Offers information and resources to help beginning writers get started on their writing projects. Topics covered includes audience focus, finding time to write, and more.

1. WRITING & PUBLISHING
WORKSHOP
SESSION 1
Nicola McDonald, Program Facilitator

2. I WANT TO WRITE A BOOK: HELPFUL
RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED
In this workshop we will discuss various writing
techniques & provide resources to help writers get
started on their story.
Quick Agenda Overview:
 Writing basics
 Observations in writing
 Finding time to write
 List of Resources – books, websites, magazines

3. THINK ABOUT IT:
 What do you write?
 Or
 What kind of writing have you been working on, if
any?

4. TYPES OF WRITING :
 Fiction - made up story
 Non-fiction - based on real events/circumstances
 Autobiography - self experiences
 Genres of interest (sci-fi, realistic fiction, mystery, horror,
romance, paranormal, etc.)

5. MORE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
 Audience
 Children → babies, elementary schoolers, pre-teens
 YA → early teens, older teens, general
 Adults → adults, seniors

 Specific expertise (cooking, playing sports, photography,
etc.)

6. THINGS TO HELP YOU GET PREPARED
ACTION CREATIVITY
SETTING
CHARACTERS

7. BE A READER!
 Read books in & out of the genre you want to write!
 Get ideas on how to execute different writing techniques
 Decipher what works well in each particular story and why
 Begin to understand why a technique may work in one story
but not in another
 See how each character fit & relate to the overall story

8. OPPORTUNITY IS EVERYWHERE!
 Take note of body movements in conversations going on
around you.
 Observe the way people speak, paying close attention to
gestures and tones that may fit your characters (or may
become your characters)
 Look at places and listen to sounds around you – these
should help with setting.
 Research! Research! Research!
 Keep a notebook at ALL times.

9. PLOTTING
 Some writers plot out their whole story
line before they start writing.
 Other writers don’t.
 But it’s important to at least have a
general basis in mind of what the story
is about and where it’s meant to go.
 Analyze movies to determine and
differentiate the use and purpose of plot
lines
 Write down ideas as they come to you

10. WRITE WHEN? WRITE NOW!
 On your commute (train, bus, etc. but not while driving )
 During your lunch period!
 While waiting to be called at the doctor’s office
 A dedicated time in the morning or at night before bed
 Join a writing group (meet-ups, local groups, etc)
 During a scenic walk you can use a recorder
 Every single chance you get to do so!

11. BOOKS:
 Writer’s Market
 Useful for a variety of things like finding publishers, agents,
writing contests,
 Merchants of culture : the publishing business in the
twenty-first century / John B. Thompson.
 Easy writing skills step-by-step : master high-frequency
skills for writing proficiency---fast! / Ann Longknife and
K.D. Sullivan
 This year you write your novel / Walter Mosley
 90 days to your novel : a day-by-day plan for outlining &
writing your book / Sarah Domet
 102 ways to write a novel : indispensable tips for the
writer of fiction / Alex Quick.

12. MORE BOOKS:
 Breathing life into your characters : [how to give
your characters emotional and psychological depth]
/ Rachel Ballon.
 The complete idiot's guide to writing a novel / by
Tom Monteleone
 How to write and sell your first novel / by Oscar
Collier with Frances Spatz Leighton.
 The artful edit : on the practice of editing yourself /
Susan Bell.
 Editing made easy : simple rules for effective
writing / Bruce Kaplan.

13. MAGAZINES:
 Writer’s digest
 Poets & Writers
 Publisher’s Weekly *
 Literary market place
 Jeff Herman's guide to book publishers, editors, &
literary agents
 The Writer
 Guide to literary agents

14. WEBSITES:
 Writer’s Digest -
http://www.writersdigest.com/competitions/writing-
competitions
 Fan Story -
http://www.fanstory.com/page/writing_contest/writing_cont
est.jsp
 WritersViews.com - http://writersviews.com/writing-
contests.php
 Writercafe.org - http://www.writerscafe.org/
 Mibba - http://www.mibba.com/
 Blogs:
 Wordress.com
 Blogger.com

15. SUMMARY
 Have a focus of your audience
 Know the overall gist of your story
 Use every opportunity to writing
 Always have a writing tool handy
 Have fun at it!

16. HAPPY WRITING!
 Thanks for attending this writing and publishing
workshop!
 The next workshop will be:
 I Wrote A Book, Now What? The Query Letter &
More