My Guild of Adventurers Q&A

Q: What is the Guild of Adventurers?

A: The Guild is my street team, a collection of some of my biggest fans who volunteer their time to help spread the word about me and my stories.

Q: What do they do?

A: One of the biggest ways that Guild members help me is by sharing and commenting on my posts on Facebook and Twitter. Other Guild members have also had a lot of success by sharing physical copies of books with friends or their local libraries. Some members have even gone to author events and Cons to hang out with me in person and show their support!

Q: What do they get out of it?

A: While being a member of my Adventurers Guild is a voluntary position, there are some perks that come with membership. Every month, each guild member who has done something to help spread the word receives an invitation to a live video hangout with me and their fellow guild members. In addition, all active guild members get a chance to participate in a monthly, online roleplay game that I created in the world of The Beast Hunter's Keltin Moore. Other goodies include free ebooks, behind-the-scenes insights into how my works-in-progress are doing, and first look at concept artwork and book covers.

Q: How do I join?

A: To join the Guild you need to do just two things. First, you need to have read at least one of my books and written an honest review on Amazon. Second, you need to subscribe to my mailing list. Be sure to include a link to your Amazon review when you subscribe. If you've already subscribed to my mailing list and want to join the Guild, you can send your review link to lindsay@lindsayschopfer.com with "Adventurers Guild Applicant" as the subject line. When you’re accepted into the Guild, you’ll be added to the Guild Facebook group as well as the Guild mailing list.

Q: I'm not interested in being in the Guild, but I'd still like to help. What can I do?

A: Some members of my Guild have created a Facebook Group for fans of my stories. There are no expectations or requirements to be a member, and it's a great way to connect with like-minded people without some pesky author always hanging around. ;) I also have a Patreon account for those folks who are interested in making a small, monthly pledge to show their support. Those who pledge can also receive complimentary gifts such as free books and video chats with me to talk about their own writing projects.

Q: What were those links again?

Sign-up for Lindsay's Mailing List

Fans of Lindsay Schopfer Facebook Group

Lindsay's Patreon Profile

Top 10 Underused Fish-Out-of-Water Storylines

10. Librarian in a gladiatorial tournament.

9. Pirate working as a barista.

8. Ballerina in a rodeo.

7. Limousine driver in a demolition derby.

6. Cowboy working in a call center.

5.. Car mechanic as a medieval blacksmith.

4. Dog groomer at an archaeological dig.

3. Professional weightlifter at a spelling bee.

2. Ninja as a massage therapist.

1. Stand up comic as a hostage negotiator.

My New Online Writing Course

Over the last few years, I’ve built up a catalog of popular workshops focusing on the craft of writing. In an effort to share these presentations with more writers, I’ve decided to create an online writing course featuring a combination of my most popular workshops, peer critiques, and instructor feedback.

Each 10-week course will include weekly, one-hour workshops via live video chat between myself and a small group of students. In addition, each student will have access to a Google Drive where they can submit up to five pages a week for peer critiques. Participants will be expected to read each other’s submissions and give feedback based on a set of guidelines that I’ll provide. In addition, each week I’ll do a half-hour private chat with one of the participants to talk about their work (maximum of one private chat per person). The total cost for the 10-week course is $250 per person.

To register, send an e-mail to lindsay@yourwritingadventure.comwith “Lindsay’s Writing Course” as the subject. Please also include your name and the time slot you would like to attend. You will then receive a PayPal invoice via e-mail for your registration fee. Your registration will be confirmed upon payment of your fee.

Registration is open for the following…

6pm PST Monday Nights
Begins September 5, Ends November 7
Registration closes: August 29

7pm PST Wednesday Nights
Begins September 7, Ends November 9
Registration closes: August 31

What Facebook and Twitter are saying about Lindsay’s workshops…

“Terrific workshop on characterization, Lindsay. Thanks–learned a lot.”

“Your class was an inspiration.”

“@LindsaySchopfer says cliches are “like little flags saying ‘you could be original here!'” which is my new fave definition.”

“Thank you @LindsaySchopfer – loved the motivation exercise in your session today! Learned a ton!”

“@LindsaySchopfer Loved your class today, thanks for sharing the knowledge.”

“@LindsaySchopfer This was my favorite workshop of the day! Take his workshops people!!”

My 2016 PNWA Summer Conference

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend PNWA's annual summer conference. This was my 8th time attending this conference, and my 3rd year presenting at it. PNWA was the first event I ever went to as a professional writer, and I'll always be grateful to this great organization for all the help and opportunities I've gained as a result of my attendance over the years.

I'm not sure why this particular conference seemed so much more relaxed for me than past years. Perhaps it was because I only attended the first two days of the event. Perhaps it was the schedule, with its half-hour gaps in-between presentations and more than two hours for most meals. It could have also been the fact that I wasn't pitching to agents this year, which seemed to be the case with a growing number of my writing friends. Whatever it was, I noticed from the beginning of the first workshop that this event seemed to have a very positive vibe. It was relaxed, upbeat, and informative, and I enjoyed my time there immensely.

It didn't hurt that PNWA did a tremendous job of setting up my two presentations. From friendly moderators to generous room sizes, I felt like the staff and volunteers really valued me as a presenter, which helped my confidence and I feel ultimately contributed to the value of my workshops. I spoke about story beginnings on Thursday and character motivation on Friday. Both presentations were very well attended, with nearly every seat occupied by an engaged, enthusiastic attendee. I had a blast giving both workshops, and judging from the feedback that I got from attendees and the staff, it seems like the majority of my audiences had a great time too.

I wasn't able to attend very many presentations from other speakers, but I enjoyed the ones I did attend. Sabrina York was as friendly and useful as ever as she discussed practical marketing techniques, and Robert Dugoni was a wonderful keynote, though there was definitely a more somber tone to his comments than I've heard in the past, due to a frightening stroke he had earlier this year. Still, he seems healthy and hale now, and he received a well-deserved standing ovation at the end of his comments.

As I said before, I can't speak for the entire conference, as I was only able to attend the two days that I presented and could only partake in a fraction of the scheduled offerings. But I was very happy with my experience, and will definitely be planning to submit proposals for 2017's program.