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 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, and her novella “Star of Wonder” received the Christy Award for short form. Learn more about Crystal and her books at www.crystalcaudill.com, where you can also sign up for her author newsletter.
Important Information
Unless otherwise noted, workshops run 45 minutes to 1 hour. Outlines are available upon request.
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 that 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. (Beginner)
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* (All levels)
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. (All levels)
*While this workshop can be done in one hour, it is best done as a ninety-minute workshop. One hour focuses on physical fight scenes while touching on verbal/conflict scenes. The 90-minute workshop goes into greater depth on the verbal/conflict scenes.
Plotting for Pantsers and Outliners – 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. (Beginner)
*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.
Themes and Spiritual Threads – Subtle and Substantive – Writers and readers alike are spiritual beings created in the image of God. Whether the stories you write are blatantly Christian or the quiet whispers that reach audiences most Christian Fiction won’t, your story is going to have spiritual threads that weave throughout your story because we write from a Christian worldview. But how do we write natural spiritual threads that are subtle but substantive and fit our target audiences? That is what this workshop aims to answer. Not only will you find practical applications but we’ll play with those applications during the workshop. (Intermediate/Advanced)
*An expanded version of this workshop offers a chance for you to brainstorm a story as we work through the presentation. Ninety minutes is preferred for this format.
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. (All Levels)
Writing Effective and Essential Subplots – Subplots are not just storylines to add interesting dynamics to your novel. They are critical pieces that, when removed from the novel, completely alter the plot. But how do you create those subplots that are effective and essential? You weave them in like a French braid. Come prepared with your story ideas as we learn how to braid our subplots into one cohesive story that readers can’t put down. (Intermediate/Advanced)
Business & Marketing Workshops
*Unless otherwise noted, workshops run 45 minutes to 1 hour in length. Outlines available upon request.
Newsletters: Getting Started – In a world where algorithms can hinder your reach to your followers on social media, it’s important to have a place you own that you can reach out to all your readers when you want. In this workshop, we’ll explore the basics of starting a newsletter. Topics included: platform choices, double opt-ins, lead magnets, welcome sequences, curating and managing your list, and creating content your readers want for published and prepublished writers. This is a beginner class with surface-level information, but with time for a Q&A to ask your specific questions. (Beginner)
Creating Engaging Newsletter Welcome Sequences – Readers will often sign up for newsletters for a contest entry or to receive your freebie with no intention of staying subscribed. However, if you include a welcome sequence that captures their attention and makes them want to engage with you, you may find a new and devoted reader. This workshop will not only provide information and rationales for the content in your welcome sequence, but it will also allow you to brainstorm and begin developing your own welcome sequence emails. Platform-specific how-tos will not be included, but any demonstrations Crystal uses will be via the MailerLite platform. (Intermediate/Advanced)
Advanced Newsletter Strategies – This workshop is best suited to those who are already sending out their newsletters, have hundreds (or preferably over 1000) subscribers, and use welcome sequences as they bring newsletter subscribers in. In this workshop, we will discuss why and how to segment your lists, cull your lists, curate content for your target readers, and the rationale behind different frequency choices and automations beyond the basic welcome sequence. If there is time, we will also discuss tips for how to best use your lists for launches. (Intermediate/Advanced)
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. (Beginner)
