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Mediabistro is running its first workshop to help writers craft the perfect pitch and query letter to send to agents and editors. In the Query Letter and First Pages Workshop, students will work with Kate McKean, a top literary agent and Vice President at the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, to improve their writing and pitches.

The query letter and first pages of a novel are a writer’s best opportunities to make a good impression on an agent or editor. In this brand new, one-day workshop, students will learn how to draft a query letter and get real-time reader feedback on the first 1,000 words of their novels. Students will be given examples of both good and bad query letters so that they can become familiar with how to write a successful query for their own writing. The workshop will take place in New York City, on Saturday, June 20.

Mediabistro’s courses help students add skills to their resumes through portfolio-building courses led by media professionals. Class sizes are kept small to allow for individual feedback and interaction from industry thought leaders.

This workshop is designed for writers aiming to write and submit full-length novels of any genre. Are you ready to pitch your novel to agents? Register for the Query Letter and First Pages Workshop today before the course sells out!

Yvonne Ventresca (Pandemic author) sent me a note pointing out all the wonderful writing worksheets on Jami Gold’s Blog. I wanted to make sure I pointed out all the helpful information you can find, download, and use on her site.

Last week we talked about the Seven Point Story Structure System. You can find worksheets for other story structure systems to use on Jami’s site, too.

I particularly like the one below because you can use to see if each scene in your manuscript has what it takes when you revise.

Here is Jami Gold’s Elements of a Good Scene Worksheet from her blog:

Use this link to download and print the spreadsheet out to use: http://jamigold.com/for-writers/worksheets-for-writers/ – Check it out!

Jami also does workshops:

Full Beat Sheet Basics OnDemand Workshop Information:

Beat sheets, long used by movie scriptwriters, can also help us create strong stories for our novels.
Don’t know what beat sheets are or how to use them?
Do you write by the seat of your pants and don’t want to plan your story in advance?

Never fear—learn the terminology, uses, and ways to adapt beat sheets to our writing methods. At the end of this class, students will have an overview of story structure and beat sheets:

• Introduction to story arcs
• Introduction to beats and terminology
• Digging deeper to avoid formulaic clichés
• Using beat sheets to find unnecessary scenes and pacing issues
• How those who write by the seat of their pants can use beat sheets too

Click here for more information about Jami Gold’s Beat Sheet Basics OnDemand Workshop

A little bit about Jami: After escaping the corporate asylum by leaving a clone in her place, Jami Gold moved to Arizona and decided to become a writer, where she could put her talent for making up stuff to good use. Fortunately, her muse, an arrogant male who delights in causing her to sound as insane as possible, rewards her with unique and rich story ideas. Fueled by chocolate, she writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales that range from dark to humorous, but one thing remains the same: Normal need not apply. Just ask her family—and zombie cat.

Thank you Jami for sharing this with all of us.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

MediabistroEDU wants this to be your best summer yet. That’s why we’re offering $75 OFF all courses and boot camps with code SUN75. Before you head to the beach, set your goals for the summer and register for one of our courses to guarantee you meet them!

Put down your chick lit novel and write your own, expand your knowledge and learn the best social media practices, or rework your digital content strategy to optimize your brand’s audience online!  Whatever your goal is, our courses are guaranteed to make Summer 2014 your most productive one yet with our expert instructors, career driven topics, and thorough curriculums.

So make the most of your summer and register for any of our online courses, in-person courses, or online boot camps today!

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

1. A writer shouldn’t share their work until they’re ready for criticism and can take it or leave it without being mortally wounded. This is usually possible only after some time has elapsed after writing it.   
2. A writer should say ‘thanks’ for the feedback they receive, and nothing more. Then they can go home and decide what to do with it. If a writer tries to defend their work, the people giving feedback will quickly stop bothering. 
3. When giving criticism, try and restrict it to the one or two main issues – don’t go on and on. 
4. Try and give other writers the feedback that they are ready for. We can’t judge everyone by the same yardstick – and when I think back to what my writing was like when I first started, I cringe. By working to our strengths and strengthening the positives, the negatives often fall away all by themselves
5. But even when giving feedback to experienced writers, don’t forget the positives. We all like being reminded of what we do well. It makes us want to carry on.

Mediabistro is introducing its newest boot camp: Freelancing 101. This four-week interactive online event starts April 28, and teaches students the best way to start a freelancing career, from the first steps of self-advertising and marketing, to building your schedule and managing clients.

With St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, Mediabistro is inviting you to try your luck with code GETLUCKY. Register with the promotional code and you could win anywhere from $10-$50 OFF your registration! Make sure to sign-up before 3/17 to redeem this offer!

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

You all remember the IF interview with Yuko Shimizu, right? Well, here’s your opportunity to study with her! This summer Yuko is teaching a week long illustration course in Venice Italy. Here are more details in her words:

“I am excited to announce a week-long illustration workshop in Venice, Italy this summer organized by Associazione Culturale Teatrio, an Italian illustration organization located in the center of Venice. Teatrio has in past curated wonderful “Fabulous Coloured Pencils” show, traveling exhibition of works by female illustrators from around the world, which I took part in.

It will be a very intimate workshop with maximum of 15-20 students, probably from different parts of the world. Course is six full days long including personal portfolio reviews and lectures.

I will teach and help each participant according to his/her level, experiences and goal-settings. So, it will be custom made just for YOU!

Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I am sure you will be inspired by this environment as well as the workshop itself.

For more information, please log onto: http://www.teatrio.it and click on “illustration course”s button.”

There is a pdf link at the bottom of that page that will give you all the info you need as well as the registration form.

If you get to go, I would consider you quite the lucky duck.

Maira Kalman trolls for ideas on the streets of New York and The MacDowell Colony celebrates 100 years of providing artists studio space in the woods, no interruptions, and a picnic basket delivered to the cabin door.