The following workshops are available to be presented either online or in
person. Scroll down for descriptions...
- He said/She Said -- Writing Fictional Dialogue
- S.E.X. -- Writing the Sensual Evocative eXperience
- The History of Underwear
- Edit Your Book in a Month
- GMC (Goals, Motivation, Conflict)
- Crafting the Sensual Novella
- Conducting Historical Research Online
- A Noble's Life in Medieval Times
Only available in packet form:
- Supermom: The Art of Juggling Motherhood and a Writing Career
- The Tudor Dynasty
***NEW*** Workshop packets are available for purchase
if you'd prefer to take the class on your own time. Please email Eliza at authorelizaknight@gmail.com if you'd like a packet.
"He said/She said" -- Writing Fictional Dialogue
- Craft/mechanics
of writing dialogue
- What
to write and what not to write
- What
moves the story along
- Tags/action
tags
- Mixing
dialogue with action/narrative
- Making
character GMC shine through speech
- Viewing
indivual personality traits/morals/values through speech
- Weaving
backstory into dialogue
- Dialect
Multiple lessons, exercises and critiques provided each
week. Your readers will be able to "hear" what your characters are
saying.
2012 Calendar
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May 14 - June 10
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Fall 2012
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Eliza Knight Workshops
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S.E.X. -- Writing the S.ensual E.vocative X.perience
~Sensual language/body part terms
~How to make your scenes come alive with sensory details
~Weaving emotion into love scenes (the scenes have to move the story along, no gratuitous scenes!)
~Making each scene unique to the characters and the story
~The mechanics of the body (ie... anatomy & positions)
~Getting yourself in the "s.e.x." mind-set
~Dialogue in love scenes
~The differences between mainstream romance and erotic romance
Multiple lessons, exercises and critiques provided each week.
***Warning! Be prepared... this class comes with an advisory. It will get dirty... It will be fun. It will be an interesting experience. You will write better s.e.x.
2012 Schedule
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April 23 - May 4
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Eliza Knight Workshops
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TBD
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May 2013
| Maryland Romance Writers |
To register to take the class with Eliza Knight's Workshop Group, which will be conducted via a private yahoo group. Please email your name, the title of the workshop and your email address to authorelizeknight@gmail.com. The workshop cost is $15, paid via PayPal. Scroll down below to the PayPal payment button. I will send you confirmation of your registration and payment once received.
The History of Underwear
1-Week Intensive Course
(Can also be presented in a 1-hour workshop in person)
The subject of underwear is one that fascinates the human
mind, and a fashion that is forever changing. From the time when leaves covered
the private parts—at least in paintings and statues—to today’s bits of lace and
tighty-whities, there seems to be an ever evolving ideal of what should go
underneath our clothing.
The class will explore the fabrics and styles that have
covered our nether-regions from medieval times through the Victorian era, and
their functions.
During the class, pictures and a downloadable handout will
be available to students, as well as exercises.
Edit Your Book in a Month
Have you finished a manuscript? Want to submit it to editors
or agents or maybe even self-publish? You need to edit first! First impressions
are important and the stronger you make your book, the better presentation it
will make. This book presents tips on editing, most common mistakes made in
manuscripts, show vs. tell, plotting, dialogue, story development,
inconsistencies, tightening up your sentences, weak words/verbs, overused
words, filler words, formatting and so much more! Get your manuscript ready for
its grand debut!
"Edit Your Book in a Month is loaded with great information and
excellent examples. Every writer-both new and old-can benefit from this how-to
book. If you're ready to polish your manuscript in record time, then this is
the book for you." Kimberly Killion, RITA®-nominated and award-winning
author.
"Eliza Knight's "Edit Your Book in a Month" method made the
difference between my manuscript being passed over in the slush pile and
getting requested, and eventually published." Rebecca Lynn,
award-winning author.
"Solid craft assistance from multi-published writer Eliza Knight. Her
Edit Your Book in a Month workshops are always filled, yet she encourages class
participation and manages to give each participate the individual attention
they need. Now with a high demand for her workshop materials, Eliza Knight has
done what she does best, put it all in a book! I attended Eliza's Edit Your
Book in a Month workshop. She provided me with a writer's tool kit that will
serve me well throughout my writing. Her clear presentation lays out a plan
that is easy to follow. The results? After working with Eliza I submitted my
manuscript and got THE call within a month." Ruth A. Casie,
award-winning author.
“Whether you're writing your first book
or your fiftieth, Eliza Knight's Edit
Your Book in a Month is an invaluable resource for making your
manuscript gleam. Eliza's mastery of the craft of fiction writing shines
through on every page.” Victoria Gray, multi-published author of riveting
historical romance.
Available in print from Amazon
Available as a Kindle e-book: Amazon
Available as a Nook e-book: Barnes
and Noble
The Workshop:
Eliza will present tips on editing, most common mistakes
made in manuscripts, what editors and judges are looking for and show you how
to evaluate the following:
Overused/Weak words
Weak verbs
Use of the 5 Senses
Tightening up those sentences
Hooks - beginning and ending
Point-Of-View
Show vs. Tell
Active vs. Passive
Goals, Motivation, Conflict
Dialogue
Story Development / Plot / Characterization / Setting
Inconsistencies (Ex: heroines eyes are blue in ch. 1 and
brown in ch. 2)
With each new item presented, Eliza will show you how to use
the information to edit your manuscript. Throughout the workshop participants
will be able to post excerpts from their WIP for review and critique by Eliza
and fellow classmates.
By the end of Edit Your Book in a Month, your WIP
should be clean and ready for submission! The skills learned during this
workshop can be used for your future manuscripts as well.
Crafting the Sensual Novella
Have you ever wanted to try your hand at
writing a sexy novella? Are you worried you won’t be able to write short? Do
love scenes intimidate you? Worry no more! It’s time to learn the craft of
novella writing. Creating a sensual short story can be fun and profitable.
And there has never been a better time to
write short. With so many new and established publishers hungry for novellas,
the market is wide open—if you know how to catch an editor’s attention.
Sensual novellas are about much more than
sex. And the guidelines are different than for a traditional-length novel. This
workshop will help you learn how to plot a novella whether you are a heavy
outliner or a “pantser.” You’ll see how easy it is to layer emotion into your
love scenes and hook the reader from the very first sentence. The class will
also instruct you on how to pack more into less words, while still keeping your
love story strong and your audience captivated. We’ll even include a sensual
and sensory word reference list as a bonus!
Are you ready to
take readers on a swift, sensual, and emotionally riveting journey?
Note: This workshop includes handouts as well as
suggested reading, and will include excerpts from the presenters’ and other
authors’ novellas.
Conducting
Historical Research Online
There is a plethora of information available online for
anybody who wants to look. As a writer of historical fiction, you will often
find yourself needing this information. But how do you go about getting it?
This class will teach you the ins and outs of conducting research online. Do
you need to find just one little nitty gritty detail or a vast amount of
information that directly correlates to your plot? Do you need to know what
street Carlton House was on? Or how many guns were on the HMS Impregnable? By
the end of this class you should have a grasp on how to get this information.
I will also discuss how to mesh your research into your story so it flows and
doesn’t feel “textbook.” Have you ever read a book, where it feels like the
author is just regurgitating fact to you, instead of seamlessly mixing it into
narrative or dialogue?
After each lesson there will be an assignment, and an
opportunity for you to submit a short excerpt from your manuscript in which
you’ve used historical fact, for critique.
A Noble's Life in Medieval Times
Life in medieval times was so much different than the way we
live today. When readers sit down with their favorite medieval historical
romance, they are taken away to another time and place.
For most readers, this is where they learn about medieval
times, and it is the duty of the author to be as authentic as possible. That
being said, you don’t want your book to be a history lecture either, but to
just flavor it enough.
This workshop will teach you how people, particularly
nobles, lived in medieval times, in order for you to be truer to the era you
write about. This is an open discussion workshop, questions and comments are
welcome and encouraged. This class generally lasts 4-5 weeks. The lessons will
be presented as follows:
Lesson
One: The Medieval Castle
Lesson
Two: Medieval Entertainments
Lesson
Three: Day in the Life of a Medieval Lord and Lady
Lesson
Four: Medieval Medicine
Lesson
Five: Medieval Clothes
