Indigo Editing November Classes

Two classes, one craft of fiction and one business of fiction--one great day. Register today!

Both classes are held at Indigo Editing & Publications, 917 SW Oak St. #302 Portland, OR 97205

Winning at Fiction: How to Build a Better First Page (Back by Popular Demand!) Susan DeFreitas, Indigo Editing & Publications 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m., $45 November 10, 2012 Why should agents or editors pick your book out of that mile-high slush pile on their desk? Why should bookstore browsers lay down the cold, hard cash to buy your book? Answer: because your first sentence, first paragraph, and first page are so arresting, they can’t put it down. In this workshop, writers of prose will learn effective techniques for winning “the war of art” on the very first page, along with some common pitfalls to avoid before sending a work out for consideration. (Writers should come with the first page of a book, story, or essay, and be prepared to offer constructive feedback.)

Every Day I'm Shuffling: Staying True to Your Art While Also Selling It on Social Media Sarah Gilbert, Freelance Writer 11:45 a.m.–1:15 p.m., $45 November 10, 2012 You use social media. But how do you use it for good—that is, the good of your art? This course will delve deeply into a variety of social media tools used by course participants and discuss best practices for using each one to manage your brand and market your work, without selling yourself out (or selling yourself short). This is not an intro-to-social media course; the content will assume you already use at least a few social media platforms and wish to learn how to juggle your social media life, your IRL, and your art. *The Little Bear Rule of Facebook. How much is "just right"? *Toot toot! Why you should toot your own horn, and how to do it gracefully. *Getting raw, but not bloody. How to find the line between seeming real and oversharing. *To blog or not to blog? Whether or not you should keep your own space on the -ogosophere, and how often you should tend it. *Multimedia bling time! Cool ideas that have worked for me (and brainstorming about what could work for you). Be ready to discuss your writing projects and your successes—and failures—in using social media in the past. We'll try to apply our learnings directly to the workshop participant's own work. And maybe we'll do some real-time horn tooting. Preregistration and payment required: http://indigoediting.com/classes. Pair the classes—register for the double feature—and pay only $70 total.