Laurie Schnebly loves giving workshops that draw on her background as a counseling therapist and romance novelist who won the Best Special Edition of the Year award over Nora Roberts. Along with writing for a Phoenix ad agency she enjoys narrating Talking Books, working at a food bank, vacationing in Sedona (the red-rock town named for her grandpa’s mom), and teaching monthly email classes. “People ask how I find time to do all that,” Laurie says, “and I tell them it’s easy. I never clean my house!”
What genres do you like to read? – women’s fiction, YA, romance, mystery, thriller
Do you have a favorite book or movie? – Greensleeves by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is the only book in which I’ve ever turned the last page, closed the back cover, flipped it over, and started reading again from the first page.
Were you a writer before you became a teacher? – Yes, I published half a dozen romances with Harlequin while teaching classes on the side and then saw a bumper sticker that said, “Those who can, do. Those who believe others can ALSO do, teach.” Those two sentences resonated so strongly, that I started teaching with all my free time rather than just half of it.
Which is your favorite subject to teach? Why? – Plotting Via Motivation because it lays the groundwork for just about everything else that I teach, and it’s generated more sales of what I view as grandbooks — same as with grandkids, you don’t do any of the work but still get to enjoy them.
Do you have other favorites? – Creating That Fatal Flaw, and Block-Busting: Putting The Joy Back In Writing.
Which project is your favorite so far? Why? – So far it’s the eight writer-long weekend retreats because they combine my two favorite kinds of teaching: in-person for a group and one-on-one work with each person. And, their locations are always someplace cool to visit, so I get to enjoy vacation travel as well!
How long have you been teaching? – Since 1993, when someone in my local writing group asked why synopsis writing was so easy for me and I explained it’s just like advertising (my day job). Everyone who heard us talking about that wanted to know more, and somebody said, “You should teach this,” and with that first class, I was hooked.
Any preference to your mode of teaching? Online via email, Zoom…? In person? One-on-one, at conferences? – In-person groups are my favorite, but email where I can work one-on-one with group members is a close second.
What’s your favorite place/mode to advertise your classes? Where you’re able to draw the best audience? – I like word-of-mouth the best, and it seems to keep working…I always love it when somebody says “my friend X recommended your class.” But, I also mention the free workshops on Facebook and invite anyone who takes a class to get my monthly email about the ones coming up.
What do you do for fun when you’re not teaching? – Read. Go for walk-n-talks with my sister. Play with my two-year-old grandson, who’s a nice transition between the all-in-my-head world and the real world.
Website/blog: https://booklaurie.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurieschneblycampbell
Facebook author/business page: https://www.facebook.com/WriterUnivcom
Amazon author page (for authors): https://www.amazon.com/Laurie-Schnebly-Campbell/e/B001HPZ6LU
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurieschneblycampbell
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