Online workshops to coach aspiring writers in both creativity and business

Writers, both professional and aspiring, who are looking for some guidance or just some inspiration can find a convenient way to connect with published writers, creative writing professors

and publicists this month with the San Miguel Literary Sala’s online workshops. The Guanajuato organization for authors and poets based in the small city of San Miguel de Allende is known

for putting on the San Miguel Writers’ Conference for over a decade. Last year, it took the plunge into online events when the annual writers’ conference and its year-round schedule of

workshops could not be held in person due to pandemic restrictions. It has so far held several successful events this year via online conferencing platforms like Zoom, including interviews

with high-profile celebrity authors like Tom Hanks and Matthew McConaughey — where participants got a chance to interact directly with the guests — and writing and poetry workshops led by

published authors and other creative professionals. This month, their calendar broadens a bit to offer online workshops not only on the craft of writing but also on publication and publicity

and promotion. The schedule for the workshops is as follows: * JUNE 21 AND 23, 3-4:30 P.M. — DAVID CORBETT: “THE COMPASS OF CHARACTER: CREATING COMPLEX CHARACTER MOTIVATION.” This workshop

from the author of six novels and two books on writing, including _The Art of Character,_ will guide participants in an examination of what he sees as the four key counteracting forces

tugging at a character’s willfulness and motivation: lack, yearning, resistance and desire. * JUNE 21 AND 23, 5:30-7 P.M. — KATHRIN LAKE: “MEMORIES TO MEMOIRS: HOW TO SHOW THE PAST (NOT TELL

IT)” The author of the novel _The_ _Happy Hammock _and the nonfiction _Writing with Cold Feet_ will lead a workshop focusing on making a memoir a compelling read using fiction techniques.

Lake will also help students structure their own memoirs. * JUNE 22 AND 24, 3-4:30 P.M. — JAMIE BRICKHOUSE: “I’VE LOOKED AT PUBLICITY FROM BOTH SIDES NOW: PUBLICITY AND MARKETING FROM A

FORMER BOOK PUBLICIST AND CURRENT AUTHOR” The writer and comedian whose articles have been published in the_ New York Times_, the _Washington Post_, the _Daily Beast_ and _Huffington Post_

and who interviewed Matthew McConaughey for a Literary Sala event in May, will instruct participants on writing a pitch letter and press release, pitching to the media, creating successful

author appearances and the nuts and bolts of going out on a book tour. * JUNE 22 AND 24, 5:30-7 P.M. — JESSICA NELSON: “THE SCIENCE AND ART OF IMAGERY AND METAPHOR” Nelson, a professor of

creative writing and the co-author of the forthcoming book _Advanced Creative Nonfiction_, will draw on lessons from art and poetry to engage participants in multisensory writing. Workshop

tickets are US $80, with discounted prices available via event packages, and can be purchased at the San Miguel Literary Sala website. _Mexico News Daily_