Kelley loves talking about writing with other writers, book lovers, and students. She offers fast-paced presentations on some of the thornier aspects of writing, filled with real-life examples. Her dynamic, hands-on workshops let writers tackle writing concepts in a positive, creative group format. Her audiences leave with plenty of “takeaway” information and tips they can use the very next day.
Kelley is willing to travel for speaking engagements, depending on distance and expenses. She’s available to speak on the following topics. She’s also open to creating new presentations based on your needs.
QUERY LETTER WORKSHOP
Learn the dos and don’ts of query letters, then take what you’ve learned and tackle each other’s query letters in this hands-on workshop.
OFF TO A GREAT START
Your opening sentences lay the groundwork for your entire story. Learn how to grab your reader, plant your story’s roots, and make promises you can keep.
DO YOUR SETTINGS WORK AS HARD AS YOU DO? (IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY WORKSHOP!)
If your settings aren’t doing double duty, they’re not working hard enough. Explore how your settings can go beyond time and location to enhance or reveal character, conflict, and atmosphere. Make settings an important tool in your “show, don’t tell” toolbox.
A SURVIVOR’S GUIDE TO PITCHING: BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE PITCH
Pitching your novel to an agent or editor? Learn what to do before, during, and after your pitch to take your pitch session from awkward to awesome.
WEAPONIZE THOSE 5 LOVE LANGUAGES TO DEVELOP CHARACTERS AND BUILD TENSION
We’ll explore the 5 love languages from Gary Chapman’s books and learn how to use love languages to enhance your protagonists, antagonists, and secondary characters, deepen their interactions, and build that all-important tension.
LOGLINES: ONE-SENTENCE TORTURE DEVICES FOR WRITERS
When asked what your story is about, do you ramble for 30 minutes about backstory, emotional arcs, and messy subplots until the person’s eyes glaze over? Or do you give them your one-sentence logline, leaving them hooked and dying to read more? We all know what the answer should be. But loglines are torturously hard to write. Learn how to create a killer logline without losing your sanity.
TELL ME A SECRET: HOW TO INTERVIEW ANYONE ABOUT ANYTHING TO ENRICH YOUR FICTION OR NONFICTION
Sure, Google’s fine for the basic facts, but you’re not interested in writing a basic story. First-person interviews are essential for uncovering the details, unexpected twists, and heart that can elevate both your fiction and nonfiction. Learn how to painlessly interview anyone about anything.
POWER UP YOUR MEMOIR OR PERSONAL ESSAY
Learn how to link personal experiences to universal truths (and vice versa) and how to steal a technique from artists to add depth, elevating your story from a series of anecdotes to a truly powerful memoir, personal essay, or other creative/narrative nonfiction.
CRITIQUE LIKE A BOSS: TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR CRITIQUE GROUP
Learn the 3 types of critique groups, guidelines for review sessions, tips for being a top-notch reviewer, and why critiquing others’ writing is one of the best ways to improve your own manuscript.
EDITING BEYOND GUT FEEL: A CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS
Revising your own work (or critiquing others’ stories) can be overwhelming. Without specific elements to look for, it’s easy to fall back on our “gut feel,” which is hard to articulate and even harder to trust. Learn how to evaluate 17 aspects of storytelling to edit and strengthen any manuscript, including your own!
JUST-IN-TIME DESCRIPTION AND WORLD BUILDING
Whether you write modern mysteries, historical rom-coms, or speculative fiction, your characters exist in a world that includes geography, transportation, money, religion, politics, magic, bureaucracies, pandemics, or natural disasters. Learn how to create a believable world without falling into the trap of info-dumps.
PASSIVE VOICE VS. ACTIVE VOICE – WIELD BOTH LIKE A SUPERHERO
Confused about active voice vs passive voice? You’re not alone. If you’ve been told you’re “using too much passive voice,” what does that mean, and how can you fix it? And should you? Using published examples and a sense of humor, we’ll explore the difference, their pros and cons, and why each may be appropriate in different situations.
POST-CONFERENCE OVERWHELM: WHAT COMES NEXT?
Now that the writing conference you just attended is over, what can you do with all the information, handouts, great ideas, and contacts you’re taking home? Learn tips for organizing what you’ve learned and make an action plan for what to do next.
