INDEX FOR “AFFORDABLE WORKSHOPS”.
IDEAS Lesson 1. Nine for the Price of One.
This is a powerful workshop technique that teaches you to change one basic idea into nine.
What Is an Idea? Real World Ideas. Story Ideas. Nine for the Price of One. How to Begin. Steps 1 – 5 Finally
IDEAS Lesson 2. Jigsaw Writing Ideas.
In this lesson, you will learn how to find hundreds of original ideas. Jigsaw sheets are provided.
IDEAS Lesson 3. Dreams and Nightmares.
In this lesson, you learn how to adapt ideas from your subconscious.
Dreams Harnessing Dreams A Character acting out of Character Nightmares Help From the Subconscious
Using Your Assets Daydreams
IDEAS Lesson 4. Cupboards and Other Odd Things.
In this lesson, you'll find out out to use ordinary items for endless ideas.
More About Ideas. Matching Ideas to Genres Newspapers Magazines Electronic anti-theft devices.
Missing Person Reports. What If? Cupboards and Things Everyday Item 1 Everyday Item 2 Everyday Item 3
Conclusion
PLOT Lesson 1. Plotting by the Situation Method.
What Is a Plot? Character Ideas Observed Characters Known Characters Putting Characters in Situations
Two-Tiered Questions How Does it End The Situation More Situation Plots Summing Up Final Word
PLOT Lesson 2: Plotting by the Roadmap Method
Story Shaping. The Cinderella Graph Graphs for Romance Novels Differences Between Cinderella and Modern Romance.
Graphs for Other Genres Multi-Protagonist Novels. ROADMAP PLOTTING. Finding the Beginning. Raising the Stakes.
Caution about Raising the Stakes. Destination.
PLOT Lesson 3: Building the Forest.
Steps 1 – 5 Building the Forest Continued and Expanded Conclusion Other Settings Silver Shoes Exercise
Steps 1-7 Silver Shoes Plus Identifying Your Writing Type.
PLOT Lesson 4: Connections.
What Is a Connection? Connections Between Two or More Objects or Characters. Simple Connections
More Connections More Complex Connections Connections Between an Author’s Life and His/her Fiction.
Slighter Connections Connections Between Backgrounds and Characters. Connections Between Genre and Stories. Finally
CHARACTER Lesson 1: Human Characters.
What Is a Character? How Many Characters? Single Character Stories. Two-Character Stories.
The Mad Scientist. The Helpless Heroine. Stereotypes and Genre Givens Positive Discrimination
My Mother Is an Astronaut! In Practical Terms
CHARACTER Lesson 2: More Human Characters.
How Characters Grow. Personal Experience. Second-hand Experience. Education.
Culture. Associations. Genetic Inheritance. Luck. How Characters Change with Age.
How Characters Interact. Characters in Families Friends and Lovers. Antagonists vs Enemies.
CHARACTER Lesson 3: Human Characters Beyond the Mould.
No Cloning Allowed. You are not your Hero and your Hero isn’t You. Problems with using your own Personality.
Colour Your Characters Jobs and Hobbies and Habits. Attitude to Work. Family Context.
Imperfections. Character Capabilities. Sufficient Motivation People of Their Times.
Religion and Knowledge. Characters of the Future. Food, Clothes and Choices.
Names, Names, Names.
CHARACTER Lesson 4: Fantasy Characters, Animals and Others.
Avoiding Stereotypes in Fantasy Characters. Humans from our world Wizards, Witches and Enchanters
Mages, sorcerers, and magicians Seers Elves Dwarves Fairies, (or faeries), imps, pixies Nymphs and Dryads
Ghosts Aliens Vampires and Werewolves Mermaids Dragons and Unicorns Royals Immortals Centaurs
Science Fiction Characters. Naming Fantasy or Science Fiction Characters. Animal Characters.
Realistic Animals Realistic + Talking Animals Humanised Animals Odds and Ends Parrots etc.
Animal Characters in General Invented Animals
STYLE Lesson 1: Style and Viewpoint.
What is Style? Simple Styles Elaborate Styles VIEWPOINT Third Person Limited First person
Third Person Omniscient. Third Person Written Narrative. First Person Spoken Narrative
First Person Written Narrative. Omniscient Viewpoint Multi First Person Multi Third Person
First Person Peculiarities. Present Tense Transitions
STYLE Lesson 2: Beginnings, Endings, Sentences and Paragraphs.
BEGINNINGS The Shock Beginning. The Incongruous Beginning. The Character Beginning.
Dramatic Beginnings and Writers’ Obligations. The Scene Setting Beginning The Dialogue Beginning. ENDINGS.
The Resolution Ending Open Ending The Shock Ending The Resigned Ending Active Endings PROBLEM ENDINGS
The Lickety-Split Ending The Forced Ending The Deus ex Machina Ending The Ending that Won’t End. Structure.
Using Conjunctions to Extend Sentences. Using Punctuation to Extend Sentences.
Bad Constructions – run on sentences. Non-Sentences. Odd Constructions Occasionally Acceptable.
Other Technical Problems. Sentence Rhythm PARAGRAPHS.
STYLE LESSON THREE Adjectives and Adverbs, Synonyms, Similes and Metaphors and Clichés.
Weak Adjectives. Moderate Adjectives. Strong Adjectives. Caution How Many Adjectives?
STYLE LESSON FOUR Pace and Tension, Formats and Punctuation, Stylistic Odds and Ends, Style Parade.
PACE AND TENSION. Pace in a Specific Novel. Pace in a Scene Action Scenes. Tension
Pace and Tension and Story Events Formats and Punctuation. Paragraphing.
Justification. Spacing. Page set up. Font Punctuation ? Question Mark, Interrogation Mark.
! Exclamation Mark. ‘ “ Quotation marks. Style Odds and Ends. Slang
Celebrities, Movies, Songs. Contractions. Using Contractions. Avoiding Contractions.
Formal Version. Style Parade. Fantasy Romance – suits the American Market.
Humorous Children’s Fantasy – suits Australian market. Junior Teen Realism. Historical Romance.
Adventure for Under Tens. Historical Novel – not romance. Modern Comedy Romance.
Character Descriptive Style Modern Romance Children’s Comedy Fantasy Romance YA Fantasy
Children’s realism.
DIALOGUE WORKSHOP.Lesson 1: Dialogue and its many functions.
What is Dialogue? Different Kinds of Dialogue Direct Speech Reported Speech
Speech Tags. Using Names in Dialogue Tags in Action. Dialogue and Tag Patterns.
Tag at the Beginning. Tag at the End. Tag Set Within Dialogue. Telepathy
Functions of Dialogue. Function 1. To Convey Information. Caution Function 2. To Advance the Plot
Function 3. To Reveal Character Function 4. To Entertain
DIALOGUE Lesson 2: Natural dialogue, yes or no? Setting out and punctuating dialogue. Conversation Characters.
Natural Dialogue? Casual Talk Between Strangers. Casual Talk Between New Acquaintances.
Casual Talk Between New Companions. Casual Talk Between Intimates, Close Friends or Family Members.
Other Problematical Natural Dialogue How Do You Write Good Natural Dialogue?
PASSAGE WITH CONTRACTIONS. PASSAGE WITHOUT CONTRACTIONS.
PASSAGE WITHOUT CONTRACTIONS, AND WITH MORE FORMALITY. More on Speech Tags
Setting out and Punctuating Dialogue. Setting Out Never write dialogue like this;
Punctuation Quotation Marks Comma Placement with Dialogue MS Word Ellipses and Dashes
Conversation Characters etc. Novels With Very Few Characters. Conversation Characters. Animals as CCs
Supernatural CCs. Inanimate CCs.
DIALOGUE
Lesson 3: Dialogue from Now, Then and Beyond.
Problems with Realism in Dialogue. Dialogue of its Time - Now. Family Dialogue Social Class Dialogue
Superior – Inferior Dialogue. Public Dialogue. Fictitious Dialogue. Up-to-Date Contemporary Dialogue.
Foreign Languages or Characters using English as a Second Language.
Models for Realistic Historical Speech. Modes of Address and Other Keys. Changing Times.
A Word on Pronouns. Modern Use Problem Words Dialogue of its Time - Beyond.
DIALOGUE Lesson 4: Fantasy Dialogue and Odds and Ends.
Fantasy Dialogue Second Guessing the Future Magic Realism Challenges in Fantasy Character Dialogue.
Non-Earth fantasy humans The ordinary person Powerful magic-wielder, mighty warrior or royal.
Fantasy world, dialogue between two characters native to that world. 1
Fantasy world, dialogue between two characters native to that world.2
Fantasy world, dialogue between one ch. native to that world, and one from our world.
Example 1 in Contemporary Dress. Example 2 in Contemporary Dress. Example 3 in Contemporary Dress.
Powerful Magicians and Others. Talking Animal Character Animals that Do Occur in Our Reality
Dogs Cats Horses Cows Parrots and Dolphins Animals that Do Not Occur in Our Reality
Dragons, Unicorns, Griffons. Fantasy Creatures that are Neither Human nor Animal.
Centaurs, Mermaids Inventing New Languages First Person Narrative Time-Travellers and Immortals
Near Immortals and Long-Lived Humans Ghosts. Vengeful Ghosts Guilty Ghosts
Traditional Headless or White-Sheeted Ghosts Permanent Residence Ghosts
Ghosts Who Don’t Know They’re Ghosts Robots and Aliens Robots Androids Cyborgs Humanoid aliens
Trees, Rocks and other Unlikely Speakers.