WRITING CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS
Fall 2019 Sept 26 - Oct 31 Asheville, NC
Thursdays 2pm - 4pm
Ferguson Allied Health, Room 426
A-B Tech Community Enrichment Programs
From Who wants a valentine?
by Linda lowery and richard keep
Thinking of writing a book for kids? Whether it’s for the children in your family, or for publication, this course gives you the basics of what makes a terrific picture book. By the end of class, you’ll have a draft outline for a book of your own and a clear overview of how to proceed on your project.
We’ll focus on how to:
— find your natural, authentic voice
— discover fresh story ideas that touch a child’s heart and funnybone
— write tight prose, play around with rhythm & rhyme
— work within industry-standard format, page count, word count
— give the illustrator creative freedom (even if you are the artist)
— create a 32-page draft dummy (storyboard)
TO REGISTER CALL: 828-398-7903
Tuition: $69.00 Registration details HERE
COMING HOME TO ME: A Journaling Workshop
October 2019 Flat Rock, NC
Camp Bluebird Retreat for Cancer Survivors
Sponsored by Mission Hospital’s Cancer Program, Camp Bluebird gives survivors permission to enjoy life again and not let cancer consume every thought. It’s a safe place to share YOUR hopes and fears with others who understand.
Journaling is a beautiful practice that awakens our intuitive wisdom and welcomes us home to our deepest selves. When life gets messy, it's a comforting pathway to new possibilities and unexpected revelations. There's no right or wrong way to journal. But practicing different approaches to putting your heart and soul on paper can help you free your own voice. In 2 days of workshops, Linda shares helpful tips to make journaling easier and more effective. She introduces you to some of her favorite practices: Unloading, Drifting, and Deep Soul Diving.
Bring pen and notebook/paper--we'll be doing some private, restorative writing in a warm community environment.
DREAM PROMPTS:
Using Your Subconscious to Create Picture Books
June 5 - July 10, 2019
Wednesdays 6pm - 8:30pm Asheville, NC
(Five-week workshop - no class on July 4)
The Great Smokies Writing Program - University of North Carolina Asheville
Late winter moon - colorado
BY LINDA LOWERY
When we sleep, our internal critic sleeps, too. As Stephen King says, sleep allows our minds “to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives.” This children’s book workshop is for writers who want to tap into their subconscious minds to unleash fresh, surprising ideas and imaginative story directions. We’ll cover practical techniques to remember dreams, keep effective dream journals, activate the mind’s waking “dream place”, and create stories fueled by dream themes and words.
Specifics of writing picture books are covered each week: prose text, rhythm and rhyme, style, pacing, reworking, and word count. Writers spend class time writing and rewriting, using their dream journals as compost. By the end of the course, writers will have completed one 24-page picture book text and have a collection of their intuitive prompts to use for future stories. This course requires at-home dream journaling practice.
Topics we’ll cover:
- Creative Sleep
- Keeping Effective Dream Journals
- Mining Dreams for Language, Themes and Stories
- Activating the Subconscious through Daydreams, Meditation and Music
- Tips from Authors who’ve used dreams as inspiration/compost for their work
(including Linda, who’s newest picture book Pants! was entirely inspired by a dream)
Date: Wednesdays, 6:00-8:30 p.m., June 5, 12, 19, 26, and July 10
Location: Hanger Hall School for Girls, 64 W.T. Weaver Blvd., Asheville, NC 28804
Info & registration: https://agc.unca.edu/application-tuition-information
(In-state tuition:$155.81)
LET IT FLOW: Genius Creativity Strategies
It’s the intuitive mind that drives creativity. Productive writers know this, and use all sorts of quirky games to keep their intuitions fueled and their work flowing authentically. This workshop is based on my own experience of learning how to disregard “writer’s block” and keep the spark ignited. I’ll share advice from well-loved geniuses including:
— Albert Einstein’s thoughts on “combinatory play”
— Ray Bradbury’s pattern-recognition lists
— Stephen King’s “story game”
Participants work on their current or potential projects throughout the course. They experiment with a technique from a different “genius” each week, see what their intuitive spirits uncover, and learn what works to keep the authenticity of their projects fueled and flowing. It’s Genius Playtime!
SOLSTICE angel by linda lowery