Workshops for Writers-Aug. 7: Improve Your Writing & Sell More Books with Beta Readers

Learn how to identify, qualify, locate, and use an incredible writer’s tool known as beta readers at this Aug. 7 workshop featuring author and marketing professional Cherie Postill.

During this online workshop from 10 a.m. to noon, Aug. 7, you will learn the definition of beta testing, how to pinpoint your beta readers, and why every writer needs them. It is only one piece of the puzzle that ends with a published manuscript, but a vital one.

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshop July 10: How to Con a Con – Get Noticed in a Sea of Convention Booths

With conventions, conferences, expos and many other sales opportunities opening up after the drought of COVID-19, getting noticed has become a serious priority for authors.

From 10 a.m. to noon, July 10, authors Jennifer Stolzer and Jessica Mathews will share their tips and tricks for sales, con etiquette, display set up and more at this free online workshop hosted by the St. Louis Writers Guild.

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Workshop for Writers-June 5: Writing for Young Adults in the 21st Century

Join author Lynn Stevens at 9 a.m., June 5, for her talk on “YA in the 21st Century.” Lynn will focus on the ever-changing scenes in young adult books and about what teens really want (she'd like this to be very interactive).

The teen perspective will be featured at 10:30 a.m. when the workshop continues with a Teen Panel discussing what works and doesn’t work in YA fiction.

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Writers on Zoom-March 6 online conference: Pitch to publishers and hear from writing experts

At the March 6 “Writers on Zoom” online conference, experts will offer “how-to” tips on research, characterization, poetry, memoirs and humor, as well as advice for portraying the Deaf culture and community.

The daylong event is free to St. Louis Writers Guild members, though registration is required. The $20 fee for nonmembers includes access to recordings of the six workshops. Sign up using Eventbrite on stlwritersguild.org

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshop for Writers-Dec. 5: Guild honors young writers at holiday gathering

Join a celebration honoring award-winning young writers at the St. Louis Writers Guild’s annual holiday gathering from 10 a.m. to noon, Dec. 5.

You can find the Zoom address on the Guild’s Virtual Events page (www.stlwritersguild.org/virtual-events) or click here to join the meeting.

At this free online event, learn how fourth- through eighth-graders created stories that all began with the words: “Beneath the mask…”

Winners of the first Young Writers Awards-High School Edition for ninth- to twelfth-grade students will also be invited to read their stories centered on the 2020 theme: Beneath the Mask.

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshop for Writers-Nov. 7: Tax tips for writers and other creative professionals

Tax time is coming up before you know it. If you’re like many writers and other creative professionals, you may find it challenging to keep track of what business expenses and sales the law requires you to report.

Certified Public Accountant Dan Connor will offer tax tips and answer your questions from 10 a.m. to noon, Nov. 7, in a free online workshop hosted by the St. Louis Writers Guild, in cooperation with the Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA).

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshops for Writers-Oct. 24: Everything You Know About Screenwriting is Wrong

In this informative and brutally honest two-plus hours, Paul Guyot, who has worked in Hollywood for 30 years -- the last 20 as a full-time screenwriter -- shares the reasons why nearly every book on screenwriting is wrong.

Join Guyot from 10 a.m. to noon, Oct. 24, at this free online workshop, and stay on afterward to celebrate the St. Louis Writers Guild 100th Anniversary. We're limited to 100 participants, so sign up now on Eventbrite to reserve your spot.

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshops for Writers-Sept. 12: Editing Extravanza!

Sign up now for online editing consultations at the St. Louis Writers Guild’s Sept. 12 Editing Extravaganza! Submit the first five to ten pages of your manuscript or your query letter to be reviewed by an editor and have a 20+ minute one-on-one consultation.

Starting the day will be a free, online workshop from 10 a.m. to noon featuring international speaker and four-time bestselling author Jill Lublin. She will focus on how to “Get Known Everywhere Using Publicity.”

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshops for Writers-Aug. 1: How to write about encounters with the extraordinary  

If you’ve been itching to write about a fictional character who has an encounter with something beyond the ordinary such as angels, extraterrestrials, UFOs, or ghosts, or if you’ve had an otherworldly experience you’d like to share, now is a great time to do so, said author Karen Cavalli. At an online workshop from 10 a.m. to noon, Aug. 1, she will offer some history on writing about these encounters and key decision points during the writing process.

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Workshops for Writers-July 11: Research for Writers (or How to End up On A Watchlist in 20 Minutes or Less)

Don’t miss James Young’s free online workshop on "Research for Writers” (or “How to End Up on A Watchlist in 20 Minutes or Less”), from 10 a.m. to noon, July 11. “I will use examples from my own and others' research to help all authors find quick and efficient ways to answer questions about areas outside of their expertise,” James said. He will discuss common tools available for authors to conduct topical or historical research.

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Workshops for Writers - May 2: Attorney to share insights about contracts at May 2 writers’ workshop

Michael A. Kahn, attorney and award-winning novelist, will discuss “Contract Clauses: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” from 10 a.m. to noon, May 2, at a free online workshop hosted by the St. Louis Writers Guild, in cooperation with St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts (VLAA). Mike will review several sample author contracts, provide negotiation tips, and answer your questions.

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshops for Writers - March 7: Guild hosts “Writers in the Lodge” mini-conference

Sign up now for pitch sessions with agents and consultations with editors at the St. Louis Writers Guild’s (SLWG) “Writers in the Lodge” mini-conference from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., March 7, at The Lodge Des Peres, 1050 Des Peres Rd, St. Louis, MO 63131. Additionally, young writers from the fourth through eighth grades are invited to attend a free “Show Don’t Tell” workshop in the Maple Room from 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. The event is sponsored by the St. Louis Publishers Association.

In the Dogwood Room, three presentations for teens and adults are free to SLWG and SLPA members; $5 for nonmembers:

• 9:30 a.m. – literary agent Kortney Price on "Working With an Agent,"

• 10:30 a.m. – speculative fiction author and graphic novelist Guy Anthony De Marco on “Writing In Someone Else's Sandbox,” and

• 11:30 a.m. – editor and project manager Andrew Doty on "Book Editing for Self-Publishing Authors."

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshops for Writers-Feb. 1: Get Conference-Ready: Perfecting Your Pitch to Literary Agents & Publishers

Pitching a book to literary agents and publishers shouldn’t be more stressful than writing the original manuscript. Learn tips and tricks on how to write and prepare a pitch for your novel. The St. Louis Writers Guild’s Feb. 1 workshop will explore the conference pitch-session process from start to finish. This free workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at The Lodge Des Peres, 1050 Des Peres Rd, St. Louis, MO 63131.

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St Louis Writers Guild
Workshops for Writers-Jan. 4: Van Stockum discusses “The Writing Techniques of Jules Verne”

Scientist, sailor, trader. Playwright, poet, lawyer, dreamer. We are all familiar with the famous characters of Jules Verne and the places he took them in exploration. With Ronald R. Van Stockum Jr. as our guide, let us take a look at this innovative writer, the dreamer from Nantes. “The Writing Techniques of Jules Verne” workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, Jan. 4, at The Lodge Des Peres, 1050 Des Peres Rd, St. Louis, MO 63131. Free to St. Louis Writers Guild members; $5 for nonmembers

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St Louis Writers Guild