Writers’ Tracks
Plan to attend the learning sessions that work best for you
We want you to enjoy as many aspects of this year’s Writers’ Institute as possible. And for that reason, we’ve created a menu that outlines our topics to help you choose the best workshops for your particular writing interests.
For all writers
Opening Session
Laurie Scheer, Friday 8:30-8:45
Secrets of Published Authors Panel
Friday 8:45-9:40
Friday Lunch Success Panel
Friday 12:20-1:40
Q&A with Agents Panel
Friday 4:30-5:45
Local Presses/Publishers Panel
Saturday 8:30-9:30
Book Signing Break
Saturday 1:15-2
The Traditional Publishing Process
Sunday 9-10:15
Moving Beyond Print: Selling Your Work Within Other Platforms
Sunday 10:30-11:45
Fiction
The Unleashed Writer: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
Julie Tallard Johnson, Friday 9:45-11
Writing A Mystery is So Much Fun It’s a Crime
Christine DeSmet, Friday 9:45-11
The Deep Edit
Ron Kuka, Friday 11:15-12:15
Book/Chapbook 101, from Concept to Distribution-Prose/Poetry
John (Jack) Lehman, Friday 11:15-12:15
How to Turn a Journal into a Book
Julie Tallard Johnson, Friday 11:15-12:15
Demystifying Romance and Women’s Fiction
Scott Eagan, Friday 1:50-2:50
Writing the Female Superhero
Killian Heilsberg, Friday 3-4:15
How To Read a Novel
Christopher Mohar, Friday 3-4:15
Interactive Storytelling for Online Platforms
Mike Kern, Friday 3-4:15
Short Story Magic-Power Tools for Today’s Fiction Writers
John (Jack) Lehman,
Saturday 9:35-11
Getting Personal: Writing Erotic Fiction
Killian Heilsberg, Saturday 9:35-11
The Trail of Breadcrumbs: How to Find the Way Back Home
Angela Voras-Hills, Saturday 11:15-12:15
Plotting the Plot
Tanya Chernov, Saturday 11:15-12:15
Write Where You Don’t Know
Angela Voras-Hills, Saturday 2:15-3:15
Setting as Character
Kashmira Sheth, Saturday 2:15-3:15
Sane People Writing the Insane: Keeping the Darkness on the Page
Tanya Chernov, Saturday 3:25-4:25
Make Good Writing Great: Six Steps to Real Success with Fiction or Creative Nonfiction
John (Jack) Lehman, Saturday 4:30-5:30
Nonfiction
Writing a Renegade Book Proposal
Heather Shumaker, Friday 9:45-11:00
The Unleashed Writer: Taking Your Writing to the Next Level
Julie Tallard Johnson,
Friday 9:45-11
How to Turn a Journal into a Book
Julie Tallard Johnson, Friday 11:15-12:15
The Trail of Breadcrumbs: How to Find the Way Back Home
Angela Voras-Hills, Saturday 11:15-12:15
Plotting the Plot
Tanya Chernov, Saturday 11:15-12:15
Write Where You Don’t Know
Angela Voras-Hills, Saturday 2:15-3:15
Your Life as Story-Exploring Autobiographical Writing in All Its Forms
Bridget Birdsall, Saturday 2:15-3:15
Sane People Writing the Insane: Keeping the Darkness on the Page
Tanya Chernov, Saturday 3:25-4:25
Make Good Writing Great: Six Steps to Real Success with Fiction or Creative Nonfiction
John (Jack) Lehman, Saturday 4:30-5:30
Poetry
Book/Chapbook 101, from Concept to Distribution-Prose/Poetry
John (Jack) Lehman,
Friday 11:15-12:15
Children’s and YA
Writing for YA—What’s Next
Anne Greenwood Brown, Friday 9:45-1
Pacing Picture Book: 20 Tools-Pace & Write Picture Books to Wow
Jodell Sadler, Friday 11:15-12:15
Pace Your MG/YA Project: Going Far Enough to Fully Engage Readers
Jodell Sadler, Friday 1:50-2:50
Understanding the Trends While Writing Children’s/YA Timeless Literature
Bree Ogden (agent), Saturday 9:35-11
Selling/marketing your work
Art of the Query Letter: Query Letter Writing Workshop
Heather Shumaker and Anne Greenwood Brown, Friday 1:50-2:50
Blog is the New Black: Blogging Basics
Kimberly Aime, Friday 3-4:15
Interactive Storytelling for online platforms
Mike Kern, Friday 3-4:15
What Do You Do, In-House Publishing Publicist Danielle Jackson?
Danielle Jackson, Saturday 9:35-11
Tweet me, Like Me, Buy Me: Using Social Media to Create Your Platform
Kimberly Aime, @BdgerGrl, Saturday 11:15-12:15
Earning Your Artistic Stripes
Tanya Charnov, Saturday 2:15-3:15
Lit Mags, Online Rags and Other Places That Want Your Work
Christopher Mohar, Saturday 3:25-4:25
What to Look for in a Rights Agreement
Jeff Kurz, Saturday 4:30-5:30
Dos and Don’ts of Self Promotion
Danielle Jackson, Saturday 4:30-5:30
Finding and working with agents
Art of the Query Letter-Query Letter Writing Workshop
Heather Shumaker and Anne Greenwood Brown, Friday 1:50-2:50
Researching and Querying Agents
Bree Ogden (agent), Saturday 3:25-4:25
Agent Q&A Sessions
Saturday 11:15-12:15 and Saturday 3:25-4:25
Different agents in each session. Check the schedule page for details.
Emphasis on creativity
Active Involvement: Improvisation for Writers
Killian Heilsberg, Saturday 4:30-5:30