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Previous Workshops

2009 - 2010
	Event	Date	Time
	ORWA Social The event of the season!	June 6	12:30PM
	Plotting and Scene & Sequel with Sherry Lewis Sherry Lewis will give a full morning of Plotting – teaching authors to start from nothing and end up with a fully plotted book. In the afternoon she will cover Scene and Sequel – GMC, conflict and disaster, and how to use scenes to pace your novel. Both workshops are interactive with brainstorming exercises. An award-winning career writer with more than 25 published books to her credit, Sherry Lewis has taught writing classes both on-line and in person for more than a decade. Please note: non-ORWA members wanting to attend will be charged a $25 guest fee.	May 2	10:00AM FULL DAY (Note: There will be a break for lunch, however lunch will not be provided.)
	The Business of Writing with Claire Delacroix Writers write, but we are also in business. Join bestselling author Deborah Cooke (aka Claire Delacroix) for a workshop on how publishing works. Learn how the money works, how to recognize and make the most of opportunity, how to chart your way free of stormy waters, and how to plan for success when you're not in charge of all the variables. Bestselling author Claire Delacroix always loved stories, both telling them and hearing them. She sold her first romance novel -- a medieval, THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE, in 1992 and has been happily writing romances ever since. THE BEAUTY, part of Claire's bestselling Bride Quest series was her first title to land on teh New York Times Extended List of Bestselling Books. Clairemakes her home with her family, a number of incomplete knitting projects and a lot of overgrown houseplants. She loves to travel, to cook, to ride her bike and to read.Claire also writes romance as Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke.	April 11	2:00PM
	A Spotlight on Avon with Amanda Bergeron, Editorial Assistant at Avon-Harper Collins Avon has been publishing award-winning books since 1941. It is recognized for having pioneered the historical romance category and continues to bring the best of commercial literature to the broadest possible audience. Amanda will talk about the romance industry, what Avon's looking for and the editorial process before she opens the session up for questions. Members with completed manuscripts will have the opportunity to pitch to Amanda. If you are interested in this, please contact the workshop coordinator. Pitches will be held between 10:00 am and 11:30 am on the day of the workshop.	March 7	2:00PM
	Valentine's Brunch & Awards Ceremony ORWA celebrates our members with a Brunch and awards ceremony. This year’s theme is The Silver Lining in recognition of our 25^th anniversary.	February 7	NOON
	Kickstart Your Characters by Mary Jane Maffini In this economy the best investment you can make is in your characters. Learn how tomake them deeper, richer, and more fun to be around for you and your readers. After all, that's a lot of words to spend together. Background enrichment, dialogue, and other potent tools will form the basis of this snappy workshop. But prepare to play a bit. Mary Jane Maffini rides herd on three protagonists and mystery series: Charlotte Adams is a professional organizer in upstate New York, while lawyer Camilla MacPhee snoops in Canada's capital, and Fiona Silk must be the most reluctant sleuth in West Quebec. The latest Charlotte Adams mystery is Death Loves a Messy Desk and the long-awaited sixth Camilla MacPhee book, Law & Disorder, hit the shelves in the fall 2009. Closet Confidential is due in July and she is currently working on The Busy Woman’s Guide to Murder. Before turning to crime, Mary Jane had lots of mysterious fun as a librarian and a mystery bookseller. She lives and plots in Ottawa, Ontario with her long-suffering husband and two princessy dachshunds.	Jan. 10	2:00PM
	The Ins and Outs of e-Publishing by Samhain Publishing Editor Laurie Rauch. Samhain Publishing Editor Laurie Rauch will take us through the *Ins and Outs of e-Publishing*. Samhain Publishing is open to all genres of romance and erotica, and it is currently acquiring. Founded in 2005, Samhain publishes both e-books and print, and its books can be found at Borders, Barnes & Noble and Chapters. ORWA members will also have the opportunity to pitch to Laurie. If you are interested in this opportunity, please email Workshop Coordinator Christine Enta as soon as possible so she can put together a pitch schedule.	Dec. 6	2:00PM
	Delivering the Goods: Creating a Believable Happily Ever After by Joanne Rock. Want to provide fiction that has your reader sighing with satisfaction? Want to avoid an ending that seems rushed? Or are you simply having trouble wrapping up all those threads? If so, then Joanne Rock's workshop, Delivering The Goods: Creating a Believeable Happily-Ever-After, will help you write an ending to remember. Three-time RITA nominee, Joanne Rock is the author of over thirty romances in a variety of subgenres, including medieval historicals and steamy contemporaries. A former Golden Heart recipient, Joanne has won numerous awards for her stories. Her work has been reprinted in twenty-four countries and translated into nineteen languages.	Nov. 1	2:00PM
	A Hands-on Guide to Forensic Anthropology by Ed Holland Love the TV show Bones? Can't get enough of the books by Kathy Reichs? Then join us for a hands-on forensic anthropology workshop led by John Holland, Chair of Anthropology at John Abbott College, Montreal, QC--and yes, he's bringing bones!	Oct. 4	2:00PM
	A Perfect Marriage: Plot & Pace by Eve Silver Too fast? Too slow? Too cliche? Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, the end goal is the same: create a plot with depth and drama that flows at a perfect pace. In this interactive workshop, we'll explore techniques for both plotters and pantsers, key points of plotting, methods for adding layers and depth, and cures for an ineffective pace. This workshop will include lecture, discussion, practical exercises, and handouts. Bestselling, award-winning author Eve Silver writes dark contemporary paranormals and historical suspense. As Eve Kenin she writes speculative romance. Her work has garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, won Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards, was listed on Barnes and Noble Booksellers Mass Market Paperback and Nielsen BookScan's Bestsellers lists, and was chosen by Library Journal among its Best Books 2007.	Sept. 13	2:00PM