Writer's Block Workshops

FREE for LLA members   |   $50  nonmembers

Creating Your Author Brand 

10:15-11:15 am

Books do not sell themselves authors do! In order for readers to buy your book, they must know, trust and like you as an author. All of that begins with your author brand. Participants will be able to:

• Define both active and passive author branding

• Develop an active author brand message and personality

• Create a basic marketing plan to execute author brand message

• Understand how to create other business endeavors through your book.

Finding Affrilachia: Writing About Place, Lineage, and Identity 

10:15-11:15 am

This interactive writing workshop will explore integrating personal experiences into the process of writing poetry. The author will include generative elements and writing prompts to assist participants in shaping their writing. He will also discuss his work and experiences as part of the Affrilachian poets. 

Navigating Your Writing Journey: Working Through Writer’s Block

11:30 am-12:30 pm

Are you ready to set off on a new journey called writing? Are you currently on your journey but have lost your way? Are you stuck and ready to get moving? If you answer yes to any question, we can get you on your way to your writing destination.

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During the class, participants will identify roadblocks, learn how to avoid them, and overcome obstacles. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to take part in writing exercises and leave with a writing action plan. For the stalled or lost writer, we will help get you back on the right road to success.

Romance Writing 101

11:30 am-12:30 pm

This course will focus on the creation and discussion of original romance writing, geared towards newer writers or writers new to romance. We will discuss the elements of a successful romance and how to craft a couple readers will root for. The goal of the course would be for each writer to come away with a usable outline of an original romance novel. 

Writing Comedy for the Stage and Page

1:45-2:45 pm

Being funny is serious business. Hear how these award-winning writers tackle humor—from puns to plays; stand-up comedy to the screen; and poetry to publishing. During this panel discussion you’ll discover what it takes to get a laugh (and what to do if you don’t get one).

Submit, Submit, Submit: The Literary Submission Process From The Ground Up

1:45-2:45 pm

The lecture will focus on the submission process in its entirety, from choosing and preparing your submission packets, identifying publications, cover letter and bios, rejection, and strategies to up a writer's chance of having their work accepted. This lecture will be more beneficial to writers who have not yet began submitting work but want to or have little experience doing so but even more experienced writers will, hopefully, leave with new knowledge of the submission process that they can use to their advantage.

Creating Vivid Characters

3:00-4:00 pm

Ebenezer Scrooge, Elizabeth Bennett, Pecola Breedlove, Olive Kitteridge…great stories begin with great characters. We’ll look at how to build memorable characters with distinct desires and talk about how to use these characters to build a strong story. Come ready to write. This class is for emerging writers who want to make their stories more vivid, memorable and powerful. Leave with the tools to create your next story. 

Writing Young Adult Fiction 101

3:00-4:00 pm

In this workshop, we’ll take a look at what young adult fiction is (Hint: It’s not a genre!) and how it differs from middle grade and adult fiction. We’ll examine common characteristics, themes, and recommended dos and don’ts. Finally, we’ll do some writing to generate ideas for young adult stories.