All a Clever Plot

On Saturday, 15 November, I'll be the opening act on a bill of speakers at Rhode Island College in Providence. It's part of a program on writing for young people sponsored by SCBWI New England and the Alliance for the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature (ASTAL).

I'll lead a workshop on "Punch Up Your Plotting," which I also gave at the SCBWI New England conference this spring. The official description:

Having trouble with plotting? J. L. Bell will offer some principles and tricks for getting around plot roadblocks. He will cover troubleshooting, rules for finding solutions to the nastiest plot problems, and tips on presenting your plot in the most exciting way.

The other speakers will be:

• Mark Peter Hughes on “Characters That Leap Off the Page”
• Padma T. Venkatraman on “Writing an Excellent Query Letter”
• Sarah Shumway, presently at Dutton Children's Books, on “Pitch and Package”

Lunch is included in the registration fee, and I understand there are still slots available because the room is large. [ADDENDUM: Whoops! Looks like the assigned room has changed, and the event's now sold out.]