Plot Your Reliable Story Compass is for fiction authors who want to find the true purpose of their story and write a compelling novel every time, so they can avoid getting lost in a plot-hole wilderness.

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve written a manuscript that needs fixing, have started and abandoned dozens of stories, or are planning the next book; by the end of this course, you will have a solid roadmap to keep your plot focused on its true north.

Now is the time to save your manuscript from the slush pile (or your recycle bin) and realize the book you dreamed of.

The Write Backstory With Confidence workshop is for fiction writers who want to avoid information dumps and use backstory to provide character motivation that resonates with readers.

Backstory is the foundation of engaging characters and believable plots. When it’s well integrated and authentic, it drives the main story without killing pace. Learn how to banish boring backstory while maintaining pace and tension, with proven techniques that will enhance your overall storytelling proficiency.

You’ll have seamless backstory in no time!

This power-packed class provides writers with hands-on tools for making character descriptions fresh and deep and powerful.

What if you could have a website that would meet your needs whether you're a beginner or a NYT best selling author?

Welcome to the Crazy Easy Awesome Author Websites taught by Lisa Norman (Heart Ally Books, LLC and Deleyna's Dynamic Designs -- also Margie Lawson's web designer).

We'll cover each part of a website. I'll help you choose a hosting company, get a domain name, set up the space, and build a website using the most popular platform for writers: WordPress. We'll cover how to create your email sign-up forms and even integrate the site with your social media platforms.

10 People. 20 Pages. Deep Developmental Edits. Editing your manuscript to get it ready for an agent or editor requires more than just crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. That’s where a developmental editor comes in. Developmental editing is the first stage in preparing your manuscript for professional eyes. It helps you to build complex characters, checks that your pacing is not boring the reader, and makes sure you’ve plugged all those pesky plot holes. In Dazzling Developmental edits, you will work one-on-one with a professional editor who will help you learn the difference between a developmental edit and a copy edit, how to accept criticism when it stings, and learn what to expect from your very first developmental edit. During our time together we will developmental edit the first two chapters of your work in progress.

Want to add a psychological punch to your writing and editing?

Want to learn how to capture the full range of body language on the page?

Want to turn your work into a page-turner by powering up emotion and hooking the reader viscerally?

So, you have an idea for a comedy screenplay? Are you in the middle of one? Have you completed several? Make ‘em Laugh is a class for both experienced and beginning writers. If you’d like to learn about nuances of feature-length comedy films and apply them to your own funny ideas, then you’ve found the right place. We’d love to have you join us.

Mind-mapping, although it's perfect for writing, also can be used for anything you need to keep straight in your head, from characters to a series of books to a plan for marketing and promoting. It's an amazing tool that frees us from the unyielding structure of Roman numerals and lets our imagination soar!

This is a class that will help beginners to organize their thoughts but Master Writers will be able to create believable story structures for a single book or a multi-book series.

Writing good historical fiction means navigating the tightrope between historical fact and your fictional story. And there are so many places where it is easy to step off that tightrope and into the abyss of mediocre historical fiction. In this class, we will consider and practice several elements of historical fiction as well as learn by example from authors who have navigated the balance in their work.

Do you want a structured overview of the writing craft(s)? Are you interested in learning the psychology of storytelling? What about getting a storytelling edge by learning the secrets of reader engagement? In this Master Course, learn the eight writing crafts (the map): Big Idea, Genre, Narrative, Story Outline, Characterization, World Building, Scene & Chapter Structure, and Prose.

Margie Lawson's Immersion Master Classes will help you transform your manuscript into a page-turner!

Four half-days: May 22 – 25, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time

In this four week class an abundance of learning opportunities will promote discussion and give you plenty of opportunity to learn from each other. Submitting work will allow you to put the theory to work and benefit from classmates’ feedback. And as a multi-Margie grad with a masters in writing from Vermont College, I’ll also be digging deep to help you pull out your best work.

Today it seems like conspiracies and conspiracy theories are everywhere. Do you want to add shadowy organizations and secret plots to your writing? Why not look at real conspiracies from history to feed your own dark designs?

Come join historian Hugh Gordon as he shows which conspiracies can be proven, and others that remain in the shadows. You will learn about government plots and other beliefs that stretch the imagination. Learn how to make your reader uncover a truth that can fit with any conspiracy in history.

DEEP EDITING is for the writer who wants to psychologically impact the subconscious of the reader. For the writer who wants to learn fresh editing techniques. For the writer who wants to edit for hook-the-reader power.

Writers have to keep track of so much information! Overflowing inboxes, lost maps, and what color were my hero's eyes anyway?

Enter the modern age with digital tools to help organize everything from scraps of paper, future story ideas, world-building details, or the best reviews you've ever received!

Are you an author of a book that you'd like to turn into a movie?

Do you have an idea for the next big movie, but you don't know where to start?

If you're interested in learning the art of how to write a screenplay, you're in the right place.

Wally and Betty will teach YOU what they wish someone had taught them before they ever sat down to write their first screenplays!