June 23, 2024 — How and Where to Use Goal, Motivation, and Conflict

Our June 23, 2024 monthly meeting will start at 1:00 P.M. with a workshop entitled “How and Where to Use Goal, Motivation, and Conflict,” presented by Bonnie Edwards, which will be followed by our general business and social meeting. Not a NERW member but want to attend the workshop? Join NERW now and receive access to our monthly workshops, private email forum, and Facebook group!

Workshop Description:

These cornerstones of storytelling are the foundation for page-turning fiction that readers love. With story and character goals on the page, with strong motivation for every decision, conflict will be clear and will demand a powerful resolution. GMC is often discussed in terms of story, or plot in the larger context of fiction.

This is not what you’ll hear from me.

In this webinar we’ll discuss GMC in scenes and sequels…the small blocks of prose that move your story and take your reader to its conclusion. In romance, that’s a happy ending.

In this webinar I’ll explain the practical side of GMC theory:

  1. How to put GMC in every scene you write
  2. How to avoid reader boredom and keep them engaged
  3. The nuts and bolts of page-turning fiction

THINK SMALL STEPS THROUGH YOUR STORY TO THE END

Command of these elements can help you find readers who will put you on their auto-buy list. If you’re submitting to agents or traditional houses, they’ll be more likely sit up and take notice.

Bio: Bonnie Edwards has been writing all her life, starting with a poem about Santa suffering with gout. She was seven, Santa was a thousandteen years old. Delighted with writing, she went on to write family sagas, humorous contemporary romance, romantic suspense, erotic paranormal ghost romances and more.

She may jump around within romance, but all her stories come with a tear, a laugh, and a happy ending. Published by Kensington Books, Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Robinson (UK) Bonnie’s stories stretch from short stories to novellas and novels. Now, she’s happy to be publishing her work herself.

With 40+ titles to her credit, she has been translated into several languages and sold books worldwide. Aside from standalone romances, she has romance series that include Christmas romances and beach reads. Contemporary family sagas find a home in Return to Welcome set in a fictional town. Learn about more exciting releases and get a free romance by subscribing to her newsletter, Bonnie’s Newsy Bits

May 19, 2024 — Feeling Extra Crispy? When Writers Burn Out

Our May 19, 2024 monthly meeting will start at 1:00 P.M. with our general business and social meeting, to be followed at 2:00 P.M. with our May workshop, titled “Feeling Extra Crispy? When Writers Burn Out,” presented by Liz Lincoln. Not a NERW member but want to attend the workshop? Join NERW now and receive access to our monthly workshops, private email forum, and Facebook group!

Workshop Description: “Feeling Extra Crispy? When Writers Burn Out” will help authors navigate the challenges of creative burnout. Discover practical strategies for renewing inspiration, from mindfulness techniques to playful writing exercises. Engage in a supportive environment where you can share experiences and learn from fellow writers. Leave with actionable tips on setting realistic goals and maintaining a healthy, creative rhythm. This workshop isn’t just a session; it’s the beginning of your journey back to joyful and productive writing. No sales pitches, just genuine support and guidance tailored for writers by a writer who’s been there.

Bio: Liz has been concocting stories as long as she can remember, and from the beginning they involved two people falling in love.

When she’s not writing, she spends her time hanging out with her family, cheering on the US and pro women’s soccer leagues, embroidering sassy sayings, and drinking too much Diet Coke. And of course, reading romance.

She lives in Milwaukee, WI, with her husband, two kids, three cats, and a turtle.