Long
Island
Romance
Writers
Upcoming Workshops
Join LIRW for monthly classes and workshops via Zoom! Most classes are free for members. Non-members may sign-up for classes for a fee by clicking REGISTER below
or emailing longislandromancewriters@gmail.com
March 1st - March 31st 2025
Online Intensive Workshop
Linnea Sinclair
World-Weaving: Keep the Data, Avoid the Dump
$25 for non-LIRW members, $10 for LIRW members
Characters and their stories require the construction of “worlds,” from the character’s physical location (known or invented), to the character’s occupation, to the character’s social, political, and economic structure...and more. For many writers, this means compiling pages of detailed and fascinating facts that often get dumped into the storyline—and onto the reader—like a load of soggy laundry and with about the same effect: Readers get bored and the story flops to a halt. But wait! Instead of the dump, do the weave.
In this World-Weaving workshop, award-winning author Linnea Sinclair will show you how to seamlessly integrate your beloved research into your story and make it feel real, immediate and exciting.
Winner of the prestigious national book award, the RITA®, science fiction romance author Linnea Sinclair is a name synonymous with high-action, emotionally intense, character-driven novels. Her books have claimed spots in the Locus Top Ten and received starred reviews in Publisher’s Weekly. Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine consistently gives Sinclair’s books 4-1/2 stars (their highest rating). Starlog magazine calls Sinclair “one of the reigning queens of science fiction romance.”
Her previous careers include news reporting and private investigation. Since 2000, she’s taught seminars in the craft of writing for all levels of writers via on-line writing sites and at writing conventions nationwide.
Sinclair resides in Pensacola, Florida with her husband, Robert Bernadino, and their thoroughly spoiled cats. Readers can find her perched on the third barstool from the left in her Intergalactic Bar and Grille at www.linneasinclair.com
Website: www.linneasinclair.com
Email: linnea@linneasinclair.com
Represented by: The Nelson Literary Agency
March 22, 2025
11:00AM EST
Meara Platt Presents: Chemistry Between Main Characters and How Secondary Characters Affect the Romance
$10 for non-members. Includes Recording!
So you have your hero and heroine, now what do they do? And how do you get your readers to care what they do? Meara Platt, USA Today bestselling author of over 70 historical romances, dives into the elements that create the world within which your main characters (hero/heroine) interact. What motivates them? How do they interact with others? How do setting and secondary characters set the tone for your story? How do you inject yourself into the story to develop your author brand?
Meara Platt is an award winning, USA TODAY bestselling author of over fifty historical romances and one completely left brain, award winning gothic/fantasy series filled with Dragon Lords, Fae warriors, and a mysterious stone containing an ancient Fae prophecy that is about to unfold. Learn more about Meara’s lighthearted and humorous Regency romances in her Farthingale series and Book of Love series, or her warmhearted Regency romances in her Moonstone Landing series, or meet her dark Fae in her Dark Gardens series by visiting her website at www.mearaplatt.com
April 5, 2025
3-Hour Workshop - Time TBD
THE GENRE PLOT: form vs. formula with Damon Suede
$25 for Non-Members
A plotting class even pantsers love… Even when a happy ending is certain, a great plot keeps your writing fresh while anchoring your audience and amplifying your voice. Learn how to craft a sure-fire structure that will keep you on the path to success. In this 3 hour workshop, we’ll go beyond the bullet points, soundbites, and blather to dig into the wisdom in all plot theory with ample examples. Rather than hammering on one “true” blueprint, we’ll break down the major story models from Aristotle to Netflix, identify their seven shared points, and help you develop your own narrative strategy.
Bestselling author Damon Suede has been a full-time writer for print, stage, comics, and screen for three decades. He has won some awards, but counts his blessings more often: his amazing friends, his demented family, his beautiful husband, his loyal fans, and his silly, stern, seductive Muse who keeps whispering in his ear, year after year.