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FictionWriterCoverWeb2 Get Published, Write Now! with “The Fiction Writer”So, you want to write and publish the best novel or short story you possibly can. Buy The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! Here’s why…

Nina Munteanu’s The Fiction Writer packs twenty-six chapters of relevant, well-researched and easy to read instruction that encompasses virtually all the topics you need to consider, such as: beginnings and endings; characterization; dialogue; exposition; setting; plot; scene; metaphor & language; grammar; voice and point of view; research; query letters; rejection letters; synopses and outlines; showing vs. telling; writer’s block; attitude, inspiration and passion in writing.

“The Fiction Writer” will help you learn the basic, tried and true lessons of a professional writer, including: 1) how to craft a compelling story; 2) how to give editors, agents and readers what they want; and 3) how to maintain a winning attitude.

Internationally published author of several award-winning novels and short stories, Nina teaches a curriculum on “writing to be published” based on The Fiction Writer. Several creative instructors are using it in their classes at schools and universities throughout USA and Canada. The Fiction Writer was recently translated and published in Romania and will be used in universities there.

Beginning and professional authors as well as instructors and students of creative writing all enjoy its entertaining and easy-to-read instruction. Praise has been generous:

The Fiction Writer is at the top of the required reading list for my Writer’s Workshop students…the quintessential guidebook for the soon-to-be-published.”—Susan H. McLemore, M.Ed., Glynn Academy Language Arts Department

If you are serious about your writing, The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! is as important a tool as your laptop or your pen. Do yourself a favor, and just buy it. Better still, buy the book and get yourself to one of Nina’s workshops. Whether you are learning from her in person, or from her book, Nina’s teaching style is straight-up, fact-filled, enriching, joyful and thorough. She is honest, she is human and she wants you to succeed.” — Cathi Urbonas, writer, Halifax, NS

Nina Munteanu’s The Fiction Writer is the book I wish I had 15 years ago. Writers young and old can find ways to improve their work, with the book’s fun, easy to read format.”— Theresa Vinson, Book Seller, Hattie’s Books

Nina’s writing style is engaging, enlightening, and enjoyable. And like the good Doctor’s Tardis, the book is larger than it appears – Get Get Published, Write Now! right now.”—David Merchant, English Instructor, Louisiana Tech University

I’m very impressed…Nina shares the hard-won knowledge she’s accumulated…I’m thoroughly enjoying the book!… this really is a first-rate book. Nina did a wonderful job!”—Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of Wake

The Fiction Writer “has become my writing bible.”Carina Burns, author of The Syrian Jewelry Box

We use this book weekly in my Writer’s Workshop class, and it gives us all the right tips to write like a professional author. The chapters are brief and concise, and really help us write both fiction and nonfiction. I would highly recommend this book for anyone hoping to enhance their writing.”—Mark J. Bujold, high school writing student, Saint Simon’s Island, GA

High energy writer and teacher of writing Nina Munteanu is an upbeat coach for new and published writers seeking to refresh their art.”—Lynda Williams, author of Okal Rel Series

This book is infused with Nina’s energy and brings lots of wisdom, ideas, tricks and tips in a fun and informative way. Good for both published and unpublished writers, I highly recommend this book for any writer wishing to get published or push their stuff to the next level.” — Marie Bilodeau, professional storyteller and acclaimed author of Destiny’s Blood, Ottawa, ON

I felt as though she really wanted me to succeed as a writer, and was a mentor sent to provide guidance and inspiration.”— Zoe M. Hicks, author of The Women’s Estate Planning Guide and Dream Catcher, the Power of Faith

You can buy this acclaimed guidebook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Chapters.

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FictionWriterCoverWeb2 190x300 The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! ReviewedThe writing webzine “The Scriptorium” gave Nina’s writing guidebook The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! a stellar review. Here it is: 

Almost every aspiring (and successful!) writer has a few volumes of writing advice that he or she feels are indispensable–books we return to, re-read, and use as guideposts on our writing journey. Munteanu’s wonderful book might find that kind of home on your own bookshelf.

Beginning writers especially will find The Fiction Writer a resource for every step on the road to writing–from defining genre to writing a great beginning; from outlining and plotting to preparing the perfect submission package. It really is an A-to-Z of fiction writing, starting with the chapter “Alien Architecture: Building from Scenes to Worlds” and hitting every letter of the alphabet right through to “The Zen of Passionate Writing.” Munteanu includes examples and lessons from her own writing career, which serve to emphasize the practical value of her advice.

Although the book covers a lot of ground, there’s no “scattershot” feel to the advice. It’s practical and grounded, and liberally seasoned with constructive exercises and helpful lists and tables, such as “The Hero’s Journey Map” (complete with an explanation of three-act structure), “Ten Ways To Revise Your Story,” common sentence structure and grammar errors.

Despite the fact that readers may know Nina Munteanu as a speculative fiction writer (Darwin’s Paradox, Angel of Chaos), the vast majority of the advice and information in The Fiction Writer applies equally to writers in any fiction genres. Good writing is good writing, and Munteanu has worked hard to provide a guidebook that shows exactly how to achieve that result. Highly recommended!

reviewed by Sherry

Sherry Ramsey is the editor & publisher of The Scriptorium Webzine for Writers, a great resource for writers. Ramsey has also published a writing guide, The New Writer’s Guide to Just About Everything.

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nina prospect01 close warm edited 1 300x266 Ninas Upcoming Workshops in Nova Scotia

Nina Munteanu, Prospect Point

Nina will be in Nova Scotia March 2011, teaching several writing workshops in Halifax and the South Shore. 

Nina will also make an appearance in several Halifax schools and will be doing readings at libraries. She will also be signing her latest book Angel of Chaos at several Halifax bookstores, locations to be announced shortly.

Check here for updates on Nina’s appearances and for specific times.

 

 

APPEARANCES, SIGNINGS & READINGS:

  • Talk at Sacred Heart School, Halifax on March 18th at 3:30 pm
  • Reading at The Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay on March 24th at 7:oo pm
  • Reading at Keshen Goodman Public Library, Halifax March 29 at 7:00 pm

 

COURSES INCLUDE:

  • How to Write and Publish Science Fiction” on March 13, 10 am to 4 pm (at the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia)
  • The Writer’s Toolkit” on March 19, 1-4 pm (at the Tantallon Public Library) and on March 28 at the Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay, 1-4 pm
  • Writing the Memoir: from Idea to Research to Storytelling“ March 26, 2-4 pm (at the Bridgewater Library)
  • 10 Commandments of Fiction Writing“ March 5 and March 12, 2-4 pm (at the Bridgewater Library)

 

COURSES:

 

How to Write and Publish Science Fiction. Cost $55/WFNS members; $75/non-members. Sunday, March 13 from 10 am to 4 pm. At WFNS, 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax. Includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are expected to bring an example of their current work.

What is Science Fiction? What isn’t it? What’s involved in writing SF and how do you get it published? Internationally published SF author, blogger and scientist Nina Munteanu answers these questions and more in an interactive & hands-on workshop designed to help you define your project, get started and successfully see it to publication. Learn some essential tools of this genre such as world-building, research, plot approaches and how to generate and follow through with premise, idea and theme toward a publishable original work. Students are expected to bring in and discuss their own works.  Workshop includes lectures, use of examples, discussions, exercises, readings and some writing. Recommended resource: The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu, available at Amazon.

 

The Writer’s Toolkit. Free. Saturday, March 19, 1-4 pm. At the Upper Tantallon Library, Upper Tantallon. Includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are encouraged to bring an example of their current work. Also at the Biscuit Eater, Mahone Bay Monday, March 28th, 1-4 pm (cost of $50/person covers text book and coffee & dessert)

Every writer requires some necessary items in his/her toolkit to get published. This workshop introduces and discusses the most common challenges faced by writers serious about getting published. Areas covered include:

  • getting started
  • dealing with time management & writer’s block
  • getting those ideas down and making a story out of them
  • focusing and maintaining the staying power to finish
  • incorporating all the elements of good storytelling like plot, character, theme and setting into a seamless story
  • making your writing compelling, clear and exciting
  • doing research and editing
  • marketing, synopses & outlines, query letters
  • overcoming fear (of failure, of success, of everything)

Recommended resource: The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu, available at Amazon.

 

Writing the Memoir: from Idea to Research to Storytelling. Cost $40/student. Saturday March 26, 2-4 pm. At the Bridgewater Library, King Street, Bridgewater. Course includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are expected to bring an example of their current work.

Have you been writing your memoir for years, waiting to finish it and hoping to publish? You may be looking for direction on how and where to start and proceed and where to finish. Memoirs, like all good creative non-fiction, tell a story. Internationally published novelist and writing coach Nina Munteanu shares details of how you can outline, storyboard and complete your memoir and make it marketable to your target audience. 

The two-hour Lecture & Workshop, will cover the following:
·         Writing for your intended audience
·         Formulating the core idea into theme
·         Why and how to outline
·         Why, how, where and when to do research
·         Courage and privacy issues: what and how to reveal
·         General discussion of how to incorporate plot with theme in storytelling.
·         How to create a good story from truth
·         Mechanics of good storytelling (show don’t tell, language, POV, setting, etc.)
 

 

Ten Commandments of Fiction Writing. Cost $40/student. Saturday March 5, 2-4 pm and March 12, 2-4 pm. At the Bridgewater Library, King Street, Bridgewater. Course includes work sheets and reference materials. Students are encouraged to bring an example of their current work.

Although the act of creating fiction often involves the fluid chaos of the “muse”, published authors agree that some rules are required to successfully publish.  Seeing your fiction published involves more than mastering craft and technique; it involves adopting a winning attitude from passion to perspective.  Internationally published novelist and writing coach Nina Munteanu shares and discusses 10 imperatives that will guarantee your publishing success.  Come prepared to contribute. Recommended resource: The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now! (Starfire World Syndicate) by Nina Munteanu, available at Amazon.

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Due to overwhelming demand, we’re happy to report that Nina’s Master Writing Class will open to more members, starting January 2011. Here’s what you get:

$49/month guarantees you four weekly coaching sessions a month in this exclusive club of writing enthusiasts.   

In this Master Writing Class you meet with Nina once a week in a teleseminar for an hour of lecture and discussion on popular writing and publishing topics. Each of you gets a chance to ask Nina questions on specific issues you are facing during the question and answer period following her entertaining lecture. Nina covers all the big issues that both new and established writers face daily in their careers. as she brings her wit and humor to examples from her own adventures as a pre-published and published writer.

Issues like:

  • getting started
  • dealing with time management & writer’s block
  • getting those ideas down and making a story out of them
  • focusing and maintaining the staying power to finish
  • incorporating all the elements of good storytelling like plot, character, theme and setting into a seamless story
  • making your writing compelling, clear and exciting
  • doing research and editing
  • marketing, synopses & outlines, query letters
  • overcoming fear (of failure, of success, of everything)

During each session you have the chance to discuss any topic you are facing in your current writing project. Join our group, participate and learn.

Here’s what some of Nina’s coaching students say:

Nina was warm and encouraging.  I felt free to share my fears and ask questions.  She was extremely knowledgeable, gracious and honest.   I felt as though she really wanted me to succeed as a writer, and was a mentor sent to provide guidance and inspiration.”–Zoe Hicks, GA

Nina Munteanu’s command of the subject matter and her ability to explain in a way that the audience understood was excellent. As a hopeful author, I found her words inspiring.”—Amanda Lott, GA

Rarely have I encountered someone of Nina’s considerable talent and intellect tied to such an extraordinary work ethic…A gifted and inventive writer, Nina is also an excellent speaker who is able to communicate complicated ideas in simple terms and generate creative thought in others. Her accessible, positive approach and delightful sense of humor set people at ease almost immediately.”–Heather Dugan, OH

Nina provided invaluable advice with humour and finesse. It’s great to have access to such a friendly and funny individual who’s willing to be a sounding board to both beginning and career writers.”–Marie Bilodeau, Ontario

What you’ve done for me, Nina, is you’ve just opened up a whole new world. You’ve shown me how to put soul into my books.”–Hectorine Roy, Nova Scotia

Classes run every Thursday at 2 pm EST starting January 5th. There are limited spaces for this Master Class so availability will be on a first come basis. Once you successfully register, you will get an email with information on how to get in on the next call. Sign up for your first class here the first week of January 2011. See you in January!

UPDATE: Thanks for your wonderful response. Registration is now closed due to full capacity. Please check us at the beginning of each month for openings to Nina’s Master Class. In the meantime, please check out Nina’s online courses and if you have a project that needs a jumpstart or some work check Nina’s one-on-one coaching opportunities.

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The Hero’s Journey: Plotting Your Way to Publishing Success – November 6, 2010, 2-4 pm at the Bridgewater Library, Bridgewater, NS

Are you stuck in your writing project? Can’t focus? Not sure about the characters or where the story is going? These all relate to plot. All stories consist of common structural elements found universally in myth, fairy tale, dreams and movies. Scholar and mythologist Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, took the concept of the Hero’s Journey from the depth psychology of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung and assigned 12 steps to the Hero’s Journey within the three-act play. Internationally published novelist and essayist Nina Munteanu shares details of this highly successful plot approach that will improve and jumpstart your writing and guarantee its improved marketability. 

Cost: $55/student; price includes text book, “The Fiction Writer: Get Published, Write Now!” (worth $27), and work sheets. Students are expected to bring an example of their current work.

Register for the Hero’s Journey Course through Nova Scotia South Shore Libraries. CLOSED–sold out. Check our online The Hero’s Journey course in Winter/Spring 2011.

 
How to Use Blogs and Social Networking to Promote Yourself — November 13, 2010, 2-4 pm at the Bridgewater Library, Bridgewater, NS

Most promotion by authors is currently done online. The many opportunities boggle the mind, however, particularly for those of us who aren’t terribly proficient with internet social media.  Both published and soon-to-be published authors are using Blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Websites with podcasts and other social networks to great success. Learn how to command this incredibly inexpensive and highly potent and efficient medium to promote you and your work.
 
Internationally published author and essayist Nina Munteanu is an active blogger and proficient social networker of many years. She publishes several blogs and participates in many social networks on the internet. Nina will share her knowledge and experience in this interactive discussion and multi-media lecture. Nina will go over steps on how to build a blog, and cover topics like how to get traffic to your site, Search Engine Optimizatin (SEO), what makes a good blog, how to write copy, the pros and cons of social networking, and other topics related to internet promotion and marketing. Bring your imagination.

Cost: $40/student; price includes worksheets, example blog articles.

Register for the Blogging/Social Networking Course through Nova Scotia South Shore Libraries. CLOSED — sold out.

Monthly continuing: Nina’s Master Writing Class (limited seats, by invitation only)

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