From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At Hybrid session On Zoom - and at the library
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Joan Griffin - Zoom Only
Joan lives under the spell of wanderlust. She takes wing, whenever possible, for actual destinations near and far and for literary locales in the pages of books. A native Californian and proud UCLA Bruin, Joan lives in the Northern California foothills of the majestic Sierra Nevada, a world she loves exploring. Joan navigated her way through two careers—marketing computers, then sailboats—before applying her love of storytelling to her dual passions of teaching and writing. Retired after 25 years of teaching middle school, Joan currently teaches classes in literature and women’s history at the Osher Lifelong Learning Program (OLLI) at both Sierra College and UC Davis. Joan’s adventure memoir, Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail, was published by Black Rose Writing. She is currently writing her second memoir about growing up adopted.
First Workshop - Lifting Boat & Climbing Mountains: Literary CitizenshipThough writers often work alone, successful authors are active members of a community. Literary Citizenship is about engaging, supporting, collaborating, and sharing with other members of the literary community for the benefit of all. How can we all be good literary citizens?
Amber WardenA former numbers cruncher, she left the accounting world to write emotional contemporary romance instead and now has 30 published titles across two pen names. Her main hope is for those reading her stories to take away the feeling that they are more than enough for anyone.
Selling the Feeling: Creating Emotion-Driven Romance HooksDevelop stronger marketing hooks, one-line descriptions, and elevator pitches by focusing on the emotional experience readers are seeking.
Discover how to turn your romance premise into a compelling emotional hook that attracts readers instantly. This workshop helps writers move beyond plot summaries and learn how to market the feeling of their story through emotional tension, reader fantasy, and trope-driven appeal. Attendees will practice developing stronger one-line descriptions and elevator pitches by identifying the emotional core of their romance and the experiences readers are truly looking for.