Last minute report: These techniques must work, because Vijaya
just received a response from a publisher in two days, offering a three-book contract.

Saturday September 12, 2009
8:30 am to 4:30 pm
In the Northwest Valley, at Union Hills and 47th Avenue
(exact address and directions given upon registration)
Registration form HERE
Early bird deadline August 15, 2009
Limited numbers - full personal attention - free critique for attendees

Plotting Your Next  Story Come with an idea of story and characters, leave with a complete outline including hooks, plot twists, beginning, ending, and dramatic scenes in between, from which to write an exciting novel, short story, or true story. Limited seating - Everyone gets personal attention

by award-winning novelist Vijaya Schartz CREDENTIALS

 

Morning Workshops	Afternoon Workshops
The basic elements of a great story How much should you know about your story and characters before you start writing? What hooks, plot twists, external and internal conflicts and other elements do you need? How do you pace the story, and where do all these elements belong for maximum effect?	Developing your plot In this small group brainstorming process, you will discover that not only others have wonderful ideas regarding your story, but you can also benefit from helping others plot their books. Practice makes perfect, and you will get a lot of practice with various stories, and gather a multitude of ideas, not only for this book, but for many others to come.
Using the tools given in the previous workshop, under the guidance of a successfully published novelist, you will brainstorm and learn to develop characters and storyline in a fun dynamic way.  The group will contribute to your story and help you generate conflict, turning scenes, and plot twists that will help you delineate a terrific story	Morning coffee, rolls, Working Lunch, Free 5-page critique Included

 

Get all your specific questions answered, your particular project discussed and evaluated, and MORE...

Registration fee: $70.00 (early bird $60.00 extended until August 15, 2009) includes morning coffee, tea, rolls, working lunch, and professional critique. Checks accepted by mail, credit cards and other payments accepted through Paypal. Registration form HERE.

For a free professional critique of your work, bring 5 pages of your manuscript (1.25" margins all around, 12 point standard font, double-spaced, on white paper). Include an SASE (Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope) with adequate postage for the return of your critiqued pages. 

 

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PREVIOUSLY   ON   THE   WRITE   PATH   SEMINARS
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Saturday, June 20, 2009

TEN  SECRETS  TO  ESCAPE THE  DREADED  SLUSH  PILE

The slush pile is that dreaded back room in every publishing company, where most submissions end up, piled up from floor to ceiling, unread, forgotten, and eventually given a standard rejection letter from an administrative assistant,
without so much as a glance.

Even with publishing credits, nowadays, it's not enough to have a darn good manuscript
to get read by an editor.

At a time when publishers are inundated with quality work, learn how to make your submission stand out from the crowd,  and get read first.

Although it may seem hopeless sometimes, there is a lot you can do, and these little known tricks of the trade have proven to work time and again.  So don't linger any longer.  Make sure your next submission has the maximum impact and gets read quickly, instead of lingering months, sometimes years in a slush pile that never gets read.

Is your voice unique?  Your style stellar?  Your ideas brilliant and timely? It won't matter if the editor never reads your work.

How you present yourself in the cover letter is paramount in order to get read.  Does your manuscript fit within the new trends? You'd be surprised...  Did you nail your high concept?  Do you have a viable marketing plan? Many publishers are asking for one, and it can be a determining factor.  Need help with your title?  Come and learn the ten secrets that will get your work read first, and seriously considered, increasing your chance of getting published faster.

You want an agent or editor to take notice, and say:  "Now, this author will be a great asset to any publishing company."

Even if you plan to self-publish, or if you are targeting a small press, these ten secrets will help you publish faster, and launch your book with the best chance of success in this challenging market.

 

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Saturday, February 21, 2009

GET HAPPILY  PUBLISHED  IN  2009

Are you finishing a book? Or have you written two, three?
Still looking for a publisher? You were published before but the market has changed?
Your publisher did not live to your expectations? Now what?

Can you make sense of the confusing jumble of new publishing opportunities? Which one is best for you, which are dangerous to your career? What is POD? And what about MP3 audiobooks? How far can you trust a small press?  Where do you sell novellas? Are print books on the decline? Are e-books viable? And what to expect from your publisher as far as marketing? Does self-publishing still carry a stigma? Should you be worried about the large publishers buying off the competition? And what's the deal with partnership publishing? Subsidy publishing?  Do you really need an agent? How important is it to be on Amazon? And who controls the all important book distribution?

The good news is, there are so many new opportunities to get published nowadays.  But some are more lucrative than others, and some can prove lethal to your career. Come and learn the pros and cons of each opportunity and make the right choice for your particular book, your particular field, your particular genre, considering where you are in your career right now, to get happily published in 2009.

Whether you are unpublished, self-published, published with a small press, or with a large publisher, most of the promotion work nowadays falls to the author. Mistakes in that field can be costly. Selecting the smartest ways to promote may seem like an overwhelming task.

How will you cope with promotion when the book is published? Why wait? Start now, and your manuscript will appeal to an editor even more if you have a platform. What's a platform? An important tool for an author today.

Promotion starts by asserting your brand before you finish writing the book, and it never ends. What's branding? Another important tool for today's author.

Newly published and lost in the sea of expensive possibilities? Don't despair. There is a method to this madness and you can win the publicity game. Benefit from the experience of those who have gone before you and are willing to share what works, what doesn't, what is worth your buck, and what isn't.

Learn a hundred easy ways to insure maximum exposure for little or no money.  Most opportunities for promotion and publicity are free.  Do you know how to get into radio? television? newspapers?  What constitutes an effective website? What goes into a press kit?  How to make the most of what you already have? and grow a reader's base, even before your book is published? Come and find out.

* * * * * * * * * *

Even before you get published, a clearly defined and polished image can get you noticed. Does your website represent who you are and what you write in a flattering light that will impress a potential publisher? Is it a reader magnet? Are your bookmarks spreading an irresistible message? Are your business cards unforgettable? Do you attract the kind of attention that brings sales? Does everyone remember your name and what you write long after they heard of you or met you for the first time?  Is your name always mentioned in a favorable light?

It's easier than you think. The right branding can make all the difference. If, like many writers, you never gave it much thought, or never took the time, now is your chance to wake up and shape up for success. This seminar is your opportunity to learn effective author branding tips and techniques that will make an impact, and get you the right kind of attention. 

By the end of the day, with the help of promotion experts, you'll take home a completely new and improved professional image, one that will make your promotion items sparkle and leave a lasting impression on readers, agents, publishers, editors and booksellers. 

Branding is essential not only to the published author but to the aspiring author and writer as well.  Learn to send the message that will get you noticed and remembered for the right reasons. 

Saturday, August 4, 2007

 

WRITER'S BLOCK? NEVER AGAIN!

Come with an idea for a plot and/or characters,
and go home with a complete outline
for a story you can't wait to sit down and write.

The dreaded bête-noire of all writers will be no more after you attend this seminar. Learn the techniques that will get you unstuck if your story stops or flounders. Whether a plotter or a pantser (a writer who writes by the seat of the pants) you will learn to liberate your creative juices by brainstorming effectively before writing, so that each time you sit down to write, the ideas flow easily and your story takes flight.  

This is your chance to find out what's hindering your story and get hundreds of ideas on how to make it better. Besides the basic elements of a good story (which also applies to true stories, creative fiction, and memoirs) learn to find the defining theme, generate conflict, emphasize the drama, the fun, the adventure, with plot twists, black moments, hooks, turning points, effective pacing, and exciting scenes that will make your writing irresistible.

 

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Saturday, February 17, 2007
FROM  REJECTION TO  "SOLD!"
the secrets of the successful submission

Tired of receiving that nasty little rejection form letter from agents and publishers? Do you suspect they are not even reading your work?  Confused about where to send your manuscript next? Do you wonder whether or not you need an agent in the genre you are targeting?

Suffer no more.
Come and find out what makes agents and editors tick, and what will make your submission irresistible, whether you write fiction or non-fiction

Learn what it takes to get the right kind of attention from agents and editors. What will make your partial, your synopsis, your query letter, or your book proposal stand out from the sea of submissions these busy people receive each day? Are you submitting to the right agency? The right publisher for your book? What will substantially increase the chances of your submission being read? Where and how to submit to increase your chances of selling your manuscript? What makes a submission impossible to refuse?

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Saturday September 9, 2006
 

BOOK PROMOTION MADE EASY

Promotion starts before you finish writing the book.
Learn a hundred easy ways to insure maximum exposure for little or no money.  Most opportunities for promotion and publicity are free, do you know how to get into radio? television? newspapers?  What constitutes an effective website? What goes into a press kit?  How to make the most of what you already have? and grow a reader's base, even before your book is published? Come and find out.

"Just a short note to thank you for an information packed, thought provoking Saturday. Worth every minute and more. Regards," Victor Merkel, seminar returnee - February 2009.

"...thank you for such a great workshop. I’ve enjoyed every one of your workshops and look forward to attending more in the future. I really like the individual attention that each attendant receives at your classes. You give a wealth of information and the food is always great." Mary Keith - March 2008.

"I was almost overwhelmed by all of the information I received during the day. Vijaya is a tireless worker who presented a well-thought-out and well-developed program to help us understand how we ought to market ourselves as the unique writer that each of us is... I highly recommend any workshop she gives. I'm certainly looking forward to the next one!"  Anne Hall - February 2008.

"If you ever get a chance to attend a seminar by Vijaya Schartz you will come away with better knowledge and preparation of the publishing business. She is delightful and wise." Marilou McIntyre - February 2008

"...thank you for a great workshop. I picked up a wealth of information. Also appreciate the frank discussion about goal setting. I can't depend on my industrial sales experience to guide me in the world of writing. I need to rely on professionals such as yourself." Victor Merkel - February 2008

"Thank you for offering the Writers' Block seminar. I enjoyed every bit of it and came away inspired and energized. I would recommend this class to both published and unpublished writers. I have only one recommendation and that would be to record the brainstorming sessions because so many ideas were flying around, it was hard to take it all in.  Good stuff!" Nikki Kimbel - August 5, 2007

"I want to thank you again for a great workshop!  It was really helpful, to say nothing of fun...  I transcribed my notes from the brainstorming session and I've started work on some of the ideas.  I look forward to another workshop!"  Louise Signorelli - August 7, 2007

"I thoroughly enjoyed today... excellent job covering a wide range of topics and still meet the needs. The small group allowed for more participation. I feel inspired and can't wait to get writing.  Thank you." Elizabeth Davies

"This workshop  met and completely exceeded my expectations. It was so informative and inspiring.  Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us." Tracy Monaghan.

"This was a worthwile event for me.  The strong points of the day was the organization of topics - most informative, with a mix of personal story." Peg Bauernfeind.

"I enjoyed the workshop. I learned a lot and gained insight. I'm looking forward to future workshops." Author doesn't wish to be named.

 

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR:

Award-winning author Vijaya Schartz writes Sci-Fi, Girls with Guns, and Romance with a Kick, in exotic, historical, fantasy, contemporary or futuristic settings. With eight novels, two novellas, and many short stories in print, e-books and audiobooks she fomented film interest in Bollywood for her award-winning novel Ashes for the Elephant God.

 

She was President of the Arizona Authors’ Association for seven years, is the current President of the Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America, a book doctor and a book reviewer. She was the Editor in Chief of the Arizona Literary Magazine for nine years, and writes articles for View Highlife Magazine.  She also hosted a radio show about the writing craft and the writing life for three consecutive years.

 

Despite stringent writing and promotional deadlines, Vijaya still takes the time to share her experience at writers conferences, seminars, and with writers groups across the country.

 

Her 2007 mass market paperback, Anaz-voohri, from Triskelion Publishing, was a finalist in the 2008 Golden Quill Awards.  Her 2008 release from Sapphire Blue Publishing, titled A DESPERADO FOR CHRISTMAS, won first place in the Preditors and Editors 2008 Readers Poll Awards in Short Romance category. Most of her books gathered five-star reviews.