Join young-adult author L.L. McKinney from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, for a ticketed workshop hosted by the St. Louis Writers Guild. Although Guild members’ admission is free, a ticket is required. Attendees can also order two of L.L. McKinney’s books, A Blade So Black and Nubia, with their ticket purchase. Find the link to order tickets and books at St. Louis Writers Guild.
Our remote speaker will live-stream the workshop via Zoom, and attendees can participate online as well as at The Lodge Des Peres, 1050 Des Peres Rd., St. Louis, MO, 63131. The in-person gathering will follow the 2/28/22 St. Louis County Health Advisory. MASKS ARE OPTIONAL, and we will not collect attendee information for contact tracing. No food or drinks will be served. To attend the meeting online, follow the link included on the Eventbrite ticket email.

Fight Like a Girl: Writing Engaging Combat Scenes

L.L. McKinney’s A Blade So Black is replete with exciting fight scenes; it’s no wonder they’re her favorite scenes to write. But many writers struggle to make these action sequences accurate, believable, AND engaging. In this workshop we’ll explore the fundamentals of a fight scene, tips and tricks to draw the reader into the narrative, and some examples from L.L. McKinney’s works. Bring your questions! We hope for a lively discussion of fight scenes, the needs of young adult audiences, graphic novels, and the struggle for equality and inclusion in the publishing industry.

Named one of The Root’s and BET’s 100 most influential African Americans of 2020, Leatrice “Elle” McKinney, writing as L.L. McKinney, is an advocate for equality and inclusion in publishing, and the creator of the hashtags #PublishingPaidMe and #WhatWoCWritersHear. A gamer and Blerd, her works include the Nightmare-Verse books: A Blade So Black and A Dream So Dark, Nubia: Real One through DC, Marvel’s Black Widow: Bad Blood, and more.