on figuring out the right scenes to reveal your character, where to start (the inciting incident), developing conflict, exploring themes, questions, subplots, story shapes, pace, different act movements, and unearthing the right climax.
Session 3: Enacting the vision. Focuses on the writing process, using setting and dialogue well, sensing the ending, first pages critique,
and revision and publishing tips.
About half of each three hour session will be spent on form, technique, and craft tips, and half on developing stories and getting feedback. Writers of all abilities, and all stages in the writing process are welcome. The goal of this three week course is to prepare you to write a novel with confidence, or revise and reshape a novel that you’re already working on to clarify the character, increase the conflict, and make the story something editors and readers won’t be able to put down.
Please note: Those who attended Todd’s plot class last summer will find that this course explores some similar material in greater depth, covers additional story development ideas, and focuses more on generating writing and responding thoughtfully to each other’s story ideas. As one participant from last year put it:
“Todd’s class is terrific. It’s a fast-paced (but not too fast) class that covers many of the plot basics that simply aren’t covered well elsewhere – very applicable, practical, and user-friendly. We writers know that plot can be the big zinger – and this class is worth everyone’s time, regardless of writing ability /stage. Loved it!”—Laura Pritchett (Award-winning author of /Sky Bridge, /and /Hell’s Bottom, Colorado/)
Todd Mitchell is the award-winning author of the young adult novels, /The Secret to Lying/ (Candlewick Press, Colorado Book Award winner) and /Backwards /(forthcoming in 2013 from Candlewick Press), and the middle grade novel, /The Traitor King /(Scholastic Press). He’s also a writer for the graphic novel, /A Flight of Angels /(Vertigo). In addition to his books, he’s published several short stories, essays, and poems in national and international journals. Currently, he serves as Director of the Beginning Creative Writing Teaching Program at Colorado State University. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado with his wife, dog, and two wily daughters. You can visit him at www.ToddMitchellBooks.com. |
NCW Members save $10
PRESENTER: Brian Schwartz
 EBooks now outsell print books 3-to-1 and the barriers to getting published have never been lower. But how do you get your book properly formatted for the major eBook marketplaces? In this workshop, you will learn how to utilize Microsoft Word or Open Office to beautifully transform both text and pictures into a format suitable for publishing as an eBook directly to Amazon and B&N. You will learn to produce an eBook you will be proud of without expensive software. You will also see how the same file can be used to setup print-on-demand. Brian Schwartz is the vice president of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association and founder of KindleExpert.com. As an author, publisher, and eBook expert, he has been teaching authors and publishers how to embrace the exploding eBook marketplace since 2009.
Note: This workshop assumes you have a good basic understanding of either Microsoft Word or Open Office. Notes: Course Materials: Handout is included, but the optional epub template software is $79 (discounted) and can be purchased at the workshop.
Instructor Bio: Brian Schwartz is the award winning author of 50 Entrepreneurs: Secrets to Thriving in Uncertain Times, the #1 best selling title within the 50 Interviews series. His is the current Vice President of the Colorado Independent Publishers Association. Brian has assisted hundreds of authors with eBooks since 2009 including former Miss America Marilyn Van Derbur, entrepreneur Jake Jabs, and NY Times best selling author Sara Davidson.
He developed the ePub Template and has invested hundreds of hours creating a companion support website to assist authors and publishers better utilizing the template. Optional materials: To get the most from the workshop, it is highly recommended that students purchase Brian's Word/Open Office template which includes a CD and printed manual. Purchase also entitles to student to unlimited access to online video tutorials (over 25 tutorials). It is being offered to the workshop attendees at a reduced fee of $79 (it normally sells for $97). It is delivered on CD along with a print-manual companion. |
NCW Members Save $10
Presenter: Sandi Ault
 Get ready to strengthen and tone your writing skills in this fun, fast-moving, Bootcamp-style workshop. Using a series of challenging skill drills that escalate from one to another, and teamwork exercises that challenge you in surprising ways, this workshop will make a true Word Warrior out of you! You’ll learn how to find those Weapons of Mass Destruction that are keeping your writing career from moving forward, how to use Seek and Destroy Drones to eliminate the worst mistakes writers commonly make, and how to deploy forces that will make your writing mission a success. The strategic initiative for good writing and publishing success begins here! Recruits should wear comfortable clothes and shoes, bring pens and paper or a laptop or tablet, and be prepared to work hard and see big results!
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Members: $275/Nonmembers:$300
8-WEEK CLASS STARTING JUNE 17
Instructor:Trai Cartwright
 Picking up where Screenwriting I left off and perfect for those who already know the basics, this accelerated class will explore the advanced film language of formatting, breakdown movie structure in its entirety, provide tools to create relateable, dynamic characters, and show you how to build a script from a thematic level. You'll workshop the second 30 pages of your script in class and develop an action plan for finishing and marketing your script
TRAI CARTWRIGHT is a 20-year entertainment industry veteran and writing specialist recently transplanted to Colorado. A busy writing consultant and editor, she also teaches creative writing and screenwriting across the Front Range for community colleges, writers groups, conferences, and one-on-one. She oversees he Explorati Teen Writers Boot Camp as well as teen writers critique groups for NCW. Trai is completing her MFA in Fiction and Screenwriting at the University of California Riverside and can be found at www.craftwrite.com.
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Upcoming Classes
