IE #8: Online Course

On this, the first day of February, I'm starting an online course titled Passion Play: Create Characters So Real, So Passionate, You Can't Put Them Down, and Neither Will Your Readers. The course costs $25 and is being offered through Wine Country Romance Writers, though you don't have to be a romance writer or a member of the organization to take part. I post my first lesson on Tuesday, Feb. 5, so if you'd like to register through WCRW, there's still time.

Though I've taught workshops in a number of venues, this is the first time I'm teaching online. The opportunity arose when one of the women who helped start WCRW, which is a chapter of the Romance Writers of America, said she'd like to offer workshop opportunities for her members. But because WCRW is located in a less populated region of California, she couldn't get many people to attend workshops, which meant workshop facilitators wouldn't earn much for their efforts, which meant she had a hard time finding speakers.

As an alternative, she and her organization now offer a regular schedule of online workshops where instructors post a certain number of lessons on a special yahoogroups web sit over the course of a month and then answer questions by email. In my case, I'll also be offering an online chat session every Wednesday evening.

While there's nothing like the adrenaline rush and subsequent brainstorming that comes from working with people in person, there are a number of benefits of teaching online:

1. People who can't or don't want to travel can learn about writing while developing an online community of other writers.

2. The workshops aren't limited to those within an immediate area, but rather pull members from all over the country and the world, which makes for a very interesting mix of people. That and instructors can potentially earn more per workshop, given a lot more people can take part.

3. The classes are generally much cheaper than in-person workshops and so are affordable for more people.

4. The instructor doesn't incur any time or travel expenses.

So if you have experience related to writing, or that writers can use, such as knowledge of forensics or police procedures, consider teaching an online class through one of the many writing organizations across the country. You can even offer a class through your own web site, though remember that the success of a class is largely due to three factors:

1. the quality, organization and presentation of your material

2. the ability to advertise the workshop

3. your ability to leave attendees feeling they've gotten their money's worth.

If you've offered an online class, feel free to tell us of your experience.

Need help getting started? Here are a few web sites to get you going:

How Do I Teach Online?

Teaching an Online Course

Essential Elements: Prepare, Design, and Teach Your Online Course (book)

CQ #8: Physical Appearance

When we first introduce our characters, we often do so via their physical appearance. That's because we're such a visual species, unless denied that sense in part or whole. I'm all for such description if that's the best way to introduce a character. How do you know if that's the best way? You ask yourself if there's something unusual about the person's appearance and if so, what that says about the person.

For example, if a character has Grave's disease, an autoimmune malady that causes hyper thyroid activity, the person may have protruding eyeballs. That's an unusual feature, one that may give others the feeling the person is always staring in a nosey, creepy, stupid or critical way. Though the character may not be any of those, he or she has to live with the image his/her appearance gives others, which makes the physical attribute a significant part of the person's life and is therefore a unique feature and an interesting part of the story.

So if you have a character who's not regular in size, shape or physical features, do your best to show us who that character is via a visual description. And don't forget this goes for nonfiction characters, as well. The comedian Jimmy Durante, for example, may not have been anywhere near as memorable if not for his tremendous proboscis.

For inspiration, here are some interesting links, the first of which is an article about how we humble humans tend to find those who look like us more attractive than others. Imagine that!

The Effect of Similar Physical Features on Perceived Levels of Attraction

Unusual or Beautiful Eyes, flickr photos

The Nose: A Profile of Sex, Beauty and Survival by Gabrielle Glaser

The Perspective of a Tall Person

Body Shape Concept

BQTP #8: Staying Current

The temptation is there, to remain in our heads where we devise characters, plots, worlds and actions we'll likely never experience otherwise. But important as it is to develop our imaginations via internal thought, the ideas that fuel our writing are often derived from the world around us.

Here's such an example: I asked people in my class what type of music they liked and someone suggested the Thievery Corporation, which I hadn't heard before. I checked out the group in iTunes and the sound was so different from anything in my own extensive music library that my mind veered off in a new direction and new ideas started popping right and left.

So today's question is, do you know what's happening not only immediately around you, but in our world? Do you follow the news in the U.S. and elsewhere? Do you keep up with the debates in your town? Do you know the difficulties in the lives of friends and family and check back to see how they're doing? Do you attend art exhibits and other events you don't normally simply to experience something new that can feed your writing?

For your amusement/edification/other:

Stimulation, via Wikipedia

Second That Thought: Emotional Stimulation and Early Brain Development

Funny Thing About Humor and the Brain

The Museum of Scientifically Accurate Fabric Brain Art

WW #8: Morale

I attended Martha Alderson's Blockbuster Plots workshop yesterday and got more than I bargained for in all aspects. Besides shoring up the holes in my knowledge regarding plot, I was able to brainstorm about all my writing ventures — from current projects to teaching and marketing — while making fantastic connections to other writers.

At my table alone, I met a clinical psychologist, a writing teaching and lecturer with numerous nonfiction books, and a native Californian who's lived on a ranch that's been in her family for generations. All were not only smart and funny, but very helpful in providing answers to my current writing dilemmas. They also agreed to join my network, should I need their future expertise or be able to offer mine.

This introduction over, it's time for the writing exercise, which is to spend five minutes describing your morale regarding writing. Include what, if any, attempts you've made to connect with other writers for help and support while brainstorming about what you could do in the future to further your writing success.

Happy Monday and happy writing!