BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Outreach International Writers, inc. - ECPv6.16.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Outreach International Writers, inc. X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://oiwi.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Outreach International Writers, inc. REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231002 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231028 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230602T040030Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T225616Z UID:10000055-1696204800-1698451199@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Writing Paranormal Romance DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nIt’s hard enough for boy to meet girl\, girl to meet boy\, or even boy to meet boy or girl to meet girl\, as the case may be\, and then fall in love. \nWe have Romeo and Juliette and the Hatfields and McCoys as examples of lovers from warring families falling in love. It definitely didn’t work out well for Shakespeare’s young lovers. I’m not sure where it was for the lovers in the 19th century family wars along the West Virginia-Kentucky border as two McCoy women wed Hatfield men and four McCoy men wed Hatfield women. But even when the in-laws want to kill each other\, it isn’t as tricky as being a shapeshifter or magic user who finds true love in the opposite camp. \nThat’s what this 4-week workshop concentrates on: love between the…er…species. Humans can fall in love with werebeings\, with vampires\, elves\, a member of the Fae\, or…well\, even one of the old gods! Percy Jackson’s parents were certainly from different camps. \nWe’ll talk about what sort of shapeshifter hero or heroine to use\, what you want to keep or change in the legend (after all\, it’s werewolves that belong to the old European peasant legends\, not werebears\, weretigers\, etc.)\, and whether to have them get involved with a full human or with another type of shifter\, or an alchemist\, or a wizard\, or something else entirely! \nThese folks have got more problems to overcome than your average romantic couple. And they usually are falling in love or dealing with the relationship while other story elements are causing them headaches. These aren’t just love stories\, they tend to be action-adventure and even mystery/suspense tales. \nJoin me for a write on the really wild side where we play matchmaker to things that don’t really exist. \nOr do they? \nInstructor Bio: \nBeth Daniels never intended to write stories with either shapeshifters or magic users. She was writing romantic suspense\, romantic comedy\, and historical romance as Beth Henderson and doing very well at it as the 20th century closed down. But in the 21st century the market took some real twists. The first time she picked up an urban fantasy story to read it was supposed to be as a palate cleanser. Instead\, it turned into a new market for her as J.B. Dane where she spins The Raven Tales. When looking for someplace interested in Old West stories when that historical market fell from favor\, she became Nied Darnell to write Steampunk and then Dieselpunk and Gaslamp Fantasy. In the closing months of 2021\, she mixed romance and cozy mystery with a downsized paranormal element under her Beth Henderson pseudonym for a short series\, Whichur-Wolfe Detection. If nothing else\, she can definitely say she is currently in love with paranormal characters—particularly those that are born from her pen. Visit her at www.4TaleTellers.com under all her names. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/writing-paranormal-romance/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/art-blondes-fantasy-ghost-wallpaper-preview.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231002 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231014 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230625T202232Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T225640Z UID:10000059-1696204800-1697241599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Character Building Part of 3 - Using Emotional Conflicts as Plot 2-Weeks\, Oct 2th - Sept 13th DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nUsing Emotional Conflicts as Plot: Finally\, we’ll talk about plot. How we construct a narrative to explore a character’s Core Wounds and serve as the right vehicle for their Emotional Arc is a vital part of harnessing this intense emotional connection. It can make the difference between a memorable story and one that falls flat. We’ll explore how plots can best serve your characters (and vice versa!) and how internal tension can be even more impactful than a truckload of external events! \nLast but not lease look for the 1-Day Master Class review in Nov. Exact date TBD (either the 5th or 12th) \nInstructor Bio: \nTere Michaels writes happily ever afters in the big city – with heaps of snark\, angst and humor. Her focus is on characters and all the ridiculous ways they trip through life and love. She has written fifteen books including her popular Faith\, Love & Devotion series\, and the superhero saga\, The Vigilante. \nShe has been presenting workshops on the writing process for over ten years. Send her a message through her website (www.teremichaels.com) or connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/character-building-part-of-3-using-emotional-conflicts-as-plot-2-week-oct-2th-sept-13th/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/emotions.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231002 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231014 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230524T175353Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240512T165433Z UID:10000044-1696204800-1697241599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Character Building Part of 2 - Core Wounds 2-Week\, Sept 4th - Sept 15th DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nCore Wounds: Core Wounds sit in the heart of every person – both real and fictional. An understanding of these deep-seated\, harmful “truths” we believe can lead to the creation of three-dimensional characters and emotionally impactful narratives readers will never forget. \nJoin us next month\, Part 3 in September for\, Using Emotional Conflicts for Plot \nInstructor Bio: \nTere Michaels writes happily ever afters in the big city – with heaps of snark\, angst and humor. Her focus is on characters and all the ridiculous ways they trip through life and love. She has written fifteen books including her popular Faith\, Love & Devotion series\, and the superhero saga\, The Vigilante. \nShe has been presenting workshops on the writing process for over ten years. Send her a message through her website (www.teremichaels.com) or connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/character-building-part-of-2-core-wounds-2-week-sept-4th-sept-15th/2023-10-02/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/New-Project-2022-11-17T150923.484.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230918 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230930 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230816T020918Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T225735Z UID:10000036-1694995200-1696031999@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Geeks & Fandom A 2-week Workshop DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nWhat’s the deal with fan fiction? What about cosplay and comic book conventions? When did being geeks and nerdy become cool? What’s the story behind cosplay and Fandom? How you can create a geek character for your book? \nVal will answer all these questions when you join her on a 2-week quest to learn about all things fandom and she bets you’ll discover you have a bit of a fandom geek and you may not even know it! Val will take you on a journey so you learn what the buzz is about cosplay. Learn descriptions of what a typical convention is like\, and how to discover your inner geek for your character creations. \nInstructor Bio: \nVal has a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from Wichita State University\, focusing on ancient and medieval history. She has one year of Master’s study under her belt as well and finishing it is on the bucket list. Her undergraduate honors thesis was on the Macedonian and Ptolemaic attempts at divine ascendance through their own hubris and later adoption of Egyptian culture.

She has a deep-seated interest in Alexander the Great and Macedonian studies. She also focuses on ancient Egypt\, Greece\, Roman Britain\, Medieval Britain\, and Renaissance Italy. She fervently reads anything she can find on the Tudor dynasty.

She is a former historical reenactor with two museums\, Old Cowtown Museum in Wichita\, KS\, and Pawnee Bill Museum and Buffalo Ranch in Pawnee\, OK. Her family has been re-enactors since she was a small child\, focusing on the fur trade era of American history. She is also known to haunt Renaissance Faires and has served in a couple of courts.

History is more than a passion with Val. It’s a way of life. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/geeks-fandom-a-special-2-week-workshop/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/BookBrushImage-2023-8-24-8-5286006.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230904 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230930 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230524T220410Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T225757Z UID:10000054-1693785600-1696031999@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Blurb and Synopsis Writing DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nWriting a marketing blurb can be difficult—you want to put so much into it\, but the point is to intrigue the reader. It needs to be short\, interesting\, and set the tone for the reader. On the other hand\, a synopsis needs to cover the entire story—the point of a synopsis is to let an agent or editor know you have a complete story with a beginning\, middle\, and end. All the major plot points should be included\, but it’s got to be short enough not to bore a reader. \nThis workshop will cover: \n– What Needs to be in a Synopsis \n– Theme\, Protagonist/Antagonist\, Character Goals\, Motivations\, \nAnd the Ending! \n– Hooking the Reader with Sizzle—the Blurb \n– Opening lines\, Opening Paragraphs \n– Tone and Tension in the Burb and the Synopsis \n– Use of Sub Plots and Other Characters \n– Going Past Clichés \n– Tired Phrases and Fresh Modifiers \n– Polish\, Polish\, Polish \n– Tense\, Editing\, Format \n– A Short Checklist \nBy doing the writing exercises\, you’ll come out of this with a marketing blurb and a short one to two page synopsis. \nInstructor Bio: \nShannon Donnelly’s writing has won numerous awards\, including the Indie BRAG Gold Medallion\, a nomination for Romance Writer’s of America’s RITA award\, the Grand Prize in the “Minute Maid Sensational Romance Writer” contest\, judged by Nora Roberts\, and others. Her writing has repeatedly earned 4½ Star Top Pick reviews from Romantic Times magazine\, as well as praise from Booklist and other reviewers\, who note: “simply superb”…”wonderfully uplifting”….and “beautifully written.” Her Regency romance\, Lady Chance\, and her Regency romance novella\, Davinia’s Duke\, were each awarded the Indie BRAG Gold Medallion. Davinia’s Duke also won the Bookseller’s Best award for best novella\, judged by readers and booksellers. \nIn addition to her Regency romances\, she is the author of the Mackenzie Solomon\, Demon/Warders Urban Fantasy series\, Burn Baby Burn and Riding in on a Burning Tire\, and the SF/Paranormal\, Edge Walkers. Her work has been on the top seller list of Amazon.com and includes the Historical romances\, The Cardros Ruby and Paths of Desire. \nShe lives in New Mexico where she is a licensed EMT-I and a volunteer Firefighter in what is one of the few “frontier” areas left in the US (yes\, New Mexico is a state)\, with room for horses\, dogs\, chickens and sustainable building. Shannon can be found online at shannondonnelly.com. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/blurb-and-synopsis-writing/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/www.learntyping.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230904 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230930 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230524T184255Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T225854Z UID:10000037-1693785600-1696031999@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Time\, Place & Beyond - Bring your Setting to Life DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nIn Time\, Place and Beyond: Bring Your Setting To Life\, will examine various methods for plunging your reader into your setting and making it real. \nWe will cover: \n\nThe Basics—Time\, place and mood.\nWorld Buildings—Researching your setting.\nMake Your Setting a Character—Give your setting a unique personality.\nStoryboarding—It’s not just for plotting anymore!\nThose Who Forget the Past—The history of your setting.\nGeography 101—You setting’s geography.\nMoody Blues—Creating your setting’s mood.\nIt’s Tradition!—How tradition and folklore can reveal your setting.\n\nIncluded in the workshop is a workbook with assignments\, worksheets\, and more. \nInstructor Bio: \nI believe I was destined to be interested in history. One of my distant ancestors\, Thomas Aubert\, reportedly sailed up the St. Lawrence River to discover Canada some 26 years before Jacques Cartier’s 1534 voyage. Another relative was a 17thCentury “King’s Girl\,” one of a group of young unmarried girls sent to New France (now the province of  Quebec) as brides for the habitants (settlers) there. \n  \nMy passion for reading made me long to write books like the ones I enjoyed\, and I tried penning sequels to my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries. Later\, fancying myself a female version of Andrew Lloyd Weber\, I drafted a musical set in Paris during WWII. \n  \nA former journalist and lifelong Celtophile\, I enjoyed a previous career as a reporter/editor for a small chain of community newspapers before returning to my first love\, romantic fiction. My stories usually include an Irish setting\, hero or heroine\, and sometimes all three. \n  \nI’m the author of The Claddagh Series\, historical romances set in Ireland and beyond\, and The Wild Geese Series\, in which five Irish heroes return from the American Civil War to find love and adventure. \nI’m a member of the Romance Writers of America\, Hearts Through History Romance Writers\, and the Quebec Writers Federation. A lifelong resident of Montreal\, Canada\, I still live there with my own Celtic hero. I have two adult children. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/time-place-beyond-bring-your-setting-to-life/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/s-l500.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230904 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230930 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230524T182328Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T230000Z UID:10000053-1693785600-1696031999@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Writing the Historical Mystery DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nIn WRITING THE HISTORICAL MYSTERY\, we’ll follow British policing from the Charleys (who replaced the Watch during the Restoration) to the Bow Street Runners\, to Peel’s innovations and expansion of the police\, which later introduced Special Branch and the detectives as separate departments. However\, as the Sûreté came into being during Napoleon’s era and created a network of former criminals now working undercover for Eugene Vidocq\, and the study of physiology expanded\, more and more ways to track miscreants and prove their guilt evolved quickly. By the close of the 19th century fingerprints and mug shots had been incorporated. We won’t just consider things from just the 1660s to the turn of the 19th into the 20th century though for our time machine will also consider what sleuths in earlier time periods might do for crime-solving techniques. \nInstructor Bio: \nBeth Daniels has been a workshop presenter in the virtual world nearly since they were invented! She writes mystery in more than one genre niche and under more than a single name and bounces from historical time periods to the contemporary one as though she was using a pogo stick. Currently\, a lot of her time is taken up hanging out with Bram Farrell\, the PI magic tosser in her Raven Tales comedic urban fantasy series\, written as J.B. Dane. She isn’t new to writing mysteries. Her first romantic suspense got the official thumbs up from Mystery Writers of America as qualifying as a mystery back in 1990. Since then\, she’s penned numerous novels\, novellas\, and short stories. In 2022\, her 37rd novel was released by The Wild Rose Press\, a romantic suspense\, and there is a new historical romantic mystery on the drawing board currently. Visit her at www.4TaleTellers.com. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/writing-the-historical-mystery/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/iStock_14825929_LARGE-magnifying-glass-Medium-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230904 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230930 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230524T181240Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231105T230027Z UID:10000052-1693785600-1696031999@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Rejection Guaranteed DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nDoes your story keep getting rejected but you’ve no idea why? You’d be surprised how many aspiring authors make similar mistakes. Ones that stand out to an editor and shout\, beginning writer here. After you take this four-week workshop\, that won’t be you. We’ll go through these deadly sins and focus on ways you can easily fix them. \nInstructor Bio: \nSusan writes under her own name and her pen name\, Vanessa Devereaux. She’s the author of 80 plus books\, including writing how-tos\, mysteries\, and romances\, and a bestselling author of erotic romances and erotica. She pens three ongoing series called Perfect Pairing\, Big Sky County\, and the bestselling Kalispell Shifters. \nShe’s been teaching workshops for the last five years and is also a tutor for Writing Magazine Writing Courses. \nYou can visit her website at www.thiswriterslife.com. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/rejection-guaranteed/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Deal-with-Rejection.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230904 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230916 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230524T175353Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240512T165433Z UID:10000043-1693785600-1694822399@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Character Building Part of 2 - Core Wounds 2-Week\, Sept 4th - Sept 15th DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nCore Wounds: Core Wounds sit in the heart of every person – both real and fictional. An understanding of these deep-seated\, harmful “truths” we believe can lead to the creation of three-dimensional characters and emotionally impactful narratives readers will never forget. \nJoin us next month\, Part 3 in September for\, Using Emotional Conflicts for Plot \nInstructor Bio: \nTere Michaels writes happily ever afters in the big city – with heaps of snark\, angst and humor. Her focus is on characters and all the ridiculous ways they trip through life and love. She has written fifteen books including her popular Faith\, Love & Devotion series\, and the superhero saga\, The Vigilante. \nShe has been presenting workshops on the writing process for over ten years. Send her a message through her website (www.teremichaels.com) or connect with her on Facebook and Instagram. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/character-building-part-of-2-core-wounds-2-week-sept-4th-sept-15th/2023-09-04/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/New-Project-2022-11-17T150923.484.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230724 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230729 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230308T024413Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T021903Z UID:10000040-1690156800-1690588799@oiwi.org SUMMARY:1-Week Intensive Writing a Multi Author Connected Series DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nConnected series with shared locations and characters are hot! And multi-author connected series offer advantages over single-author series\, including increased promotion and the possibility of more frequent releases. But how do you put a multi-author connected series together? Join USA Today/Amazon bestselling author Melinda Curtis for the nuts and bolts of creating\, promoting\, and managing a multi-author connected series. Melinda has been in several such series\, both indie and hybrid\, both short and long-running. \nInstructor Bio: \nMelinda Curtis is the USA Today bestselling author of light‐hearted contemporary romance. In addition to her Sunshine Valley series from Forever\, she’s published independently and with Harlequin Heartwarming\, including her book Dandelion Wishes\, which was made into a TV movie – Love in Harmony Valley\, starring Amber Marshall. She lives in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley with her husband – her basketball-playing college sweetheart. While raising three kids\, the couple did the soccer thing\, the karate thing\, the dance thing\, the Little League thing and\, of course\, the basketball thing. Now when Melinda isn’t writing and Mr. Curtis isn’t watching college basketball\, they do the DIY thing. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/1-week-intensive-writing-a-multi-author-connected-series/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OIP-3.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230710 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230729 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230306T030807Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T022053Z UID:10000027-1688947200-1690588799@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Show Don't Tell - The Writer's Golden Rule DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nShow Don’t Tell: The Writer’s Golden Rule looks at different techniques of putting your readers into your story\, and how to use them. \nWe will cover: \n\nShow vs. Tell?—Examines the difference between telling a story and showing it.\nThe Five Senses—How to use the senses effectively.\nAction!—Using strong\, active verbs past.\nActions Speak Louder Than Words—Using Body Language.\nI Second That Emotion—Action\, reaction\, and inner thought.\nThe Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue—The unique voice and speech tags.\nThe Devil’s in the Details—Using details while avoiding detail overload.\nWhere in the World?—Using setting to show your story.\n\nIncluded in the workshop is a workbook with assignments\, checklists\, worksheets\, and more. \nInstructor Bio: \nI believe I was destined to be interested in history. One of my distant ancestors\, Thomas Aubert\, reportedly sailed up the St. Lawrence River to discover Canada some 26 years before Jacques Cartier’s 1534 voyage. Another relative was a 17th century “King’s Girl\,” one of a group of young unmarried girls sent to New France (now the province of  Quebec) as brides for the habitants (settlers) there. \nMy passion for reading made me long to write books like the ones I enjoyed\, and I tried penning sequels to my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries. Later\, fancying myself a female version of Andrew Lloyd Webber\, I drafted a musical set in Paris during WWII. \n  \nA former journalist and lifelong Celtophile\, I enjoyed a previous career as a reporter/editor for a small chain of community newspapers before returning to my first love\, romantic fiction. My stories usually include an Irish setting\, a hero or heroine\, and sometimes all three. \n  \nI’m the author of The Claddagh Series\, historical romances set in Ireland and beyond\, and The Wild Geese Series\, in which five Irish heroes return from the American Civil War to find love and adventure. \n  \nI’m a member of the Romance Writers of America\, Hearts Through History Romance Writers\, and the Quebec Writers Federation. A lifelong resident of Montreal\, Canada\, I still live there with my own Celtic hero. I have two adult children. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/show-dont-tell-the-writers-golden-rule/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/10a-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230710 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230723 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230424T020001Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230816T021940Z UID:10000033-1688947200-1690070399@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Unblocking Writer's Block & Creativity - 2-Week Intensive DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nThere are as many theories about writer’s block as there are theorists\, and for those reasons\, this workshop will NOT focus on the Why. No self-analysis here\, however\, we will dig into your writing and look for areas your block occurred. \nSpend two weeks rediscovering your love for writing\, figure out where you got stuck\, and do some fun exercises to get you unstuck. \nIn this workshop\, you’ll discover how to create strong characters\, try your hand at plotting made easy (you’ll only have a few minutes)\, learn about theme and how it translates into fiction\, get to know your setting intimately\, and we’ll examine everything else in between. Sounds Fun? \n \n  \nInstructor Bio: \nDebbi grew up in the Big Apple and currently lives in a suburb less than twenty miles away. As a former corporate trainer\, she loves to see others when they have an ‘Aha’ moment during their journey of becoming better writers. She began her writing journey in 2012 when she signed up for a local writer’s group in her town’s library and she hasn’t looked back since. Yes\, some might call it love at first read.❤️ \nShe has two simple rules she lives by: \n1 – Treat people the way you want to be treated. \n2 – Never stop learning because the day you do\, turn off the lights and exit the building. \nOkay\, so maybe she has three rules.? \n3 – Everything in moderation – Too much of a good thing is just as bad as too much of a bad thing. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/2-week-intensive-unblocking-your-writers-block/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Depositphotos_5592506_l-2015-1024x682-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230625 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230626 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230306T002407Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230625T200922Z UID:10000030-1687651200-1687737599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Master Class - Elements Of Writing Contemporary Romance With Award Winning Author Nancy Herkness DESCRIPTION:Master Class Description: June 25th\, 2023 – 10:00 am-1:00 pm EST \nContemporary romance is the largest\, most popular subgenre of romance…and also the most competitive. Join bestselling author Nancy Herkness as she discusses the ins and outs of the subgenre from both a craft and business perspective\, as well as techniques to make your contemporary romance stand out in the crowded category. Nancy will cover: \n\nSubgenres within contemporary romance;\nPacing;\nSetting;\nBook covers;\nWriting series;\nSuggested dos and don’ts;\nNewsletters and websites;\nSocial media;\nKindle Unlimited;\nContests;\nand much more.\n\nInstructor Bio: \nNancy Herkness is the multi-award-winning\, bestselling author of 18 romance novels and novellas. She has sold over 1 million books\, and several of her novels have hit the top 5 in all Kindle sales. Her work has been translated into French\, Italian\, Dutch\, Romanian\, and Korean. Her latest release is Royal Caleva: Gabriel. \nNancy is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award. She has received more than twenty-five awards for her work\, including the Book Buyers Best Top Pick and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. \nNancy graduated from Princeton University with honors in English literature and creative writing. A native of West Virginia\, she now lives twelve miles west of the Lincoln Tunnel in suburban New Jersey with two tabby cats. \nFor more information about Nancy and her books\, visit www.NancyHerkness.com. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/master-class-elements-of-writing-contemporary-romance-with-usa-today-best-selling-author-nancy-herkness/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Nancy-Harkness-CAL-Royal-Cavela-Gabriel-high-rez.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230605 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230701 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230308T031442Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230625T200854Z UID:10000032-1685923200-1688169599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Plotting From Character DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nHave no idea what to do with your characters? Do you have a story but no idea how to structure the plot? This workshop covers some ideas on how to create the story from the inside out. \nThe workshop includes exercises to develop plots that come from within the characters rather than being forced onto characters. \nWhat we’ll cover: \n1) Starting at the deepest point: for every character\, find that person’s core need. \n2) Keeping the Focus of the story: the main character’s specific growth. \n3) Goals and Motivations: going beyond cliché with your characters. \n4) How to use secrets: those revealed and those that stays hidden. \n5) Setting up conflict\, inside and out\, with your characters’ history: using those goals and motivations. \n6) Leaving room for characters to surprise you: using theme to help boost subsconscious plotting. \n7) Using layers for plot twists: create conflict\, add more conflict\, deeper conflict. \n8) Playing the “what if” game whenever you get stuck. \nInstructor Bio: \nShannon Donnelly’s writing has won numerous awards\, including the Indie BRAG Gold Medallion\, a nomination for Romance Writer’s of America’s RITA award\, the Grand Prize in the “Minute Maid Sensational Romance Writer” contest\, judged by Nora Roberts\, and others. Her writing has repeatedly earned 4½ Star Top Pick reviews from Romantic Times magazine\, as well as praise from Booklist and other reviewers\, who note: “simply superb”…”wonderfully uplifting”….and “beautifully written.” Her Regency romance and her Regency romance novella were awarded the Indie BRAG Gold Medallion. She also won the Bookseller’s Best award for best novella\, judged by readers and booksellers. \nIn addition to her Regency romances\, she is the author SF/Paranormal. Her work has been on the top seller list of Amazon.com and includes the Historical romances. \nShe lives in New Mexico where she is a licensed EMT-I a volunteer Firefighter in what is one of the few “frontier” areas left in the US (yes\, New Mexico is a state)\, with room for horses\, dogs\, chickens and sustainable building. Shannon can be found online at shannondonnelly.com. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/plotting-from-character/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/dee9noo-42004ded-6fa7-4a64-be31-a42814a46385.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230605 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230701 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230306T024113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230625T200841Z UID:10000026-1685923200-1688169599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Self-Editing or Mary's Handy Dandy list of 4 Common Errors and How to Correct Them DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nSpend 4 weeks working on common grammar and punctuation issues most authors make. This workshop includes lovely misplaced modifiers\, ambiguous pronouns\, common punctuation errors\, and subject-verb agreement.  \nInstructor Bio: \nMary Marvella has been a storyteller for as long as she can remember. The arrival of the book mobile was as exciting as hearing the music of the ice cream truck. As a child of the South\, she inherited the storytelling gene from her parents and her grandmamas. \nRetired from teaching classic works of the masters\, Mary plays let’s pretend with her characters. She has published 10 novels\, 1 book on editing\, and a collection of Christmas stories. \nMary tutors\, and coaches writers when she isn’t working on projects as a freelance editor.  She has always been a grammar geek who loved soaking up new knowledge and reading everything\, including labels on cereal boxes. \nGeorgia raised\, she writes stories with a Southern flair. \nMary has taught workshops for Georgia Romance Writers\, Northeast Metro Atlanta Christian Writers\, Savvy Authors\, Hearts through History (RWA) and FF&P (RWA) and The Southern Pen Indie Conference. Mary loves teaching so much she published a book called Weeding of your Manuscript: What Editors Wish You Knew URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/self-editing-or-marys-handy-dandy-list-of-4-common-errors-and-how-to-correct-them/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Editing-a-Business-Document1-768x505-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230605 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230701 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230305T214043Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230625T200833Z UID:10000029-1685923200-1688169599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Highland Clans From Medieval Times through the Clearances DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nWe often assume the Highland clans of Scotland have always been. In reality\, they evolved. This workshop explores the clan origins in general\, clan structure\, Gaelic names\, Highland life\, women\, the Lords of the Isles\, clan histories\, clothing\, feuds\, and the Clearances. She enhances the workshop with handouts and activities to assist participants in melding realism and fiction in their stories. At the end of the workshop\, Cindy offers to provide a free chapter edit. \nInstructor Bio: \nA retired librarian\, Cindy Vallar is a historical novelist and freelance editor specializing in historical fiction. For fourteen years\, she penned an editing column called “The Red Pencil” for Historical Novels Review. She is also the Editor of Pirates and Privateers. She belongs to the Historical Novel Society and\, in 2005\, received the first Friend of Clan Cameron Award at the Clan Cameron North American Rally. She is also a member of Historical Writers of America and the National Association of Writers and Editors. She invites you to visit her award-winning web site\, Thistles & Pirates (http://www.cindyvallar.com/)\, to learn more URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/highland-clans-from-medieval-times-through-the-clearances/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/OIP-2.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230605 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230701 DTSTAMP:20260514T074931 CREATED:20230305T211517Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230625T200822Z UID:10000028-1685923200-1688169599@oiwi.org SUMMARY:Mount Up! Wagons Roll! DESCRIPTION:Workshop Description: \nThere was a time\, not all that long ago\, that tales of the historical American West fell out of favor with publishers\, particularly romance publishers. It could have had something to do with the lack of westerns on both the large and small screen. The 1950s-1960s had westerns ruling at the box office and in the bookstore. It was the era of the Louie L’Amour style of tale. When the bodice ripper era arrived in the late 1960s and thrived in the 1970s and into the 1980s\, western themed romantic adventures were welcomed as much as pirates and guys in kilts. Then they fell out of style – well\, not the guys in kilts – and the inspirational/prairie western romance took their place. Fortunately\, the historic American (and Australian and Canadian) Western adventure is making a comeback. First as Weird West Steampunk\, but also in historical romance. \nIn a single month\, we’ll look at the settings that can be used (and they aren’t all on the prairie)\, the time periods\, the conflicts\, the hardships\, the mining\, the wars\, the outlaws\, the lawmen\, the expansion of the train tracks\, the immigrants (and the emigrants)\, the riverboats\, and more. \nWe’ll work on creating characters and their backgrounds and backstories and the problems we can dump on them to deal with in a story. We might just load a wagon up for the six-month journey from one of Missouri “jumping off” points to California or Oregon. We’ll learn the lingo! \nAs if that isn’t enough\, we’ll also look at the marketplace\, find the places that are open to tales of the historic West whether it’s in the romance niche\, the Weird West one\, or the traditional western. We’ll also talk length of tale and whether series are the way to go\, or standalone tales also suit what editors are looking for in today’s market. \nSo\, pack your carpet bag\, board the stagecoach\, climb aboard the Conestoga or mount your trusty steed. We’re headed back in time\, and we’re headed West! \nInstructor Bio: \nBeth Daniels never intended to write stories with either shapeshifters or magic users. She was writing romantic suspense\, romantic comedy\, and historical romance as Beth Henderson and doing very well at it as the 20th century closed down. But in the 21st century\, the market took some real twists. The first time she picked up an urban fantasy story to read it was supposed to be as a palate cleanser. Instead\, it turned into a new market for her as J.B. Dane where she spins The Raven Tales. When looking for someplace interested in Old West stories when that historical market fell from favor\, she became Nied Darnell to write Steampunk and then Dieselpunk and Gaslamp Fantasy. In the closing months of 2021\, she mixed romance and cozy mystery with a downsized paranormal element under her Beth Henderson pseudonym for a short series\, Whichur-Wolfe Detection. If nothing else\, she can definitely say she is currently in love with paranormal characters—particularly those that are born from her pen. Visit her at www.4TaleTellers.com under all her names. URL:https://oiwi.org/workshop/mount-up-wagons-roll/ CATEGORIES:Past Workshops ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://oiwi.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/abandoned-wild-west-town-wyoming.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Director of Education & Campus Services":MAILTO:karenmcatlinoiwi@gmail.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR