WORKSHOP OFFERS WRITING FEEDBACK, INSTRUCTION

Enrollment is now under way for "What a Novel Idea II: Plotting in Three Acts," a one-day workshop for writers of popular fiction.

The workshop will be held Sept. 26 in Sikeston. Advance registration ends Sept. 16 but walk-in registration will be permitted.

With advance registration writers will receive a critique of one chapter and a synopsis.

"The most forbidding four-letter word in any fiction writer's vocabulary is plot," said Connie Bennett, the workshop instructor. Bennett has written 20 contemporary and historical women's fiction novels.

"Getting an idea for a book is the easy part. Crafting the idea into a full-fledged story line is hard. That's why so many writers become frustrated and abandon their books after the first few chapters."

In the morning session of Bennett's workshop, she will define the three-act structure, its sub-units, and what each unit should accomplish. She will also introduce the novel paradigm, a graphic chart that breaks a story into manageable units.

In the afternoon session, writers will create a novel paradigm based on their own work-in-progress. Bennett will guide a group critique that allows everyone the opportunity to obtain feedback on what they've created.

The workshop will be conducted in the Regency Room of the Best Western Coach House Inn in Sikeston. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The first class starts at 8:30 a.m.

The cost is $50.

To receive registration information, email thewritr@dexter.net or write What a Novel Idea Workshops, Connie Bennett, P.O. Box 14, Dexter, Mo. 63841.

Workshop information and a registration form can be found online at

www.dexter.net/thewritr/WritingWorkshop2.html