02/05/10 - 02/26/10 - Online Workshop - Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Disaster with Misa Ramirez

Does your WIP/MS lack something? Not sure what it is? Are your characters conflicts easily solved? Maybe it's not the plot but Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Disaster. Join Misa Ramirez as she presents her techniques to understand why we must have these fundamental tools under our belt!

February 2010 — Goal, Motivation, Conflict and Disaster
Presented by Misa Ramirez
Dates: February 5-26
Deadline: February 2
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#FEB

Course Description:
Understanding Scene: How Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Disaster Factor into It

According to Dwight Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer, a scene is identified by action. The sequel is the reaction. But what does this mean in terms of your writing? What goes into a scene? Heck, what IS a scene?

The short answer is:
A scene is a representation of a conflict as it plays out for the protagonist of the scene.

Every scene has 4 basic elements:
The point of view character's goal, motivation
The conflict that stands in his or her way
The disaster, which brings into question whether the hero/heroine will succeed
A series of scenes and sequels combine to form your complete story

This online course will take you through the process of understanding the elements of a scene and will introduce the concept of sequel. You will use your favorite fiction to identify how authors use Goal, Motivation, Conflict, and Disaster, as well as write your own scene(s) using these crucial 4 elements. You will come away with a PDF file detailing everything discussed in the course.

Instructor Bio:
Misa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: Living the Vida Lola (January '09) and Hasta la Vista, Lola! (February 2010) from St. Martin's Minotaur. A former middle and high school teacher, and current CEO and CFO for La Familia Ramirez, this blonde-haired, green-eyed, proud to be Latina-by-Marriage girl loves following Lola on her many adventures. Whether it's contemplating belly button piercings or visiting nudist resorts, she's always up for the challenge. Misa is hard at work on a new women's fiction novel, a middle grade series, is published in Woman's World Magazine and Romance Writers Report, and has a children's book published.

Read more about Misa at her website: http://misaramirez.com and
http://chasingheroes.com

You can register for the following on-line class through February 2. Each
class is $16.
FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/