Event Details

Register NOW for MWA University – Southeast

Date: Saturday, October 27, 2012

Location: ALoft - Charlotte Uptown @ the EpiCentre – Queen City Hall Room

210 E Trade St

Charlotte, NC 28202

What:  An entire day of top-notch classes. Novice or pro, you will benefit from hearing the experts discuss their strategies for all facets of writing and publishing.

Below is a schedule preview (subject to change).

Schedule

8:15 - 8:50 am              Check-in

8:55 – 9:00 am              Welcome – MWA’s Executive Vice President – LARRY LIGHT

9:00 – 9:50 am After the Idea

Teacher:                       Reed Farrel Coleman (Twice nominated for the Edgar® and a three-time winner of the Shamus Award, Reed Farrel Coleman is an adjunct professor of English at Hofstra University.)

“If you wish to be a writer, write." But how? You've got the great idea, the one that won't let you go, that embellishes itself as you walk around your day. But how do you grow that kernel into a compelling story, and where do you find the time? This class gives you the tools to turn a good idea into a great novel. Bring a notebook and writing utensil.

10:00 – 10:50 am           Dramatic Structure & Plot

Teacher:                       Con Lehane (Foreword Magazine Book of the Year silver award winner, MFA in fiction writing from Columbia University School of the Arts.

Since Aristotle, the three-act structure for storytelling has reigned supreme, but does it still hold true for modern crime writers? Is it the best way, or the only way, to tell your tale? Is plotting simply sequencing your scenes or is there more to it? This class will teach you the art of storytelling and plotting so your manuscript will attract the attention it deserves.

11:00 – 11:50 am           Setting & Description

Teacher:                       R. Narvaez (R. Narvaez teaches creative writing and composition at New Jersey City University and the Borough of Manhattan Community College. His first collection of short stories, Roachkiller and Other Stories, was released in March 2012.)

“I guess God made Boston on a wet Sunday,” Raymond Chandler once said, and this seemingly tossed-off remark has much to teach us about the gentle arts of setting and description.  This class will guide you through the process and potential pitfalls of choosing a setting, and explore the ways in which descriptive passages can be honed to illuminate characters and themes.

12:00 – 1:00 pm            Lunch Break (On Your Own)

1:00: - 1:50 pm              Character

Teacher:                       Hallie Ephron (Hallie Ephron is the author of psychological suspense Never Tell a Lie, crime fiction book reviewer for the Boston Globe, and author of the Edgar-nominated Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel.)

From Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple to Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlings, character is arguably the most memorable element of a mystery novel and a series.  How do you create a full-realized unique protagonist that leaps from the page?  How should you develop secondary characters as well as the protagonist’s nemesis?  This class will challenge you to eliminate cardboard characterizations and create something new and fresh.

2:00 – 2:50 pm              Voice and Perspective

Teacher John Galligan (John Galligan has taught creative writing at Madison College for more than twenty years. He is the author of five novels, including The Wind Knot (2011).

Voice is perhaps the most elusive skill for a writer to develop. In this class we will try to lift the veil off the secret and give you tips and suggestions on how to find a voice of your own. We will also break down the various points of view and discuss the benefits and pitfalls of each.

3:00 – 3:50 pm              Writing as Re-Writing

Teacher:                       Nancy Pickard (Author of 16 series novels, two standalone novels, dozens of short stories, and of a non-fiction book for writers.  Four-time Edgar Award finalist; winner of multiple Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity awards; winner of Barry and Shamus awards.)

If editing was good enough for William Shakespeare, it’s good enough for you.  More often than not, it’s the things you remove, the tweaks you make, and the tinkering you do, that are the difference between another slush pile manuscript and a new book contract.  There are some easy methods to learn and follow to help you develop an editorial ear.  Give us sixty minutes and we’ll give you a better chance with agents and editors.

4:00 – 5:00:                   The Writing Life

Teacher:                       The MWA-U Faculty

"I write when I'm inspired, and I see to it that I'm inspired at nine o'clock every morning." That's how Peter DeVries balanced art and craft. What's the reality of the writing life? The journey from your great idea to 90,000 words will mean hours of solitude. Days of self-doubt. Revision. Rejection. And then--rejoicing. You'll often say: "I wish someone had explained this to me!" In this class, they will.

Cost: $50 for both members and non-members of Mystery Writers of America.  Must register by Friday, October 19, 2012.  Registration is limited to 90 people.

Hotel Information:

ALoft - Charlotte Uptown @ the EpiCentre - Queen City Hall Room
210 E Trade St
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-333-1999

We have arranged for a discounted room rate of $149/night.  This rate is only available through October 12, 2012.

To make hotel reservations, visit this link:

https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1204113238&key=89A59

A map of the area:  http://goo.gl/maps/KMpa

For detailed information about the Charlotte schedule (including the registration form), visit the link below:

Registration Form