Jessica Page  Morrell, Author
If writing was easy, everyone would be doing it. But the long hours spent
at a computer are often fraught with anxiety, uncertainty, and tough choices.
Jessica Page Morrell believes that writers need solid and concise
information that they can immediately put to use, proven strategies to
jump start their careers, and inspiration to keep going when a manuscript
bogs down. Her workshops aim to increase a writer's chances of getting
published; suggest ways of succeeding at the writing life; ignite
creativity; and help writers navigate the evolving marketplace.
Since she began teaching writers in 1991 and editing in 1995, many of her
students and clients have gone on to publish their work. Her workshops are
lively, focused, and filled with practical insights. Her classes and
workshops have been offered through writing conferences, college programs,
through her own venue, and on-line at iVillage.com. While serving as the
Writing Expert at iVillage.com, one of the world's largest and most
influential web sites, her content was voted by Writer's Digest as one of
101 Best Sites for Writers.
Workshop and writing conference participants have described her as: "a
torrent of information," "lots of practical information with excellent
concrete examples," and "Absolutely everything she says is packed
with
value." She also teaches at corporations and speaks for writers groups
and
various conferences around the country.
She is the author of Between the Lines: master the subtler aspects
of
writing fiction published by Writer’s Digest
Books, The I Ching
Writer’s Companion with coauthor Elaura Niles published
by Running
Press in September 2006, Voices from the Street based on interviews
with homeless people in Portland, Oregon and Writing Out the Storm,
Collectors Press and four booklets on writing.
Morrell works as writing coach and freelance editor and book doctor. She's
been writing a monthly column about topics related to which currently
appears in The Willamette Writer, writes a monthly newsletter, The Writing
Life, a web log, thewritinglifetoo.blogspot.com and contributes articles
to on-line sites, newspapers, and public radio.
Workshop(s)
Advanced: Whispers, Theme, and Premise in Fiction (workshop)
Friday, October 20, 2006 (1:30 PM to 3:00 PM) Theme and premise simmer beneath the narrative and, like other elements in fiction, often whisper. This workshop will clarify how theme and premise work in fiction; how they lend significance to the events in fiction and reflect larger meanings; and how they create boundaries helpful for plotting. It will also explain how theme works as a connecting thread woven into the story, creating unity among the elements. We will cover how premise is the takeaway message in fiction and is a truth or understanding that is revealed specifically by the story events and ending. Examples from a range of novels and films will enhance the discussion.
Advanced: The Sizzle—Suspense and Tension in Fiction (workshop)
Saturday, October 21, 2006 (3:30 PM to 5:00 PM) Fiction isn’t written to make readers happy. Its purpose is to jangle their nerves, make their hearts race, give them goose bumps, and disturb their sleep. Unlike real life where people usually avoid conflict and misery, in fiction, the best parts of the story are where the characters are in the worst trouble. Tension, along with suspense, jabs at the reader’s senses, keeps him turning the page, and insures that by the final scene his nerves are stretched to the point of unraveling. Tension is a force field in fiction, created on a word-by-word basis and underlying every scene. Suspense is a technique that requires sleight of hand and is tied to our reader’s primal instincts and fears. In this workshop we’ll discuss how to worry readers by using language, peril, discomfort, prolonging dread, cliffhangers, fish-out-of- water scenarios, set pieces, time running out, and other elements.
Advanced: Secondary Characters—Love ‘em or Leave ‘em (workshop)
Sunday, October 22, 2006 (11:00 AM to 12:15 PM) Without captivating secondary characters a story doesn’t contain enough spice, drama or interest. Imaginatively written supporting characters leave their own particular note in the reader’s memory; enliven and propel the scenes that they appear in; and like leading characters, they breathe, hurt and sizzle on the page. We’ll cover the most common problems writers are prone to: cardboard, underdeveloped, stereotypical, or indistinct characters who lack physical characteristics or personality. Secondary characters must also have back story, motivation, inner conflict, and personality. But the trick here is to be selective—choosing traits and details for the good of the whole. We’ll discuss achieving balance between main and secondary characters so that the secondary characters are not overdrawn, overshadow, or distract from the main events. Finally, we’ll cover the ‘jobs’ minor characters perform such as moving the plot along, foreshadowing events; and inserting information about the protagonist or story.
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