FRIDAY WORKSHOPS

#1 Getting Down to Basics—In this workshop, learn about the writing business from A to Z, from formatting your document to selling to an editor/agent, queries, critique groups, even genre fiction. The workshop will conclude with a Q&A session.

Presenter: Judi McCoy


#2 So You’d like to Write a Children’s Book—In children's publishing, success stories needn't be fairytales. Children’s book editors, even at large publishing houses, DO buy books from unknown writers and DO read manuscripts from unagented authors. This workshop addresses how to write a saleable manuscript and how to research markets to find editors and agents interested in your book.

Presenter: Kim Norman


#3 Author Panel Discussion—Learn how the panelists broke into the business and how they attained their agents and publishers. The discussion will conclude with an audience-driven Q&A session

Participants: Judi McCoy, Kim Norman, Nathan Richardson, Jill McCorkle


#4 Riveting Writing: How to Pitch, Publish, and Platform—Is it time to take your writing to the marketplace? If your goal is publication, how you pitch--writing about your writing--becomes as important as the project itself. Publishers need to know from the get-go why your book appeals to readers and how much built-in media interest the book has; the biggest buzzword in the media and publishing world is "platform." Learn what to do--and what not to do--when you set out to win a literary agent. Learn how to whet an agent's appetite, get an editor to say "yes," build a media platform, and create a writing career in today's literary market.

Presenter: Katharine Sands


#5 Finding a Story—Aha! You finally have a great idea for a story. You grab your journal or sit down to your computer and it happens---you don’t know how to get started. What’s the first line? How do you move the characters across the room? What do they say to each other? Is this a "real" idea? This workshop will discuss moving an "idea" for a story into the real thing.

Presenter: Jill McCorkle


#6 The Craft of Creating a Poem—Are you stuck in a circle of sonnets or locked in the prison of prose? The key to keeping poetry fresh and alive is expanding your knowledge of the craft. In this workshop, you will review some long forgotten classical forms and delve into contemporary techniques that will give new avenues to explore the next time you are at the crossroad of creativity. Through discussion and practical exercise you will emerge more confident after you've learned how to write outside the box you are in.

Presenter: Nathan Richardson


SATURDAY WORKSHOPS
#7 Legal Issues Every Writer Should Know—This workshop, in layman’s language, discusses such topics as copyright and copyright infringement, fair use, libel, privacy, trademark infringement, book titles, using real people and places in your books, using characters from books, film and television, and basic tax issues for writers.

Presenter: Jeff Kleinman


#8 Plotting the Mystery—Are you interested in penning the next thriller? Do you have an amateur sleuth the likes of a modern day Miss Marple? Do you love reading mysteries but aren't sure how to write one? This workshop will explain the various sub genres of mystery from police procedurals to cozies, explain plotting and pacing, and discuss the placement of clues and red herrings. Grab your Sherlock Holmes cap and prepare to participate in murderous scenarios! Jennifer Stanley, author of multiple mystery series, will provide the lesson, the props, and wrap-up with a Q&A session

Presenter: Jennifer (J.B.) Stanley


#9 Buy This Book! A role-playing workshop—Participants are assigned roles in a publishing house; they “sell” their manuscripts to the Editorial Board. Fast-paced, fun, and educational, this workshop will not only explain how publishing works, but more importantly will force attendees to view their work dispassionately, from the eyes of an editor (or agent).

Presenters: Jeff Kleinman and Benjamin Herson


#10 Before You Send it Out—Agents and editors don’t have time to read entire manuscripts. So how do they choose which writers they want to work with? While writers invest significant time, energy, and money in crafting their manuscripts, few know how to compose a proper proposal. In this workshop, you will learn: • Why 90% of submissions are rejected based on the cover letter alone • The single most reliable—and free!—resource for finding a good agent • Three common, yet easily avoidable, mistakes writers make • A proposal’s true purpose (hint: it’s not to demonstrate talent).

Presenter: Marcela Landres


#11 Author/Agent Panel Discussion—Panelists will discuss the agent/author relationship and will answer questions from the audience.

Participants: Jeff Kleinman, Benjamin Herson, Jennifer (J.B.) Stanley, Katharine Sands


#12 Building Your Platform—For a non-fiction writer, the difference between published and unpublished is not about how well you write; it’s about platform--the size of your built-in market. In this workshop you will learn how to build your brand, gain recognition, and stand out as an expert in your field. The workshop will conclude with a Q&A session.

Presenter: June Clark