Apply the Enneagram System to Your Story Structure with Jeff Lyons!

Can't pin down that ever-elusive story structure? Join us for Jeff Lyons's workshop on July 22nd, and find out how his phenomenal story development method can apply the Enneagram system to your structure!

Junction Function  

How to Use the Enneagram-Story Bridge to Become a Master Storyteller

A Workshop with Storygeeks' Jeff Lyons

Sunday, July 22nd

11:00am-1:00pm

At The Writers Junction

FREE!

Limited Seats Available

RSVP HERE:

http://enneagrambridge.eventbrite.com

open to members & non-members

1001 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

~

At a Glance: 

• Ninety minute introductory lecture on how to use the Enneagram system to discover and develop the right, true, and natural structure of any story.
• Covers the fundamentals of the Enneagram system, its history, applications, and relevance for storytellers.
• Discusses the fundamentals of story structure principles and how the Enneagram is fundamental to the creative writing process.
• Introduces the Enneagram-Story Bridge™ and the essentials of Rapid Story Development™.
• Appropriate for screenwriters, novelists, and creative nonfiction authors. 

Storytelling is not dependent on any form; a story can be painted, danced, written, staged, or mimed. But all stories are dependent upon having a structure. Every story has one. Every story must have one. This presentation describes a new and powerful story development methodology that can guide participants through the intricate process of developing any story idea into its right, true, and natural structure. The key to success lies in understanding the dynamic and intimate relationship between story structure principles and the Enneagram system.

The Enneagram is the most powerful system available today that describes the nine core personality drives underlying all human behavior. Each of the nine personality drives is rooted in thoughts, feelings, and actions that largely determine how we interact with the world, for good or ill. Everyone has an Enneagram -- including fictional characters and stories themselves! Story structure and the Enneagram are two must-have tools every writer needs in their writing toolbox. This introductory lecture reveals how any story's structure is related to, and determined by, the Enneagrams of the characters that populate any story. Every story knows how it should best be told. If you can cross the Enneagram-Story Bridge, this lecture can teach you how to listen to your story so that you can be a master at telling any story.

If you are ready to learn real tools that will lead to productive and profitable story development, then this lecture is for you. Sign up today!

About Jeff Lyons:

Jeff Lyons is an independent writer-producer with more than 25 years' experience in the entertainment and publishing industries. His company, Storygeeks, is a professional services company offering story consulting, training, and editorial services for authors, screenwriters, indie producers, and indie literary agencies.

Testimonials:

"Jeff Lyons's mind-blowingly brilliant combo of the Enneagram and innovative story structure shakes things up and virtually reinvents the storytelling wheel. I'm hooked!"

~Caroline Leavitt: New York Times Bestselling Author of Pictures of You, Award-winning UCLA Novel Writing instructor, Book Critic

"Jeff's method for developing story is deceptively simple yet wildly effective. Following his steps at the beginning of my writing process has saved me hours of painful rewriting down the line. Highly recommended for screenwriters and novelists alike!"

~Teresa Huang: Staff Writer NBC's Knight Rider (2010)

"Jeff Lyons's unique insights on the Enneagram and its impact on story structure is at once comprehensible and enlightening. Since making use of it, my characters have sprung to authentic life. All writers should give this a try." 

~Masha Hamilton: Award-winning Author 31 Hours, The Camel Bookmobile; Journalist

"Unlike most writing gurus, Jeff Lyons is actually a real writer. He not only 'gets' story at its deepest level, he can guide even a novice writer through the steps necessary to create a polished, commercial screenplay or novel. Hire him!"

~Stephen David Brooks-Writer / Director Heads N TailZ

"Jeff Lyons has an impeccable grasp of story. Grounded in the fundamentals, with a deep understanding of what makes characters tick, Jeff is a superlative instructor, coach and mentor. Storygeeks is the best!"

~Julie Gray-Founder 'Just Effing Entertain Me'

Book Publishing Today: What Every Author Should Know

The Writers Junction is excited to invite you to a...

Junction Function

Book Publishing Today

What Every Author Should Know

Featuring Professionals in the Publishing Industry:

Panio Gianopoulos, Palindrome Media & Backlit Fiction  

Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management 

Wendy Goldman Rohm, The Rohm Agency 

Jennifer Rofe, Andrea Brown Literary Agency
BJ Robbins, BJ Robbins Literary Agency

And Moderator: Colette Sartor

Join us for an insightful evening with fantastic professionals who will share their tips, stories, and perspectives about the publishing industry today.

Want to know how to build your platform? How to get an agent? What's the deal with e-publishing?

Send those questions you want answered to info@writersjunction.com and we'll address them at the panel!

~

Wednesday, June 27th

7:00pm-9:00pm

At The Writers Junction

$15 Admission

Limited Seats Available

Buy your tickets HERE:

http://bookpublishingtoday.eventbrite.com

open to members & non-members

1001 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

~

About the Panelists:

Panio Gianopoulos is a writer, editor, and publisher, and most recently the Co-Founder of Backlit Fiction, a digital imprint dedicated to YA serial fiction. During his seven years as an editor at Bloomsbury Publishing, Panio edited titles across nearly every genre, including bestselling memoirs by Chelsea Handler and Anthony Bourdain, and the original literary tie-in for the HBO series Deadwood. A former BCG consultant focusing on the entertainment industry, he received his M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. His novella, The Hunter, will be published in Sep 2012, and his short story collection, Luxuries, is slated for a spring 2013 release.

Michael Bourret joined Dystel & Goderich Literary Management as an intern while studying film and television production at New York University, and began at the agency full-time in 2000. After ten years as an agent in the New York office, Michael now works in Los Angeles in the West Coast office of DGLM. There, he continues to represent his own list of bestselling and award-winning clients while also aggressively pursuing new film and television opportunities. Michael is always on the lookout for exceptional writers with unique ideas, no matter what the category. He is currently looking for middle grade and young adult fiction, commercial adult fiction, and all sorts of nonfiction, from practical to narrative. He's especially interested in food and cocktail related books, memoir, popular history, politics, religion (though not spirituality), popular science, and current events. And if you've got something on bourbon or tennis, even better.

  

Wendy Goldman Rohm, a New York Times bestselling author who has taught and lectured for MediaBistro, Yale University, onboard the QEII, and at numerous universities and organizations in the US, Europe and Asia. Rohm is in the unusual position of understanding the publishing world from the creative side as well as the business side, having worked in publishing as an author as well as agent and development editor for more than two decades. In addition to representing its author clients to top publishers, The Rohm Agency offers ghost-writing services, developmental editing, and collaborative projects between authors and subjects. Rohm's publisher clients have included Random House, The New York Times Syndicate International, Wired magazine, Tina Brown's Talk magazine, Men's Vogue, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, Financial Times of London, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Conde-Nast, Ziff-Davis, John Wiley & Sons, Jossey-Bass, The Magazine Group, and many others. She's also been a literary agent and author for Sterling Lord Literistic, New York; The Waxman Agency, NY; and Waterside Productions, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif.

Jennifer Rofe is a literary agent for Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and handles children's fiction projects ranging from picture books to young adult. Middle grade is Jennifer's soft spot and she's open to all genres in this category, especially the tender or hilarious. She is always looking for fresh and distinct voices; stories that simultaneously tug at her heartstrings and make her laugh out loud; and "adorkable" heroes. As for YA, Jennifer is drawn to contemporary works; dramatic or funny romance; and urban fantasy/light sci-fi. She's especially interested in mind-blowingly smart projects that are layered, complex, and unexpected, and she appreciates big, developed worlds. In terms of picture books, early readers, and chapter books, she is interested in character-driven projects and smart, exceptional writing.

BJ Robbins opened her Los Angeles-based agency in 1992 after a multi-faceted career in book publishing in NY. She started in publicity at Simon & Schuster and was later Marketing Director and then Senior Editor at Harcourt. Her Agency represents quality fiction, both literary and commercial, and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, biography, narrative history, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine and health. A member of AAR and Pen USA West, Ms. Robbins has led workshops at UCLA Extension, UC Irvine Extension and at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Fiction Workshop. On behalf of PEN, she has been guest speaker in numerous cities in the West as part of their Writers Toolbox program, including Seattle, Portland, Santa Fe, Dallas, Las Cruces, Flagstaff and Oakland. She was recently profiled in Writer's Digest and mediabistro.com. The BJ Robbins Literary Agency works with both established and first-time authors and is looking for projects of literary merit that are fresh and original.

About the Moderator:

Colette Sartor's work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Kenyon Review Online, Printers Row Journal, The Drum, Prairie Schooner, Colorado Review, Harvard Review, Fugue, Quarterly West, and elsewhere. She has won a Writers@Work Fiction Prize, a Nelson Algren Award, a Fugue Prose Award, a Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Award, a Reynolds Price Short Fiction Award, an honorable mention in Best American Short Stories 2009, and a Truman Capote fellowship from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she completed her MFA.

As a freelance editor, she has edited numerous fiction and nonfiction projects, including a creative writing textbook, and she served as senior fiction editor for the prize-winning online journal, Pif Magazine. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, and very large German Shepherd puppy and teaches creative writing at UCLA Extension Writers' Program.

Hi everyone!

Hi all, I’m the new summer intern at The Writers Junction. I’ll be around the office in June on Mondays and Tuesdays to help out with some of the administrative tasks and event planning.

I’m a rising senior English major at Yale in the Writing Concentration (what else) but an Angeleno born and raised. I write essays and short stories, and I’m also thinking about trying screenwriting this upcoming semester. I hope to maybe/possibly/eventually make money at this after graduating. In July I’m attending the NY State Summer Writer’s Institute in Saratoga Springs for a series of fiction workshops with Margot Livesey, Joanna Scott, Amy Hempel and Mary Gaitskill. 

I’m so excited to be able to work in and around a community of writers, and everyone has been really welcoming so far. I’ve met some of you already but feel free to introduce yourselves – I am hoping to pick up a little knowledge about what you write and what it’s like to work professionally as a writer (I'll loiter around the coffee accordingly).

7-Step Premise Development with Jeff Lyons

We walked away inspired after Jeff Lyons's premise workshop in February. Couldn't make it? Don't miss this one! It's valuable for screenwriters, novelists, and creative nonfiction authors alike.

Junction Function

The 7-Step Premise Development & Testing Process: 

How to Create, Build, and Test the Perfect Premise Line for Any Story 

A Workshop with Storygeeks' Jeff Lyons  

Saturday, June 9th

1:00pm-4:30pm

At The Writers Junction

$65 {an $85 value}

Limited Seats Available

Buy your tickets  HERE:

 http://premiseprocess.eventbrite.com

open to members & non-members

1001 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

~

A solid premise line is essential in writing effective agent or publisher query letters, for pitching to film production companies, or for having that perfect elevator pitch ready for that unexpected meeting with whoever might be empowered to move your story forward to final publication or production. But how do you know you really have a story? And how do you know your story will "work"? 

The way you know is by learning the real meaning, purpose, and power of the premise line. The premise line is not just a "pitch tool" -- it is your canary in the coalmine, and when fully mastered can save you time, money, and years of writing frustration. In this hands-on course, participants will learn how to master the dynamic process of premise line creation, design, and testing, which is so critical for validating any story's narrative integrity. Along with case studies from the movies and literature, participants will take original story ideas and then implement premise building and testing techniques to generate an original premise line, as well as developing a story's log line.

Please bring one or two story ideas to develop in class.

About Jeff Lyons:

Jeff Lyons is an independent writer-producer with more than 25 years' experience in the entertainment and publishing industries. His company, Storygeeks, is a professional services company offering story consulting, training, and editorial services for authors, screenwriters, indie producers, and indie literary agencies.    

Book Proposal Basics with Gemini Adams

Finally finished the next great American novel,

but have no clue how to sell it?

Junction Function 

Book Proposal Basics 

A Workshop with Finish Your Book's Gemini Adams 

Wednesday, May 9th

7:30pm-9:30pm

At The Writers Junction

Regular Ticket Price: $35 

*** Exclusive Junction Discounted Ticket Price: $25 ***

*** For discount, check your e-mail for promo code! ***

Limited Seats Available

Buy your tickets HERE:

http://bookprobasics.eventbrite.com

open to members & non-members

1001 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401

~

Despite all the talk about self-publishing, many authors are still getting decent advances, traditional publishing deals, and successfully selling subsidiary foreign, film & TV, book club, and serialization rights for their work. Self-publishing can be costly, ineffective, and may not be the best way to bring your book to market.

If you still want a traditional book deal or are a fiction writer, then this 2-hour seminar is for you, and relevant for writers at all stages of the process -- including those who've already been published and those who have yet to type a word. Multiple award-winning author and Book Midwife Gemini Adams will explain the essential elements of creating a powerful book proposal to present your fiction or nonfiction book to agents and publishers.

About Gemini Adams:

 

Gemini Adams is the founder of the Finish Your Book educational program for budding authors and Live Consciously Publishing; she is the co-author of three books, and author of a bestseller, which received various awards, including the National Best Book Award 2009 and Mom's Choice Gold Award 2010. Her books have been translated into Spanish and Japanese.

She's also secured publishing deals with Sterling, Duncan Baird, Random House and Heart Shuppan, while her Finish Your Book students and clients have secured representation from New York and London literary agents including Lynn Franklin Associates, Claire Gerus Literary Agency, Mulcahy-Conway Associates, Janklow & Nesbit, Bookends and direct publishing deals with Putnam (Penguin Group), Greenleaf Books, Michael Weise, No Limit, and Findhorn Press. She is also a member of the Society of Authors, the Independent Publishers Association and VP of Education at the Publishers Association of Los Angeles.

Testimonials

"Even though I had a pretty good sense of how to write a book I had no idea how to go about soliciting an agent and a publishing deal. Gemini took me on a hand held tour through the very complicated and confusing process of constructing a book proposal. She answered all my questions, made insightful, experienced suggestions and was fun and charming and made me feel comfortable. She also had helpful ideas about which agents to solicit and the best way to approach them. She even spent extra time helping me craft a terrific query letter. Gemini's goal is help you do it right the first time!"

~Adria Tennor

"After several years of wallowing around aimlessly with a book concept, I attended Gemini's "Finish Your Book" course in hopes of getting some direction and inspiration. And that is exactly what happened. With Gemini's guidance, I was able to correct some structural flaws that kept tripping me up, and most importantly, was motivated to sit down and actually finish the manuscript. And now I have a two book deal with Putnam (Penguin Group) to show for it. She can't write your book for you, but she can help you craft it, package it and help you get motivated to put words on the page." 
~Mitch Larson

Getting Started: Writing Your First Novel - A Master Class with Mark Sarvas

 

Always wanted to write a novel, but have no clue where to start?

Join us for...

GETTING STARTED: Writing Your First Novel

A One-Day Master Class with Mark Sarvas 

Mark Sarvas has taught his master class, GETTING STARTED, at the Melbourne Writers Festival, the University of Nebraska and around the world, and he currently teaches novel writing at UCLA.

There is no single road map to writing literary fiction, and without the support of a writing program, getting started on a first novel can seem especially bewildering. In this day-long master class session with Mark Sarvas, internationally noted blogger, reviewer and debut novelist, students will have the chance to learn how to direct their efforts from the outset. With working sessions on theme, language, character, story, beginnings and "reading like a writer", Sarvas makes this enormous undertaking seem a little less forbidding. Straight-talking, opinionated and passionate, Sarvas will look at instructive examples past and present and send students off ready to commit that manuscript to paper.

"Mark is very knowledgeable and as a published author he is able to convey to a beginning writer a 'real world' approach to writing and the challenges involved in completing a novel."

  

Sunday, May 6th 

9:00am-5:00pm

At The Writers Junction 

Regular Registration: $300 

*** Early Bird Discounted Registration for the First 5 Signups: $250 *** 

*** For discount, enter promo code: EBDSARVAS ***

Limited Seats Available

Buy your tickets HERE:

 http://firstnovel.eventbrite.com 

open to members & non-members

1001 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401 

~

About Mark Sarvas: 

Mark Sarvas's debut novel Harry, Revised (Bloomsbury) was a Denver Post Best Book of 2008 and a finalist for the So Cal Independent Booksellers Association's Fiction Award. It has been translated into more than a dozen languages in 15 countries. Sarvas's literary blog, The Elegant Variation, was a Forbes Magazine Best of the Web pick, and a Los Angeles magazine Top L.A. Blog. His reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Threepenny Review, and The Barnes and Noble Review, among others. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and PEN American Center.   

Testimonials:

"Mark Sarvas's first novel is funny and sad, rueful, wised-up and curiously moving. A remarkable debut."

~Booker Prize winner John Banville, bestselling author of The Sea

"A scathingly funny but also wise and tender debut."

~Sam Lipsyte, Home Land

"Mark Sarvas's debut novel is fun, fast and heartfelt."

~Joshua Ferris, Then We Came to the End

"A marvelous, enviable debut."

~Andrew Sean Greer, The Confessions of Max Tivoli

"Brilliantly funny and heart-wrenching."

~Library Journal

"A self-assured, comic and satisfying story."

~Publishers Weekly

The Writers Junction Invites You to the Live Premiere of...

   

at The Writers Junction

Saturday, March 24, 2012   

7pm-8pm Reception

8:30pm-9:30pm Showtime! 

9:30-10pm Book Sales and Signing  

 

Book fans, this is your kind of Saturday night! 

  

Join BookRadio Show Host Kari Moran at The Writers Junction in Santa Monica for a cool evening of camaraderie and scintillating conversations with a trio of today's best-selling authors! Plus, get the latest e-book news in  ALL ABOUT e and enjoy the Blues-Rock sounds of  Runaway Truck Ramp, featuring Blues-Harp virtuoso, Tim Carter and HitCiti guitarist, Kurt Harpel.

   

Enjoy BookRadio's Complimentary Pre-Show Reception at The Junction

Beer courtesy of Samuel Adams & Boston Beer Company!

Wine and Sodas, too!

Delicious snacks!

  Tickets $25 - Get your tickets here:   

http://kmbrs2012.eventbrite.com

   

Enter our raffle and you could be among the 15 winners of signed First Editions or win the BookRadio Door Prize: "Boomz" Wireless Desktop Speakers!   

Special Guest Authors

How about a new book about an iconic American artist and the life lessons she taught by example as a Kick-Ass Woman?  

KAREN KARBO - How Georgia Became O'Keefe - Lessons on the Art of Living

You've heard about Albert Nobbs... now, learn the intriguing, true story of a courageous young woman who, disguised as a man, becomes one of the West's most famous "Whips":  

KAREN KONDAZIAN - The Whip - A Novel Inspired by the True Story of Charlotte "Charlie" Parkhurst (1812-1879)

Plus, get some sage insights about the woes of wealth from a Harvard-educated attorney who oversees the fortunes of the superrich:

RICHARD WATTS, Esq. - Fables of Fortune: What Rich People Have That You Don't Want

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