5 Reasons Every Novelist Needs Margie Lawson

By Dorothy Adamek 

There's been some talk about Margie Lawson of late. Have you heard the chatter? Margie Lawson is coming to Australia to present at the 2015 RWAust conference in August and run her world famous Immersion Masterclasses. 

Here's a post I wrote in 2013 about the benefits of studying with Margie. NOTHING has changed. If anything, I've learned I need this MORE. 

How about you? Are you ready to take your fiction writing to the next level? Looking to study the craft of writing with a master teacher? Perhaps, even change the course of your writing career? 

If you haven’t already met, let me introduce Margie Lawson. I’m a proud Margie-Grad. I’ve studied and applied her writing wisdom, and today I want to share the five reasons you need her, too. 

1. Margie Lawson knows psychology. And writing. And how the two should sit in a knot in every writer’s toolbox. Margie’s a psychotherapist, editor and international presenter. If you’re keen to sharpen your characters’ visceral responses, or even learn what a visceral response is, then you need to knock on the Lawson Writing Academy door. Discover how Margie’s decades of psychotherapy translate into online writing courses and lecture packets. You’ll learn how to Empower Characters’ Emotions, Write Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist, and plunge into the Deep Editing System. If you’re serious about writing fiction, you won’t regret taking Margie’s courses. Your editor, agent and reader will thank you. And long before they do… you’ll be thanking yourself. 

2. Margie loves fresh writing. She lives for it. When fresh writing grabs her, she slaps sticky notes all over that brilliance. She shares examples with her students, over and over and over, until the cadence of words sings across the room and each student stops to breathe it in. Margie will tell you, “It’s all about fresh writing,” and her enthusiasm is contagious. She trains the ear for what every reader deserves, and what every writer longs to deliver. 

3. Margie kills clichés. Don’t touch them. Don’t even think about them. Even if one bobs around in your mind, all pretty and perfect, don’t be fooled. Margie won’t care. She’ll take you a different way, deepen your writing senses and you’ll soon recoil when clichés flirt with your writer’s head. Instead, you’ll find the scaffolding to transform clichés into powerful writing. The way you hang laundry on the line. One word at a time. Here, here and here. Flipped and swapped, until words slap you across the head all crisp and bright, you’ll wonder how you never thought of it that way before. But Margie has. She’s taught her methods to hundreds of authors and I’ll bet there’s no reason you can’t be one of them. 

4. Margie plays with colours. Yes, she does. Just when you thought she was all frowns and tsk tsk…. turns out… her love of pinks and blues and greens will illuminate your world. She’s turned an ordinary pack of highlighters into a fierce editing tool, (along with her EDITS System) and you’ll never despair about what’s missing from your pages or what’s messing your story flow. You’ll learn to spot strengths and opportunities in a darkened room with your eyes half shut and your manuscript the wrong way around. Ok, maybe you’ll need the light on, but you’ll learn to edit with your pages upside down. For real. It’s a Margie-thing. And it works. I promise. 

 San Antonio fun with Margie Lawson, Lori Freeland and Dorothy Adamek

5. Margie keeps tricks up her professorial sleeve. She opens her home for Immersion Retreats where she welcomes writers to deepen their knowledge and sharpen their skills. Her Colorado mountain home is the perfect location for writing masterclasses, and Margie’s schedule also includes retreats all over the US. As well as presenting at the RWAust 2015 conference, for the first time ever, Margie Lawson will be conducting two Immersion masterclasses in Melbourne. (My home, to be exact, and I’m thrilled to share Margie with the Aussies and New Zealanders who will attend.) Those participating will discover what’s beyond the lecture packets and online courses, as well as enjoy one-on-one time with Margie and her red pen. (Read more about my 2013 Immersion Class here.)

Have you ever taken (or strongly desire to take) a Margie Lawson online course? Studied one of her lecture packets? Attended an immersion retreat? 

Yes? No? Want to? Visit Margie’s amazing website of online resources and courses for more inspiration. http://www.margielawson.com/lawson-writers-academy-courses

*****

Dorothy Adamek lives in Melbourne with her Beloved and their three gorgeous kids. 

She's the winner of the 2013 FHL ~ Touched By Love Competition, 
and the 2104 Inspirational Category Winner of the TARA Writing Contest. 

Enamoured by all things 19th century, she writes The Heartbeat of Yesteryear, Historical Romance - Aussie style. Come say G'day at her blog, Ink Dots.