Voice on the Page with Shelley Souza

Webinar Voice on the Page with Shelley Souza

New this year at SavvyAuthors!
  1. New!!
Level
Mixed
Basic and Premium Members Prices
Premium Members $90 & Basic Members $110
Category
  1. Mentoring
  2. Series
  3. Voice
  • You write romance that's intimate and erotica that sizzles
  • Your books appeal to boys as well as girls
  • Your historical novels are like real history only better
And. Yet.
You receive rejection letters from agents and publishers. They all say more or less the same thing: we loved your story but it’s not for us. They can't tell you what they're looking for though they know it when they see it. What they can tell you, you're not it.

What they're looking for is Strong Voice. They’re looking for writers whose voices are strong because voices that stand out attract identifiable readers. Every market loves identifiable customers.

Strong voice doesn't mean beautiful writing. It means writing the book that only you can write. Breakout novels generate buzz among readers and publishers because they go against market expectations. Take these three authors:
  • Dan Brown's contract for The Da Vinci Code was almost cancelled because earlier books had poor sales; but 5,000 ARC readers loved this one. The Da Vinci Code has sold over 81 million copies.
  • J. K. Rowling was told, “Don’t quit your day job, children’s literature doesn’t pay.” Her first advance was £2,500, or approximately $4,000. Rowling has sold over 450 million copies of Harry Potter and is the most powerful author in the history of publishing.
  • E. L. James's big break happened after her erotic fan fiction in a Twilight fan-fiction forum attracted a huge following. James has said she was going through a midlife crisis when she wrote 50 Shades of Grey. The traditional market wasn't looking for midlife crisis erotica, but women over the age of 55 apparently were. The 50 Shades trilogy has sold over 100 million copies.
A breakout novel leaves such a deep impression on its readers they can't wait for their friends to read it, too.

VOICE ON THE PAGE can help you maximize your voice so that your work stands out in the crowded marketplace.

Once a week, for five weeks, in a live, one-hour webinar, from 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. EST, you will have an opportunity to bring your voice to life and make it strong. Each webinar will cover a different aspect of writing to put your voice on the page. [See syllabus below]

Through short talks, comments, exercises, questions and answers you will discover what makes your voice unique.

VOICE ON THE PAGE is for writers who want to:
  • Take their writing to a higher level
  • Turn rejection letters into acceptance letters for traditional publication
  • Make their work stand out in the indie marketplace
Some knowledge of craft is welcome but not required.

By the end of five weeks you will understand:
  • What your writing voice is and what it is not.
  • What your story's voice is and what it is not.
  • Why inspiration is a catalyst but not the source or driver of your story’s originality.
  • How unconditional trust shows up when you stop looking for outside approval.
  • When your voice drives your story, your work becomes strong, your voice becomes strong, and agents and publishers know how to sell you.
Outline
*** All webinars are scheduled on Wednesday evenings starting 8 p.m. EST and will be recorded and made available later in the week.

LIVE Webinars: February 8, February 15, February 22, March 1, and March 8.

If participants have thoughts or questions after the webinar/session has ended, they can post to the workshop forum to be answered for the next webinar.
Syllabus
Week 1 - February 8: Yes, Virginia, Your Voice Is Real
What is a writer's voice? What is story voice? Do you know the difference?

Week 2 - February 15: To Be Yourself or Not to Be — Write Your Truth in Spite of Self-Doubt
Your voice can never be wrong.

Week 3 - February 22: Your Plot Thickens — Let Your Voice Tell Your Story
How your voice creates your plot.

Week 4 - March 1: Play by the Rules? — Truisms Make Your Writing Dull
How writing rules can kill your voice and silence your truth.

Week 5 - March 8: Oh, the Places You’ll Go with the Power of Your Voice!

*** All webinars will start at 8 p.m. EST ***
Instructor Posts on SavvyBlog
Author
Shelley Souza
Start date
Feb 8, 2017 at 8:00 PM
End date
Mar 19, 2017 at 9:00 PM
Registration end date
Feb 8, 2017 at 7:00 PM
Rating
5.00 star(s) 2 ratings

Latest reviews

This was a fantastic class! Thanks to Shelley I had some major breakthroughs. I have always struggled with revisions, and in her class I realized it was because I didn't trust myself as a writer. With her gentle guidance, I found my inner voice again. Telling the story I want to tell, the way I want to tell it, has brought joy back to the writing experience for me! It's been so wonderful to approach revisions with excitement, and not the dread I used to have. Wonderful class!
Shelley put a lot of work and effort into making the class relevant to the individual needs of the participants. She's a very intuitive facilitator and extremely knowledgeable about the topic. The webinar format was helpful, as were her timely and thorough responses to all of our questions. Bravo.