The Authors’ Salon at Clockwork Alchemy is morphing. We are expanding our writer-centric offerings and deepening them. For the first time, we will offer an intensive track aimed at writers looking for hands-on workshops. These workshops will be a writers’ retreat housed within Clockwork Alchemy. Experienced authors and editors will be instructing and guiding participants through a variety of topics. See below for specifics.
Editor’s Desk
You’ve written a lot, and shared with friends. But what would professional editors say about your writing? If you’ve never taken the plunge, come join the discussion at The Editor’s Desk! A team of editors will critique submissions they’ve received, giving you an up-close look at what to expect. (AJ Sikes, BJ Sikes, Dover Whitecliff)
Frankensteining: Characters and how to bring them to life
Hands-on character creation with emphasis on taking a protagonist and an antagonist from a blank sheet of paper to a fully believable character. Also works with those who have created characters but want to make them people the reader will get excited about. (T. E. MacArthur, BJ Sikes)
How Not to Disengage Your Readers: Tightening Your Writing
Once you’ve got that first draft finished, it’s time to check for anything that will disengage your readers from your story. We’ll examine writing samples, pointing out instances of head hopping and passive voice. Get tips for tightening your writing with examples of common writing issues. (BJ Sikes, Dr. Sparky McTrowell)
Overcoming Writer’s Block
Have a fantastic steampunk story to tell, but can’t seem to get it down on the page? In the middle of telling a story, but suddenly run out of steam? Writer’s block is real, but don’t worry: it’s curable! We’ll review the science of writer’s block, followed by open Q&A to help unblock YOU! (Anthony Francis)
Pace Like Joss Whedon
Learn and practice Joss Whedon’s FASTER method of pacing in this interactive workshop. Through the works of Whedon, we’ll cover the difference between pace and plot, how pace can make or break a story, and a simple formula for writing page-turning stories. You will analyze pacing in written works as well as edit your own materials or write new pieces. (Kirsten Weiss)
Plotbreaking
Whether you’re writing a young adult novel, a comic book series, or a fantasy epic, the plot of anything longer than a short story can get hairy! In this workshop, we’ll demonstrate a technique called plotbreaking which can get your story out of your head and into the open so you can debug it. (Anthony Francis, BJ Sikes)
“Say What?” Writing Believable (and Effective) Dialogue
“As you know, Archie, twelve years ago, the eight-legged Arcturans handed our knickers to us…” Who talks like that? “Och, I dinnae wan tae go ta tae with ye…” My eyes hurt. In this interactive workshop, we’ll learn how to get effective, believable, understandable dialogue onto the page to bring your characters and your story to life. (Dover Whitecliff)
Setting or Bust
Designing believable fictional worlds, centered on how your setting is in fact an additional cast member, and how to make the most of your setting to create mood and story motion. We will create a workbook style World Chart that will help participants track their creation and maintain continuity. (T. E. MacArthur)
Where Do Ideas Come From?
Ideas are everywhere! Authors are often asked where they get their ideas. Panelists will work through a series of pictures provided by the moderator, generating ideas. Panelists will also be offered the opportunity to share their own slice-of-life pictures for story idea generation. (Dr. Sparky McTrowell)
World Building
The perennial dilemma: You have a sci-fi/fantasy idea. But the world is so different from our own, you feel lost. How and where do you start? What do you include and what do you leave out? Join our cast of historians, writers, and occasional ne’er-do-wells for a World Building Workshop and Q&A. (Harry Turtledove, AJ Sikes, T. E. MacArthur, Mike Tierney)
Write to the End
Want to start writing, or just need a break from the convention? Join us at Write to the End, where we welcome all writing! We alternate writing sessions and reading sessions in a proven technique that’s helped many writers start writing, keep writing, and ultimately finish and publish their work. (Anthony Francis, AJ Sikes)
It is with great pleasure and joy I get to announce that the Volcano Lady #4: The Lidenbrock Manifesto is available for order.
We launched 
Welcome to the Treehouse! 