Available Workshops
Susan teaches workshops on a variety of topics including writing skills, MS Office, social media, instructional design and small business development. As an instructional designer, she can develop workshops to suit your personal or organizational needs.
Swag the Reader (1 hour)
In this workshop, we’ll define “swag” from an author’s perspective, discuss when and how to use swag as well as the types of swag and where to buy it. We’ll also cover such topics as book vs. author swag, and budget considerations. This is an interactive workshop that includes survey data from readers and authors and tangible examples of swag from a variety of authors.
Little Things I’ve Learned: Tips for Self-Publishing (1 hour)
The publishing world is ever changing and always challenging. It’s a non-stop learning curve, but these tips, picked up along the journey of publishing ten books under two pseudonyms might help you find a less rocky road. From the logistics of creating a book – both ebooks and paperbacks, to the artistic elements, the story itself, and marketing, Susan will share things she’s learned that have helped make publishing each new book a little easier and a lot more successful.
NaNoWriMo: Super Sexy Secrets to Success (1 hour)
Susan has won the National Novel Writing Month challenge every year she has participated, currently three consecutive years. Her first year she achieved 50,000 words in 19 days and the second year, she achieved it in just 12 days. During her 3rd year, she took all 30 days, but she had major surgery half-way through the month, so deserves a little slack. In this workshop, she’ll share her super sexy secrets to writing a first draft in less than 30 days.
Plotting for the Pantser (1 hour)
Even pantsers can benefit from plotting techniques. In this workshop, we’ll explore plotting techniques that can help any pantser steer a novel in the “write” direction: to the END!
Making MS Word Work for You (1 hour / 4 hours)
In this workshop, we’ll look at some of the features in MS Word that can help you create an organized, formatted, and easy to navigate manuscript. We’ll learn how to create and modify a style, use different styles with purpose, navigate using the navigation pane, work with a table of contents, and create a template.
Longer versions of the workshop include hands-on learning and require a computer.
Web for Business: The Basics (2 hours)
In this workshop, you will learn some basic techniques to use the world wide web for business. The course will cover why using the web is beneficial, as well as terminology to provide a foundation for using online tools. An overview of business marketing tools is provided that includes using your own web site, Facebook pages, Twitter, Pinterest, and more. You will also learn a formula for successfully integrating these tools to market your business and discover some essential components to create your own brand.
Web for Business: Facebook (1 hour / 2 hours / 4 hours)
In this workshop, you will learn how to set up and manage a Facebook page so that you can connect with customers and increase visibility to your business. This class will take you through the steps of creating a banner, creating a Facebook page, using the built-in scheduler, the Offer, Event option, and other tools. You will learn key considerations for when and what to post as well as when and how to interact with customers.The hands-on version will lead each participant to create and publish a Facebook page for his/her respective business.
Longer versions of the workshop include hands-on learning and require a computer.
Facebook Bootcamp for Authors (1 hour / 2 hours / 4 hours)
In this workshop, you’ll learn how about using Facebook pages to promote yourself as an author. We’ll discuss the difference between a profile and a page and the pros and cons of each for marketing. Then we’ll focus specifically on the Page, exploring different tools and discussing methods for self-promotion that don’t look like self-promotion. We’ll also discuss how to engage and grow your readership.
Longer versions of the workshop include hands-on learning and require a computer.
Book Trailer Boot Camp (1 hour / 4 hours)
Are you dying to market your book with a video trailer but don’t know how? Well, PowerPoint isn’t just for presentations. In the 2010 version, you can save your file as a video, making this the perfect tool to create book trailers without having to buy and learn new software. In this workshop, we’ll explore the different features in PowerPoint 2010 that are essential in creating a book trailer video. We’ll also discuss key considerations for creating a book trailer including use of media (clip art, photos, music) and how to publish your trailer as a video.
Longer versions of the workshop include hands-on learning and require a computer.
The Scooby-Doo Method for Character Development (2 hours)
Hey gang! What makes your character unique? Is it the way she walks or the clothes she wears? Perhaps it’s the colloquialisms he uses or maybe even the snacks he eats. Taking a lesson from the time-tested characters in Scooby-Doo, we’ll explore ways you can give your characters their own voice. We’ll also explore GMC, plotting, and setting. Bring your own Scooby snacks.
Sensing Your Scenes (1 hour)
Infusing the five senses into every scene to draw your reader in. It’s not enough to just tell a story. As writers, our responsibility is to bring our readers into the story, make them feel what our characters are feeling. The best way of doing this is to infuse the five senses into every scene of your story.
A Story is Born (30 minutes)
In this presentation for children, we’ll share how you use your head, heart, hands, ears, nose, and mouth to write a story.