Creating Bestsellers: Concept to Sales
What you'll learn
- At the end of my course, you will have a clear idea with examples of the arc of a successful writer’s career--all by way of building your own. You will be able to plan your writing time in a realistic, rewarding way. You will develop good habits that can precede your writing session. You will take away guidelines in choosing your subject matter and insights into how one successful work can lead to the next one. Discover the appropriate narrative voice for each of your projects, as a good portion of your animated workshop of several hours and 12 lectures and examples and readings is devoted to exactly that: finding your narrative voice. You will discover what KIND of a writer you wish to be: what literary terrain you wish to occupy. Develop your brand—here! Practice the tried and proven literary devices that master writers have used, such as Time Sequence, Action, Image, Dialogue, Character. If you ever experience writer’s block, you learn a proven method of breaking through. You will know exercises that hone your skills and that you can practice at any time. Your manuscript lacks that 10-20% of refinements that will make it publishable? Here you will learn about the revision process: what material to cut and enrich that enables you to reach that 100% plateau. You will have a step-by-step guide to publishing your work: E edition and trade paperback. Information about the commercial publishing world and what goes into a successful query letter to editors, literary agents and publishers. “From decades of experience in the publishing and writing world, I have come to know how scary writing can be and so I designed this workshop for writers of all levels that supports you, soothes any fears you might have, provides the nuts and bolts of the Publishing and Writing and Writers’ World, and finally--for me most important--to contribute in real ways to a happy, successful writing life.” Anthony Valerio
Requirements
- Love of the world of writers and writing.
Description
Learn the basic concepts and methods that you will need to become the writer you wish to be. Acquire the knowledge of the proper writing tools to use, good habits to precede your writing session, how to find the appropriate Narrative Voice for each of your projects, tips on how to organize your writing day or night, a proven method to break through Writer's Block, ways to find your subject matter and how to go from one work to the next. Through all of this useful, often amusing, information, you will be guided by a seasoned, caring professional author and editor. “I am determined to share all that I have learned in the publishing and writing worlds, all for the purpose of serving your needs, whether it be to improve, hone, and sustain your writing skills; or to provide you with step-by-step processes of publishing your work; or to satisfy your curiosity of what a professional writer's life is like. I have designed this course to allay any of your trepidations about the world and practice of writers and writing and to provide you with the day-to-day workable means of becoming the best writer you can possible be.
- Become a happy and successful writer through the lessons, techniques, and professional guidance provided in this course.
- Discover the kind of writer you wish to be. Find your Brand.
- Learn proven methods that cultivate your creative self.
- Find out how to publish E books and/or trade paperbacks. The content of an effective cover letter. Resources on finding agents, editors and publishers. Learn, practice and master the three distinct stages for writing a successful work either of fiction or nonfiction.
- Learn the literary devices that master writers have used to achieve their great effects.
A Rounded, Realistic View of the Writer's Life & Work
This workshop's environment is friendly, supportive and compassionate as it is based on decades of professional experience in the publishing and writers' worlds. We learn from well-known writers such as Shel Silverstein and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr--with whom Mr. Valerio has worked--many of the lessons and techniques offered by this course.
Writers of all levels--mainly practitioners of fiction & nonfiction--can utilize this workshop to learn the processes of writing, revising and publishing; to practice the exercises provided; to refresh their writing skills; and also to have at will an inspiring approach to the life of a writer and his/her connection to the wonderful craft of writing.
In this course, together, we will fix--
- instances of Writer's Block
- a poorly written submission letter
- anxiety over not having enough time to write
- an unstructured writing life
- “What do I cut?"
- “I cannot find my narrative voice."
Content and Overview
Suitable for beginning, intermediate and advanced writers, this animated multi-hour workshop will usher you into the workplace and life of a professional writer and editor. You will come to know what it's really like to be a writer, how a writing career is built one writing credit to the next—all for the purpose of finding the kind of writer you wish to be. This is your workshop.
Supporting by animation, you will receive step-by-step guidance on how to publish your work, both the self-publishing process and agencies and more commercial publishing. You will become professional in regards to writing an effective cover letter to literary agents, editors, and publishers. You will know which reference books to use in order to achieve your publishing goals.
Culled from decades of writing study and practice, your instructor will show you through multiple lectures, examples and readings the literary devices master writers use to achieve their magical effects. You can listen along with your instructor as he reads a Short-Short in its entirety and then work along with him in breaking down the masterpiece into its components such as Time Sequence, Action, Dialogue, Image, Narrative Voice. You will begin to read and work in a professional way.
By completing this course, you will have a greater knowledge of who you are as a writer and be inspired to practice the great art in a realistic way. In addition, you will receive a verifiable certificate of completion upon completing this course.
What am I going to get from this course?
At the end of this course, “I hope…" you will be inspired to write, and to have acquired the knowledge on how to prepare, structure and execute your work on hand. Take away with you that you can always return to your course for the knowledge that enables you to carry through, complete and, if you wish, publish your work. You will possess guidelines on choosing not only your subject matter and/or what your next project can be but also the kind of writer you want to be--the “literary terrain" you wish to occupy. Your uniqueness, if you will. Your Brand. You will have discovered the appropriate narrative voice foe each of your projects, as a good portion of your animated workshop of several hours and 12 lectures and examples and readings is devoted to exactly that: finding your narrative voice. You will know and utilize the three stages of effective composition. You will have mastered those literary devices great writers have used over the centuries—these devices will provide you with sufficient options, or tolls, to write your piece. You will know the reference points to gauge when your work is ready to send out to an editor, agent or publisher.
“I designed this writing course to be accessible to beginning writers as well as to intermediate and experienced writers. I designed it so that it can remain a companion to you in your writing life, whenever and wherever you sit down to write. It is designed in a way to make your writing a happy, healthy, productive experience. Happy Writing!"--Anthony Valerio
Who this course is for:
- New, intermediate, and advanced book writers and journalists. Book and magazine editors. Those curious about what a real professional amusing writer and instructor is really like. Those writers who have ever been frightened by the empty page. Writers who are stuck and want to break through. Writers in need of structure: the three detailed stages of a long work. Writers in need of a refresher course on the devices master writers use to achieve their effects. Writers intent on improving a work; the revision process; when and what do we cut. Writers who desire to publish as well as those out to enjoy. Writers in search of a brand.
Instructor
- 4.5 Instructor Rating
- 13 Reviews
- 94 Students
- 1 Course
“I would like to welcome you personally. It is a great honor and privilege to be here with you today."—Anthony Valerio.
Anthony Valerio is an internationally known author, professional book and magazine editor and university professor.
“I have often said that it is important for a student of writing entering a writing class or workshop to discover, even read, the teacher's or guide's publishing credits."
Mr. Valerio is the author of eight books of fiction and non-fiction, audio books and screenplays, including the cult classics The Mediterranean Runs Through Brooklyn, Valentino and the Great Italians; as well as the popular Lefty and Her Gangsters, BART: A Life of A. Bartlett Giamatti, and John Dante's Inferno, a Playboy's Life. His work has been translated into several languages. His stories have appeared in the Paris Review and his work has been anthologized by The Viking Press, William Morrow and Random House.
“For my work to appear in school readers and taught in universities has been a great honor."
He has taught creative writing at New York University, The City University of New York and Wesleyan University. He lectures around the United States and Europe. He is an elected member of PEN and of The Authors Guild.
This class--Your Writing Workshop--speaks to writers of all levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. It is designed to be congenial and useful to all writers. Also to those who are curious about what a writer's life is like. Mr. Valerio's class was filmed in his writing studio—“where I work and dream each and every day."
“My one overriding care is that you will find in this animated, two-hour-plus class all that which you are searching for both your writing life and any questions and curiosity about the writer's life. I am extremely confident you will be satisfied on both counts. More than four decades of experience have shown me that the act of writing can be frightening. For this reason I have created a class that is supportive, informative and, hopefully, inspirational."
—Anthony Valerio