NOVEMBER ONLINE WORKSHOP

CONFLICT MAKES THE STORY

DATES:  NOVEMBER 1 – 30, 2011

INSTRUCTOR: CHERYL ST.JOHN

REDUCED ENROLLMENT FEE: $20.

(a savings of $10.)

REGISTRATION VIA PAYPAL

REGISTRATION OPEN NOW

Only a little over two months left of 2011! Did you accomplish everything you wanted to over the year? Writing improvement challenges? A new story proposal? A finished project? Here’s an opportunity to sharpen your skills and be prepared for those new goals, which are right around the corner.

CLASS DESCRIPTION:

No matter what writing topic Cheryl addresses, she hangs the most importance on characters. Conflict is drawn from characters. It’s based on their goals, their backstory and their motivation. It is opposing forces that come from within the characters themselves.

Webster’s Dictionary defines conflict as “the opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to the dramatic action in a drama or fiction.” This definition is the essence of fiction, and we need to keep it in mind as we develop characters and plots. If there’s no conflict, there’s no story.

Conflict, of course, can be either light or heavy. In a humorous story, the problem may not be life threatening, but it still must be important to the characters. The characters’ motivations must be equally important to them. In suspense, the conflict is often life-threatening. All well-developed plots stem from creative use of conflict, and conflict is what keeps the reader turning pages.

In order to understand conflict and how to develop it, we must first understand what conflict is, what conflict is not, and what conflict can be. The elements that make up a story are so closely meshed that at times it becomes difficult to dissect and make a firm delineation between them. In a masterfully developed story, characterization, plotting, and conflict are all intricately entwined.

Cheryl will explain opposing goals and how to create conflict that will sustain a story. She’ll give practical advice on:

• Motivating characters
• Creating characters with built-in conflict
• Revealing emotion through conflict
• Internal and external conflict
• Simple and complex conflict

INSTUCTOR BIO:

Among her achievements, which include forty published books in both contemporary and historical genres, Cheryl St.John has received multiple Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and four RITA nominations. In describing her stories of second chances and redemption, readers and reviewers use words like, “emotional punch, hometown feel, core values, believable characters and real life situations.” She has taught writing on local and national levels, and is in demand as a motivational speaker.

FORMAT:

The class will be conducted via subscription to a private yahoogroup, two lessons per week, followed by questions and answers. Brief exercises pertaining to the participant’s current work in progress may be included. Archived class will be available for one week after the ending date.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

"Cheryl has the unique ability to bring things to the forefront that can help any writer, be it someone who's just starting out or a multi-published author. I found her class on how to add conflict to a story extremely beneficial. I urge anyone who wants to learn to write better to take her class."            

                         - Linda Broday, A Texas Christmas, NYT Best Seller

“Cheryl St.John's course on setting rocks! Even after thirty published books, I gained valuable knowledge that I'll definitely use to make future books even better.”

                         - Cindy Kirk, If the Ring Fits, SSE 9/11

“Cheryl St.John's conflict course is a must for all writers - new or experienced. After taking Cheryl's class as an aspiring author, I revised my manuscript to add critical depth to the story—and it sold! Through examples and hands-on exercises, Cheryl demonstrates the techniques of good storytelling.” 

                       - Sherri Shackelford, Winning the Widow's Heart

                         June 2012, Harlequin Love Inspired Historical