Colorado Free University

Go to www.freeu.com to view complete course descriptions and instructor bios. 46 Writing Designing & Illustrating Children’s Picture Books You’ve dreamed of illustrating children’s picture books but you don’t know where to begin. This hands-on workshop, taught by a professional children’s book illustrator, will get you going. Learn how to divide your story into the proper format, identify key scenes to illustrate, create memorable characters, and incorporate text with your illustrations. Students will work on thumbnails, character designs, and the composition of a two-page spread in class. Learn how to construct a picture book dummy and what kinds of illustrations are needed in a portfolio. Anna-Maria Crum has illustrated over 50 children’s books and has served on the board for RMC-SCWBI and PBAA. She also taught illustration, graphic design, and typography for fourteen years at ACC. Class is great for novices as well as accomplished artists, and it’s even great for folks who want to create a more personal children’s book to tell a family story for their own children or grandchildren. $141 Non-Member $129 Member $5 materials fee payable in class CFU LOWRY : Near 1st & Quebec 2002AK: Four Sat., 1–3PM Begins 9/7 Think Like a Teen The Keys to Writing Young Adult Fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a relatively new genre that has quickly become a top seller, and you may be surprised that over 50 percent of young adult readers are adults, not teens. YA is exciting for writers because the rules of the genre are not firmly set, creating room for experimentation. In this overview, explore what makes a novel young adult, as well as common misconceptions about the category. The key is learning how to think like a teenager as you explore the internal and external conflicts of adolescence. Some class time will be spent reading short examples and discussing what works. Caitlin Berve has an MFA in creative writing and poetics from Naropa University and wrote her critical thesis on “What Makes a Young Adult Novel.” She is the owner of Ignited Ink Writing, LLC, where she freelance and contract writes and edits. Her work has been published in several literary magazines, and her first book will be released in October 2019. $51 Non-Member $39 Member $2 materials fee payable in class CFU LOWRY : Near 1st & Quebec 1899O9: One Thu., 6–9PM 6/27 1899P: One Thu., 6–9PM 8/22 1899Q: One Wed., 6–9PM 10/23 Inside the Publishing Industry Get Your Manuscript Through the Door Gain first-hand knowledge of the industry from local author Jeff Danelek . Discuss various paths to publication available to aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers and how to overcome the hurdles, pitfalls and scams so common to the industry. Discuss whether you need and how to acquire an agent, how to write an effective query letter and synopsis, and how to build a platform from which to sell your book. Look at the value of entering writing contests, how and when to pitch to agents and editors, and other useful tricks of the trade designed to get your name into print. A must for beginning authors and “old hands” who have been trying for years to get their manuscript into print without success. A member of the Author’s Guild, Jeff designed this course to teach serious writers how to get their manuscript into the hands of an agent or editor. $61 Non-Member $49 Member CFU LOWRY : Near 1st & Quebec 1963BS: One Sat., 1–3:30PM 8/3 1963BT: One Sat., 1–3:30PM 10/12 So You Want to Write a Book Getting Your Book Written & Published So you want to write a book—a publishable book! This seminar gives you key tools to conceive, write, and sell your work to publishers. Learn to think about your work as a product, assess your competition, and sell your product to a publisher. Topics include: how to find good book, novel, or article ideas, ways to research your idea, the most suitable genre for reaching your target market, and five elements to include in anything you write. Learn strategies for the first, second, third drafts and how to get a publisher, an agent, and a contract. Also learn about e-book publishing and the future of publishing. Othniel Seiden, MD , worked in advertising, writing for radio, television, and newspaper before medical school. Author of articles for magazines, medical columns, and editorials, he has been a book and magazine editor and a technical writer for medical devices. Author of So You Want to Write a Book , he has had over 50 books published, including novels, self-help books, histories, and a language course. Google him! $52 Non-Member $40 Member $15 recommended optional materials fee payable in class CFU LOWRY : Near 1st & Quebec 1999AA: One Sat., 1–4PM 7/13 1999AB: One Sat., 1–4PM 8/24 1999AC: One Sat., 1–4PM 9/28 1999AD: One Sat., 1–4PM 10/26 Self-Publishing Ins & Outs, Pros & Cons More and more writers are venturing into self-publishing to get their work out. This is your opportunity to get the inside scoop. Evaluate the pros and cons, find out where to go and how to get your work into print, and get guidance about marketing and distribution. Explore the trade-offs of selling with Amazon with its wide reach and built-in algorithm of royalties versus using another platform that lets you keep a much higher percentage of sales. Whatever your genre, this class will take the mystery out of the business and help you think like a publisher while you write. Alex Delia runs a small press in Denver called Puncture. He publishes books on genre fiction, comic books, and pop culture analysis. He is currently writing a comprehensive guidebook on the self-publishing process. $56 Non-Member $44 Member $1 materials fee payable in class CFU LOWRY : Near 1st & Quebec 2005AB: One Thu., 6:30–9:30PM 8/1 2005AC: One Thu., 6:30–9:30PM 10/3