Events

Storytelling Techniques, a writing workshop

May 30-July 11, 2019 (six Thursdays, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, skipping July 4th) at Vroman’s Bookstore. Instructor: Laurie Viera Rigler

Please click the link above for registration information.

Writing a compelling story is about revealing the world of your protagonist in a way that keeps the reader engaged and eager to know what happens next. In this class, we will explore how to “show, don’t tell” and breathe life into the page. Open to writers whose work is in an early stage as well as those who are working on more advanced drafts. Principles and techniques to be covered include:

• Establishing character goals and desires.
• Revealing internal and external conflict (obstacles to achieving those goals).
• Choosing a point of view (first-person, third-person, or omniscient) that best serves your story.
• Unfolding events in immediate scene and narrative summary.
• Maintaining suspense and tension.
• Engaging the senses.
• Evoking emotions.
• Using metaphors and similes judiciously.
• Writing effective and engaging dialogue.
• Getting into and out of flashbacks.

There will be writing exercises as well as the opportunity to have Laurie read and comment on your pieces, privately or in class.

Novel vs. Screenplay: Exploring Your Options (a writing workshop)

Saturday, May 25, 2019, 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at Vroman’s Bookstore. Instructor: Laurie Viera Rigler

Ever thought of turning one of your screenplays into a novel? Or simply working in the novel form? In this one-day workshop for screenwriters who love novels (and novelists who love movies), discover how the two forms diverge and intersect and why a novel is an option worth considering. You’ll discover ways to make your story come alive and how to choose a point of view. You’ll also learn the basics of submitting your finished work for publication. There will be writing exercises as well as the opportunity to have the instructor read and comment on your pieces, privately or in class.

Austen in August

August 18-31, 2015
Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publication of EMMA with the biggest virtual party this side of the Janeiverse.
Hosted by The Book Rat.
Register and take part in group reads, discussions, posts by your favorite authors, and lots of giveaways. Look for Laurie’s guest post and giveaway of the new 200th anniversary edition of Emma to be released by Penguin Press, plus both Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict and Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict.

Digital Hollywood at McGraw Hill

March 6, 2013 2:15 PM

Digital Hollywood at McGraw Hill
“Fiction and Non-fiction in New Forms: Authors and Technologists Discuss Online Publishing and Using New Tools for Storytelling. It’s a World of Boundless Possibilities, Time for a Deep Dive!”
Panelists:
Brittany Geragotelis, Author of “Life’s a Witch & What the Spell?”
Jacob Lewis, CEO, Figment
Sally Slater, blogger & author of “Paladin”
Moderator:
Laurie Viera Rigler

Medaille College

November 15, 2012 7:00 PM

Reading, Talk, and Q&A:
Buffalo Campus
18 Agassiz Circle, Buffalo, New York 14214
The Academic Commons, Fourth Floor, Main Building.
Event is free and open to the public. Refreshments are available.

USC Campus

April 22, 2012 2:00 PM

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
Book Signing at the Jane Austen Society of North America-Southwest Booth
2-4 PM

Assistance League of San Fernando Valley

March 24, 2012 10:00 AM

Annual Author Luncheon
10-2 PM
Details to follow.

Jane Austen Society of North America, Southwest

December 3, 2011 9:00 AM

Readings from JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT by contributing authors Laurie Viera Rigler, Syrie James, and Diana Birchall
at the JASNA-SW Winter Event,
featuring speakers Cheryl Kinney, Arnie Perlstein, and Walter Nelson.
9:00AM – 3:30PM
Los Angeles Athletic Club
431 West Seventh Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Digital Hollywood Content Summit

November 17, 2011 1:15 PM

Moderator, Panel: “Publishing for the Milennial Generation”
Panelists:
Larry Amoros, Senior Writer, The Joy Behar Show
Terra Chalberg, Partner/Agent, Chalberg & Sussman http://chalbergsussman.com/
Tim O’Connell, Editor, Vintage/Random House
Jon Feldman, Founder, President & CEO, Open Air Publishing http://openairpub.com/
McGraw-Hill Building, 49th St. and 6th Ave., New York City.

Sierra Madre Public Library

May 21, 2011 2:00 PM

“Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict”
Reading & Talk
440 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
phone: 626.355.7186

Chapman University

February 15, 2011 4:00 PM

AUSTENALIA: A PANEL DISCUSSION WITH AUSTEN-RELATED WRITERS

Moderated by Lynda Hall, Assistant Professor of English.
Panelists:
Diana Birchall, author of MRS DARCY’S DILEMMA
Karen Joy Fowler, author of THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB
Syrie James, author of THE LOST MEMOIRS OF JANE AUSTEN
Laurie Viera Rigler, author of CONFESSIONS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT and RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT.

Book signing and light refreshments following the panel.
A collection of rare Austen books will be available for viewing, including first American edition of SENSE AND SENSIBLITY.

Henley Reading Room, 2nd floor, Leatherby Libraries
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
Parking: Orange Lot

Digital Hollywood Content Summit–New York

November 11, 2010 3:45 PM

Panel: “Anatomy of a Viral Video”
Lighthouse Conference Center, New York, NY
Moderator: Amber J. Lawson, Comedy Publisher, Babelgum
Jared Neumark, Landline TV
Todd Beiber, UCB Comedy
Matt Kirsh, The Onion
Michael Showalter, “The Michael Showalter Showalter & The Making of…”
Laurie Viera Rigler, Author, Sex and the Austen Girl web series, Confessions of a Austen Addict Penguin Book Series

Presented by Babelgum

Jane Austen Society of North America AGM

October 29, 2010 7:30 PM

Book Signing
Hilton Portland & Executive Tower
921 SW Sixth Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97204
Tel: 1-503-226-1611

Torrance Public Library

February 3, 2010 7:00 PM

“Wild About Jane Austen”
Katy Geissert Civic Center Library
Community Meeting Room
3301 Torrance Blvd Torrance, CA 90503
310-618-5959

Vroman’s Bookstore

October 1, 2009 6:30 PM

Writing Workshop: “Storytelling Magic”
DATES HAVE CHANGED! Six Thursdays, October 1 – November 5, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
Vroman’s Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION.
Tel: 626-449-5320

Glendale Public Library

August 20, 2009 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing
Glendale Public Library Auditorium
222 East Harvard Street, Glendale
(818) 548-2042

Vroman’s Bookstore

July 22, 2009 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: 626-449-5320

Jane Austen Society of North America-Southwest Region

May 2, 2009 9:30 AM

A Day of Pride, Prejudice, and Politics
Laurie will be giving a sneak preview of RUDE AWAKENINGS OF A JANE AUSTEN ADDICT
Other speakers on the program are:
Charles Lynn Batten, Associate Professor of English, UCLA
“Jane Austen, Conservative or Liberal”
and
Margaret Horwitz, PhD, JASNA 2009 Traveling Lecturer
“The Legacy of Her Voice: Ethics and Wit in Austen’s Novel”
“Pride and Prejudice and Its Filmed Adaptations”
TO FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT, GO TO
http://jasnasw.org
UCLA Faculty Center
480 Charles E. Young Dr.
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Vroman’s Bookstore

April 14, 2009 6:30 PM

Writing Workshop: Storytelling Techniques for Fiction Writers (DATES HAVE CHANGED)
Six Tuesdays beginning April 14 through May 19, 2009
6:30 to 8:30 PM
For more information, click on the link above.
To register for this class, call Vroman’s at (626) 449-5320.
Vroman’s Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: 626-449-5320

Vroman’s Bookstore

January 20, 2009 6:30 PM

Writing Workshop:
Storytelling Techniques for Fiction Writers
6 Tuesdays beginning January 20, 2009
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: 626-449-5320

Jackson State Community College

November 7, 2008 12:00 PM

Talk, Reading and Signing
2046 N. Parkway
Writing Center (located on 1st floor of library)
Jackson, TN 38301

Lambuth University

November 6, 2008 7:00 PM

Talk, Reading and Signing
705 Lambuth Blv.
Hamilton Performing Arts Center
Jackson, TN 38301

Friends of the Library/Madison County Library

November 6, 2008 12:00 PM

Talk, Reading and Signing
Library Program Center
433 E. Lafayette
Jackson, TN 38301

Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting

October 4, 2008 3:30 PM

Breakout Session: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Session E on Saturday from 3:30-4:15 PM
The Westin Michigan Avenue, Chicago
909 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone: (312) 943-7200

Jane Austen Today Live Chat

10 pm EST to midnight (7 pm Pacific time until 9 pm)
Click on the link above just before the chat. The link to the chat itself will be posted there. Go to Jane Austen Today for details on how to win a book, too.

Vroman’s Bookstore

July 18, 2008 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: 626-449-5320

Blog Talk Radio (virtual event)

June 25, 2008 7:00 PM

Live call-in show on Blog Talk Radio.
Hosted by Book Club Girl (a must-read blog for book clubbers everywhere): http://www.bookclubgirl.com/
Click on the title of the event above to set a reminder for yourself. Time of event above is EST.
Call-in number: (347) 945-6149
Open to all book clubs and individual readers of the book.

Boone County Public Library

June 10, 2008 4:30 PM

I will be talking on speakerphone to the Library’s book club and to interested members of the community who wish to discuss Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict.
Scheben Branch
8899 US 42
Union, KY 41091
859-342-2665

Glendale Public Library

May 28, 2008 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing
Glendale Public Library
222 East Harvard Street
Glendale, CA 91205
(818) 548-2042

Borders

May 14, 2008 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing
330 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Phone: 310.659.4045

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

April 27, 2008 12:00 PM

Panelist: “Fiction from the Heart”
Fellow participants are Jennifer Kaufman, Leslie Lehr, Karen Mack. Moderated by Connie Martinson.
UCLA
Rolfe 1200

Whittier Public Library

March 5, 2008 7:00 PM

Evenings With Jane Austen
7344 S. Washington Ave.
Whittier, CA 90602
562-464-3456

Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs, Jefferson, Texas

October 9, 2007 7:00 PM

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict is one of two books selected for October.

Annual General Meeting, Jane Austen Society of North America

October 6, 2007 6:30 PM

Book Signing at JASNA AGM
The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
900 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6C 2W6

Burbank Public Library

September 25, 2007 7:00 PM

“Tea and Gossip” reading and signing
110 N. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91502
818.238.5562

Borders Books and Music #1

September 20, 2007 7:00 PM

Reading & Signing
612 E. Liberty Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 734.668.7652

Authors@Google, Ann Arbor, MI

September 20, 2007 1:00 PM

Authors@Google
Google’s offices
Ann Arbor, MI

Schuler Books

September 19, 2007 7:30 PM

Reading & Signing
2820 Towne Center Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48912

Harry Schwartz Books

September 17, 2007 7:00 PM

Reading/signing
10976 North Port Washington Road
Mequon, WI 53092
(at Mequon Road in the Pavilions shopping center)

A Great Good Place for Books, Montclair, CA

September 6, 2007 7:00 PM

Reading, Q&A, & Signing
6120 LaSalle Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
Tel: (510) 339-8210

Northshire Books, Manchester Center, Vermont

August 16, 2007 7:00 PM

Reading & Signing
4869 Main Street
Manchester Center, Vermont 05255
802-362-2200 • 800-437-3700

Alice’s Teacup, New York, NY

August 15, 2007 6:00 PM

Reading, signing, tea & scones
156 East 64th Street, NYC 10021
6-8 pm
Call 212-734-4TEA for a reservation
$30 includes a copy of the book, and special tea & scones

Tattered Cover, Denver, CO

August 14, 2007 7:30 PM

Reading and Signing
The Historic LoDo Store
1628 16th Street
Denver, CO 80202
303-436-1070

Third Place Books, Seattle, WA

August 13, 2007 7:00 PM

Reading and Signing
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
206-366-3333

Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena, California

August 8, 2007 7:00 PM

Reading & Signing
695 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91101
Tel: 626-449-5320

Vroman’s Bookstore

June 11, 2007 7:00 PM

Writing Workshop: Storytelling Techniques for Fiction and Nonfiction.
Nine Mondays June 11-August 6, 2007
Vroman’s Bookstore
Pasadena, CA

Book Expo America, New York, NY

June 2, 2007 7:00 PM

Panelist at Book Expo America, New York City. Panel entitled Confessions of Jane Austen Addicts: Author, publisher, and bookseller perspectives on Austen’s enduring popularity

Jane Austen Society of North America-Southwest Region

May 5, 2007 1:30 PM

Reading and talk at the spring meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Southwest Region (JASNA-SW)
UCLA Faculty Center
Los Angeles, CA