SEMINAR #1

NO MORE REJECTIONS

An Insider's Guide to Regaining Power Over the Fate of Your Manuscript

SEMINAR AGENDA:

A.M. SESSION:    PEOPLING YOUR PLOT FOR THE STORYTELLING PASSAGE:  How to Create Characters with Agent-Editor Appeal

Publishing professionals -- literary agents and book editors -- search for fictional characters, especially protagonists, who will attract and satisfy a wide readership and, therefore, strong book sales.  There are basic principles involved in creating such characters.  These publishing professionals may not be able to articulate those basics for you.  Alice Orr can and does in this lecture plus hands-on experience exercises.

8 to 9a.m. -- Registration

9 to 10:15 a.m. -- WHO'S DRIVING THIS STORY?

How to designate you driver protagonist.  How to charge the motivation battery.  Tour guide to 21^st century heroines & heroes.  Creating this character from the inside out yourself -- a hands-on experience.

10:15 to 10:30 a.m. -- Break

10:30 to 11:45 a.m. -- WHO'S ALONG FOR THE RIDE?

Giving first attention to the secondary protagonist.  Creating relationships on a collision course.  Real villains cause real road blocks.  Character triage -- who goes & who stays.  More hands-on & participant readings.

11:45 to 12:15 a.m. -- Q&A Session:  Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Creating Characters.

12:15 to 1:15 p.m. -- Lunch

P.M. SESSION:  PLOTTING FOR THE PEOPLE ON YOUR STORYTELLING PASSAGE:

           How to Create A Story with Agent-Editor Appeal

Publishing professionals -- literary agents and book editors -- are also searching for pageturner stories because pageturner stories sell very well.  Yet again, there are basic principles -- involving both content and pacing -- to this kind of storytelling.  Via lecture & more hands-on experience, Alice Orr guides you along the path to your own personal pageturner. 

1:15 to 2:30 p.m. -- ARE YOU OFF TO A STRONG START?

Don't take off till the blood's on the road.  Drive into hot water without drowning.  Put yourself on board.  Does your scene go the distance? -- An Exercise.  Essential Baggage -- Secrets, Lies, etc.  How to keep the trip interesting -- Avoiding scenes we've seen too often.  Take time getting there -- The art of milking a scene.

2:30 to 2:45 p.m. -- Break

2:45 to 4 p.m. -- THE REST OF THE JOURNEY -- EXCITING MIDDLE PASSAGE TO SATISFYING END.

Giving them a bumpy ride and how to make it bumpier -- another hands-on experience.  What's around the next bend? -- factoring in the suspense factor.  Don't go there -- story destinations to avoid.  How to leave them wanting more.  A brief debriefing -- Don't avoid the drafts and Do send out only your very best work.

4 to 4:30 p.m. -- Q & A Session:  Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Writing & Publishing.

4:30 to 5 p.m. and on -- Reception and Networking.  Plus, Alice Orr personally autographs her latest book No More Rejections -- An Insider's Guide:  50 Secrets to Writing A Marketable Manuscript