The Florida Writer's Association Presents The 4th Annual Writer's Nest Mini-Conference

Orlando, FL, March 9, 2015 (Newswire.com) - The Florida Writer’s Association will present the 4th Annual Writer’s Nest Mini-Conference at the Hilton Orlando/ Altamonte Springs on Saturday, April 25, beginning at 8:30 AM.  The conference includes workshops in advanced writing, children’s writing, G.R.E.A.T. Writing (self-editing) and “6 ways to write a scene.”

Advanced Writing with Samantha Shad

Samantha Shad has written for each of the major Hollywood movie studios and television networks. She is produced in feature films (Class Action, Twentieth Century Fox) and television (Vanished Without a Trace) and written thrillers with Ridley Scott and adapted mysteries with Jonathan Kellerman. She has taught story, structure, and the business of writing at UCLA, the American Film Instituted and Franklin Pearce College. She was an entertainment attorney in Beverly Hills representing television and movie writers for many years.

Advanced Writing: Bring Your Work to the Next Level

This workshop is aimed at advanced writers who want to go to the next level.  A look at the latest scientific research on how our brains understand storytelling, character, and genre. Light on science but heavy on how to use it to make your writing grab your reader and keep him interested.  Why big openings work.  How to chisel your characters for maximum impact.  How projection can turn that second act muddle into a compelling journey.  What the impact of writing is on the writer.

G.R.E.A.T. Writing with Larry J. Leech II

For more than thirty years, Larry J. Leech II has written and edited in a number of capacities. He spent the first twenty-three years at daily newspapers and magazines. In 2004, he moved into freelance book editing and writing and has ghostwritten more than a dozen books and coached numerous aspiring writers through their projects. Larry teaches at numerous conferences nationwide each year and has become a much sought-after writing coach.

G.R.E.A.T. Writing Workshop

In this hands-on workshop, attendees will learn the key elements of G.R.E.A.T writing: Grammar, Red flags, Extra words, Adjectives and Adverbs, and Tricky words. Both fiction and nonfiction writers are encouraged to bring a work-in-progress for fine tuning. As an add bonus, we’ll look at great opening lines and fantastic finishes.

How to Write a Scene Six Ways with Cecil Murphey
Veteran author Cecil (Cec) Murphey has written or co-written more than 135 books, including the New York Times bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). His books have sold in the millions and have brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world. Cec stays busy as a professional writer and travels extensively to speak on topics such as writing, spiritual growth, caregiving, and significant living.

How to Write a Scene Six Ways

New York Times best-selling author Cecil Murphey will take common elements of a scene (setting, description, character) and show how it can be written six different ways.

Young Adult with Christina Benjamin

Christina Benjamin is the Award-Winning Author of the Young Adult series The Geneva Project. Her debut novel, Truth, has won multiple awards, including the 2014 FAPA Gold Medal for YA fiction. Benjamin’s writing hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, and offers them a new series to obsess over. She paints a vivid world, where magic and imagination run wild in her epic tale of adventure, courage and friendship. Benjamin studied English at the University of Central Florida. She’s dedicated to giving back to the community and speaking at schools to inspire creativity in young writers.  

Young Adult Fiction Writing Workshop

Award-winning Indie Author Christina Benjamin will host this Young Adult fiction workshop. Young Adult Fiction is a top-selling category, flooded with new novels every day. This workshop aims to help you develop your ideas into writing that will excel in this genre.  Do you have a YA novel idea, but can’t decide how to start writing it? Have you started it, but you’re stuck? Have you finished your first draft and are now hoping to polish it? This class might be exactly what you need.

Registration is $79 for members and $99 for non-members. Registration price lunch and all-day beverage service. To register in advance, visit https://floridawriters.net.

The Florida Writers Association, 15,400 members strong and growing, is a nonprofit 501(c) (6) organization that supports the state’s established and emerging writers. Membership is open to the public. For more information about the Florida Writers Association, please visit www.floridawriters.net.

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