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Heidi Ruby Miller      

Award-Winning Author, Editor & Mentor, Professor of Creative Writing at Seton Hill University

Heidi Ruby Miller is a travel writer turned novelist. She uses research for her stories as an excuse to roam the globe. Her books include the popular AMBASADORA series (Dog Star Books), MAN OF WAR (Meteor House), which is a sequel to Science Fiction Grandmaster Philip José Farmer's novel TWO HAWKS FROM EARTH, and the international award-winning writing guide MANY GENRES, ONE CRAFT (Headline Books Inc.). In between trips, Heidi teaches creative writing at Seton Hill University, where she graduated from their renowned Writing Popular Fiction Graduate Program the same month she appeared on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Speech Topics

50 WAYS TO BEAT WRITER'S BLOCK

Can't think of a new idea? Keep tweaking a particular scene? Wrote yourself into a corner? Let me share 50 ways to counter your writer's block and get the words flowing back onto the page.

IN CASE THE TONIGHT SHOW CALLS

Charm interviewers and audiences on TV, radio, online, and in print with help from someone who has sat on both sides of the couch.

30 MINUTE NOVEL

Have limited time to write? Come down with a case of writer's block? Coping with the pain of hunching over a computer screen? Try the 30 Minute Novel regimen to get that story finished and still have time to enjoy life.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN ACTION/ADVENTURE AND THRILLERS

You might have action, thrills, and suspense in the plot, but you should know there is a difference between action/adventure and thrillers.

SPACE OPERA REVIVAL

Amidst buzz of Star Wars VII, the blockbusterdom of Guardians of the Galaxy, Dr. Who turning fifty, and Amazon proving that readers will still devour alien empires and interplanetary sagas, publishers are once again putting out the call for space opera.

FASHIONABLE SFF WORLDS AND CHARACTERS

Use runway royalty and innovative designers to infuse theming within your speculative world through fashion, technology, and architecture.

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THE PAST SIX MONTHS IN PUBLISHING AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

The publishing industry is in constant motion—imprints closing, imprints launching, new presses popping up, editors leaving, agencies merging—and writers need to be informed in order to take advantage of new opportunities, avoid potential pitfalls, and understand more about the business half of their career.

ALIEN CULTURES OF EARTH

Create fully realized cultures and languages for your speculative worlds by borrowing from recent and historical anthropological case studies right here on Earth.

DON'T SAY THAT AGAIN

Rid your work of redundancies. Omit repetitions. Refrain from saying the same thing over and over. Avoid stating the same concept in several different ways. Eliminate the need to really drive that point home.

THE SECOND DRAFT IS ALWAYS MORE FUN

If you dread the rewrite, we'll discuss easy ways to make your second draft more polished, while still enjoying the process. The class includes a general checklist of what to omit on the second draft and what to thread in.

SPIES, SCIENTISTS, & SUPER SOLDIERS

Spin the archetypes in Thrillers to add intrigue while maintaining an authoritative character voice.

SFR - SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

SFR is gaining ground in the Romance market, especially with its plethora of sub-genres. We'll discuss the rising interest and introduce you to some of the key players.

SPECULATIVE FICTION IN THRILLERS

Can adding speculative elements to your thriller make it more marketable or just send it into the slipstream netherworld of publishing? It depends on your concept and its execution. We'll discuss some bestselling authors who have built an entire brand by combining these genres, and analyze how they did it.

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