Workshops

West Branch Library - Chaffee Road - Jacksonville, Florida

West Regional Library, 1425 Chaffee Road, Jacksonville, Fl 32221
When: Sign in begins at 10:00 AM unless otherwise posted.

* OUR MEETINGS *

We LOVE visitors! Unless otherwise stated, our meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month at the West Regional Branch Library in Jacksonville, Florida. The address is 1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, Fl 32221.

Our Membership Dues is only $50 annually which includes all the workshops or you can pay $10 for any individual workshops throughout the year on Zoom. The public is welcome to come to the in-person workshops for Free for 2 learning sessions after which we ask that you pay the annual fee to join. To Pay for a Zoom Session CLICK HERE. Once payment is received you will receive an email with the Zoom link to attend the meeting you have selected.

Typically, we have a business meeting where you’ll learn about what we’re doing, followed by two workshops. When in person, we usually have lunch together at a nearby restaurant afterward. Romance writers know how to combine business and fun!

9:45AM log in to socialize and catch up with your fellow writers
10:00AM meeting called to order
10:40AM Meeting ends if it hasn’t already adjourned
10:40 5-minute break
10:45 First workshop (approx. 50 min)
5-minute break in there somewhere
Second workshop (approx. 50 min)

MEMBERS: If you need the Zoom link to attend, email the chapter president: president@firstcoastromancewriters.com You will be provided with a link. It is helpful if you have a free Zoom account prior to attending any of the ZOOM sessions as they can be viewed on your smartphone, tablet as well as through your laptop/computer. You can log in virtually for social time at 9:45am, and our business meeting will begin promptly at 10:15am.

Meetings Below

Don’t forget to share the upcoming workshops with your friends, family and fellow authors out there. We have a Facebook and a Twitter (X) button below each one that will allow you to share quickly and easily!

APRIL 2024 MEETING IS ZOOM ONLY

Apr132024

Laurie Cooper

At On Zoom ONLY

Laurie Cooper

Connect at www.Pub-Craft.com.

Award-winning speaker, Laurie Cooper, launched her online business, Pub-Craft: Marketing for Books and Brands, in October 2013. She helps fiction authors go from struggling, feeling invisible and not knowing what to do next, to finding and connecting with their ideal readers. In her first year of business, Laurie went from 1 to over 200 clients and helped 100+ authors hit the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Lists. While she works as a marketing coach with authors from around the world, Laurie calls Ottawa, Canada her home. Learn more about Laurie and her course, "The Visible Author Method".

Author Newsletters: The why, how, and “Wow”

The WHY: What is the purpose of an author newsletter?

The HOW: How do you increase your ideal subscribers?

The WOW: How do you connect with your ideal readers through your newsletter?

How to Cross-Promote with Other Fiction Authors

This workshop teaches authors the benefits of cross-promotion as well as how to cross-promote and the online options available. Attendees will be able to make informed options from cross-promotion tools available to them, understand the benefits of cross-promotion, and know where/how to begin connecting with other authors for cross-promotion arrangements.

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May112024

Shirley Jump

At West Library Branch and on Zoom

Shirley Jump

www.WritingCompellingFiction.com

Shirley Jump, author of Writing Compelling Fiction, is an award-winning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Amazon, and USA Today bestselling author who has published more than 80 books in 24 countries. She has spoken all over the world about the power of narrative and how to create compelling books. A former reporter and communications director for a marketing agency, she uses her diverse background to help clients create impactful books that readers can’t down.

She knows the path to publication isn’t all rainbows and unicorns, so to help writers write their best possible book, she offers monthly Manuscript Masterminds through her website above, On her channel, https://YouTube.com/@WritingCompellingFiction, she unlocks the secrets behind compelling novels and delves into the psychological aspect of overcoming creativity-stoppers like doubt and perfectionism. Follow her channel for more writing exercises, classes, and behind-the-scenes writing lessons or join her Manuscript Mastermind to build your tribe of like-minded writers and receive crucial feedback on your pages. If you have a writing question you’d like to see answered, email her at: Shirley@WritingCompellingFiction.com.

POWERFUL DIALOGUE

Want your book to be more powerful? Do you want your characters to do more than just talk on the page? Join multi-published, best-selling author Shirley Jump for an interactive workshop on making your dialogue leap off the page and actually work for your novel, not against it. Learn how dialogue can increase tension in a plot, show your characters (without telling) and ramp up the emotion on every page.

5 Secrets of Compelling Novels

What sets a compelling novel apart from a so-so novel? How do you create a book that grabs the reader and doesn’t let go until the last page? Join New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump, who has published 85 books in 24 countries, for this workshop on the 5 common elements that compelling novels have—and how you can apply those elements to your own book.

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Jun082024

Jenna Grinstead

At On Zoom ONLY

Author Jenna Grinstead

https://www.jennagrinstead.com/

Jenna Grinstead is a whimsical Midwesterner with a penchant for magic and a deep desire for a world where the weird and different are embraced and celebrated. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University where she studied journalism. She found a way to turn her imagination and creativity into a career in marketing, while writing young adult and middle grade fiction. She often conducts workshops and speaks on writing, world-building, social media and marketing. Jenna is a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Central Ohio Fiction Writers. Her young adult romance manuscripts have won several regional writing awards, including

The Maggie, The Stiletto and The Indiana Golden Opportunity.

When she's not plotting her next story you can find her devouring novels and mint chocolate chip ice cream in her house with California Poppies painted across the garage.

She is represented by Analieze Cervantes with Rees Literary Agency.

Writing Across Generations

As writers we know that every character has their own unique set of aspirations, goals and personality. But those exist within a larger context. Every generation has its own set of expectations, shaping experiences, relationship with technology and ways of interacting that are norms among that cohort.

Marketers study these to hone messages to sell products and services. As authors we can use this information to shape realistic conflicts and build authentic multi-generational relationships among our characters.

We’ll cover each of the generations living today—what experiences shaped them, what makes them unique, how their values conflict with other generations. Join an experienced marketer and fiction writer in this interactive journey to improve how you write across generations.

The Power of Facebook Groups

In this interactive workshop we'll discuss the power of Facebook Groups for your writing. We'll discuss what groups are, how to form them, look at examples of authors who are using them to research their books, improve their craft, connect with other authors, connect with fans, and, most importantly, to sell books.

You'll have the opportunity to learn the secrets to how to find groups, interact in existing groups to promote your author brand, create a group, nurture a group and grow a group into a community that aligns with your goals. Whether you're a published author looking for tips on how to sell via Facebook Groups or a newbie seeking to understand how groups can help you in your writing, this workshop is for you!

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