Find the 600 Pound Gorilla Inside Your Story
A class for writers who want their fiction to roar

• Thursdays, May 1 - June 5 (6 sessions)
• 7-9:30 pm
• The Ink Spot

Why are the vast majority of novel submissions rejected by agents and editors? When asked, these "gatekeepers" give vague and often conflicting answers, with one concurrence: they want their socks knocked off. But what they tend to receive is okay material—safe, common, overly restrained...wimpy. Not enough. This class is designed to help you find and nurture the 600 pound gorilla inside even the most gentle, innocuous story. In some cases the gorilla is action; in some cases it's emotion; in some cases it's atmosphere; in some cases it's style. Regardless, the best way to propel your writing to the next level is to find the gorilla, cast off its chains and release the beast within.

Mark A. Clements is the author of four published novels, including The Land of Nod, which won the first annual Theodore S. Geisel "Best of the Best" Award at the San Diego Book Awards. All four novels have been optioned for film. He also wrote the script for a short original film, "Dreamweavers," starring Robert Carradine and Frank Gorshin, and has ghostwritten numerous published novels. A passionate teacher, he runs legendary read-and-critique workshops at two writers’ conferences each year, and is currently at work upon his latest novel, The Black Queen.