Program
All events to be held at the Madison Concourse Hotel
Special Friday evening addition!
Click for detailed workshop and special event descriptions»
THURSDAY April 11
| 5:30 PM-7:30 | Practice pitch session details» Note: The Thursday-evening practice pitch session is available only to those who register to attend the entire Writers' Institute. Other practice pitch sessions are available to all attendees. |
FRIDAY April 12
| 8 AM-3 PM | Registration open Pick up badges and event materials. Coffee, tea, juice, pastries served in early morning. |
| 8:30-8:45 | Writers’ Institute director Laurie Scheer Welcome remarks, introduction of new journal Midwest Prairie Review, announcement of contest winners, introductions of agents and editors. |
| 8:45-9:40 | General session/opening panel: Secrets of Published Authors details» Heather Shumaker (NF), Kashmira Sheth (F), Julie Tallard Johnson (F/Gen Writ), Anne Greenwood Brown (YA). Moderator: Ron Kuka (F/NF). |
| 9:45-11 | Concurrent learning sessions details» The Unleashed Writer: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level, Julie Tallard Johnson Writing a Mystery Is So Much Fun It’s a Crime, Christine DeSmet Writing the Renegade Book Proposal, Heather Shumaker Writing for YA-What’s Hot, What’s Not and What’s Next , Anne Greenwood Brown
With Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, April Eberhardt, Bree Ogden, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock
With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) With Bridget Birdsall 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Tanya Chernov, Killian Heilsberg, Danielle Jackson, Christopher Mohar, Jodell Sadler, Kashmira Sheth, or Angela Voras-Hills |
| 11:15- 12:15 PM |
Concurrent learning sessions details» The Deep Edit, Ron Kuka Book/Chapbook 101, from Concept to Distribution—Prose/Poetry, John (Jack) Lehman Pacing Picture Book: 20 Tools—Pace & Write Picture Book to Wow, Jodell Sadler How to Turn A Journal into a Book (or two!) Julie Tallard Johnson
With Marilyn Atlas, Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, April Eberhardt, Bree Ogden, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock Editor private pitch times (eight minutes each) With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) With Bridget Birdsall 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Anne Greenwood Brown, Tanya Chernov, Killian Heilsberg, Danielle Jackson, Christopher Mohar, Kashmira Sheth, Heather Shumaker, or Angela Voras-Hills |
| 12:20-1:40 | Friday lunch success panel details» Network and enjoy lunch while Writers’ Institute director Laurie Scheer celebrates the writers who have had success stories in the past year. Please note: There is a separate fee for this luncheon. You may attend the luncheon without partaking in the buffet. NO OUTSIDE FOOD IS ALLOWED AT THE CONCOURSE HOTEL. There will be seating available at the side of the room for those who wish to attend and not partake in the buffet. |
| 1:50-2:50 | Concurrent learning sessions details» Demystifying Romance and Women’s Fiction, Scott Eagan (Agent) Pace Your MG/YA Project: Going Far Enough to Fully Engage Reader, Jodell Sadler Art of the Query Letter-Query Letter Writing Workshop, Heather Shumaker and Anne Greenwood Brown Nailing the Spike: Creating a Compelling Short Story, April Eberhardt (Agent)
With Marilyn Atlas, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, Bree Ogden, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock Editor private pitch times (eight minutes each) With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Tanya Chernov, Killian Heilsberg, Danielle Jackson, Julie Talliard Johnson, Christopher Mohar, Jodell Sadler, Kashmira Sheth, or Angela Voras-Hills
|
| 2:50-3 | Afternoon break. Refreshments and snacks provided. |
| 3-4:15 | Concurrent learning sessions details» Writing the Female Superhero, Killian Heilsberg Blog Is the New Black: Blogging Basics, Kimberly Aime How to Read a Novel, Christopher Mohar Interactive Storytelling for Online Platforms, Mike Kern
With Marilyn Atlas, Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, April Eberhardt, Bree Ogden, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock Editor private pitch times (eight minutes each) With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Anne Greenwood Brown, Tanya Chernov, Danielle Jackson, Julie Talliard Johnson, Christopher Mohar, Jodell Sadler, Kashmira Sheth, Heather Shumaker, or Angela Voras-Hills |
| 4:30-5:45 | Q&A with agent panel |
| 6-8 | Critique groups Christopher Mohar (8 maximum) and Bridget Birdsall (6 maximum) |
| 7-8:15 | NEW! Self-Publishing, Done Right details»
Author Mary Driver-Thiel and Agent April Eberhardt
|
Saturday April 13
| 8 AM-Noon | Registration open Coffee, tea, juice, pastries served in early morning. |
| 8:30-9:30 | Local presses/publishers panel details» Managing editors of a group of local publishers discuss the current state of publishing and how local publishing can benefit aspiring authors. |
| 9:35-11 | Concurrent learning sessions details» Short Story Magic - Power Tools for Today’s Fiction Writers, John (Jack) Lehman Getting Personal: Writing Erotic Fiction, Killian Heilsberg What Do You Do, In-House Publishing Publicist Danielle Jackson? Danielle Jackson Understanding the Trends While Writing Children’s/YA Timeless Literature, Bree Ogden (Agent)
With Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, April Eberhardt, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock, or Marilyn Atlas
With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) With Christine DeSmet or Bridget Birdsall 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Anne Greenwood Brown, Tanya Chernov, Julie Tallard Johnson, Christopher Mohar, Jodell Sadler, Kashmira Sheth, Heather Shumaker, or Angela Voras-Hills 1-on-1 meetings social media (15 minutes each) With Kimberly Aime |
| 11:15- 12:15 PM |
Concurrent learning sessions details» The Trail of Breadcrumbs: How to Find the Way Back Home, Angela Voras-Hills Plotting the Plot, Tanya Chernov Tweet me, Like Me, Buy Me: Using Social Media to Create your Platform, Kimberly Aime, @BdgerGrl
With Marilyn Atlas, Scott Eagan, Dawn Frederick, Bree Ogden, Gordon Warnock Editor private pitch times (eight minutes each) With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) With Christine DeSmet or Bridget Birdsall 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Anne Greenwood Brown, Killian Heilsberg, Danielle Jackson, Julie Tallard Johnson, Christopher Mohar, Jodell Sadler, Kashmira Sheth, or Heather Shumaker. |
| 12:15-1:15 | Lunch (on your own) |
| 1:15-2 | Book signing (snacks will be available) details» |
| 2:15-3:15 | Concurrent learning sessions details» Earning your Artistic Stripes, Tanya Chernov Active Involvement: Improvisation for writers, Killian Heilsberg Your life as story—exploring autobiographical writing in all its forms, Bridget Birdsall Setting as a character, Kashmira Sheth
With Marilyn Atlas, Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, April Eberhardt, Bree Ogden, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock Editor private pitch times (eight minutes each) With Julie Matysik Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz or Ken Miyamato Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Danielle Jackson, Julie Tallard Johnson, Christopher Mohar, Heather Shumaker, or Angela Voras-Hills. |
| 3:15-3:25 | Break (refreshments provided) |
| 3:25-4:25 | Concurrent learning sessions details» Sane People Writing the Insane: Keeping the Darkness on the Page, Tanya Chernov (This session addresses both Fiction and Nonfiction genres). Lit Mags, Online Rags and Other Places That Want Your Work, Christopher Mohar Researching and Querying Agents, Agent Bree Ogden
AGENT Q&A Session (registration is limited) With Dawn Frederick
With Julie Matysik With Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock Practice private pitch times (10 minutes each) With Jeff Kurz Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Danielle Jackson, Julie Tallard Johnson, Kashmira Sheth, Heather Shumaker or Angela Voras-Hills |
| 4:30-5:30 | Concurrent learning sessions details» What to Look for in a Rights Agreement, Jeff Kurz Write Where You Don’t Know, Angela Voras-Hills Dos and Don'ts of Self-Promotion, Danielle Jackson
With Marilyn Atlas,Scott Eagan, Judith Engracia, Dawn Frederick, Bree Ogden, Tina Schwartz, Gordon Warnock
Editor private pitch times (eight minutes each) With Julie Matysik
Advanced critiques (30 minutes each) 1-on-1 meetings (30 minutes each) With Tanya Chernov, Julie Tallard Johnson, Christopher Mohar, Kashmira Sheth, or Heather Shumaker |
| 6-8 | Critique groups Christopher Mohar (6-8 maximum) |
SUNDAY April 14, 2013
| 9 AM-10:15 | The Traditional Publishing Process: The Author, Agent and Publisher of A Real Emotional Girl Take You from First Draft to Release Day and Beyond details» Gordon Warnock, Tanya Chernov and Julie Matysik |
| 10:15-10:30 | Break |
| 10:30-11:45 | Moving Beyond Print: Selling Your Work Within Other Platforms details» The final panel session of the 2013 Writers’ Conference explores the increasing availability and success of publishing opportunities beyond traditional publishing. Join our expert agents, Hollywood execs, and publicist to discover new opportunities that are available to you. Panel: Marilyn Atlas, Gordon Warnock, Jeff Kurz, Ken Miyamoto, and Danielle Jackson |
| Noon | Conference concludes |
Complete Workshop & Special Event Descriptions
Practice Pitch Session
Thursday, 5:30 PM-7:30
You’ve arrived in Madison, your bags are unpacked and you’ve settled in for the 24th Annual Writers’ Institute Conference. Head on over to the Madison Concourse Hotel where Laurie Scheer, Christine DeSmet, and Bridget Birdsall will conduct a group practice pitch session. Receive feedback on your pitch (this is especially important for those of you who are pitching first thing Friday morning at the conference), gain confidence, and be ready to excel with your official agent pitches. This event is a good way to break the ice and move wholeheartedly into this year’s event. You don’t want to miss this opportunity to hone and define your perfect pitch!
Instructors: Laurie Scheer, Christine DeSmet, and Bridget Birdsall
Note: Practice pitch session on Thursday evening is available only to those who register to attend the entire Writers’ Institute. Other practice pitch sessions are available to all attendees.
Secrets of Published Authors Panel
Friday, 8:45-9:40
Ever wish you could just sit down and ask published authors everything you’ve always wanted to know? Now you can! Join Ron Kuka as he moderates our panel of authors who will give you honest answers to your burning questions about writing, pitching, publishing and promoting books. From writing schedules and making sacrifices around kids, jobs and real life schedules, to agents, editors, platform, book blog tours and more, this panel will answer the questions you want to know. Any question is OK! Join this highly interactive opening session for inspiration and practical ideas that can take you and your writing to the next level.
Panel: Heather Shumaker (NF), Kashmira Sheth (F), Julie Tallard Johnson (F/Gen Writ), Anne Greenwood Brown (YA)
Moderator: Ron Kuka (F/NF)
Friday, 9:45-11
The Unleashed Writer: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
Friday, 9:45-11
This workshop engages personalized methods to ignite inspiration, ideas, and creativity. This includes ways to move your idea and writing when stuck, and how to get started or continue with an idea. You’ll be guided from mediocrity to a point of inspiration, to formulating an idea, to writing and creating, and finally on to writing for publication. Train yourself to be inspired and creative “on the spot.” Includes (1) Exercises that move any writer through resistance, (2) seven strategies for keeping the creative juices flowing with your book idea, and (3) how to move through the different flavors of resistance and write!
Instructor: Julie Tallard Johnson
Writing a Mystery Is So Much Fun It’s a Crime
Friday, 9:45-11
Not too many years ago, short mysteries were dead as the victims within the book covers. Now, mysteries—and the mystery/suspense/thriller market—dominate the bestseller lists. A big part of the resurgence is due to the “cozy mystery.” Literary agents, editors, and readers can’t get enough of them—but not just any old idea sells. This workshop defines what makes a “cozy” so cozily compelling. We also define “suspense” vs. “thriller” vs. “mystery” vs. “cozy mystery.” You take home a toolkit for getting into the cozy market as we cover: How might your protagonist need to be redrawn for each type of mystery, and most especially for the “cozy”? Why are all of the sleuths women, and what if you want to introduce the next Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot? Do you need to have a gimmick or be expert at a craft or hobby in order to sell a cozy? Will the craft, hobby, or profession you’ve chosen sell? How might you tweak it for success? How do you write a cozy quickly enough without going crazy so you can feed the market that requires you to write at least two a year? Is there a formula? Setting matters—what might be a no-no? Where in the pages should the murder occur? Your cozy mystery workshop also gives you the ingredients and format for your novel proposal marketing package.
Instructor: Christine DeSmet
Writing the Renegade Book Proposal
Friday, 9:45-11
If you’re a nonfiction writer, you know the Book Proposal is the tool authors use to sell their nonfiction book ideas to publishers. In this session, we’ll explore the basic rules of a book proposal and then discuss how to break some of the rules to create a book proposal that truly stands out. Led by author Heather Shumaker, who sold a book from the slush pile using an “organic” proposal—find out how you can write a book proposal that will shine.
Instructor: Heather Shumaker
Writing for YA-What’s Hot, What’s Not and What’s Next
Friday, 9:45-11
YA fiction is the fastest growing genre today, with its readership expanding well beyond the junior highs and high schools. In fact, a recent study showed that over 50% of YA readers are actually well into adulthood. It's no surprise with YA novels’fast-paced and engaging stories that explore universal issues of transformation, sacrifice, love, and loss. But as common and familiar as these issues, the YA landscape can be a bit baffling to the new recruit. In this session, Anne Greenwood Brown discusses:
- What makes a novel “YA”
- The difference between paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian, contemporary, steam punk, etc.
- The trends within each of these categories
- The pitfalls of “writing to the trend” and how to get ahead of the crowd
Instructor: Anne Greenwood Brown
Friday, 11:45-12:15
The Deep Edit
Friday, 11:15-12:15
The purpose of this workshop is help the participants reconsider their fiction prose in terms of sentence rhythm, sound, and visual brightness. In short, the qualities that makes a prose style “pop.” We will look at early drafts of published stories and then follow the steps the writer took to create a polished draft. We will then apply some of these lessons to our own prose during in—class exercises and discussion.
Instructor: Ron Kuka
Book/Chapbook 101, from Concept to Distribution—Prose/Poetry
Friday, 11:15-12:15
This workshop walks poets and prose writers walk through each of the steps necessary for their book, chapbook or anthology to take in its journey from vision to reality. You’ll learn how to best structure material, budget costs and set price, prepare art and layout for publication, obtain cover blurbs, choose a printer, publicize the book’s release, get reviews and achieve distribution outside of your immediate area. These are challenges for small publishers and poets and writers desiring to be published that determine a work’s success.
Instructor: John (Jack) Lehman
Pacing Picture Book: 20 Tools—Pace & Write Picture Book to Wow
Friday, 11:15-12:15
This Pacing Picture Book session helps writers through the picture book editing process by focusing on 20 ultimate editing tools that help connect with readers to story, decrease word counts, and bring out the rhythm and heart of your story while producing a well-paced picture book. We will shift the focus to the reader’s experience and answer questions: How do I change my picture book into a performance readers will love? How do I invite participation through art and words, add in surprise, best utilize my page turn, or create an interactive game? How do I boost my use of rhythm, rhyme, and repetition? How do I see small changes as a way to craft big results?
Instructor: Jodell Sadler
How to Turn a Journal into a Book (or Two!)
Friday, 11:15-12:15
This course is for both nonfiction and fiction writers. A trick to successful creative writing is to know how to use anything and everything in your life to move your writing along. A journal gives you a place to bring that “everything” together and transform it into an award-winning book or popular blog! This can be for those who already use a journal or want to know how to use a journal to propel their writing to the next level.
Instructor: Julie Tallard Johnson
Friday Lunch-Success Panel
Friday, 12:20-1:40
You’ll have the opportunity to network and enjoy lunch while Writers’ Institute director Laurie Scheer celebrates the writers who have had success stories in the past year. Please note: There is a separate fee for this luncheon. You may attend the luncheon without partaking in the buffet. NO OUTSIDE FOOD IS ALLOWED AT THE CONCOURSE HOTEL. There will be seating available at the side of the room for those who wish to attend and not partake in the buffet.
Friday, 1:50-2:50
Demystifying Romance and Women’s Fiction
Friday, 1:50-2:50
The session focuses on understanding these two individual genres specifically. Participants writing outside of these genres can also learn strategies for identifying exactly what genre they write in and how to target editors and agents effectively.
Instructor: Scott Eagan (Agent)
Pace Your MG/YA Project: Going Far Enough to Fully Engage Readers
Friday, 1:50-2:50
This workshop is about pacing and “going far enough” to engage your reader fully. It explores how to integrate excellent picture book pacing techniques into the middle grade and/or young adult novel to do more and go far enough to move, pause, halt, or slow a story to enhance the emotional tension within your novel. If you are looking for great ideas on how to get more out of your editing process, this is for you. How will you move your story? How will you bring out the heart of your story? See the power behind these ordinary tools and how they can bring thrill and excitement into your writing process.
Instructor: Jodell Sadler
Art of the Query Letter—Query Letter Writing Workshop
Friday, 1:50-2:50
What’s the most important page of your book? The query letter. Join authors Shumaker amd Brown for a hands-on workshop on crafting query letters. Learn the key elements of a query letter and participate in a query letter critique. Writing a captivating query letter is a special skill that can raise your project to the top of the slush pile. In this session, Shumaker and Brown present a hands-on approach to creating the perfect pitch, including winning examples, a fill-in-the-blank outline, and a group critique.
Instructors: Heather Shumaker and Anne Greenwood Brown
Nailing the Spike: Creating a Compelling Short Story
Friday, 1:50-2:50
Within this workshop, April focuses on the quick and dramatic arc (i.e. the spike) required to make a short story stand out, particularly in this competitive publishing environment. In the workshop we will also address key elements within a short story, including setting, character, point of view, conflict, plot and theme. April is currently a reader for the Best American Short Stories series published annually by Houghton Mifflin each October. Prior to becoming a literary agent, she served as head reader for Zoetrope: All-Story, Francis Ford Coppola's literary journal. Short stories are a real love of hers, and she enjoys encouraging authors to write short stories as well as novels, as they are very different art forms and both have avid reading audiences.
Instructors: April Eberhardt
Friday, 3-4:15
Writing the Female Superhero
Friday, 3-4:15
Women are becoming more prevalent as leading characters, but the real energy at the forefront is the female superhero. Wonder Woman is a foundation, but The Hunger Games’ Katniss Everdeen has taken over as the new breed of unbowed winner. This workshop will examine how to create strong women on their own, in conjunction with romantic partners, and as leaders and role models for younger readers.
Instructor: Killian Heilsberg
Blog Is the New Black: Blogging Basics
Friday, 3-4:15
As a writer, there is one thing you should do every single day. You should be writing. Writers write. Period. If you are not writing, then how can you be a writer? And if you are writing every day, why aren’t you writing on a blog where you can create a portfolio for publishers and editors to see your work? In this class, I will lead you though the blogging basics: where to get started, an overview of platforms, tips on writing a post, and other important tools you will need to start your online writing portfolio.
Instructor: Kimberly Aime
How to Read a Novel
Friday, 3-4:15
Wait a sec, you learned to read in primary school, right? So why should you take a course on reading? Not so fast. Chances are you may still have a lot to learn about your beloved leisure activity. The best writers out there don’t just sit down at the beach and burn through the latest best-seller; rather, they take advantage of professional techniques—we’ll cover the top 10—to get to the deeper secrets of the reading experience. Learning to read like a writer can improve your own writing dramatically and help you to follow in the footsteps of the authors you most admire. After all, as they say: You can only write as well as you can read.
Instructor: Christopher Mohar
Interactive Storytelling for Online Platforms
Friday, 3-4:15
What you experience in Web sites, online learning, videogames, interactive fiction, and role-playing games is interactive storytelling. As an interactive writer, you can go beyond hoping for emails from fans to inviting your audience to join you as story co-creators. This session can help you create story paths in a way that can enrich how you approach any writing format. We’ll also look at some of the markets, careers, and resources for those who want to pursue these options further.
Instructor: Mike Kern
Self-Publishing, Done Right
Friday, 7-8:15
At the 2011 Writers’ Institute, when author Mary Driver-Thiel met agent April Eberhardt, they began to discuss publication options for Mary's novel, The World Undone. Some months later, after evaluating all options, Mary asked April to assist her with self-publishing her novel, The World Undone. Together, Mary and April designed a thorough, thoughtful approach that met Mary's goals and wishes. Upon the release of The World Undone, April stated, “Mary is among the very few authors I’m aware of who has self-published a book that is every bit as good as a traditionally-published book, and is some ways better. She has raised the bar for indie publishing, and her book represents the new standard that every indie author should strive for."
Join Mary and April in a discussion about the full range of publishing options available to authors in this rapidly changing industry, including that of self-publishing WITH the guidance of an agent’s wisdom.
Instructor: Author Mary Driver-Thiel and Agent April Eberhardt
Local Presses/Publishers Panel
Saturday, 8:30-9:30
We’ve invited the managing editors of a group of local publishers to discuss the current state of publishing. Publishers being represented include Bookmen Media Group, Inc., Cambridge Book Review Press, Colony Collapse Press, Little Creek Press and The University of Wisconsin Press. Within the world of traditional, self, and digital publishing, there lies the local publisher niche. Learn how you may be able to find a home for your manuscripts and book proposals through your friendly local publisher. Each publisher will remain at the conference throughout the day on Saturday. They will share their current titles with us and be open to hearing from you, the Writers’ Institute attendees. Stop by and introduce yourself anytime Saturday 9:35-5:30.
Saturday, 9:35-11
Short Story Magic—Power Tools for Today’s Fiction Writers
Saturday, 9:35-11
This workshop is for those intrigued by this challenging form that can portray so much, so quickly. The short story is experiencing new popularity today and its techniques are an excellent jumping off point to novels, screenplays and popular biographies. We’ll begin by looking at the source of story energy (the art of engaging readers) and story design (plot concept and its various forms). Then, while writing individually and working on a story together, we’ll apply techniques of beat, scene, sequence and discovery. Through a close reading of some contemporary examples, we’ll explore how the use of turning point, emotional dynamics and setups/payoffs to effectively order and link scenes so they build to crisis, climax and, ultimately, revelation for the reader.
Instructor: John (Jack) Lehman
Getting Personal: Writing Erotic Fiction
Saturday, 9:35-11
Anais Nin and 50 Shades of Grey: Erotic fiction is not only profitable but also a good way to figure out your own voice as a writer. This workshop will be part discussion, part writing exercises, part self-discovery, and all about getting more intimate with your own work. We’ll talk about the phenomenon, do some timed writing exercises designed to help you uncover your own patterns, then do some exercises to help you figure out how to bring your inner best to the consumer market.
Instructor: Killian Heilsberg
What Do You Do, In-House Publishing Publicist Danielle Jackson?
Saturday, 9:35-11
Here’s an opportunity to find out what an in-house publicist actually does. Danielle Jackson is a senior publicist for Sourcebooks, a Naperville-based independent publisher. She’s here for authors to pick her brain about promoting and marketing their books, and making the best use of an in-house publicist. She’ll share her insights on what works and what doesn’t—and might even share a few insider tips on how to best utilize your in-house publicist. Bring your questions, and she’ll answer them!
Instructor: Danielle Jackson
Understanding the Trends While Writing Children’s/YA Timeless Literature
Saturday, 9:35-11
We all want to be relevant in the ever changing publishing industry, but once you realize a trend, you’ve missed your chance to write it. This class focuses on understanding trends in a way that you can manipulate them and make them your own unique genre. Agent Bree Odgen uses genre specific books and talks about ways one might make that trend their own.
Instructor: Bree Ogden (Agent)
Hello, Are You Listening? Your Characters May Be Trying To Tell You Something!
Saturday, 9:35-11
The characters in our fiction are arguably the most important element of the story, but what if they know more than you, the author, about their quirks and foibles? If your characters have ever said or done something that surprised you, they may be trying to send you a message. In this workshop we will explore how to get out of your own way and give your characters more power.
Instructor: Mary Driver-Thiel
Saturday, 11:15-12:15
The Trail of Breadcrumbs: How to Find the Way Back Home
Saturday, 11:15-12:15
When we have a personal attachment to a place, it’s easy to overlook its most immediate details. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the details of place and participate in writing exercises that lead us back to the places we know so well and discover what makes what is familiar to us unique to a reader. By exploring the senses, we’ll scour our memories for the most intimate details of place. This interactive workshop is perfect for writers working on a memoir, writing poetry, or trying to incorporate a richer sense of place into their fiction.
Instructor: Angela Voras-Hills
Plotting the Plot
Saturday, 11:15-12:15
You’ve got an idea for a great book—so what comes next? Hemingway wrote that “the hard part about writing a novel is finishing it.” Author Tanya Chernov shares both the fundamentals and the subtle nuances of getting from the first page to the finish line. Learn how to avoid the common pitfalls that can stall your progress and defeat your book. Whatever type of writer you are and whatever genre you write, creating even the simplest outline to follow can save you an enormous amount of time revision. Develop practical tools for cultivating a plot, theme, and outline that will take you from point A to point B without destroying the natural creative process or losing your way.
Instructor: Tanya Chernov
Tweet Me, Like Me, Buy Me: Using Social Media to Create Your Platform
Saturday, 11:15-12:15
One out of eight minutes spent on the Internet is spent on social media. If you want to reach a bigger audience, then you need to be involved in the social media conversation. This class walks you through the basics of creating a space for yourself on Twitter and Facebook. We will discuss etiquette when working with social media and outlines ways to increase your following. The Internet is ripe with potential readers; this class will show you how to find, reach, and engage them.
Instructor: Kimberly Aime, @BdgerGrl
Book Signing Event (Treats will be available)
Saturday, 1:15-2:00
Our speakers, agents, and publishers will be on hand to sign and sell their books. Show your support for our writers!
Saturday, 2:15-3:15
Earning Your Artistic Stripes
Saturday, 2:15-3:15
Critique is one of the most important ways for writers to hear how their writing succeeds or fails, and writers must revise ad nauseum and often with very little notice. Author Tanya Chernov shares her story of working with agents, readers, and editors alike to make her book the best it could be. From her first draft to the 100th, from early mornings to all-nighters, the journey was exhilarating, exhausting and ultimately vital to the manuscript’s quality. Learn how to develop that thick skin every writer must possess, as well as how to navigate the many twists and turns you'll come across on your way to earning those authorial stripes.
Instructor: Tanya Chernov
Active Involvement: Improvisation for Writers
Saturday, 2:15-3:15
Creating well-rounded characters is vital for good fiction. This workshop is designed to not only look at how to create the characters but also how to think like them. It can be easy to forget the people in our books are living, breathing beings, and through creative improvisational play we will explore how to remind ourselves the people we create also move and think on their feet.
Instructor: Killian Heilsberg
Your Life as Story—Exploring Autobiographical Writing in All Its Forms
Saturday, 2:15-3:15
Certain stories lend themselves to certain forms. Traditional autobiographies are usually told in chronological order, covering one’s entire life story, while traditional memoirists generally zero in on a slice of life, or a specific event in one’s life history. Now, there’s a new kid on the block, often called New Autobiography, and this includes the increasingly popular literary memoirs or fictionalized memoirs. These newer rapidly evolving autobiographical forms allow writers the freedom to mix fiction with their facts. But no matter what story you want to tell, the critical distinction for all autobiographical writers is how to define the “truth.” And as an autobiographical writer, your crucial choice then becomes: Which genre best serves your story? What is your stories highest and best and most effective form? Today, it is not uncommon to find life stories being written in a myriad of different genres. Check out Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel, Fun Home: A Family Tradgicomic, or the savvy, 85-year-old writer Esther C. Gropper’s fictionalized memoir Not Far From the Tree. Esther mined emails with her three granddaughters for inspiration. Then there’s Maxine Hong Kingston’s Women Warriors, who wrote a memoir where she made up ancestors to help tell her story. Learn about the sometimes tough decisions that autobiographical writers must make, the importance of being true to your genre and most importantly, where your life story fits in the rapidly evolving memoir continuum.
Instructor: Bridget Birdsall
Setting as a Character
Saturday, 2:15-3:15
The setting is both the foundation of a story and the guide of the protagonist’s journey. How the characters interact with the setting and how the place shapes the characters and their journey are vital elements of a story. Keeping this in mind, in this class we will examine setting in a broad sense—as a physical place, as a historical moment, and as a cultural milieu. We will discuss how setting provides motivation and action to bring characters to life and to make their struggles believable. We will also look at how it creates emotional responses from the readers and elicits their empathy. Finally, we will explore how setting lends a unique voice to a story and centers it. In this class, we will do select readings and two writing exercises.
Instructor: Kashmira Sheth
Saturday, 3:25-4:25
Sane People Writing the Insane: Keeping the Darkness on the Page
Saturday, 3:25-4:25
Too many writers of disturbing subject matter have allowed their material to consume their mental states, but author Tanya Chernov shows you that this need not be the case. The art world tends to fetishize dysfunction. Dark subject matter is an emerging market, and there is a lack of dialogue about how to function within this problematic style in a positive way. This workshop will explore the consequences of succumbing to the darkness we create, and explain concrete, immediately applicable craft techniques to help writers maintain sanity while probing the very darkest of content. Addresses both fiction and nonfiction.
Instructor: Tanya Chernov
Lit Mags, Online Rags and Other Places That Want Your Work
Saturday, 3:25-4:25
Right now, there are hundreds upon hundreds of small publishers looking for your poems, short stories, nonfiction essays, and novel manuscripts—and with the increasing popularity of digital publishing, there are getting to be more places to publish every day. With so many options, who can blame you if you don’t know where to start? Let us help you navigate the sea of words. We’ll explain the different types of literary magazines out there, what they’re looking for, and the practical ins and outs of sending out your work for publication. If you’ve got a drawer full of finished manuscripts and don’t know what to do with them, this is a session that you can’t afford miss.
Instructor: Christopher Mohar
Researching and Querying Agents
Saturday, 4:30-5:30
Aimed at demystifying the process of landing an agent, all while building up a wealth of knowledge to head you in the right direction once the querying commences! Ideal for writers who are at the impasse of having a completed manuscript but feel immobilized by the notion of querying agents. The truth is, researching and querying agents is an art form. It takes time and effort and a lot of know-how. Receive vital information and technical critiques from an agent who has seen numerous query blunders and successes.
Instructor: Agent Bree Ogden
Saturday, 4:30-5:30
What to Look for in a Rights Agreement
Saturday, 4:30-5:30
It’s a dream come true—a producer wants to option your book or script! Or better yet—a publisher or a studio wants to buy it! But how do you know a great deal from a snow job? These are issues writers deal with every day, so it helps to have some knowledge. Learn what your options are when dealing with everyone from cash-flush studios to independent producers who want a free option. We’ll cover standard option agreements in detail so you’ll know what to look for in a contract—and what to look for in an agent, manager, or attorney who can help you.
Instructor: Jeff Kurz
Write Where You Don’t Know
Saturday, 4:30-5:30
Part of the pleasure of reading is visiting a place you’ve never been—yet writing about a place you’ve never been seems daunting. We’ll read examples of fiction with an emphasis on place and discuss how to write about unfamiliar places with authority. After considering which details are necessary, we’ll look into research tools and method for collecting enough information to bring a foreign place to life for readers.
Instructor: Angela Voras-Hills
Dos and Don’ts of Self-Promotion
Saturday, 4:30-5:30
Long gone are the days of simply publishing a book and having it sent to bookstores! Many writers now find themselves donning additional hats—promoter, marketer, blogger. There are pros and cons to promoting yourself, and it can be incredibly overwhelming to know what to do, and what not to do while spreading the word about your book. Join Sourcebooks senior publicist Danielle Jackson for tips on the things every author needs to before their publication date, what to do while a book is in stores and after the initial boom slows down, and also, things authors should avoid. With hard work, perseverance and a level head, self-promotion can lead to creating lasting relationships with readers, and lead to book sales, making incredible impact.
Instructor: Danielle Jackson
Make Good Writing Great: Six Steps to Real Success with Fiction or Creative Non-Fiction
Saturday, 4:30-5:30
Whether you’re new at writing or a published professional, interested in fiction or non-fiction, John Lehman’s innovative, six-step method will start you well on the way to producing the kinds of stories, articles and books you, yourself, love to read. You’ll learn how to take greater risks by probing the conflict beneath the surface and how to incorporate techniques from acting and film editing into the process of writing in order to achieve a heightened reality and dramatically increase reader involvement. One former participant stated, “It’s a whole new approach to writing. After years of being dissatisfied with my work, I’m now back at it and feeling a new kind of power in what I produce.”
Instructor: John (Jack) Lehman
The Traditional Publishing Process: The Author, Agent and Publisher of A Real Emotional Girl Take You from First Draft to Release Day and Beyond
Sunday, 9-10:15
This panel explores the different viewpoints involved in publishing a book through a New York press. Each panelist will take you through their personal experiences that collectively led to the successful publication of a local debut memoir in the mainstream market. Topics covered include the role of an agent, what a traditional publisher does for a book, and what is demanded of the writer throughout the life of the book. Q&A session follows.
Panel: Gordon Warnock, Tanya Chernov, and Julie Matysik
Moving Beyond Print: Selling Your Work Within Other Platforms
Sunday, 10:30-11:45
The final panel session of the 2013 Writers’ Conference explores the increasing availability and success of publishing opportunities beyond traditional publishing. As a writer, you have many different options for your manuscript’s first steps or next steps once you have published in the traditional manner. You might sell your idea directly to a network or studio for filmed or television versions. Additionally, published material can find its way to web-based venues and mobile and tablet applications. Join our expert agents, Hollywood execs, and publicist to discover new opportunities that are available to you.
Panel: Marilyn Atlas, Gordon Warnock, Jeff Kurz, Ken Miyamoto, and Danielle Jackson