EVEN BETTER
THAN A WORKSHOP . . .

If you've completed a manuscript and are seeking publication, please consider my editorial services. It's like a one-on-one tutorial relationship where, unlike the classroom, my focus is 100% on you and your manuscript. Learn how to improve your manuscript and make a stronger impression on publishers. For details, CLICK HERE!

EDITORIAL SERVICES OF MICHAEL GARRETT

WRITING

NEW!

FICTION WRITING FOR BEGINNERS

Everyone has a story to tell, some of which could be tomorrow’s best-sellers. Do you have what it takes to sell your manuscripts? All best-selling authors had to start somewhere; a number of them, in fact, never wrote fiction of any kind prior to retirement. Whether you write short stories or novels, or have even yet to begin, this workshop provides the direction you’ll need to pursue publication. Taught by a professional editor who’s worked with such noted authors as Stephen King and Joyce Carol Oates, this workshop teaches the bare basics of writing to sell and presents an opportunity to meet other students who are also just starting out on this exciting endeavor. Bring a two-page double-spaced sample of your work to class and receive an objective, yet tactful, professional evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses as a writer, including suggested areas for improvement.

One Session,Two-to-Three Hours

Most short story and novel submissions are rejected within the first few pages, regardless of how many were submitted. Editors rarely read every word, and rejection slips seldom explain why your manuscript fell 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 evaluates your submission. You’ll be surprised as minor mistakes in your writing, likely the source of manuscript rejection, are constructively pointed out to you. If you prefer not to have your own writing reviewed, you'll benefit by listening to other critiques.

Discussions include:

• How editors evaluate submissions

• The importance of making a strong first impression

• Placement of essential manuscript ingredients

Don’t avoid feedback! You’ll be amazed at the degree by which it will improve your writing.

WORKSHOPS

NEW!

WRITING YOUR OPENING SCENE

Writing a marketable novel requires far more than basic writing skills. Like movies, effective novels must be skillfully directed and be properly focused. New writers are heavily judged by the opening pages of their novels. If a demonstrated understanding of the necessary components of a marketable first novel is not reflected starting with page one, line one, your novel is likely to be rejected.
Here is a hands-on workshop designed to help you get off to a great start. You’ll work on the opening page of your novel, receive feedback from the instructor, learn from the instructor’s feedback to other students, then rewrite for more feedback. With a strong beginning behind you, the rest of your novel will be far easier to write.

             One Session,Two-to-Three Hours

HOW TO BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR

What does it take to become a published author? Like any other profession, becoming a professional 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 keys 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 someone who can buy it, it will never sell. 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!

If you’ve already completed your novel, use what you’ll learn to produce a more marketable rewrite.

One Session, Three Hours

WRITING WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Find a location convenient to you!

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 a novel outline, decide which point of view and structural form are most appropriate and develop a specific marketing plan. 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

You’ll meet other local writers with similar interests, pick up valuable pointers and challenge your imagination as well.

One Session, Three Hours

WRITING WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Find a location convenient to you!