Angela V. Woodhull’s 7 Book-Writing Tips
June 8 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
The Writers Alliance of Gainesville welcomes author and motivational speaker Angela V. Woodhull – also known as Angelina, the Polka Queen – who will share her top seven tips for book authors.
Woodhull, Ph.D., is a published author, licensed private investigator, and comedy accordion player, who has resided in Gainesville off and on since 1985. Her latest book is Where to Unpack the Crazy: Quirks, Crimes, and Curiosities of Gainesville, Florida.
Her talks are light and entertaining, like her books. In her presentation at 2:30 p.m. on June 8 at the Millhopper Library, she will illustrate these seven writing tips using excerpts from her books:
- Show, Don’t Tell: Rather than telling readers how characters feel, she will show how to reveal their emotions through actions and dialogue.
- Strong Voice and Tone: She will demonstrate how establishing a unique voice can draw readers in and create a distinct atmosphere.
- Use of Dialogue: Dialogue can reveal character, advance the plot, and create tension. She will emphasize this with dialog-heavy excerpts that demonstrate how characters interact and how their conversations reflect the culture of the time.
- Setting as Character: A well-developed setting can enhance the story and serve as a backdrop for character development. Woodhull will share a passage that vividly describes Gainesville, making it feel alive and integral to the narrative.
- Pacing and Structure: Varying sentence length and structure can control the story’s pace and keep readers engaged. She will read aloud a short excerpt where the pacing shifts during a high-energy event to show how to build suspense or excitement.
- Humor and Wit: She will share a scenario to illustrate how humor can be woven into storytelling to make the read more enjoyable and relatable.
- Editing and Revision: She will discuss a passage in her book that changed significantly from her first draft to the final version, highlighting what she improved to enhance clarity and impact.
Woodhull previously was a motivational speaker for Dun and Bradstreet Business Education Services and Fred Pryor Seminars. She currently works as an online teacher and still performs music shows as Angelina, the Polka Queen.
In addition to her most recent book, Where to Unpack the Crazy, she is also the author of these five:
- Police Communication in Traffic Stops
- The New Time Manager
- Coping with Difficult Teachers
- Easy Words: An Easy Word to Learn New Words
-
It’s Raining Lawsuits in my Life and I Just Wanna Be Angelina, the Polka Queen