Saturday Workshops
MSCWC is proud to announce the 2025 lineup of workshops.
Say It with Humor
with Twila Belk
A touch of humor can help get your message across in a fun and memorable way. Learn about the benefits of using humor, where to find it, and how to incorporate it in your writing and speaking.
How to Craft Nonfiction that People Will Want to Read
with Tim Bishop
Many aspiring authors can write an article or a book, but will anyone want to read it? This class considers the why, who, what, and how of nonfiction projects to help writers focus and aim content at target readers. It then examines the refining process, including self-editing techniques and ways to dress up the work.
What Makes a Book Look Self-Published
with Cheri Cowell
Learn the mistakes, how to avoid them, and how to make your book stand out (in a good way). Whether you choose to self-publish or just want to learn how to look more professional, this workshop will give you the inside look from an editor and publisher.
Critique Give and Take
with Tracy Crump
Honest critique is one of the best ways to improve your work, but writers often shy away from it. Rather than treat it as rejection, discover the value of critique and how to give and take it to polish your pieces for publication. Meet the “unique critique personalities” and discover the good and bad of each. In addition, learn how to find a critique group and how to know when it’s time to move on.
A Kaleidoscope of Opportunities for Nonfiction Writers
with Tracy Crump
Short pieces often reach more people than books do. You can spotlight your passion and maximize your impact on readers by publishing articles, devotions, short stories, and even newspaper columns in a variety of publications. Opportunities abound for nonfiction writers. We’ll look at markets from different angles to find the best fit for you.
The Truth About Publishing
with Victoria Duerstock
Today’s publishing industry provides vast opportunities but is also incredibly competitive. Many best practices in the publishing world need to change and adapt to thrive, and new platforms continue to emerge. After traditionally publishing several of her own books, Victoria founded End Game Press, a traditional publishing house, in January of 2021. Building a team of writers who all worked remotely offered advantages with regards to producing books, utilizing incredible talent for editing and design, and working with authors as a team. The lessons learned from this deep dive into book publishing have been numerous, not just as they relate to book production, but also to selling products in today’s marketplace. In this class, Victoria shares several of the lessons she has learned that have improved her work as an author and what she believes will help other authors in their quest for publishing success.
Fiction Writing: Crucial Starts and Stops
with Marji Laine
The beginning of your book can be a deal-breaker for readers. Be sure your story hooks readers right away and then keeps them reading long into the night. This interactive workshop will analyze not only the initial paragraphs of stories but will also focus on chapter endings to find ways to keep the tension in the story tight enough to demand page turns. It will offer opportunities for evaluation, comparison, and collaboration, detailing a variety of writing techniques to use and even some to avoid so that your story will be the best it can be.
How to Write a Stellar Synopsis (and not die doing it)
with Jessica Patch
Writing a synopsis either before or after the written draft can cause many aspiring writers and authors anxiety, but a lot of those chores you’ve been putting off seem to get done during that time! In this class, Jessica helps writers to see that synopsis writing is actually the first exploration of the story where creativity abounds and frees an author to explore new and exciting elements in the manuscript. She will help participants break down the key elements of the synopsis, as well as teach how to include Deep POV, voice, and writing style, then pare it down and polish.
Let’s Write a Mystery
with Deborah Sprinkle
Who wrote the first mystery story? What distinguishes a mystery from, say, a thriller or a suspense story? And if there are any basics for writing a mystery, what are they? Join me in Let’s Write a Mystery. We’ll have fun writing our own cozy mystery where you will be the characters—victim, suspects, witnesses, and amateur sleuth. Will you find the answers to those questions? Who knows? It is a mystery after all.