SinC Into Great Writing Masterclass Day

Schedule of Events:
12:00 – 1:00 ET “Time and Pacing in Fiction” with Lorraine Lopez
1:15 – 2:15 ET “Book Promotion on a Budget” with Nancy J. Cohen
2:30 – 3:30 ET “Plot Twists” with Jane Kalmes
3:45 – 4:45 ET “Authentic Voice” with Teresa Dovalpage
5:00 ET Concluding Remarks by Jennifer Chow

Part 1- Now, Then, and Later: Narrative Time and Pacing in Fiction

Storytellers have a unique relationship to time, in contrast to other artists. While the visual arts, music, dance, and drama are confined to the duration of a viewing or performance, written narratives can roam far and wide in time. This presentation imparts techniques for maximizing on such range, including management of scene and summary; manipulation of pacing to speed up or slow down narrative events; and application of flashback, flashforward, and the model-telling to tell stories that move readers through the past, present, and future clearly and effectively.

Lorraine M. López has authored seven books of fiction and edited three essay collections. Her first book, Soy la Avon Lady and Other Stories won the inaugural Miguel Marmól Prize for fiction. Her second book, Call Me Henri was awarded the Paterson Prize for Young Adult Literature. López’s second short story collection, Homicide Survivors Picnic, was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Prize and winner of the Texas League of Writers Award for Fiction. Her most recent publication is a collection of short stories titled Postcards from the Gerund State: Stories, released in 2019.

Website: http://www.lorraine-lopez.com/

Part 2- Book Promotion on a Budget

Are you launching a book but feel bewildered about how to promote it? Whether you’re on book one or book twelve, you’ll want to attract attention for your new release to build your readership and increase sales. But with so many choices on the promotional wheel, how can you best use your time? In this workshop, award-winning author Nancy J. Cohen will discuss the options available to you and how to fit them into a countdown schedule. You’ll be able to decide which activities suit your budget for a launch campaign and for your ongoing marketing efforts.

Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring South Florida hairstylist Marla Vail. These books have won numerous awards along with her nonfiction titles, "Writing the Cozy Mystery" and "A Bad Hair Day Cookbook." Her books have been named Best Cozy Mystery by Suspense Magazine, won the Readers’ Favorite and FAPA President’s Book Awards, the RONE Award, the Royal Palm Literary Award, and IAN Book of the Year. She’s placed first in the Chanticleer International Book Awards and third in the Arizona Literary Awards. Active in the writing community, Nancy is a past president of Florida Romance Writers and Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and visiting Disney World.

Website: https://nancyjcohen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nancyjcohen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancyjcohen

Part 3- Catch Them Off Guard: Writing Believable, Yet Surprising, Twists

If there's one thing a mystery needs, it's a great plot twist! But how do we come up with twists that feel original, surprising--and yet believable as well? In this workshop, author Jane Kalmes will explain the logic behind plot twists--how to set them up, how to support them with clues, and how to generate twists that are unique to your book's premise. She'll also teach you how to execute one of the classic twists of the mystery genre--the Locked Room Murder!

Jane Kalmes is a mystery author, YouTuber, and mother of four. On her YouTube channel, she teaches mystery authors about the ins and outs of clues, plot twists, motives, and more.

Twitter - @janekalmesbooks
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/JaneKalmesFictionTechnician
Instagram - @janekalmesbooks
Website- www.fictiontechnician.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/FictionTechnicianwithJaneKalmes

Part 4 - Writing Real Mixed-language Dialogue

How do you craft authentic-sounding dialogue when the characters speak a foreign language, or English and a foreign language? Do you leave whole sentences in the original language? Just sprinkle the text with foreign words or find the “right” English equivalent? Cuban-born author Teresa Dovalpage will share her techniques to create characters from different backgrounds that sound and feel real while avoiding stereotypes.

Writer, translator and college professor, Teresa Dovalpage is a Cuban transplant firmly rooted in New Mexico. She is the author of twelve novels, among them the Havana Mystery series, three short story collections, and four theater plays. She writes in English and Spanish and teaches both languages at New Mexico Junior College. She lives in Hobbs with her husband, one dog and too many barn cats.

Website - https://teredovalpage.com/
Blog in English: http://teredovalpage.com
Blog en español: http://teresadovalpage.com

Moderator:

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning and bestselling author of three mystery series: the seven-book suspense Jessica James Mysteries; the three-book middle-grade Pet Detective Mysteries; and the four-book historical cozy series, Fiona Figg Mysteries. When she’s not writing novels, Kelly is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/kellyoliverauthor/ TikTok: #kellyoliverbooks Instagram: @kellyoliverbooks Twitter: @kellyoliverbook Other Social: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kelly-oliver

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