I am happy to work with critique groups, writing groups, school groups, youth activity groups, mini-conferences, conferences, or any other group interested in any of the topics below. Have a different topic in mind? Email me, and we can see what I can arrange. Thanks for your interest!
SPEAKER BIO
CRYSTAL CAUDILL is the author of “dangerously good historical romance” and is an experienced workshop presenter. As a former educator, she has a heart for teaching and encouraging others to grow in their God-given callings to write. She is a member of ACFW, Faith Hope & Love, and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. Her debut novel, Counterfeit Love, was a 2023 Carol Award finalist. Learn more about Crystal and her books at www.crystalcaudill.com where you can also signup for her author newlsetter.
Important Information
Unless otherwise noted, workshops run 45 minutes to 1 hour in length. Outlines available upon request.
Workshops for personal viewing are available for purchase at my store.
If you’d like a peek at my qualifications and endorsements, click here.
Writing Craft Workshops
3 Rules You Must Never Break – At almost every conference you attend, there are often two conflicting statements: Writers must follow all the rules, or rules are made to be broken. The truth is writing is actually a mix of both. However, there are three rules which absolutely must never be broken if you are to be a successful author. In this workshop, you will learn what those three rules are and walk away with the tools needed to apply them to your stories and writing journey.
How’s My Writing: A How-to Hands-on Critiquing Session – Learn what a critique is, what it is not, why they’re important, how to give and receive a critique, and then apply that to an in-class critique session. Bring 2 pages full pages of your work to exchange with a partner for critique purposes. *only available in a group format*
Picking the Write Fight – No matter what genre you write, your characters will face conflicts that lead to outright fights, whether verbal, physical, or even nonverbal. How you handle those fights will determine if your readers enjoy them or skim right over them. In “Picking the Write Fight,” you’ll learn who needs fight scenes and why, the three types, why readers skip them, the two purposes of a fight scene, and the nitty-gritty technical details of how to write a fight scene that will grab your readers by the collar and not let them go. This is a must-experience workshop for any author.
*While this workshop can be done in one hour, it is best done as a ninety-minute workshop.
Plotting 101: A Pantser’s Perspective – What is plotting? Why does it even matter? It all boils down to story structure. Understanding story structure is a crucial skill for every author. Even pantsers must adhere to it if they hope to be published. Yet, creating a story without a muddled middle or an anticlimactic ending takes diligent work and a thorough understanding of structure. Using the movie Shrek, we will break down the four-part story structure and how to apply it to plotting a book.
*An expanded version of this workshop offers a chance for you to brainstorm a story as we work through the presentation. Two hours is preferred for this format. This is also the version available for individual purchase in my store.
World-building: A Multi-Genre How-to – No matter what genre of fiction you write, world-building is a key element in getting your reader into the story world. However, each genre has its own set of world-building needs. We’ll take a look at what those are, what to take into consideration, and how to build your story’s world in such a way that readers never want to leave. Participants will walk away with information and hands-on practice.
Business & Marketing Workshops
*Unless otherwise noted, workshops run 45 minutes to 1 hour in length. Outlines available upon request.
Publishing Paths– In today’s world, there are multiple paths to publishing your manuscript—from “big house” traditional publishing to independent publishing to hybrid publishing. In this workshop, you’ll learn about the various types of publishing, the path to each, what is required of you, and the pros and cons of each.