UPCOMING EVENTS!

Here are some upcoming writing events that might interest you or the teen in your life.

Ten Steps on Your Path to Publication

When I moved to Matthews, NC a few years ago I was delighted to discover Matthews Christian library walking distance from my home. Of course, I introduced myself to the librarian, Tiffany Slack, and told her about my passion for books and writing. 

Recently, Tiffany contacted me and asked if I would be willing to participate in their 25th anniversary celebration. She asked if I would talk about getting published since many of their patrons ask about that.

It just so happened that had been my topic at a recent workshop for a library in the Charlotte Mecklenburg system, and so I replied with a proposal.

And just like that, this is going to happen in May!

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WOW! A Week of Outstanding Writing

Do you have a tween or tween who loves writing? In June I will lead a fun writing camp for kids. Please pass this information along to teachers or parents who know a child who might love learning more about writing a short story. I'll use activities from my book, Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8.

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Writing Christian MG or YA Fantasy

If you dream of writing middle-grade or young-adult fantasy, the virtual Write2Ignite Master Class still has a few spots open. For an interview with speaker Amy Earls, click here. 

Questions about any of these events? Feel free to email me.

Congratulations to Marci Whitehurst who won a copy of Linda Phillips' book, CRAZY.

Give the Gift of Writing

Do you know a teen or tween who dreams of writing a book? Or, perhaps your spouse or best friend is a budding poet. Either way, Write2Ignite has the perfect gift opportunity!

Starting in January, Brenda Covert and I will be giving writing workshops in several South Carolina Hobby Lobby stores.

The cost for each two-hour workshop is $25.00. But, if you purchase a workshop by December 31, it is only $20.00. (See payment details below.)

Cracking the Core of Fiction Writing: Character and Conflict for Teens and Tweens

Date and Time: January 11, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM

Location: Hobby Lobby, 1511 Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC 29607

Supplies: Notebook and a pen. Or, use a journal from Hobby Lobby and a special set of colored pens!

Description: If you’re between the ages of 11-17 and love creating stories, then this is the workshop for you. Join North Carolina author, Carol Baldwin, for a fun and informative workshop that will help you create memorable characters with conflict—the driving force of a riveting story. Whether you’re writing fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, or a contemporary story, the principles you’ll acquire will move you forward on your writing journey.

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Date and Time: January 18, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM

Location: Hobby Lobby, 7816 Charlotte Hwy, Indian Land, SC 29707

Supplies: Notebook and a pen. Or, use a journal from Hobby Lobby and a special set of colored pens!

Description: If you’re between the ages of 11-17 and love creating stories, then this is the workshop for you. Join North Carolina author, Carol Baldwin, for a fun and informative workshop that will help you create memorable characters with conflict—the driving force of a riveting story. Whether you’re writing fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, or a contemporary story, the principles you’ll acquire will move you forward on your writing journey.

From the Heart: The Gift of Poetry 

Date and Time: January 25, 1:30- 3:30

Location:  Hobby Lobby, 7816 Charlotte Hwy, Indian Land, SC 29707

Supplies: Notebook and pen, laptop, tablet, or whatever you're most comfortable writing on.  Or, use a journal from Hobby Lobby and a special set of colored pens.

Description: This poetry writing workshop is for teens and adults who want to craft the perfect poem for Valentine's Day. Brenda Covert, author of a teen poetry curriculum, will help you find your poetic voice so that you have a poem suitable for framing and gift-giving. A gift from your heart is the best gift of all!

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Date and Time: February 1,  3:30-5:30

Location: Hobby Lobby, 6007 Wade Hampton Blvd, Taylors, SC 29687

Supplies: Notebook and pen, laptop, tablet, or whatever you're most comfortable writing on.  Or, use a journal from Hobby Lobby and a special set of colored pens.

Description: This poetry writing workshop is for teens and adults who want to craft the perfect poem for Valentine's Day. Brenda Covert, author of a teen poetry curriculum, will help you find your poetic voice so that you have a poem suitable for framing and gift-giving. A gift from your heart is the best gift of all!

TO PURCHASE A WORKSHOP AND REGISTER

Email Cathy Biggerstaff.  Let her know which workshop you are purchasing and who will be attending. She will then send you a PayPal invoice. DEADLINE for the discount is 12/31/19 but participants can also pay when they come. Checks should be made out to Write2Ignite. Questions? Contact me or Brenda Covert.

Coming in March: Self-Publishing with Sandra Warren and Gretchen Griffith in Hickory, NC.

Date to be announced.

So, What's Next?

Last week I completed the second major draft of Half-Truths and sent it off to my writing coach, Rebecca Petruck. 

Ta dah!

I didn't quite realize the significance of this accomplishment (that has taken almost two years) until my writing friends congratulated me and I read several posts on the YA Muse blog about how momentous it is to press "Send." 

But I felt empty. What was next?

Rebecca recommended taking a break from the novel while she read it. One month from now I expect to receive her comments and "big edits." Things like "this scene doesn't move the story along" or "you need to add depth to Kate's personality" or "I think you should try writing this in first person point of view" You know, little things like that. 

My draft is full of questions. For example, in this scene Kate is worried about who she will meet in downtown Charlotte when she's shopping with Lillie: 

Kate breathed in deep to calm herself down. Her imagination was getting the best of her. Probably the worst that could happen would be seeing someone from the luncheon or school.  How bad could that be ? [need different language?]

Who was the worst person she could run into? Hands down, it would be Shirley Wright. She imagined Shirley sashaying down the aisle toward them. First she would see Kate, then her eyes would shift to Lillian. Shirley’s eyebrows would go up in shock—she wouldn’t have time to try and conceal her surprise.  [is this too long?]

Kate would be as dead as a rabbit caught in one of Uncle Milton’s metal traps. She swallowed hard. What would she do? What would she say? [good simile?]

I'm hoping that Rebecca will answer some of these questions...but that might happen in the next round of edits and revisions. Because  as I teach in my writing workshops, writing and revising happens in a cycle, over and over again. 

Until it's the final time to hit the send button. 

Which probably won't happen for another 6-12 months.

So, what is a writer to do while she waits for feedback?

Plenty. I've been...

• Working on a teen writing workshop at the Matthews Library on Friday, July 12. Writers in grades 6-9 will learn how to write science fiction and fantasy stories. There's still room and you can register your child here. 
• Developing my fall Writing Fiction Workshop at the Levine Campus of CPCC. This is the first time I'll teach intermediate writers and I'm looking forward to helping students delve deeper into characterization, plot, and scenes. 
• Preparing the SCBWI-Carolinas blog. If you write or illustrate for children and live in North Carolina or South Carolina, our fall conference is the place to be. 
• Preparing next week's guest blog from my fellow writing judge, Kim Van Sickler. She'll be sharing her positive experiences entering writing contests. 
• Reading The House at the End of the Road. For those of you who enjoyed the series on Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond, I think you'll enjoy another series about a multi-racial family in the Jim Crow era in Alabama. 
• Finishing the July issue of Talking Story. As always, Joyce Hostetter and I will have several books to give away, so if you don't subscribe yet, you can do so by pressing the "Subscribe" button here. New subscribers automatically are entered in our giveaway contest. 
• And last, but certainly not least, my oldest daughter is getting married in three weeks. 

I guess that's enough to keep me occupied while I wait for feedback on my manuscript. Don't you think?

Free Expressions Takeaway Part I: Voice & Deep Point of View

 Last week, I joined fifteen other middle grade and young adult writers in an intense week of writing instruction orchestrated by  Lorin Oberweger, founder of Free Expressions seminars.  As we learned throughout the week, our books need to be closely seen and experienced through our character's point-of-view. Accordingly, in my next 5 or 6 blog posts I plan to experience the seminar through my point-of-view. I plan to share some of the writing craft points as well as feedback I received on Half-Truths. 

As Emma Dryden, an experienced editor and children's publishing professional,  said on our last day together when she gave us an overview of the digital landscape of publishing, "Buckle your seat belts, and get ready for the ride!"

When we introduced each other during our Saturday night get together, we were asked what superpower we wished we could have. After a moment's thought I replied, "I would like to be able to heal old hurts." My unexpected tears told me I had struck a chord. That bit of self-realization--that applies both to my life and my book--was a tremendous way for me to begin this seminar. 

My week began on Monday morning with much anticipated classes on Voice and Deep Point of View. Emma Dryden said, "Voice turns an "anyone" into a "someone." An author must employ word choice, sentence structure, vernacular, slang, idioms, to create the "poetry of speech." 

Emma Dryden

She told us that, "Voice helps identify characters in a setting. It lies beneath the actual words the characters use."  Underneath those words, our characters' bodies and eyes may say something else. "The emotions, motivations, fears, hopes, desires, internal trajectory of your characters should all be expressed through dialogue, actions, and thoughts." 

Going into the week I had wondered if my characters were exhibiting voice. Overwhelming feedback from my critique group and response to our daily writing prompts answered that question with a deep resounding "Yes!" So good to know. 

Later Monday morning, Lorin Oberweger, the mastermind and talented wordsmith behind Free Expressions, taught us about deep point of view. She introduced her class with the words, "Seduction—not instruction." In a nutshell, deep POV is about, "Creating a immersive rich environment on the page that seduces the reader. You want your reader to lose herself in your book." Writers want to avoid "Instruction" with a more distance POV that’s more authorial.  

Lorin Oberweger

As much as possible, writers need to see the world through their characters' eyes and experiences. The more we are inside our characters' skin, the greater our ability to write how their emotions dictate their responses. Lorin told us to use rich details to show who they are, what they love, and how their passions filter through their language and experiences. 

Later that afternoon, I had my one-to-one critique time with Lorin. She had many great things to say about my manuscript (Yeah!) but helped me to see some holes too (double yeah!). Both of my characters need clear external goals which they are striving for. And since they are fifteen-year-olds in the 1950's, my job is to show how they think about the world and their relationships in a more complicated manner that is also appropriate to their time period. Their passions and desires need to surface through their actions, thoughts, and dialogue. And not just their anger (which apparently I have down pretty well!)--but also their soft spots and sympathies. 

A tall order. 

But after a week with the staff of Free Expressions, I am excited to dig in and make this happen.

Now, back to work. 

Lorin Oberweger, Brenda Windberg, Emma Dryden, & me!

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Lorin has generously allowed me to share some of her handouts with all of you.  Here is the first one,  Deep Point of View. Click "download file now" and it will open as a PDF file. 

Next week in Part II of this series, I'll share what I learned about creating deep scenes and how Gary Provost's sentence can shape your WIP. 

Navigating My Blog

If you are new to this blog, you might not notice the tabs on top of the blog posts. If you click on "Half-Truths" you'll find past posts which document my progress in writing my historical novel. 


Click on "Writing Workshops" for a list of my writing workshops. I can tailor workshops to meet your students' needs.


Click on "Teaching the Story" to find out more information about my book and for some free reproducibles.


Click on "Talking Story" and you'll find a brief description of the newsletter which I publish bimonthly with Joyce Hostetter and directions on how to subscribe. 


I appreciate all of you who receive my blog notifications via e-mail and who follow this blog. Every once in awhile I sponsor giveaways for followers only. Follow now, and look for another giveaway soon!

Upcoming Writing Workshops

Writing workshop in San Antonio, Tx

In case you or your children are interested in further developing your writing skills, my schedule this fall includes the following workshops:

Teen Writer's Workshop

Who? 6-10th graders

What? This workshop is for students who have imaginary characters and plots swimming inside their heads just waiting to come out. Students will discover how to bring their stories to life by brainstorming an original character, setting, and plot. They will begin the process of weaving them together into a short story.

 Where? AnAuthor World, Greenville, SC.



When? Oct 2 & 9    9AM-12PM

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Stories That Are Out of This World

Who? Tweens and teens - from 11-16 years old

What? Find out how to create a story with an imaginary science fiction or fantasy character and put him/her/it into an extraordinary-yet-believable-setting.

Where? Cornelius Arts Center, Cornelius, NC

When? October 23  9 AM-12 PM


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Everyone Has a Story

Who?  Ages 16 and up

What? Discover how to create and weave together the three elements of a story: character, setting and plot. This introductory workshop will get your creative juices going and you will go home itching to write the story that is inside you!

Where? Cornelius Arts Center, Cornelius, NC

When? November 13  9 AM- 12 PM