Events

Upcoming events for Jordan McCollum

Kissin’ the Blarney Stone: Talk like the Irish!

Join me for a fun time and celebrate your Irish heritage (or lack thereof!) by learning about Irish English, slang and culture today. The craic will be rapid! There may be treats and even dancing!

March 16, 2016 1 PM	March 16, 2016 7 PM	March 17, 2016 7 PM
Millcreek Center Library 2266 E Evergreen Ave East Millcreek, Utah	Pleasant Grove City Library 30 East Center Pleasant Grove, Utah	American Fork Public Library 64 S 100 E American Fork, Utah Children’s library

2016 LDStorymakers Conference

Utah Valley Convention Center
May 5-7, 2016
I’ll be presenting on Saturday: That escalated quickly: enhancing conflict and increasing the stakes
Suspense and tension hook your readers and keep them turning pages–but what if your story doesn’t have enough? Learn how to diagnose and fix lagging suspense and low tension on the story level, scene level and sentence level! We’ll focus on ways to create more conflict, increase tension, raise the stakes, power up your story and most of all, keep your readers reading.

Past events

2013 LDStorymakers Conference
May 9-11, 2013

Book Signing! Join dozens of authors (including me!) Friday, May 10, 2013 at the Provo Marriott, 5-7 PM.

I’ll also be presenting Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11!

My class:

All Dressed up with Nowhere to Grow: Character Arcs in Fiction (advanced craft)

You can have the greatest plot in the world but for a character to truly resonate with readers, s/he should change and grow over the course of the story. This workshop will explore the ins and outs of discovering and showing your characters’ growth from beginning to end. Developing your characters’ internal journey will give you more powerful characters—and more powerful fiction.

I, Spy book launch!
Orem (Utah) Public Library, June 8, 2-4 PM
Join adventure romance author Donna K. Weaver (A Change of Plans) and spy romance author Jordan McCollum (I, Spy) as they read from their novels.

In the spirit of the novels’ themes, there will be a self-defense demonstration by Sensei Kristi Davis and Sensei Kim Kindlespire. Copies of the novel will be available for purchase and signing after the event.

Also refreshments! Door prizes! And fun!

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Spies & Pirates: Writers’ Night
American Fork (Utah) Public Library, June 19, 7-8 PM

Join Jordan McCollum & Donna K. Weaver for an evening of writing instruction and games! Books will be available for purchase and signing after the event.

Canada Day Book-e-bration: The Great White North Comes To Pleasant Grove
Pleasant Grove (Utah) City Library, July 1, 7-9 PM
Come Celebrate Canada Day with Your Family at the Pleasant Grove Library—the perfect family night to learn about our Canadian neighbors!

Door prizes and drawings
Canada fun facts
Canada coloring pages
Canadian treat samples
Canada storytelling

Canadian author Julie Coulter Bellon will also be signing her books at the event along with Jordan McCollum, whose CIA titles are set in Canada. Books will be available for purchase that evening.

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Pleasant Grove Promenade
Pleasant Grove (Utah) Downtown Park, September 5 & 12, 5-9 PM

On September 5 and September 12, I’ll be at the Pleasant Grove Promenade outdoor fair to sell I, Spy! Best of all, I’ve collaborated with several other authors to offer a variety of books. It’s our own mini book store!

2014 LDStorymakers Conference

April 25-26, 2014

Book Signing! Join dozens of authors (including me!) Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the Davis Conference Center (1651 North 700 West, Layton, Utah) from 4:15 to 5:30 PM.

I’ll also be presenting Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26!

My Friday class:

Structural self-editing: GPS for your story

After a first draft, do you have a solid story or . . . not quite? A structural edit enables you to refine your individual scenes and guide your work on the highest level. Discover how to build strong narrative structure, create a resonant theme, and craft an unputdownable story through the structural self-editing process. Before you start polishing your prose, tap into the power of these vital editing tools to get your whole novel on the right course.

My Saturday class:

Gesture crutches: freshen up your writing through your characters’ actions

Smiling, nodding, laughing, sighing, frowning—they’re all the little gestures we use every day to convey meaning, and they can creep into every page of our writing. These overused actions quickly become flat clichés, sapping your story’s power. Come learn how to find these common “gesture crutches,” discover new strategies to fix them, and use the smallest gestures to personalize your characters.

Pleasant Grove City Library Writers Series

Thursday, September 17, 2015. 7 PM
So you think you want to write a page turner?

Timeless Romance Anthology Authors + Northampton House Murder Mystery Dinner

Come hang out with SIX awesome authors! Enjoy a fabulous dinner! . . . Solve a murder? YOU BET!

And, oh yeah, this will be your first chance to get a print copy of my next book!

Vital stats

Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Sarah M. Eden, Jordan McCollum, Lisa Mangum, Josi S. Kilpack

Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 6-8 PM
Gorgeous, historic Northampton House
198 W 300 N American Fork, Utah

Author Meet & Greet (free admission!)
Bookstore (free admission!)
Delicious Dinner (ticket required)
Live Murder Mystery to Solve! (ticket required)

Tickets: $28 per person

Writers Building Community Conference

A FREE writers conference. YES, FREE!

Saturday, October 24
Writers Building Community Conference, presented by the United Authors Association with the Springville Library
Classes 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Author signing 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

I’ll be teaching on approaching POV problems through character voice (and “voice” versa).