Get expert writing advice in one-on-one consultations and workshops with mystery author
Donis Casey in our Writer in Residence program, running from
September through November.
Donis Casey is the author of the Alafair Tucker Mysteries, a historical mystery series set in Oklahoma during the 1910s. Donis has won the Arizona Book Award twice and was a finalist for the Willa Award and Oklahoma Book Award. Her first novel,
The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, was named an Oklahoma Centennial Book. She has a background in teaching, academic librarianship, and entrepreneurship.
View Donis Casey's books in the library catalog.
One-on-One Consultations with Donis Casey
Meet one-on-one with Donis Casey for writing advice or manuscript review. Registration is required.
Visit our calendar of events for dates and times.
Consulting sessions are restricted to the allocated session time. Each patron can only register for one session per week. However, patrons are welcome to visit the library in person for last-minute availability if a session has not been reserved online.
Writing Workshops with Donis Casey
Creating the World of Your Story
Thursday, September 12, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Heroes Regional Park Library
Setting, or where and when a story occurs acts on the characters. It’s where they live their lives, and the author had better know all about it, its rules, how it looks, and who else lives there. The characters will move naturally through their world without thinking about it, just like we do in our world. We will study ways to create as authentic a world for the story as possible to engage and involve the reader.
The Plot Thickens
Saturday, September 21, 3-4:45 p.m.
Foothills Library
If the cast of characters are the ingredients of a novel, the Plot is the recipe - how to put all the ingredients together and how events are ordered to create suspense and interest. We will learn techniques to maintain interest throughout the work and focus on building suspense.
Dialog, Dialect, and Voice
Thursday, October 17, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Velma Teague Library
Dialog is one of the best ways to learn about characters, both for the reader and the author. The way a person speaks can tell you much about him. Listening to speech can tell you where he comes from, his background, family life, education, desires, wishes, prejudices, attitude, and worldview. We will also discuss how to deal with dialects and accents through word order, cadence, or rhythm, and the concept of "voice," or how writing "sounds" on the page.
Memoir and Autobiography
Monday, October 21, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Main Library
An autobiography chronicles a life, while a memoir captures a specific aspect. This session focuses on using personal memories in powerful storytelling by sharing truthful and personal life experiences.
Characters Are Everything
Thursday, October 28, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Foothills Library
An author has to figure out how to make the reader care about the people in his book. A novel is a story about someone. To tell someone’s story, an author must know who he is. To make the reader care about her, you must make a real person out of her. So how do you do that? In this session, we will learn some proven techniques for creating compelling characters.
Getting Published
Thursday, November 21, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Foothills Library
Once your book or story is finished, your work is not done. In this session, we will discuss ways to get published in today's market: traditional vs. self-publishing and what each entails, as well as how to promote your work.
This project receives backing from the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, under the Secretary of State's jurisdiction, utilizing federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.