Iowa Summer Writing Festival


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Workshop Descriptions & Instructors Marilyn Abildskov Mary Allen Kate Aspengren Thomas Fox Averill Nancy K.Barry Timothy Bascom Kyle Beachy Karen Bender Linda Bendorf Maudy Benz Venise Berry Bruce Bond David Bouchier Michael Dennis Browne Maggie Conroy Mary Cross Thomas K. Dean Amber Dermont Janet Desaulniers Kelly Dwyer Hope Edelman Josh Emmons Jill Esbaum Sarah Fay Hugh Ferrer Katie Ford Geoffrey Forsyth Cecile Goding Douglas Goetsch Sands Hall Christine Hemp Jim Heynen Rick Hillis Charles Holdefer Richard Jackson Rebecca Johns Cheryl Fusco Johnson Wayne Johnson Daniel Khalastchi Carolyn Lieberg BK Loren Peter Markus Fritz Mc Donald James McKean Gordon Mennenga Sharelle Byars Moranville Michael Morse Barbara Robinette Moss Marc Nieson Shannon Olson Diana Ossana Lon Otto Juliet Patterson Kiki Petrosino Mark Jude Poirier Leslie Carol Roberts Anjali Sachdeva Sarah Saffian Sam Samuels Sandra Scofield Mary Kay Shanley Robert Anthony Siegel Carol Spindel Karen Subach Mary Vermillion Kris Vervaecke Ashley Warlick Michelle Wildgen Bart Yates	Venise Berry Writing a Book Proposal Weekend Workshop June 13–14 Powerful Plots: Strengthening Story and Structure in Novel Writing One-Week Workshop June 21–26 Biography Writing a Book Proposal Weekend Workshop June 13–14 Many agents and publishers will accept a book proposal for nonfiction writing, however, that proposal will need to effectively sell you and your book idea in order to land a contract. This workshop will focus on helping participants begin the process of writing a nonfiction book proposal for a variety of forms—memoir, historical, essay, autobiography, anthology, resource, self-help, how to, humor and others. Specific areas of the proposal will be discussed and developed in a workshop format. During the weekend, participants will determine the purpose/essence of their book and the effectiveness of the book’s title. In addition, you’ll develop a hook, write a brief chapter outline, identify competition, consider promotional options, and assess what biographical information to include. This class will be useful to writers of nonfiction at all stages. Powerful Plots: Strengthening Story and Structure in Novel Writing One-Week Workshop June 21–26 This course will focus on helping you construct a viable plot and effective storyline. Specifically by focusing on structural development, you will leave the workshop with a clear vision of how to complete or improve your novel. Discussions will provide helpful hints and strategies about other key components, including dialogue, characterization, description, visual style, conflict, motivation and marketability. Outside of class, students will write from an original idea or pull from their written novel a number of exercises. These might include a novel premise outline, along with characterization, narrative, and dialogue assignments. In class, we will critique each other’s writing and offer constructive suggestions. This workshop can help novelists at all stages, whether you have only an idea in your head or your manuscript is complete but you’d like to strengthen its story and structure. Biography Venise Berry is an associate professor of Journalism and Mass Communication at The University of Iowa. Her professional media career began in radio news and has expanded into teaching, media research and criticism, as well as fiction, script and nonfiction writing. Venise is the author of three national best-selling novels: So Good, An African American Love Story (Dutton 1996), All of Me, A Voluptuous Tale (Dutton 2000), and Colored Sugar Water (Dutton 2002). Her fourth novel, Pockets of Sanity, is expected in 2009. She is a recipient of the “Creative Contribution to Literature” award from the Zora Neale Hurston Society and an Iowa Author Award from the Public Library Foundation in Des Moines. Her novel All of Me received a 2001 Honor Book Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Several new projects are in development, including a cultural critical analysis of the media, I Used to be a Rap Music Fan: Racialism and the Media; a spiritual anthology series, What do you believe?; a fifth novel, Career Women; and a memoir, The Three of Hearts. Visit Venise at: www.veniseberry.com.

	Site Map \| Welcome \| Workshops by Session Date \| Workshops by Instructor Workshops by Genre \| Registration & Housing Information \| Registration Form Sponsored by the Division of Continuing Education Iowa Summer Writing Festival C215 Seashore Hall The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 Phone 319-335-4160 FAX 319-335-4743 iswfestival@uiowa.edu Last updated on February 10, 2009