Westside Satellite for Writers – Developing Themes through Character and Plot

Event Details


  • Event Date:
    Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • Register by:
    Feb 23, 2024 at 12:00 pm
  • Members:
    FREE!
  • Non-Members:
    $15

On Zoom, author and book marketing expert DJ Adamson talks about using themes in both character and plot

A Recording of this event is now available to purchase!

  • Members:
    $5
  • Non-Members:
    $15

Event Description


For our February Westside Satellite, we feature DJ Adamson, the author of the Lillian Dove Mystery Series and a former professor of writing and literature at Glendale College. Westside Satellite Host Robin Quinn will interview Adamson about her writing, publishing and marketing efforts. Drawing on her strong background in marketing for commercial publishing, DJ will share her book promotion tips in the interview with Robin. (That strong marketing background was one of the reasons she chose to publish independently.)

The author will then share a short reading from the Lillian Dove series that reveals character. Next DJ will discuss the value of considering themes before developing characters and plots.

Through Adamson’s presentation, writers will learn how:

  • to discover themes
  • to formulate themes for their own work
  • to create strong interlinking themes that make for a more memorable story

Attendees will be encouraged to apply the concepts to their work-in-process. After her PowerPoint, the author will share a Character Interview for participants to complete for their own protagonist or antagonist. Then there will be an opportunity for some attendees to share what they produced. Knowing a character helps a writer become aware of the themes related to that character.

DJ Adamson

DJ Adamson has received awards for her Lillian Dove Mystery Series. Book 1 was Admit to Mayhem, for which the writing has been compared to Elmore Leonard’s style. The most recent Book 4 is With a Vengeance. She is known for her engaging characters and captivating storytelling. DJ is also the editor of Le Coeur de l’Artiste, an online book review magazine, and she interviews authors on her website blog, L’Artiste. DJ recently retired from teaching writing and literature at Glendale College. www.djadamson.com/

Robin Quinn, Host

 A long-time IWOSC Board Member and LA Book Coach, as well as Editor and Writer, Robin continues to bring authors and experts to our organization to cast light on the writing and publishing processes. She keeps busy with book editing, nonfiction ghostwriting, and copywriting. In December 2020, she won an Irwin Award for the Best Media Kit on Mark Kingston Levin’s 30th Century sci-fi trilogy. www.writingandediting.biz

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