Ready for Write2Ignite 2018? I’ll be leading three workshops at the conference: “Strangers in a Strange Land,” “Fiction Writing” (Teen Track), and “Writing Historical Fiction.” Let me describe them for you!
“Strangers in a Strange Land”
In Exodus 2:22, Moses names his son Gershom because Moses was a stranger in a strange land.
Christian writers, in some ways, are also “strangers”—in the secular publishing world.
How can we, if we’re Christians, honor Christ as writers in a largely non-Christian domain? What’s our calling as Christian writers? What’s our privilege? How do we fit—or fail to fit—in the secular publishing world? There are no easy answers. Nevertheless, in my interactive workshop “Strangers in a Strange Land,” we’ll examine ourselves, this “strange land,” ways to integrate our faith into our writing, and our presence in the secular world.
“Fiction Writing” (Teen Track)
I love teaching teens; they have out-of-this-world ideas for their characters and plots. True, sometimes their lack of inhibition must be tempered by plausibility, but their enthusiasm is contagious and inspirational!
In my Teen Track workshop, “Fiction Writing,” I’ll teach teens the following:
- how to exercise their muscle words (All groans aside, this skill does involve actual exercise!)
- how and why writers should use mentor texts
- how a red pencil is their best friend
- how to jazz up their writing by showing rather than telling
- how details make a difference in crafting genre fiction
“Writing Historical Fiction”
I love historical fiction almost as much as I love teaching teens!
My hands-on workshop “Writing Historical Fiction” will involve the following topics:
- R—Research. Should you read newspapers? Magazines? Books? Should you read fiction or nonfiction? Microfilm? How do you know when your research is done?
- E—Experts. How can you find experts to consult about your story? What should you ask them? How should you use an expert’s story to inform your story?
- A—Arrange. How can you create a system to keep track of notes, interviews, and photos?
- D—Details and drafts. What details do you need to create an authentic story? How do you move from writing rough drafts to homing in on your story?
If you plan to attend this workshop, please bring your favorite historical novel. If you’re working on a project, bring one or two pages of your work.
Looking forward to seeing you at the conference in September!
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Carol Baldwin loves teaching writing and has presented at many educational, library, and writing conferences. She taught in the continuing education department at Central Piedmont Community College, coordinated the Charlotte SCBWI group for over twenty years, and co-publishes Talking Story, a newsletter for educators and media specialists.
Carol’s most recent book is Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4–8 (Maupin House, 2008). Currently, she’s working on her first young adult novel, which is set in North Carolina in 1952.
Find Carol’s book reviews, writing tips, and classes at CarolBaldwinBlog.blogspot.com, and follow her on her Facebook page or Twitter (@CBaldwinAuthor). You can also contact her at cbaldwin6@me.com.
You are going to be one busy lady at Write2Ignite! I will pray you get some sleep. But seriously, the workshops sound terrific and I know it will be educational and invigorating for all who participate.