Speaking Topics

Rebecca’s Speaking, Lecture, and Workshop Topics

As an experienced and award-winning writer, Ruth has spoken at many conferences and workshops, including Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, Orange County (California) Romance Writers, Washington Romance Writers, Maryland Romance Writers, the Omaha Writers Workshop, Malice Domestic, Sisters in Crime, Bouchercon, Smithsonian Institution, World Fantasy Convention, and the Women’s National Book Association. She has also appeared on many TV and radio programs and teaches courses on both romance writing and genre fiction writing. Her many speaking topics include:

39 Steps to Writing Mystery and Suspense.
(It’s not really 39, but I like the way it sounds!)

Great Beginnings, an In-depth Study of Techniques for Strong Opening Chapters.

Writing Fiction with Emotional Impact.

Twelve Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started Writing.

What Does It Take to Succeed As a Fiction Writer in Today’s Market?

Writing Romantic Suspense.

The Author As Master of the Universe.

Fabulous Low-Carbohydrate Cuisine.

Running a Critique Group.

Never Give Up: Changing a Proposal that Doesn’t Work for One Market Into a Different Book.

From Research to Dynamic Scenes.

Writing for the Paranormal Market.

Using Metaphor and Simile to Juice Up Your Writing

Pure gold nuggets or torpedoes lobbed from the Death Star, metaphor and simile can spark your fiction and nonfiction or drag your work down to a whole new level of bad prose. Learn to recognize these mainstays of figurative writing. Consider the richness they can add to a piece, along with jaw-dropping examples of writers straining too hard for effect. And practice constructing some in a couple of fun and interactive exercises.