Lessons from a Bestseller

What: Writer’s workshop with New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry (The Jefferson Key, The Romanov Prophecy, The Amber Room)
When: 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Where: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street

• Download: Workshop registration form (PDF)

Preservation Houston and author Steve Berry’s History Matters Foundation will present a four-hour workshop for aspiring authors. Berry’s program, Lessons from a Bestseller, has been held across the country teaching hundreds of students the craft and business of writing. Admission for the workshop is $95 per person. Workshop fees will support the conservation of the City of Houston’s original flag.

Berry will cover the questions he has been asked most frequently over the years and provide information he feels will have the biggest impact on prospective writers.

1:30-2:20 p.m.: Story Structure and the Four C’s of Writing
This session will help writers learn how to structure their books for maximum impact. There are four main things that should be included in all stories, and Steve explains these in great detail.

2:30-3:20 p.m.: Point of View and Dialogue
Who is telling the story? How much dialogue should there be, and how should it be included? These are some of the many questions this session will answer. They are critical to making the story flow and keeping the reader interested enough to finish the book.

3:30-4:20 p.m.: Ten Rules of Writing
Berry will share what he learned during his early years as a writer. With these rules, writers will have the basic information needed to start putting their stories down on paper.

4:30-5:20 p.m.: The Business of Writing
Elizabeth Berry, executive director of International Thriller Writers and a literary marketing executive, will offer her insights into becoming a published author.

Space is limited. Reservations and prepayment are required; there will be no refunds. To reserve your space at Lessons from a Bestseller, download the registration form and fax it to (713) 510-3999 or mail it to:

Preservation Houston
3272 Westheimer Road, Suite 2
Houston, Texas 77098

The deadline for reservations is Monday, May 21, 2012. For additional information, e-mail us or call (713) 510-3990.


About Steve Berry
Steve Berry, the bestselling author of The Jefferson Key, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy and The Amber Room among others, has been translated into 40 languages with more than 14 million printed books in 51 countries. Berry was raised in Georgia and graduated from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. His road to publication was a long one, a process that took him 12 years and 85 rejections over five different manuscripts before he was able to sell a story.

A devoted student of history, Berry established the History Matters Foundation with his wife Elizabeth. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to aiding the preservation of the fragile reminders of our past. Since then, they have traveled the world raising much-needed funds for a wide range of historic preservation projects.

Berry will be in Houston on Wednesday, May 23 to promote his new book, The Columbus Affair. In addition to conducting the writer’s workshop, he will speak at a Preservation Houston luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at The Parador, 2021 Binz. For information or reservations for the luncheon, visit preservationhouston.org/luncheon. Berry will also be signing his new book at Murder by the Book, 2342 Bissonnet, at 6:30 that evening. Visit murderbooks.com for information.

About the 1915 Houston city flag
The Houston city flag (pictured above) was designed by W.A. Wheeldon, a retired railroad employee. Wheeldon’s design, which incorporated the city seal and the Lone Star of Texas, won a public competition in the summer of 1915. The flag made its debut during the Independence Day parade that year. A portion of the funds raised from the writers’ workshop will be used to conserve what research indicates is the prototype for Houston’s city flag. Preservation Houston will donate the restored flag to the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, Houston Public Library.