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Ginsberg has published hundreds of articles and formerly served as managing editor at “Madison Magazine,â€� and now is a full-time writer in UW-MadisonÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Division of the Arts. She is currently working on her second and third novels.

Ginsberg shared her 10 ways to get out of being stuck while writing a novel. She spoke candidly about the universal challenge writers face in getting stuck, and emphasized that overcoming that obstacle is at the core of the writing life.

“If you really want to be a writer, you have to continually find ways to keep going,� she told participants, suggesting that they personalize the experience, use handouts or their own materials freely and not worry about following a strict structure.

Ginsberg told workshop attendees that there is no science behind getting unstuck and that these are tools that she has found work best for her but also acknowledged that thereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ no single path to success as a writer.

“Every writer, every book, every situation is different,� she said. “If you get only one thing out of this class, and if it is this, learn your own mind so that you can keep the faith. The best thing that you can do is figure out what works for you, and then keep at it and keep going.�

She urged attendees to take out what she calls their “head trash,� or the negative thoughts that keep you from starting a story or continuing it. She said that even though she is a published author she still has to do this every time she writes.

She emphasized the importance of creating a writing ritual, using tools like notebooks, and Google Sheets, and understanding character emotional arcs.

Ginsburg shared her experience of writing her debut novel “Still True� in three months and the subsequent six-year journey of her second book. She highlighted the need to avoid procrastination, stay flexible and learn from feedback.

She closed her class by explaining the importance of stepping away from your writing desk and living your life. She suggested going outside, exercising, spending time with friends and family, traveling, and reading diverse materials.

Ginsberg said if you live entirely in your head or at your writing desk, you won’t have meaningful experiences to write about.

“So just like you have to create a ritual to get yourself to the writing desk every day, or however often you want to be there, you also need to make sure that you are getting away from the writing every day,� she said.

Hayley Elmendorf is a self-published author from Janesville, who attended several workshops at the libraryÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Book Fest, including GinsbergÃÛèÖÊÓƵ master class. She heard about the event from her mom, a volunteer at HedbergÃÛèÖÊÓƵ library café, and saw it as a chance to connect with the local writing community for the first time.

“I had never taken a writing workshop or anything like that before, so I didn’t really know what I was doing,� she said. “Which Maggie said can work to your advantage — when you don’t know what you don’t know.�

Elmendorf said she appreciated the practical tools shared in GinsbergÃÛèÖÊÓƵ session, especially frameworks for plotting and pacing.

“I really liked a lot of the charts and the frameworks that Maggie laid out, because I’ve already sort of done that, just in a less organized way,� she explained. “So I think using that will help with things like pacing.�

She also attended workshops on character development and plotting, and found that the lessons complemented one another.

“The session on crafting unforgettable characters was great for learning how to make your characters multi-dimensional, like real people, even though they’re fictional,� she said.

Currently working on a second novel, Elmendorf said sheÃÛèÖÊÓƵ approaching it more deliberately and she said that she found that the workshops she attended are going to be helpful when she starts writing.