Monday, April 30, 2012

Webinar: Writing the Filmic Novel

I'm very excited that Hofstra University has asked me to teach a webinar called Writing the Filmic Novel. Here's the description from the course catalog:

Almost all bestselling novels have one thing in common: a strong narrative thread that plays out like a movie. In this intensive one hour webinar, master storyteller Ellen Meister will show you how to structure your plot in three acts to create a story that will appeal to readers, agents, publishers and maybe even Hollywood. Regardless of your genre, you'll learn tricks for involving the reader in your protagonist's inner and outer journey, building to an exciting climax and delivering an ending that gives the story purpose. This is an invaluable class for any fiction writer who wants their novel to come alive with the kind of "filmic" structure that resonates so powerfully with modern readers. 
OFFERED JUNE 5, 7-8 PM Eastern Standard Time 

When I first spoke to the folks at Hofstra, my big concern was keeping the price down, as I've seen writing webinars run from $90 - $150, which I think is too high.

"Can we keep it down to $60?" I asked.

"How does $40 sound?" they said.

I thought that sounded awesome. And better yet, it's only $35 if you pre-register. This is a one-hour online class, and it's filling up. (Enrollment is limited, even though it's a webinar.) So if you're interested, please check it out soon. Click here for info.

FYI, I've taught several novel writing classes at Hofstra, and have distilled the best lessons into this information-packed session. So I think it will be quite valuable to anyone interested. Feel free to forward the info. Thanks!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

SurveyMonkey is NOT a free service

I just got burned by a classic bait and switch thanks to SurveyMonkey, so I thought I'd spread the word.

I posted a single question survey, and after it was already up and running I got notified that I will not be able to see the results for free since I have over 100 respondents. It's going to cost me $24. That's one, single-question survey, friends.

Be warned.