Beth K. Vogt is a national speaker, as well as a mentor to writers. She’s spoken at both the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Conference and the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers (BRMCWC) Conference, as well as the MOPS International national convention and the Hearts at Home national convention. Listed below are a few of her workshops.
If you’re interested in a specific topic, contact Beth through her Contact Page.
Workshops
What Was the (Story) Question? – Has your manuscript ever run out of gas in the middle of the story? You’re stuck, not sure what happened to your creativity or what to write next? Like gasoline for a car, knowing your novel’s Story Question fuels your story and helps you avoid stalling out. In this interactive workshop series, Beth explains:
- the definition of a Story Question so you can use it for every book you’ll write
- why a Story Question is so valuable to you and to your readers
- the practical steps to developing a Story Question for your novels
You’ll also have time to brainstorm potential Story Questions for your work-in-progress (WIPs).
Five Easy Pieces: How to Create a Pitch Sheet – When a writer attends a conference, they often sign up for 15-minute appointments to pitch their book to agents and editors. One of the best tools they can use to help attract an agent’s or editor’s attention is pitch sheet, a.k.a. a one sheet. In this interactive workshop, Beth shares how to create an eye-catching, professional pitch sheet with five easy pieces.
Distilling It Down: How to Craft a High Concept Pitch – Using both movies and books, Beth shows the difference between high and low concept movies and books. After defining a high concept pitch, Beth helps workshop attendees begin to craft high concept pitches for their manuscripts so that they can grab the attention of editors, agents – even a radio/TV audience during an interview.
Steps to Preparing a Fast Draft – A fast draft involves writing the first draft of your manuscript f-a-s-t – no stopping to edit or rewrite. This allows you to fall in love with your characters and to discover elements of your story as you get all the way to “The End.” In this workshop, Beth teaches you the key elements you need to have in place before you start writing your fast draft: characters, spiritual thread, plot/subplot, and more.
A Writer’s Life – Taking a cue from the classic movie The Princess Bride, in this fun and informative workshop Beth examines various aspects of the writer’s life:
- The Cliffs of Despair
- The Fire Swamp
- The Pit of Despair
- Waiting for Vizzini
During these workshops, which can be taught in a combined 4-session group or separately, Beth covers topics that include:
- Moving Your Dreams from Maybes
- Finding a Mentor
- Anticipating 10 Predictables Along the Writing Road
- Reality Checks: When the Reports are True
- Who Gets You into the Pit – and Who Gets You Out
