The Plot Thickens: A Genre Lovers Workshop with Dylan James Quarles

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Date: Saturday, May 14th
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
Cost: $75
Limited to: 15 Participants
Where: Online

Are you interested in writing the next great page-turner? In this intensive workshop, we will explore the importance of deft plotting in genre fiction. Be it sci-fi, fantasy, horror, or any other popular genre, the second your story lags, so too does the reader's attention! Learn tricks and techniques for how to keep your plot moving by crafting 'set pieces' that both challenge your characters in the moment, and give them something to reflect on later. Master this, and your reader's eyes will be glued to the page from start to finish! 

This workshop is open to writers of all levels. If you have a work in progress, please bring it with you!

Dylan James Quarles is an award winning and internationally bestselling science fiction and adventure writer. His work has been enjoyed by over 100,000 readers worldwide through print, audiobook, and ebook. A graduate of the Evergreen State College, Quarles studied filmmaking and creative writing. In 2012, he launched his writing career with the bestselling sci-fi hit, The Ruins of Mars. Since then, he has continued to refine his brand of elevated genre fiction, earning a 2021 Best Indie Book Award for his novel, There Be Monsters. In addition to his writing career, Quarles is a reading specialist in the public school system where he helps the next generation of readers access a love of books. djqfiction.com

Seven Tips to Rev a Stalling Story with Peter Mountford

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Date: Saturday, September 10th
Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm (with an hour for lunch)
Cost: $180
Limited to: 12 Participants
Where: Online

An in-depth look at each of the techniques described in Mountford's article of the same name -- out in Writer's Digest in August, 2022 -- this class will help you boost tension and excitement in your stories. Through a combination of short writing exercises and readings, you will see how to implement each of these seven concepts. Mainly of use for fiction writers, these techniques can also sometimes be reframed for those working on memoir or personal essay. 

Peter Mountford is the author of the novels A Young Man's Guide to Late Capitalism (2012 Washington State Book Award in fiction), and The Dismal Science (a NYT editor's choice). His work has appeared in Paris Review, New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Sun, Granta, and The Missouri Review. He is currently on faculty at Sierra Nevada University's MFA program, teaches at Creative Nonfiction, Hugo House, and is a writing coach and developmental editor.

Blah, Blah, Blah: When Dialogue Falls Flat (And How to Fix It!) with Nicole Persun

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​Date: Saturday, October 15th
Time: 10:00am to 1:00pm
Cost: $125
Limited to 12 Participants
Where: Online
 
Dialogue isn’t just about propelling the plot or allowing your character to voice her thoughts—it’s about power struggles, emotions, backstory, and more. Good dialogue is nuanced, multi-layered, and intentional. It grips the reader’s attention and subtly conveys the unspoken inner lives of our characters. In this class, you will learn how to take your dialogue to the next level. If you’ve been struggling to make your characters sound different from one another, want to add layered tension and unspoken intrigue to your dialogue, or simply want to write conversations that flow smoothly and pack a punch, this class is for you.

​Nicole J. Persun is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author. She’s the host of The Write Inspiration, an encouraging and educational podcast for fiction authors. Nicole has a Master’s Degree in Writing & Instruction and is a board member of the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association.
 
Nicole got her start writing fantasy, but nowadays writes book club fiction under the pen name Jennifer Gold. The Ingredients of Us was a 2020 Book Excellence Award Winner and a two-time finalist for the 2020 International Book Award. Her latest release, Keep Me Afloat, was a 2020 Chanticleer International Book Award Somerset First Place winner, a 2021 Book Excellence Award winner, and a 2021 International Book Award winner. 
 
In addition to her writing career, Nicole works as a horse caretaker on a large farm in the Pacific Northwest. She fills her spare time with books, nature, and coffee. Learn more at nicolejpersun.com. Discover her recent novels at jennifergoldauthor.com.

Demystifying Book Contracts with Conner Bouchard-Roberts (Winter Texts) and Christina Vega (Blue Cactus Press)

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Date: Saturday, October 22nd
Time: 11:00am to 3:00pm
Cost: $100
Limited to: 15 participants
​Where: Online

Conner and Christina will lead participants through the ins and outs of book publishing contracts. Topics we will pay particularly close attention to include understanding publishing rights, royalties, advances, and free and discounted author copies, negotiating expanded participation in editorial and design components of the book-making process, understanding how and why authors and publishers can advocate for their needs, and embedding equitable and reasonable checkpoints for contractual and relationship reevaluation into contracts.

Christina Vega (they/them) is a Queer Chicana poet from New Mexico. They're the publisher at Blue Cactus Press, a hybrid publishing house making books by Queer and BIPOC authors. Christina is also a board member at Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. They have been teaching creative writing, book making, and publishing workshops in the Pacific Northwest for the last five years. Christina self-published their debut poetry collection, Still Clutching Maps, in 2017. Their poetry has appeared in Creative Colloquy, Frontera Vol. 3: estados silvestres // natural states, International Poetry Review, Papeachu Issue 3, Timberline Review, WA129+, and Milk Gallery. Christina’s journalism has appeared in City Arts, Grit City Magazine, Hilltop Action Journal, OLY ARTS, The Ranger, VOICE Magazine and Weekly Volcano. Follow Christina on Twitter @bluecactuspress and Instagram @ccthemighty.

Conner Bouchard-Roberts is a Pacific Northwestern author, bartender, gardener, and publisher from Qatáy/Port Townsend, WA. Winter texts is his publishing practice, and the Green Room is his bookshop and bar. He has worked with writers of all types as an editor, collaborator, designer, and publisher. @winter_texts

​Payment and Refund Policy:

• Full payment may be made with credit card, cash, or check.
• Full payment must be made at the time of sign-up to hold your place.
  • We do offer payment plans and need-based scholarships. Email us at hello@imprintbookstore.com for more information on how to apply.
• Imprint Bookstore and The Writers' Workshoppe will offer a refund only if the workshop you're signed up for is full and we can find a replacement for your spot. This policy is necessary in order to pay and attract quality instructors.