Margie Lawson and Cheryl Norman

May 1-30, 2009
"Deep Editing: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices and More"
by Margie Lawson
http://www.writeruniv.com/

Margie Lawson, counseling psychologist, has developed innovative, psychologically-anchored editing systems and techniques that will show you how to write a page-turner. Deep Editing is not basic editing. It's post-graduate level editing. It's editing to hook the reader viscerally. In DEEP EDITING, participants will:

* Learn the EDITS System and take it deeper
* Learn the 25 rhetorical devices and practice using them
* Develop skills by using worksheets provided in each lecture
* Learn back story management, power lines, throw-away works
* Learn cliché twists, back loading, tautologies, and Emotional Hits
* Receive deep editing critiques from Margie on class assignments
* Develop a personal editing checklist from the Master Editing Checklist
* Learn to make FINAL EDITING PASS be your last pass

Margie Lawson, psychotherapist, writer, and international presenter-applied her psychological expertise to dissect over a thousand novels and analyze how authors write page-turners. A former university professor, Margie focuses her analytical skills on writing craft, developing innovative editing systems and deep editing techniques. Her deep editing tools are used by all writers, from newbie to multi-award winners. For more information, visit her web site at http://www.blogger.com/www.MargieLawson.com.
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May 4-29, 2009
"Grammar For the Faint Of Heart"
by Cheryl Norman
http://www.writeruniv.com/

Have you received critiques or returned contest entries that mention a need to improve grammar or writing mechanics? Do you struggle with punctuating the plural possessive of nouns and pronouns? Is the term "dependent clause" a vague memory from high school English class? Don't let poor grammar or weak writing hold back your riveting story from publication. You can be your own grammar cop when editing your manuscript by recognizing and correcting the top ten writing mistakes:

* Misuse of apostrophes and hyphens
* Noun-verb agreement errors
* Using the wrong word or spelling
* Lack of pronouns and antecedents agreement
* Excessive use of quotation marks
* Faulty comparisons and convoluted, wordy sentences
* Vague word usage and other weak writing
* Misplaced and misleading modifiers

Cheryl Norman graduated with a BA in English from Georgia State University, had a 25-year career with a major telecommunications company, then quit to pursue writing. She authored numerous articles and two cookbooks while building her romance fiction career. Her first mass-market paperback release earned her a mention in Publisher's Weekly as one of ten romance authors to watch, and her latest release is RUNNING SCARED. Visit her Grammar Cop blog at www.cherylnorman.com/blog.