WELCOME,
MISSISSIPPI WRITERS GUILD!
Pursuing
a life-long dream of writing can be incredibly frustrating. Even
the most talented authors face constant rejection and criticism
until they take the time to learn what separates the successful
but lesser-talented writers from those who are gifted but have
experienced only limited success. Thousands of hopeful writers
strive to be professionally published while few ever realize their
dream. Here, in five compact powerful workshops, you'll learn
many of the secrets to breaking into print. Talent alone isn't
nearly enough; after all, how many poorly written best-selling
novels have you read?
If
you're a fiction writer, you'll learn how and why publishers
often choose to publish weaker manuscripts than your own and what
you can do to improve your chances of attracting positive attention,
whether you've already completed a novel or have just begun..
If
you're considering self-publication, you'll learn what
to expect and whether or not your manuscript is "right"
for self-publication. After all, many of today's new publishers
paint a misleading picture of the results to be expected from
self-publication. You can waste considerable sums of money with
little, if any, benefit if you're not careful.
Relax
and enjoy the company of other local writers who share your dreams.
Space is limited, but for those lucky few who register early,
this could be the difference between eternal rejection and first
publication. Taught by Michael Garrett, Stephen King's first editor
and himself an internationally published author, the Writing For
Publication series will give you a jump-start into the next level
of publication.
TUITION:
$60 MWG members
$65
non-members
DATES
& LOCATIONS:
Clarksdale , MS
Register: (601) 482-4121 or (601) 880-1089
or
mail payment to: P. O. Box 3845, Meridian, MS 39304
or
register
via PayPal here
None
currently scheduled
Meridian Community College
Meridian, MS
Register: (601) 482-7445
None
currently scheduled
William
Carey College
Hattiesburg, MS
None
currently scheduled
Lemuria Books
Jackson, MS
Register: (601) 482-4121 or (601) 880-1089
or
mail payment to: P. O. Box 3845, Meridian, MS 39304
or
register
via PayPal here
None
currently scheduled
THE
TRUTH ABOUT SELF-PUBLICATION
Traditionally,
self-publication, or the “Vanity Press,” has been
frowned upon for all but the most ambitious non-fiction writers.
Today, however, with the advent of print-on-demand publishing,
self-publication has become a low-cost solution for many writers
who wish to target a specific audience and maintain complete control
over their finished books. Self-publication is not for everyone;
however, with as little as a $500 investment, your professional-quality
book can be listed on Amazon.com and be ready to market around
the world in only a few weeks. Learn how to make the most of this
exciting new technology and avoid the many hidden pitfalls of
self-publication before it's too late.
One
Session
Friday
1 :00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
SCREENWRITING
FOR THE MOVIES
Hollywood
has never been more eager to buy cutting-edge motion picture scripts.
Have you ever thought about writing a movie? Screenwriting requires
a decidedly different approach from fiction writing; producers
look for specific qualities to distinguish one screenplay from
another. Here's a workshop designed to help beginners break into
an exciting career as a screenwriter! You'll view and analyze
film clips, as well as learn:
• Proper screenplay format
• Recommended screenplay development software
• Where and how to contact a Hollywood agent
• Effective storyline development procedures
• Creation of desirable roles to attract Hollywood's hottest
stars
• How to communicate with the audience through your script
and set design
One
Session
Friday
6 :00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m
HOW
TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR
What
does it take to become a successfully published author? Like any
other profession, becoming a profess
ional
writer requires a career plan. Where should your initial focus
lie to meet your goal of publication? Success as a writer requires
far more than just sitting at the keyboard. Learn the secrets
to success in today’s competitive publishing industry, including
marketing techniques that move you closer to publication. Your
manuscript could be the greatest of its kind ever written, but
if you don’t know how to get it into the hands of the right
publisher, it may never see print. Taught by a professional editor
and internationally published author, HOW TO BECOME A PUBLISHED
AUTHOR discloses:
• How to keep your submissions out of the editor’s
“slush pile”
• How to overcome "writer's block"
• How to get editors to ask for your submission
• And much, much more!
You’ll meet other local writers with similar interests,
pick up valuable pointers and challenge your imagination as well.
One
Session
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - Noon
CREATING
YOUR NOVEL
Writing a novel
requires an enormous investment of time; however, specific techniques
can make the task far more manageable. CREATING YOUR NOVEL offers
a step-by-step methodology to help 
you
produce a marketable first novel. Under the guidance of a professional
editor and internationally published author, you’ll create
a cast of characters, formulate an outline and decide which point
of view and structural form are most appropriate. Demonstrated techniques
are easily adaptable to your own work, regardless of your category
of interest. You’ll learn:
•
How to create realistic characters
•
What is the universal “formula” for a successful first
novel
•
How to target specific publishers before you even start writing
If you’ve already completed your novel, use what you’ll
learn to produce a more marketable rewrite.
One
Session,
Saturday
1 :00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
SHORT
STORY & NOVEL FEEDBACK
Most
short story and novel submissions are rejected within the first
few pages, regardless of how many pages are submitted. Publishers
rarely read every word of any submission, and rejection slips
seldom explain 
why
manuscripts fall short. Here's an opportunity to sit face-to-face
with a professional fiction editor who’s worked with such
noted authors as Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block
and others as he points out improvements you should make prior
to submission to publishers. Finally, you'll learn the most likely
reasons for your manuscript's rejection, constructively pointed
out to you in a compassionate manner. Bring two copies of the
first five pages of your short story or novel manuscript to class.
If you prefer not to have your own writing reviewed, you'll benefit
by listening to the critiques of other manuscripts.
Don’t fear/avoid feedback! You’ll be amazed at the
degree by which it will improve your writing.
One
Session
Saturday
6 :00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
YOUR
WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR:
Presenting
the secrets and strategies of writing for publication is MICHAEL
GARRETT,
former Editorial Associate of the Writer's Digest School, first
editor of Stephen King and twenty-year veteran of teaching highly
acclaimed writing workshops . 
His
own work has been widely published since 1979, in periodicals
ranging from Twilight Zone magazine to his novel, Keeper,
which sold out its initial printing and was optioned for a movie.
His short story, "At the Count of Three," was also optioned
as the pilot episode of a late night cable television series.
His works have been published in England, Germany, Japan, Italy,
the Netherlands, France, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Spain, Finland
and Russia, as well as in audio book format.
Michael serves as co-editor of the internationally award-winning
Hot Blood anthology series, a popular selection of the
Doubleday, Mystery, Literary Guild, and Science Fiction Book Clubs.
The series has also been optioned for television.
QUESTIONS?
Richelle Putnam
(601) 880-1089
