Workshop: Writing with Authority

WRITING WITH AUTHORITY
Online Course

INSTRUCTORS: Jason Jack Miller and Heidi Ruby Miller

DATE: April 1 – May 2, 2011

LIMITED CLASS SIZE. Enroll now.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The easiest way to engage your reader is by using concrete nouns and action verbs. In this one-month online course, Seton Hill University creative writing faculty Jason Jack Miller and Heidi Ruby Miller will show you how to analyze your writing and use easy techniques that will increase the authority of your voice.

Participants will:
* Discover how to spot passive voice
* Scrutinize their writing for generic nouns and indefinite pronouns
* Learn to avoid weak verbs and overuse of “be” in all its forms
* Practice using strong synonyms to find the best action verb
* Apply word cloud research to make their plot come alive

FREE BONUS: Course participants will receive a free excerpt (.pdf) from the new writing guide, MANY GENRES, ONE CRAFT: LESSONS IN WRITING POPULAR FICTION (Headline Books, Inc.) edited by Heidi Ruby Miller and Michael A. Arnzen with contributions from Jason Jack Miller et al.

TUITION: $79 ($89 non-Pennwriters members) $89 ($99 non-Pennwriters members)
EARLY-BIRD PRICES END SOON!

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS: Heidi Ruby Miller is the co-editor of the writing guide, Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction. A graduate from Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction Program, she has authored dozens of publications. Before becoming a full-time writer and adjunct faculty at Seton Hill University, Heidi worked as a contract archaeologist, an educational marketing coordinator, a foreign currency exchanger, and a world language teacher. To learn more about Heidi Ruby Miller, visit http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com or email her at heidirubymiller@gmail.com.

Jason Jack Miller is a writer, photographer and musician whose work has appeared online and in print in newspapers, magazines and literary journals, and as a smart phone travel app. He has co-authored a travel guide with his wife Heidi and served as a photographer-in-residence. Jason is an Authors Guild member who received a Master’s in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University where he is adjunct creative writing faculty. To learn more about Jason Jack Miller, visit http://jasonjackmiller.blogspot.com or email him at jasonjackmiller@gmail.com.

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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PennwritersOnlineCourses

Seton Hill Writers: New Jobs and Positions - September 2010

Natalie Duvall is the new "Speak Up!" columnist for Fine Living Lancaster. Read her witty columns at http://www.finelivinglancaster.com/Magazine/Issue15.pdf.

Kimberley Howe (K. J. Howe) is the new Executive Director of Thrillerfest, the annual conference for the International Thriller Writers.

Penny Dawn recently became adjunct creative writing faculty at two colleges in the north Chicago suburbs.

Seton Hill WPF Writing Retreat and Conference

9th Annual Seton Hill WPF Writer's Retreat and Conference

WHEN: June 24 - 27, 2010

GUEST SPEAKERS:

Jim McCarthy, Agent, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management

Janet Reid, Agent, FinePrint Literary Management

Annette Rogers, Acquisitions Editor, Poisoned Pen Press

Tina Trevaskis, Director of Marketing & Sales, Samhain Publishing Co.

This event is open to the public. Registration opens on March 1, 2010.

Seton Hill Authors at Pennwriters Conference

BACK: Jason Jack Miller, Timons Esaias, and Heidi Ruby Miller FRONT: Ellen Spain, Victoria Thompson, and Mary Ann Aug

The 2007 Pennwriters Conference The Write Attitude was a wonderful experience, both personally and professionally.

Networking opportunities were the best of any conference I've attended because the group's officers, the editors, the agents, and the writers were all so personable.
BACK: Mary Ann Aug and Heidi Ruby Miller FRONT: Lisa D. K. Coutant, Vice President of Pennwriters, Barbara Lockwood, President of Pennwriters, and Jason Jack Miller

The above photo was taken after Victoria Thompson, mystery author and Seton Hill mentor, gave her keynote at the luncheon on Saturday. It was very inspiring because she used personal experiences to show just how fickle this industry can be, but also how rewarding to those who stick it out.

Among the editors I met were Ginjer Buchanan, Senior Executive Editor and Marketing Director at The Berkley Publishing Group, Jane Friedman, Editor of Writers' Digest Books/F & W Publications and Robbi Hess, Editor/Co-Publisher of Byline Magazine.

The three best panels I attended probably reflect where I am personally in the process of publication, not that I won't work on mechanics and style until I die, but after an intensive two year graduate program, I'm ready to move onto the next step: Agents Panel with Daniel Lazar, Rita Rosenkranz, Adam Chromy, Sheree Bykofsky, and Jenny Rappaport; Editors Panel with Jane Friedman, Ginjer Buchanan, Colleen Sell, and Robbi Hess; The Publication Process with Rita Rosenkranz, Jane Friedman, and Paul Martin.

This last one was Paul discussing the process of publishing his books with his agent Rita Rosenkranz and an editor from his publishing company Jane Friedman. Very insightful about "who gets a say in what" from cover design to contents. Jason and I had part of this perspective when we published our guidebook with Avalon last year. We were missing the agent part, an important part I will now say, but will hopefully rectify soon.

I pitched to one editor and three agents while at the conference. As a direct result. I am sending out my submissions this week. Here's hoping that some of those are accepted.

I also made some new author friends. Writers Valentine Brkich and Brian Butko agreed to participate in the HEIDI'S PICK SIX special non-fiction week coming up.
Jason Jack Miller, Brian Butko, and Heidi Ruby Miller

If nothing else comes from my time at the conference, it was still well-spent because it inspired me and gave me that turbo boost we writers all need now and then.

Pennwriters Conference, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, Victoria Thompson, Rita Rosenkranz, Ginjer Buchanan, writing, Jenny Rappaport, Adam Chromy, Seton Hill University

2007 Rooney Award

The author recipients of Seton Hill's 2007 Rooney Awards are:
Jason Jack Miller


and

Shara Saunsaucie