Have you (or a friend) always wanted to write a novel, but aren’t sure where to start — or even what kind of book to write? Have a dozen or more “story starts” abandoned in your Word files and feeling demoralized? Halfway through your first novel only to have it screech to a halt? Join Karen for a weekend retreat in quaint Fayetteville, Texas and get the mojo you need to get your novel started or back on track — and FINISHED — in 2016!

In an intimate setting, Karen will give you the confidence and tools to finish your novel… and get started on the next one! She’ll teach you how to decide what to write, how to piece together the nuts and bolts of a novel, how to craft a protagonist your readers will relate to, how to make conflict your friend, how to break a story down into manageable chunks, and even how to decide what to write. You’ll have an opportunity to ‘plot’ a sample novel, and Karen will share the tools she uses to figure out how to get from Chapter One to The End. Karen will also talk about writing schedules, enlisting support — and what to do with your book once you’ve finished it.
Karen’s former students include Janice Hamrick, whose debut novel, DEATH ON TOUR, won the Mystery Writers of America/Minotaur Books First Crime Novel competition and was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, and Mo Daviau, whose debut novel, EVERY ANXIOUS WAVE, will be released from St. Martin’s Press in 2016.
Workshop space is limited (there are only 5 spaces left), so register early!

Dates: January 29 – January 31
Proposed schedule (may vary based on group needs):

Friday Night: Wine and cheese with Karen and group from 7:00 – 9:00

Saturday Morning:
8:00 – 9:00 — Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00 — It’s not a marathon; it’s a series of short strolls! Putting things into perspective. Choosing a manageable — and marketable — project. Breaking down the novel, analyzing types of books, book mapping tools. Plotting practice exercise.
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 5:00 — Nuts and bolts of writing: Unraveling the scene, creating tension and suspense, subplots, characters, conflict, and points of style. (Will vary based on needs of participants.) More plotting practice!
6:00 – 7:30 Dinner at local restaurant
7:30 – 9:00 Karen will be available for chatting, questions, etc. in hotel living room

Sunday
8:00 — Breakfast
9:00 – 12:00 — Making it happen: Now that you’ve got a road map, what do you do? How to make — and stick to — a writing schedule that will keep you moving. The power of commitment and a supportive community. And what to do when you’re done with your novel!
12:00 – 1:00 — Lunch
1:00 – 3:30 Wrap-up, questions… then go home and make it happen!

Cost: $285 (not including accommodation and meals — if you are staying at the Country Place Hotel in Fayetteville, Texas, the Heimsaths will provide a delicious full breakfast with your room). There are only eight rooms at the hotel, so reserve ASAP; alternate accommodations in town are available if needed.

To register, e-mail your name, address, phone number, where you are in the writing process, the kind of book you think you want to write (if you know), and what you most want out of the weekend to [email protected].  You can use PayPal (account is [email protected]) or mail a check to Karen MacInerney c/o Heimsath Architects, 7509 Manchaca Road, Building 4, Austin, TX 78745.