Fiction Writing + Publication Class in #Falmouth #CapeCod #amwriting #writingtips

My "Fiction Writing and Publication" course is coming to Falmouth, MA, this winter!  In this 5-week class, we'll meet on Tuesday evenings beginning January 26th, from 6-8 pm, and we'll cover a multitude of topics related to writing fiction and getting it published.

There's something for writers at every stage in this class.  We'll go over some of the basics, such as identifying genres in commercial fiction (necessary for meeting reader expectations, writing query letters, submitting to small or digital presses, and/or listing your book in Amazon categories), idea inspiration, staying on track and word count goals.  Once we've covered the basics, we'll move on to showing vs. telling, Goal-Motivation-Conflict charts, character development, and the hook. Common pitfalls will be covered, such as info dumps, cliches, Mary Sues, and POV (Point of View) issues/head hopping.

Finally, we'll get to querying agents or presses and writing the dreaded blurbs and synopsis. We'll go over all the different publishing options available as well as promotion and marketing.

Some of the quotes I received in feedback from my latest class: "Sequential and well-planned lectures.  Kathryn gave ample opportunity for discussions and questions...presented a wealth of information"..."Very good class, covered everything"..."Teacher was great!  Knows her subject!"

So if you're near Falmouth, follow the link for registration info: Falmouth Community School.

Hope to see you there!

Guest Teaching a H.S. Creative Writing Class! #amwriting #HONY

Tomorrow is a big day!  Before Thanksgiving, I received an email from an ELA teacher at the local high school, asking if I'd like to come in as a guest speaker in his Creative Writing Class.  Of course I said yes--what an opportunity to share my passion for writing!  I've been teaching a course on Fiction Writing for the local community college for a while now, and my adult participants have all seemed to really enjoy it--but I have little experience creating a lesson plan for a single visit to a class of high school students.

The teacher and I exchanged emails until we worked out a topic for discussion: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict, which is something I spend quite a bit of time on in my own class.  But with the time constraints, we needed to come up with some short examples to analyze after the lecture.  We tossed around a few ideas, and then I hit on something I hope will be engaging, interesting, and effective: two Greek myths full of drama, action, and tragedy.  Once I review the concepts of GMC, we will work as a group to build the GMC charts for several of the characters in each myth.

Then the teacher came up with a great idea for an accompanying exercise for the students after the discussion.  They're going to break into groups and visit the amazing Humans of New York site (HONY).  Many of the stories that accompany the photos reveal the subject's struggle--and often, in the longer stories, it is possible to discern the very real elements of GMC that people face every day.  Students will pick one of the photos and tell us about that person in terms of their goal (what they hope for or dream of), their motivation (why they want this), and the conflict (what they will have to overcome to achieve their dream).  This should be a powerful discussion.

I truly hope the class finds the lesson useful and educational.  And in an odd twist, I discovered that the Beta reader I worked with for DIVINE FALL, my Young Adult Paranormal Romance, is in the class!  Since the protagonist in the book is a 16-year-old girl, and I am not, I contacted the school's volunteer office a few years ago to see if anyone was interested in taking on the project.  So I will get to thank her personally once again, and perhaps motivate some other aspiring writers to become Beta readers in order to learn more about the process.

It is late and the class is early, so I need to get to bed.  Fingers crossed for a great class tomorrow.

Friday #Fitness 10 - Patellar Tendonitis Jumper's Knee

Since fitness is my other passion, I occasionally devote a blog post to that aspect of my life.  I've been teaching group fitness classes--mostly step aerobics but also Zumba and BodyPump--since I was 22 years old.  At the risk of allowing people to calculate my age, that makes it 24 years of teaching high impact classes with no breaks, with the exception of a few weeks around my two pregnancies.  So, it's safe to say my joints have taken a beating over such a long time of repetitive exercise.

Oddly enough, I've stayed mostly injury-free.  I may be old school, but warm-up dynamic stretching and static cool-down stretching are two elements I refuse to skip during class.  This helps to prepare muscles to perform and then releases tension after the workout.  Every once and a while I'll pull a muscle, but it's a rare occurrence, thankfully.

Tendons are a different story, however.  All those years of jumping around have led to something actually called "Jumper's Knee".  Both my knees are affected, at this point.  I could stop teaching and switch to some low impact workouts, but I love what I do.  After 24 years, I'm pretty good at it, and I have a large following of gym members who enjoy my classes.  Plus, cuing a class through an hour of complicated routines forces me to focus on one thing and one thing only: remembering what move comes next, and calling it out several beats before we do it.  This may sound stressful but it's actually almost like meditation for me.  Since I'm a writer, my mind is usually filled with plots and characters, scenes and dialog, twists and reveals, etc.  I tend to get wrapped up in my fictional world, and if things aren't going right there, I get very cranky and obsessive.  Writer's block is not something I handle well.  But if I'm teaching a class, I honestly cannot think of anything other than what I'm doing right at that moment.  It's a wonderful mental break, and that combined with the aerobic activity usually allows my mind to reset, which then allows my imagination to provide a solution to whatever's got me stuck.

So quitting isn't an option.  I have to manage my Jumper's Knee, which is technically known as Patellar Tendonitis.  The patellar tendon connects the patella, or kneecap, to the shin bone.  Inflammation and tiny tears result from repetitive actions and overuse.  In my case, it presents as an ache beneath the kneecap, especially upon bending the knee, and the sensation of weakness in the knee.  I should note here that I've been professionally diagnosed, and I've gone through x-rays, ultrasounds, and physical therapy for this condition.  Since I want to stay active--and keep my job--I use what I learned from both my doctor and PT to keep the condition under control.

Modification: I can no longer do a lot of high impact moves.  High impact essentially means both feet are off the floor at the same time.  Even if I'm instructing my class through these moves, I modify my own moves to protect my knees.  Half-jacks instead of full jumping jacks, lunges on the floor instead of off the step, a march around instead of a hop over the step, etc.  My class knows they have options as well, and they adjust high impact to low impact or vice versa as necessary.

This is the brace I use...it works
great for my needs.

Knee Support: Various types of knee braces are made for this condition.  They all wrap around the knee at the patellar tendon and support and compress the area.  At first, I used a single strap designed with a little rubber tube to cushion the patella and distribute the pressure.  Now, I use something that provides even more support and protection - a "multi-action" brace that wraps around the top of my knee as well as below and has a thick (adjustable) padded buttress to cradle my knee.  The ones I use are made by McDavid.

Shoe Inserts: Since my feet never hurt, it was a revelation to find out I now have flat feet.  Apparently, the arch can fall as we age, and when my doctor took a look at my feet, he noted the problem could very well be contributing to my knee pain.  Many athletic shoe stores now have machines that "map" your feet and pinpoint areas that need support.  I went immediately to have this done, and it turned out my fallen arches were resulting in pronation...which can throw off the alignment of the knees.  Now I put supportive inserts into my workout shoes, and it makes a huge difference.  The ones I like are New Balance Arch Support Insoles.

Ice and Heat: Immediately after class, I take five minutes to ice down my knees.  This reduces any inflammation in the area, controlling pain (for me) without the use of medication.  Hours later, I'll use heat in the form of a cloth bag I made filled with rice.  After microwaving it for about 2 1/2 minutes, I put my feet up (great excuse to take some time out to read!) and place the bag across my knees.  This helps bring blood flow to the area, stimulating healing.

These are the things that work for me, and allow me to continue staying active and doing a job I love...especially important since my other job requires a lot of time spent sitting in front of a computer.  If anything has worked for you, I'd love to hear about it!



  

Television, Talks, and Teaching - #amwriting - Kathryn Knight

Lately I’ve been coming way out of my comfort zone, all for the love of my books.  Self-promotion is hard—very hard—and I’m always looking for new ways to connect with readers.  After all, no one can consider reading a book if they’ve never heard of it!  So I continue to try to take new steps to push my career to the next level.

Last month, before my annual trip to the Delaware beaches, I contacted an independent bookstore located near the boardwalk and requested a book signing event.  Although this was my “vacation”, I figured a few hours devoted to meeting new readers would be a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  And wow, am I glad I took the chance!  Not only did the bookstore agree to host me, the employees did a phenomenal job promoting my event.  I came into town to see my books displayed in the front window on a shelf with bestselling titles like Gone Girl and Cuckoo’s Calling!  Prominent signage along the sidewalk attracted shoppers.  And of course I did my part, sending out press releases to all the local papers and radio stations.

 

GULL HARBOR & SILVER LAKE
had nice real estate!

 

The lighting is bright on set!

In April of 2013, I did my first television interview for a local cable show on books and authors.  The interviewer and I discussed my first novel, SILVER LAKE, and although I was quite nervous, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity.  So, I placed a call a few months ago, asking if I might be invited back to discuss my second novel, GULL HARBOR.  I did that interview on Friday, and although I have not seen it yet (it should air in two weeks), I do know I was a lot less nervous this time around.

 

 

My day job involves teaching fitness classes, and I have many loyal women who come to my classes and enjoy my books as well.  A few of them have gone the extra mile to help me with promotion.  As a recent example, one gym member contacted the manager of a local Cape Cod club she belongs to—and now, I will be giving a presentation at a luncheon in the fall.  I also connect with library support groups, which often hold author lunches to raise funds and serve as social functions.

Finally, I recently contacted the local community college, which is always open to suggestions for continuing education classes for adults.  I sent in my resume and a course proposal on writing fiction and getting published, complete with a syllabus—and I’ve been asked to teach the class!  I’m very excited to share the knowledge I’ve gained over the years…I worked so hard for that initial publishing contract, and along the way I rewrote, revised, got rejected, tried again…and eventually it paid off.  I’ve now branched out to writing in the Young Adult genre as well, which has its own set of challenges.  Many people dream of writing a novel; I hope to help people take that first step, and perhaps face the tasks involved armed with some advanced understanding of what to expect.    

Amidst all this, I am of course devoting time to my first priority, taking care of my family.  Then there’s gearing up for the release of DIVINE FALL, plus trying to squeeze in more work on my 4^th manuscript.  Coffee, anyone?

 

What would I do without you?