Upcoming Workshops & Presentations

A cluster of hanging lightbulbs, all of them on because the writer switch is also on and full of inspiration.Transforming an Idea Into a Story
September 26, 2024
Virtual – Free

How do you go from idea to story? Learn how to mine your idea to discover the character’s motivation, obstacles, and secrets to create a story.

Flights of Foundry
September 27–29, 2024
Virtual

Schedule, presentations, and workshops TBD

Workshops & Courses

Alli offers workshops, courses, and presentations on various writing topics including craft, inspiration, writing productivity, mental health, and science fiction. While some workshops are in-person through the Orange County Library, many are offered virtually and are open to anyone anywhere. If you’d like for Alli to bring a workshop to your writing group or creative organization, she is available for virtual events worldwide and in-person around Central Florida.

Transforming an Idea Into a Story
A workshop to teach you how to move from an idea to story in an hour. Includes discussion of story structure and how to build a basic plot without going through hours of planning.
Inspiration, Brainstorming, Structure, Storytelling, Plotting
presenter, Orange County Library, September 26, 2024
co-presenter, NaNOrlando Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library
October 16, 2022
October 23, 2021

Reconnect with Your Writing Life
Struggling to return to writing after a long break? This workshop focuses on strategies and exercises to rebuild your confidence and redefine your writing life.
Mental Health, Self-Doubt, Productivity
presenter, Central Florida Inklings, June 12, 2022

Getting into Character
Step through the basics of creating a character and how to express that character on the page.
Characters, Character Creation, Characterization, POV, Description
co-presenter, Orange County Library, July 17, 2016

Make My Genre Punk
A multi-week workshop featuring lessons on eight punk sub-genres including historical information and examples. Includes writing exercises to develop your familiarity with the genres and writing alternate history.
(Alli also presents an overview of this material in a 1-hour presentation.)
Science Fiction, Punk, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Solarpunk, Worldbuilding
instructor, SavvyAuthors, February 14–March 14, 2022

Presentations

Alli presents on various writing topics, sharing her experience and knowledge about everything from apps to editing to plotting to productivity. Presentations are 1- to 2-hours in length with time for audience questions. If you’d like for Alli to speak to your writing group or creative organization, she is available for virtual events worldwide and in-person around Central Florida.

Writing Advice You Can Ignore, presenter, Orange County Library, June 6, 2024
Mental Health, Self-Doubt, Writing Life, Productivity

Time Management for Writers, presenter, Orange County Library, July 2, 2024
March 23, 2023

Time Management, Scheduling, Writing Life, Productivity

Reconnect with Your Writing Life, presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 28, 2022
Mental Health, Self-Doubt, Productivity

MFAs are for Everyone, presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 26, 2019
MFA, Self-Education, Reading

Finish That Book: Staying Motivated, co-presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 21, 2017
Motivation, Novels

Alli served as a Municipal Liaison for the Orlando, Florida region from 2016–2021. While she is no longer an ML, she is well versed in NaNoWriMo and useful strategies for planning to write 50,000 words in a month.

NaNOrlando Writer’s Conference, organizer, Orange County Library
October 15–16, 2022
October 23–24, 2021
October 17–18, 2020
October 5, 2019
October 27, 2018

NaNoWriMo 101: Introduction to National Novel Writing Month, co-presenter, Orange County Library
October 19, 2021
October 11, 2020
October 5, 2019
October 27, 2018
October 5, 2017

0 to 50K: Strategies to Hit Your Word Count Goal, co-presenter, NaNOrlando Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, October 27, 2018
Productivity, Motivation, Novels

NaNoWriMo: Research Process, co-presenter, Orange County Library, October 19, 2017
Research, Planning, Novels

NaNoWriMo: Plotting V Pantsing, co-presenter
Orange County Library, October 12, 2017
Central Florida Inklings, October 11, 2015
Plotting, Structure, Drafting, Novels

NaNoWriMo 201: Starting the Novel, co-presenter, Orange County Library, October 9, 2016
Plotting, Structure, Drafting, Novels

NaNoWriMo: Research Process, co-presenter, Orange County Library, October 19, 2017
Research, Planning, Novels

NaNoWriMo: Plotting V Pantsing, co-presenter
Orange County Library, October 12, 2017
Central Florida Inklings, October 11, 2015

Plotting, Structure, Drafting, Novels

So, You Want to Write a Novel, co-presenter, UCF Graduate Writer’s Association, November 10, 2016
Plotting, Structure, Novels

NaNoWriMo 201: Starting the Novel, co-presenter, Orange County Library, October 9, 2016
Plotting, Structure, Drafting, Novels

Edit Yourself Like a Pro, presenter, OCLS Writers Conference, Orange County Library, January 20, 2024
OCLS Writers Conference, January 29, 2022

Editing, Revision

Web Tools for Writers, presenter, Full Sail Writer’s Conference, September 25, 2021
Writing Tools, Writing Apps, Planners, Tracking, Communities

Novel Technology, presenter, Orange County Library, July 13, 2023
OCLS Writer’s Conference, January 25, 2020

Writing Tools, Writing Apps, Scrivener, Word, GoogleDocs

Researching and Choosing a Literary Agent, presenter, Orange County Library, August 9, 2018
Literary Agents, Traditional Publishing

Write Time Travel Fiction, presenter, Orange County Library, May 12, 2022
Time Travel, Science, Worldbuilding

Make My Genre Punk, presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 29, 2021
Punk, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Solarpunk, Worldbuilding

Steampunk 101, presenter, Orange County Library, July 23, 2019
Punk, Steampunk, Worldbuilding

Write Time Travel Fiction, presenter, Orange County Library, May 12, 2022
Science Fiction, Time Travel

Make My Genre Punk, presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 29, 2021
Science Fiction, Punk, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, Solarpunk

Steampunk 101, presenter, Orange County Library, July 23, 2019
Science Fiction, Punk, Steampunk

Web Tools for Writers, presenter, Full Sail Writer’s Conference, September 25, 2021
Writing Apps, Scrivener, Planning Apps, Tracking Apps, Pacemaker, Inspiration, Submittable, The Story Grinder

Novel Technology, presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 25, 2020
Writing Apps, Scrivener, Word, GoogleDocs

MFAs are for Everyone, presenter, OCLS Writer’s Conference, Orange County Library, January 26, 2019
MFA, Reading, Networking

Researching and Choosing a Literary Agent, presenter, Orange County Library, August 9, 2018
QueryTracker, Manuscript Wishlist