Our latest classes:
Crafting The Erotic Novella; Or, You Want Me To Tell It In How Many Words?
The Rainbow Romance Writers, special interest chapter 217 of RWA, is pleased to announce our September online workshop.
Workshop: Crafting The Erotic Novella; Or, You Want Me To Tell It In How Many Words?
Instructor: Kimberly Gardner
Dates: September 8th to 29th, 2010
Workshop Description
The art and craft of the erotic novella will be explored with the help of multi-published author Kimberly Gardner. The class will center around the seven step plotting template Kimberly has developed and used to write and publish four erotic novellas. Examples will be given from Kimberly’s own work and students will be encouraged to bring their own projects into the discussion. The class will include assignments and discussion with feedback provided as time permits.
Topics include:
* The structure of the novella and how it differs from other forms.
* The seven step plotting template; the scenes you need and why you need them.
* Keeping it focused, keeping it clear; How to know what to keep and what to toss.
* Sex in the novella; How soon, how much and how to pull it off.
* Killing your darlings; how to pare down your manuscript to meet word counts without short changing the reader.
Instructor’s bio:
Kimberly Gardner is a current member of RRW. She has a B.A. in theatre arts from Arcadia University and has been writing professionally for two and a half years. Her 2008 novel, Phoenix Rising, was an Eppie finalist in the GLBT category. She lives in historic Philadelphia with her husband, a dog named Oliver and three very bossy felines.
The cost of the workshop is $10 for RRW members and $15 for nonmembers. Online registration will be will be available via Paypal from the RRW web site. If you wish to pay by other means, please contact our class coordinator to make arrangements. Registration deadline is September 3rd.
The class will run from September 8th through the 29th. Lessons and class discussion will be conducted on the RRW workshop loop. When your
registration is confirmed, you will receive an invitation to join the loop.
Additional information is available from the RRW workshop coordinator who can be reached by emailing: workshop@rainbowromancewriters.com
Homosexuality in the Classical Age
Homosexuality and Lesbianism in the Classical Age will be explored with the help of writer Jennifer Thorne, identifying themes of transgression and desire through the works of Homer, Plato, Sappho and Aristophanes. Information will be culled from normal, everyday life as well as the Gods and heroes themselves.
Topics include:
1. a) Defining our terms and frames of reference – who, what, when, where, and why
b) Define ‘Normal’ – Home life, society’s expectations, stages of life (with a look at the Odyssey – who’da thunk that Odysseus and Penelope were the template for ‘normal’?).
2. What was ‘Greek love’, really? (Defining homosexuality/lesbianism in the classical Greek period).
a) Plato and ‘Platonic love’ – the golden ideal.
b) Sappho and ‘Sapphic love’ – what girls did, and why no one cared (as long as it was with each other).
3. Sex and the Body Politic- what happens when the boundaries are broken- the law, medicine, and corporal punishment (Be prepared to push your ’squick factor button’ on this one).
4. Beauty (Or, size does matter, but not in the way you think) – with lots of pictures and poetry, and a ‘create your own caption’ contest for the artwork. Much hilarity (and ogling) is promised. But, it’s all in the name of art. Really.
5. Double-Standards – Gods and heroes, Satyrs, Amazons, and Maenads (The liminal, the bestial, and the war on society – with special emphasis on amazons and maenads just ’cause they’re fun, and it makes a nice change from getting all depressed about how girls were treated).
6. Aristophanes’ Thesmophoriazusae – a quick explanation of the plot, and why it was so funny and outrageous (You have to love Aristophanes – he was such a curmudgeon).
Date: March 1st – March 15th, 2010
Location: Rainbow Romance Writers Workshop Yahoo! Group. You will receive an invite to join the group before the workshop begins.
Price: $10 for Rainbow Romance Writers members, $15 for non-members
Instructor: Jennifer Thorne has a B.A. in Classics from Wilfrid Laurier University, and had a lot of fun finding the interesting bits in history in between the lists of Roman Emperors and who smucked whom in which battle. But please don’t ask her about pots. She has worked very hard to forget about those.
Sign up is closed
Plotting Romantic Suspense
This class is still in the planning stages.
