Our January, 2025 monthly meeting will start at 1:00 P.M. with a Ouworkshop titled “Branding for Authors: A Workshop to Grow Your Author Brand,” presented by Kelly Utt, 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:Learn how to create a strong, memorable brand that will resonate with readers and set you apart in the crowded author market. This workshop covers the essentials of building your author brand—from defining your mission and story to crafting a visual identity and strategic marketing plan. You’ll leave with actionable strategies to boost your visibility, build a loyal reader base, and stand out as an author. What You’ll Learn: How to define and refine your author brand Creating a consistent and professional brand identity Effective strategies for marketing your books and engaging readers How to make your brand resonate with your target audience Join us for this focused session and start building a brand that helps your books get noticed and grow your readership.

Bio: Kelly Utt is a creative strategist, author of over 25 books, and the founder of Blum Creative. With a background in psychology and interactive media, Kelly specializes in helping authors and small businesses elevate their brands through strategic storytelling, design, and marketing. Drawing from her experience as both a business consultant and novelist, she offers a unique, hands-on approach that combines creative vision with business strategy. Kelly’s passion for storytelling and brand development drives her to help clients create memorable brands that resonate and grow. She is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Our October, 2024 monthly meeting will start at 1:00 P.M. with a workshop on transforming your author website, presented by Nate Hoffhelder, 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: An author’s website is their online office and storefront, but it doesn’t have to be a stodgy one. In this session, you will learn how, with just a little work, you can rapidly transform your author website from blah to boss. A good website doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars; your site can be as simple as a single page and still present a professional face to reviewers and help you connect with fans. It all starts with knowing what you want to do, and why. Note: This session will have time for a Q&A, so please bring your questions.

Bio: Nate has been helping people fix broken tech since 2010. He turns broken down WordPress sites into sites which convert visitors into superfans, also builds sites from scratch, and helps authors with their social media and newsletters. When he’s not working with authors, Nate volunteers on the board of the Florida Writers Foundation and with several SF cons. When he is not volunteering, he writes bad jokes on Twitter and creates memes and graphics. In his spare time, Nate hand-raises budgies and maintains three Little Free Libraries.

Our September, 2024 monthly meeting will start at 1:00 P.M. with a workshop entitled “AI Presentation” presented by Neil Plakcy, 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: The field of artificial intelligence is changing dramatically almost from week to week as new tools are released and new concerns arise. How can writers benefit from these tools while maintaining integrity and staying within boundaries established by vendors and promo organizers?

Award-winning author Neil Plakcy will identify three ways authors can use these new tools to help create, edit and market manuscripts while retaining your own voice. He’ll demonstrate how you can overcome writer’s block and streamline your idea generation process – useful for both pantsers and plotters.

Once you have a finished draft of your story, chapter or complete manuscript, AI tools can act as a junior editor, pointing out areas where you can improve plotting, pacing, character development, description and more.

One of the hardest tasks for an author is writing marketing materials, whether for an agent, editor, or Amazon description. AI tools understand tropes and the kind of marketing language we’re often reluctant to use on our own work. You can create the outline or summary an agent or editor requests, or generate pithy descriptions that will help your books move off the real or virtual shelves.

Even if you’re familiar with AI tools, Plakcy’s presentation can help you find new ways to use them to maximize your creative output.

Bio: Neil Plakcy is the author of over 60 novels in mystery, romance and adventure. Former president of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, he recently retired after 20 years as a professor of English at Broward College in South Florida. His background in technology helped him innovate online teaching there, and he continues his integration of writing and technology with a new passion for how artificial intelligence can help writers be more productive. His website is www.mahubooks.com.

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

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.

Workshop Description: If you want the reader to be turning the pages as fast as they can, you need a compelling plot. You might think a compelling plot is one filled with car chases and gun fights and a lot of action. The truth is, what keeps readers glued to your book, is an emotional connection with the character. But how exactly do you create that? Join New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump, who has published 85 books in 24 countries, for this workshop on how to take your book to the next level with a page-turning plot!

Bio: New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump didn’t have the willpower to diet nor the talent to master under-eye concealer, so she bowed out of a career in television and opted instead for a career where she could be paid to eat at her desk–writing.

She turned to the world of romance novels, where messes are (usually) cleaned up before The End and no one is calling anyone a doodoo head. In the worlds Shirley gets to create and control, children listen to their parents, husbands always remember holidays and housework is magically done by elves.

Though she’s thrilled to see her books in stores around the world, Shirley mostly writes because it gives her an excuse to avoid cleaning the toilets and helps feed her shoe habit.

Workshop Description: The appeal of the supportive and kind romance hero and how to write him, using moments from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s real-life romance as examples.

A cinnamon roll hero never goes out of style! Recent trends in romance publishing show that readers love a sweet, kind and supportive hero. Cinnamon roll heroes (sometimes called Golden Retriever heroes) are swoony on the outside, but have a soft, gooey center. In this workshop, we will examine this character archetype and how to incorporate it into your manuscript, using moments from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s real-life romance as examples. We’ll also have a bonus discussion about why their relationship has captivated so many people and what romance authors can learn from #Traylor in terms of getting readers emotionally invested in our stories.

Bio: USA Today bestselling author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teri’s books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction and a 2022 inductee into the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame.

When she’s not writing, Teri enjoys visiting schools and health care facilities with her Cavalier King Charles spaniel Charm, a registered therapy dog and reading education assistance dog. Teri also loves pretty dresses, cupcakes, going to the ballet and following the British royal family. Visit her at www.teriwilson.net or on Instagram @teriwilsonauthor.

Workshop Description: Silence happens—in real life and on the page. But sometimes when writers share silence on the page it’s blah-blah bland. Powerless. It’s stated, then the scene continues.

No power there. That’s a massive missed opportunity to add emotion!

In real life, what happens when a room goes silent?

Hellooo subtext.

Hellooo instinctive reactions and visceral responses.

Hellooo glances, gaze aversions, and loaded facial expressions.

Good start. But how you convey silence on the page needs to be fresh and powerful.

We’ll cover how silence can:

Strengthen emotion.
Elicit a visceral response.
Share relationship dynamics.
Add tension or release tension.
Create a chance to slip in backstory.
Add big-time power to pauses and hesitations.
Deepen the scene by sharing how it impacts the POV character.

Come on, join me! You’ll learn lots of ways to empower silence. You’ll also learn some deep editing gems that will make your writing bestseller strong!

Bio: Margie Lawson left a career in psychology to focus on another passion—helping writers make their writing bestseller strong. Using a psychologically based deep-editing approach, Margie teaches writers how to bring emotion to the page. Emotion equals power. Power grabs readers and holds onto them until the last page. Hundreds of Margie grads have gone on to win awards, find agents, sign with publishers, and hit bestseller lists.

A popular international presenter, Margie’s taught over 200 full day master classes in the U.S., Canada, France, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as multi-day intensives on cruise ships in the Caribbean. She’s taught over 220 5-day intensive Immersion Master Classes across the U.S. and Canada, and in France, Scotland, and seven cities in Australia too.

She also founded Lawson Writer’s Academy where you’ll find over 30 instructors teaching online courses through her website. And you’ll find lots of webinars on her website too. She developed 35 webinars that share her deep editing techniques and more! To sign up for Margie’s newsletter, visit www.margielawson.com.

Workshop Description: Dream of being a Disney Princess? A Marvel superhero? Do you want to expand on the world of your favorite fandom—and actually get paid to do so? In this presentation, Disney author Mari Mancusi takes you behind the scenes of media tie-in writing and demystifies this unique niche of traditional publishing. She’ll explain how to break into the world, give you the pros and cons of writing for a property/company versus your own works (Fun fact: it’s still super creative!), and walk you through the entire process from hire to finished book.

Workshop Description: Kishōtenketsu is an East Asian narrative structure that differs but is complementary to the more traditional three-act structure used in the west…and in romance novels. Join A.M. Lau to learn what this structure is, and how you can use it in developing your own work