Wednesday, October 23, 2013

5 Reasons Every Novelist Needs Margie Lawson


by Dorothy Adamek

Are you ready to take your fiction writing to the next level? Looking to study the craft of writing with a master teacher? Perhaps, even change the course of your writing career? 

If you haven’t already met, let me introduce Margie Lawson. I’m a proud Margie-Grad. I’ve studied and applied her writing wisdom, and today I want to share the five reasons you need her, too. 

1. Margie Lawson knows psychology. And writing. And how the two should sit in a knot in every writer’s toolbox. Margie’s a psychotherapist, editor and international presenter. If you’re keen to sharpen your characters’ visceral responses, or even learn what a visceral response is, then you need to knock on the Lawson Writing Academy door. Discover how Margie’s decades of psychotherapy translate into online writing courses and lecture packets. You’ll learn how to Empower Characters’ Emotions, Write Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist, and plunge into the Deep Editing System. If you’re serious about writing fiction, you won’t regret taking Margie’s courses. Your editor, agent and reader will thank you. And long before they do… you’ll be thanking yourself. 

2. Margie loves fresh writing. She lives for it. When fresh writing grabs her, she slaps sticky notes all over that brilliance. She shares examples with her students, over and over and over, until the cadence of words sings across the room and each student stops to breathe it in. Margie will tell you, “It’s all about fresh writing,” and her enthusiasm is contagious. She trains the ear for what every reader deserves, and what every writer longs to deliver. 

3. Margie kills clichés. Don’t touch them. Don’t even think about them. Even if one bobs around in your mind, all pretty and perfect, don’t be fooled. Margie won’t care. She’ll take you a different way, deepen your writing senses and you’ll soon recoil when clichés flirt with your writer’s head. Instead, you’ll find the scaffolding to transform clichés into powerful writing. The way you hang laundry on the line. One word at a time. Here, here and here. Flipped and swapped, until words slap you across the head all crisp and bright, you’ll wonder how you never thought of it that way before. But Margie has. She’s taught her methods to hundreds of authors and I’ll bet there’s no reason you can’t be one of them. 

4. Margie plays with colours. Yes, she does. Just when you thought she was all frowns and tsk tsk…. turns out… her love of pinks and blues and greens will illuminate your world. She’s turned an ordinary pack of highlighters into a fierce editing tool, (along with her EDITS System) and you’ll never despair about what’s missing from your pages or what’s messing your story flow. You’ll learn to spot strengths and opportunities in a darkened room with your eyes half shut and your manuscript the wrong way around. Ok, maybe you’ll need the light on, but you’ll learn to edit with your pages upside down. For real. It’s a Margie-thing. And it works. I promise. 

5. Margie keeps tricks up her professorial sleeve. She opens her home for Immersion Retreats where she welcomes writers to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills. Her Colorado mountain home is the perfect location for writing master-classes, and Margie’s schedule also includes retreats all over the US. (And perhaps Australia someday soon, if I have my way.) You’ll discover what’s beyond the lecture packets and online courses, as well as enjoy one-on-one time…you and your manuscript, and Margie with her red pen. (Read more about my 2013 Immersion Class here.)

Have you ever taken (or strongly desire to take) a Margie Lawson online course? Studied one of her lecture packets? Attended an immersion retreat? 

Yes? No? Want to? Read on… 

I’m excited to announce Margie Lawson is offering not ONE but TWO Lawson Writing Academy prizes for ICFW readers. Comment below and you’ll be in the running to win a place in an online writing course by Margie Lawson or one by Tiffany Lawson Inman. Valued between $40-$65 each, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. 

Thanks so much Margie, you’re the best. 

Enter now! The winners will be announced on October 27 in the Sunday Edition post. 

Good luck, and many thanks to the wonderful ICFW community for allowing me to visit, and to Margie Lawson for her generosity. 



Lawson Writer’s Academy

http://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy-courses

Upcoming Courses 

November 1 – 30: Virtues and Vices and Plots

November 1 – Dec. 6: More than a Pretty Party Face: Make Secondary Characters Count

December 2 – 13: Blog Bites: Six Steps to Drive Traffic to Your Blog 

December 1 – 31: From Madness to Method: Using acting techniques to invigorate your story and make each moment Oscar worthy! 

January 2 – 31: Empowering Characters’ Emotions 

January 2 – 31: Story Structure Safari 

January 2 – 31: Maximize Twitter

January 2 – 31: From Homeroom to Last Bell: The Hero’s Journey in YA Fiction 

January 2 – 31: Action and Fighting in Fiction: Writing Authentic Choreography with Precision and Bite




DOROTHY ADAMEK lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three teenagers. She's the 2013 FHL ~ Touched By Love contest winner. Enamoured by all things 19th century, she writes The Heartbeat of Yesteryear, Historical Romance - Aussie style. 

Come say G'day at her blog, Ink Dots. http://dorothyadamek.blogspot.com

74 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for your great offer on our blog, Margie, and for sharing your wisdom with other writers!

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    1. Hi Lisa, Margie certainly knows her stuff, and like you, I'm thrilled she's made this generous offer. Good luck in the draw.

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    2. Lisa --

      Thank you for chiming in. I hope to see you online again sometime. Random.org may make you a winner!

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  2. Thank you for sharing the amazing Margie Lawson's special skills. I am intrigued by the psychotherapy aspect to writing that Margie brings. This is the area I would like to develop with Margie: Write Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist.

    Your Immersion Class experience sounds wonderful Dotti.I'm going to have a look at the online classes.

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    1. Hi Elaine, I'm glad to share what I learned with fellow authors. Margie's lectures and courses are amazing. You won't be disappointed.

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    2. Elaine --

      Ah... You want to learn how to write fresh facial expressions and fresh proxemics and fresh dialogue cues, and make them all carry psychological power. Great!

      I'm teaching the first of my Big Three courses in January. It's Empowering Characters' Emotions. The next course, Deep Editing, will be offered in February, and I'll teach Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist in March.

      The lectures for all those courses are available as Lecture Packets. If you have questions, please email me. Thank you!

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  3. Welcome Dotti and Margie :) I'm thrilled that you're both visiting our blog and we appreciate Margie's generous giveaway. I've learned a lot from the lecture packets I've purchased. One day I'd love to have the opportunity to attend an Immersion Retreat.

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    1. Hi Narelle, you would LOVE an Immersion Retreat. Wouldn't it be great to attend one together? :)

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    2. Hello Narelle --

      Ah -- you've done my lecture packets. Good for you!

      I would love to work with you in an Immersion class. Here -- or there. ;-) You and Dottie should come to the same class and become Immersion sisters.

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    3. Hi Margie, Yes! I'd love to do an Immersion Class with you and Dotti :) Somehow we will have to make this happen! Thanks for visiting with us on ICFW.

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  4. This is my number one goal for the year - study Margie teachings! Thank you Dotti and Margie for the post and this generous offer, you've got me really excited now. One day I will be a Margie grad... now all I need to do is decide which teaching to start with!

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    1. Won't be long before you're a Margie-Grad, Cat. Someone who wants it so much the way you do, will find a way to make it happen. I just know it. :)

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    2. Cat --
      Fabulous number one goal!

      I recommend starting with EMPOWERING CHARACTERS' EMOTIONS. I teach ECE online in January. If you don't want to wait until January, you can order the lecture packet (over 350 pages of lectures) through Paypal on my website.

      Thank you for your interest in learning deep editing. Hope to meet you someday!

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  5. This is crazy cool! Am contemplating which one to attend!

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    1. Hi Jenn, so many good courses on offer. I have my eye on one for early next year, too. Enjoy. :)

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    2. Jenn --

      Ah -- Ontario!

      I've presented a full day master class in Toronto. But never presented in Ontario.

      Hope to see you online, or in person!

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  6. Wow what a super offer--TWO Lawson Writing Academy prizes!

    Thank you for your blog today, Dorothy. Hope you get Margie to visit Australia. Hmm wonder if she would consider coming to South Africa.

    Please enter me in the draw for one of the prizes.

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    1. Hi Ruth Ann, you're very welcome. Always a pleasure to share all things Margie! Good luck in the draw. :)

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    2. Ruth Ann --

      Present in South Africa? Yes! Absolutely.

      Everyone who posts a comment is entered in the drawings. Thanks for posting!

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  7. Wonderful, informative post, Dorothy. I feel so honored to also be a Margie-grad -- and to have met you in our class. I can honestly say that working with Margie is an intense, mind-altering experience for any writer. For anyone who wants to take their writing to the next level and strive to be the best they can be, take any opportunity you can to study with Margie Lawson. :)

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    1. So good to see you here, my sweet Margie-Sister! We did have mind-altering week, didn't we. Miss you. xx

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    2. Hello Immersion-Grad Ashley!

      Great to cyber-see you here. Glad I get to see you in person again - in Advanced Immersion Class in March!

      Such a joy to work with you. Lucky me!

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    3. I cannot wait until March, Margie. ((hugs))

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  8. As someone who originally wanted to be a psychologist, I was straight away interested when I discovered Margie Lawsons teachings a few years ago. However, for one reason or another, I have not been able to complete any as yet. Thanks for the info Dots. XXOO

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    1. Hi Amanda, I hope you get to dig into your Margie lessons, soon. You won't be disappointed. :)

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    2. Hello Amanda!

      Yikes! Glad we reconnected. Hope I get to see you in an online class next year.

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  9. Thanks Narelle & Dotti for bringing Margie along to meet the ICFW team. I took particular interest to your recent updates Dotti when you were on Margie's retreat. I hadn't come across Margie's work until you introduced her. I thought it marvellously serendipitous that you were able to attend the retreat so soon after ACFW (& giving you time for some US shopping). I like the idea of the psychological aspect of writing as it can surely only enhance developing more complex characters.

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    1. Hi Ian, yes a true blessing to back the two events like that. I'm so glad I got to introduce you to Margie and her courses. Good luck in the draw. :)

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  10. Wow! The courses sound great. Thanks for the opportunity to enter this competition.

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  11. Arrgghhh! Cliches - the 'bane of my existence'! My parents' vocabularies were filled with these quaint but trashy trinkets and, due to constant exposure in my childhood, my brain is always trying to display them where they are not wanted! I love mining language for genuine gems.

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    1. That's funny, Cathie.
      Cliches are so sneaky. I love that you call them 'trashy trinkets.' :)

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  12. Well done, Dorothy and Margie! I especially resonate with your first point re how psychotherapy knowledge and experience can help our characterisation. Even what counselling and ministry experience I have has helped me in that regard.

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    1. Hi Jo-Anne, it's always good to build on our own experiences of human behaviour. Good luck in the draw. :)

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  13. Great post, Dorothy! Margie Lawson, I have you to thank for taking my writing to the next level. Please enter me in the contest!

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    1. Hi Preslaysa! So good to see you here. Good luck with the draw. :)

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  14. Hi Dorothy. Margie sounds like a fantastic teacher. I would love to go in the draw to win one of her classes. It sounds like you learnt so much!

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    1. Hi Cassie, I sure did!! Still am. I plan to do an online course early in the new year.
      Good luck in the draw.

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  15. Ooh! I'd love to enter. Those courses sound great. :) All the best as you write for His glory, Lucy

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    1. Hi Lucy, all the best with the contest. A wonderful opportunity for fiction writers.

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  16. At this very moment I am sitting with Margie and three talented writers - Joan Swan, Kimberly S. Belle, and Koreen Clemens - on the cusp of a (fabulous) Immersion Writing Retreat.

    Margie doesn't just talk about good writing, she shows you good writing, gives you the techniques for good writing, and then, just in case you missed it, she shows you how to improve your writing. She's amazing!

    And now I get to enjoy my second Immersion class. Better writing, here I come.

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    1. Hi Kimberly, not fair... now we're all jealous!! Enjoy your Margie time. Give Calypso a big hug from me. :)

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  17. Wow! What an amazing post! And what an incredible number of responses. I'm sure this is a record. I'm with Ruth. I really think you need to travel home from Australia via S.Africa. There are three of us on this blog alone who would love to meet you, and of course take a course with you. Please enter me in the draw!

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    1. Hi Shirley, I'm sure Margie would love to return to SA. If we let her leave Australia, that is.
      Good luck in the draw. :)

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  18. Margie is AWESOME! Never learn more than when I'm in one of her classes. And another class? Will NOT turn down the chance for another! Enter me PLEASE!

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    1. Hi Joanne, we can never get enough, can we?
      Good luck in the draw. :)

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  19. Thanks for the intro to Margie! I am so tired of my characters tightening their jaws! Fresh ideas? I'm ready!

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    1. Hi Linda, that's funny! A little like arched brows, I'm guessing. :)

      Thanks for entering the draw. Good luck.

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  20. Thanks for the intro to Margie! I am so tired of my characters tightening their jaws! Fresh ideas? I'm ready!

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  21. Hi Margie! Sorry I'm so late to the party!! Welcome here.

    I've had the privilege of attending one of Margie's immersion classes and it was awesome. Highly recommend it.

    I haven't participated in any of the new classes since you started the new academy. They all sound fantastic...as I would expect no less. ;) And I would be love to be entered in the draw for one.

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    1. Hi Sandra, welcome to the party! You were right, the immersion retreat was amazing. And one week after I left, Margie reported their first snow. Oh well... I'll just have to return in the winter some time.
      Good luck in the draw. :)

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  22. Love Margie, love her wisdom, love her Writing Academy. I just turned in a manuscript, but before doing so, I had out my highlighters and have the picture to prove it. :) Yes, it IS a lot of work, but as Dottie says, you'll be all the better for it. I truly recommend doing any course Margie offers, you won't regret it!

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    1. Hi Cathy, I saw that picture of your edits! Amazing. I bet your work was tighter and fresher. All the best with the submission. I hope you'll hear good news very soon. And good luck withe the draw, too. :)

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  23. Love the idea of taking one of her courses. They've been recommended to me. jksfamily5@gmail.com
    Winning one would be a Blessing.

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    1. Hi Susan, you won't be disappointed by Margie's wisdom. I wish you all the best in the draw. :)

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  24. I am also a multi-Margie grad and I can't recommend her courses enough. I've taken Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviours (and I could use it again, but don't see it on the schedule), Empowering Characters Emotions, and Deep Editing. That leaves me with the Body Language class as the only prerequisite to attending an Immersion Retreat, which is something a writer friend and I would like to do together next year.
    I've taken a gazillion writing courses, but ECE was like having the scales fall from my eyes as far as what was missing from my writing. It was an amazing experience.

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    1. Hi Elise, I feel the same about Margie's methods. Eye opening. I hope you get to complete the pre-requisites soon and make your way to an immersion. You'll love it! Good luck in the draw. :)

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  25. I've been looking at these classes for a while now, would love a chance to win one! Thanks for offering such an opportunity.
    twinwillowsfarm at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi Pegg, there's so much good stuff on Margie's site. It's hard to know where to start, but jumping in for a month long course is a great way to get to know Margie and those woking on the same course as you. Good luck in the draw. :)

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  26. What a sweet offer! Thanks so much for making a Margie Lawson course a possibility for me. Yea!

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    1. Hi Kathy, you're very welcome. We're all blessed by Margie's generosity. I wish you well in the draw. :)

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  27. Hi Margie! I first heard you at a conference and then followed you on line. Love your wisdom. Would love to have a course of yours. Keep thinking I'll get to Denver, but alas not yet.

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    1. Hi Jude, if you ever make it to the mountain, Margie will welcome you in, in a fold of smiles and love. She's the best hostess! Good luck in the draw. :)

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  28. Margie is an amazing teacher! I'd love to take another of these classes. I took the early bird at the '07 conference, and at the time she made my brain explode. I hope that now I can actually stay on track with her.

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    1. Hi Sally, that's funny! That's how my brain felt... and yet I wanted more. :)
      All the best in the draw.

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  29. I had the privilege of taking a workshop with Margie in Toronto back when I was still such a NEW writer that I probably didn't appreciate it!

    Would love to take the Empowering Characters' Emotion course! Always looking for new ways to convey their emotions!

    Cheers,
    Sue

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    1. Hi Susan, thanks for entering. There's so much to take in. I learn something new each time I read my notes. Good luck in the draw. :)

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  30. I've loved Margie's classes. Time for a refresher after I get this next book turned in...right after Thanksgiving!

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    1. Hi Cara, all the best with your deadline, and in the draw. Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Looks yummy and cosy from where way over here. :)

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  31. I've done 2 online courses & 1 full day workshop & finally, last June, an Immersion with Margie. Her teaching sounds in my head with every word I write. She will influence, strengthen, and rev up your stories. I'd love to win another.

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    1. HI Janet, you sound like a happy convert. Good luck in the draw. :)

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  32. Boohoo! I'm too late for the giveaway. I've heard a lot about Margie Lawson over the years but haven't taken any of her courses. I'll have to check out her website.

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