This is how I know summer has arrived in South Florida: Murder on the Beach (best Mystery Bookstore Ever!) starts its yearly Author Academy series of classes today.
Starting today and running through September 7th, any writer can walk into the bookstore on a Saturday and take a writing class from a published author from 10 am to 12 am, paying only $25 per class.
Today's class is taught by M.J. Carlson:
To Outline or Not to Outline
Some authors outline, some don’t. This class will teach writers the pros and cons of outlining. Students will learn examples of different ways to outline and discover sources of information on outlining. The talk will include time for questions and encourage audience participation.
Other classes will be offered by Elaine Viets (point of view), Micki Browning (on how police investigate a crime), and yours truly on structuring a scene. A complete list of classes here. Instructor bios here.
The series ends on September 14 with an open-mike session, where Academy participants can read from their work and be judged by NY Times bestselling author Charles Todd, Literary Agent Dianna Collier-Warner, owner Collier & Associates Literary Agency, and Diane Stuckart, NYT bestselling and award-winning author of sixteen traditionally published romance and mystery novels.