A Writer's Workshop

I have read many books "On Writing," throughout the years. I still do. I most recently read John Locke's book on how he sold 1,000,000 e-books in five months and enjoyed it a great deal. It dealt with the marketing and sales aspect (obviously) and contained some great information in it. Some of my favorite books on writing are by James Frey--"How to Write a Damn Good Novel," etc. These are fantastic books on how to build your story. I also love Sol Stein's books on the topic. The "Writer's Journey" by Chris Vogle is another great resource. There are a ton of great books on writing available to us, and thats' a really good thing because as writers we are always wanting to learn and evolve.

As I read these books, I consider them in a way to be a mentorship. I have a few mentors that I work with on a regular basis like Mike Sirota (Yoda) and my dear friend Don McQuinn. Both of these guys are excellent sources as teachers and editors. They have been in the business for many years and understand the nuances within it. They give back, and I think as writers become successful that giving back should be a part of their writing life. Giving back is an important aspect to being a human being. Part of the way that I have tried to give back to writers over the past few years is by teaching at workshops and conferences. I have a lot of fun doing this because just being around other writers gives me energy. Writing is like air to me, and writers are the blood. We all need one another. It is the one aspect of my life that my family or friends who do not write can not fully understand about me. This is a passion that I was born with and it will always burn inside of me. The feeling of writing a scene that brings me to tears or makes me laugh is an unspeakable high. Or, when I create dialogue that moves me in some way, or characters and plot lines that pour out of me, I feel joy. I also feel this joy when working with others who share this passion.

That's why I decided to take the workshops I have put together over the past few years and incorporate them into a book for other writers. It's not a long book, and many of the ideas are not original. They are concepts that I learned from other writers and then finessed into what worked for me. I cover everything from creating three-dimensional characters to plotting to marketing and publishing. I also included worksheets and some ideas to get your "think tank" working. I have written about my personal experiences as a writer and hopefully if you choose to read it, I will save you from some of the mistakes that I have made along the way. I also hope it touches you in some way and that it gives you value for your writing and possibly for you personally. If you are interested in checking out "A Writer's Workshop" for your Kindle ($2.99), here are the links in both the U.S., and the U.K.

U.S. http://tinyurl.com/3dmf3dk


U.K. tp://tinyurl.com/3sqfhlb



Have a wonderful weekend!

Cheers,
Michele