Cool Stuff That’s Coming Up…Winter Into Spring

I like to keep myself busy creating and inspiring and supporting others who create and inspire and support others. 🙂 Here’s what’s coming up over the next few months:

February 27th: The Northwest Author Series Presents Nena Baker on Persuasive Writing: Use The Op-Ed To Broaden Your Reach at the Wilsonville Public Library. I will be hosting. Writer’s Digest Market Book door prizes will be awarded to two lucky writers.

This 90-minute presentation on persuasive writing teaches how short opinion pieces – blogs on Huffington Post (to which Baker contributes) or op-eds in major newspapers, for example – broaden a writer’s platform and can lead to book contracts and national interviews. Learn the elements of effective op-ed writing, see examples, and complete a persuasive writing exercise. You’ll also get information on how to place an op-ed. (…more info & check out Nina’s book)

March 1st: Announcing My Third Book With Writer’s Digest. Time to crawl out of the basement and announce my third book for Writer’s Digest Books, which will finally be fully drafted and ringing in a 100,000 pages (or slightly more). Wa-hoo! I am really looking forward to this. I will also announce a  one-week contest for folks who want to participate in the book. Hope you can join in!

Coming Soon For Lucky Subscribers. On Newstands March 2011. You Won't Want To Miss This Great Issue!

COMING MARCH 1ST: Check Out My Article In Writer’s Digest: My article, “50 Simple Ways To Build Your Platform in 5 Minutes a Day,” appears in the March/April issue of Writer’s Digest, which should be hitting stands right about March first (but don’t look for it sooner b/c it won’t be there). For folks who already have an existing platform, I think this is one of the most helpful articles I’ve ever written. For folks who don’t already have an existing platform, you know what to read or take my class in May. There’s still time to get my book under your belt before this awesome issue, “Writer For Hire” hits stands.

March 15th: Celebrating FOUR Years of Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids! My first book was published by Writer’s Digest on this day. Which is also my daughter’s birthday. (Sniff-sniff. Makes me kind of weepy.) I may relaunch The Writer Mama Proudest Moments Celebration from March of last year to commemorate this auspicious day in my writing life. (But we’ll see. Check back.)

March 13th: The Northwest Author Series Presents Christina Katz (that’s me!) on Empowering Writers: Produce Yourself, Partner & Prosper at the Wilsonville Public Library. Writer’s Digest Market Book door prizes will be awarded to two lucky writers.

No matter what genre you call a specialty; writers in today’s marketplace have to know how to hustle. In this 90-minute presentation, you’ll learn the four keys of writing success and how to manage them effectively despite your busy schedule. You’ll discover how to take the reins in your own career and make smart choices that maximize your strengths and gifts. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of how partnering wisely, guarding your privacy, and juggling projects will help sustain you through the highs and lows of a professional writing career. (…more info and view my books)

March 9: Classes with Christina Katz (me again!) and Abigail Green begin. We are offering: Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff, , Personal Essays That Get Published, Pitching Practice: Write Six Queries in Six Weeks, and Turn Your Specialty Into Course Curriculum. We’d love to work with you! (…more info)

April 17: The Northwest Author Series Presents Gigi Rosenberg on Fund Your Projects: Grant Writing for the Literary Artist at the Wilsonville Public Library. I will be hosting. Writer’s Digest Market Book door prizes will be awarded to two lucky writers.

In this hands-on workshop you will learn to write compelling and lively grant applications to fund your writing projects. You will discover how to research funding, decode application questions, and let the grant writing process focus writing goals. You will also find out how to enlist colleagues and friends to help write a successful proposal and leave knowing whether grant writing is the best use of your time or if you would be better off continuing to build a body of work. (…more info and check out Gigi’s new book)

April 3o: I’m a featured speaker at the Terroir Creative Writing Festival. I’ll be kicking things off and making sure all the writers are wide-awake…at least to the necessities of platform. Other speakers include Monica Drake, Jean Auel and more! (…more info)

May 15: The Northwest Author Series Presents Eric M. Witchey on The Short Story: Write It & Sell It In 90 Minutes at the Wilsonville Public Library. I will be hosting. Writer’s Digest Market Book door prizes will be awarded to two lucky writers.

Practicing short fiction has many benefits. In this fun, fast-paced, audience-interactive seminar, popular writing teacher Eric Witchey will demonstrate brainstorming, outlining, and writing techniques that will result in a collaborative short story written on the spot. Attendees of any level of experience will walk away with handouts and techniques they can immediately apply to the development of new short stories, new novels, and existing work revision. (…more info)