Instructor: Les Edgerton
Date: Sunday, October 5
Time: 1-5 p.m.
Location: IWC
Cost: $76 Nonmembers, $52 members, $44 student members/teacher members/senior members/military members

The road to rejection is paved with bad beginnings. Why? If a novel or short story has a poor beginning, then no one will keep reading. In this workshop participants will learn how to use the ten core components inherent to any good beginning. They’ll get detailed instruction on how to develop an inciting incident; keys for creating a cohesive, story-worthy problem; and tips for avoiding common opening gaffes like overusing backstory, setup and description. This workshop will give you all the information you need to craft a compelling beginning that lays the foundation for an irresistible story.

Les Edgerton has published fifteen books, including several novels, short story collections, writer's how-to's, sports books and business books. His fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, O. Henry Award, Edgar Allan Poe Award, Derringer Award, PEN/Faulkner Award, Jesse Jones Book Award, Spinetingler Award and the Violet Crown Book Award, among others. He holds the MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College and taught creative writing for the UCLA Extension Writer's Program, was the visiting writer-in-residence for the University of Toledo, the visiting writer for Trine University, and teaches creative writing online for the New York Writer’s Workshop. WANA and his own private classes. He hosts a writing blog at www.lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/