|
GENERAL SESSION WORKSHOP
9:00 a.m. – What Every Writer Should Never Forget
Steve Berry
The “Do’s and Don’ts” of writing from someone who should know. Steve is the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy and The Amber Room. He has 10 million books in print, which have been translated into 37 languages and sold in 50 countries.
CONCURRENT WORKSHOP SESSIONS
10:30 a.m. - Remember Me: What Makes a Powerful Memoir?, Carol O’Dell
Join author and memoirist Carol D. O’Dell for this memoir workshop that focuses on two key areas: voice and structure. Whether you’re capturing remembrances from childhood, recollections of war, vacations from hell, or the unfolding of day-to-day revelations, you’ll discover how to weave your stories with surprising depth and fluid grace.
10:30 a.m. - Online Social Networking for the Reluctant and Confused, Mary Ann de Stefano
These days, everyone seems to be saying writers should be posting in a blog, friending on Facebook, connecting on LinkedIn and tweeting on Twitter! If you haven’t tried social networking, tried it and don’t see what the fuss is about, or are confused by the whole notion of online networking, this is the workshop for you. Mary Ann de Stefano (who remembers when high tech meant black-and-white TV with rabbit ears and three channels) will demystify online social networking, help you feel more comfortable with the technology, and show you how you can use free social networking tools to support your writing career.
10:30 a.m. - Characters on the Couch, Creating Characters from the Inside Out, Sharon Y. Cobb
Do you struggle to create organic characters? Do your characters feel like words on the page and not three-dimensional human beings? In this workshop Sharon Y. Cobb shares her own personal technique of character creation developed over the last twenty years of writing. Through a process similar to a therapist’s initial interview with a new client, a character springs fully detailed with his or her own voice, attitudes and fears. You will come away with an amazing new perspective of character creation that will take the people who inhabit your stories to a new level of reality.
LUNCH
12:00 p.m. - Lunch with Keynote Speaker, Adrian Fogelin, The Writer’s Journey
Award-winning YA author, Adrian Fogelin, talks about the journey each writer must make and how to best prepare for it.
CONCURRENT WORKSHOP SESSIONS RESUME
1:20 p.m. - Climbing the Mountain: How I Learned to Juggle Life as a Father, Husband, Struggling Writer & Managed to Sell a Movie to NBC, Dante Amodeo
The title says it all. After writing and publishing two novels, he tried to juggle his family life with his writing goals when lightning struck. Who says perseverance doesn’t pay off?
1:20 p.m. - From Act One to Curtain Call: The Craft of Playwriting, Veronica Hart
Playwright and producer Veronica Hart presents a workshop on the basics of building your play, starting with the mechanics through crafting characters who must, by definition, change drastically before the end of your play. This is an interactive workshop; please bring a synopsis and the first five pages of your work-in-progress.
1:20 p.m. - Getting the Gig: Marketing Secrets for Children’s Authors, Darrell House
Want to present programs at schools, libraries and reading festivals? Children’s author, poet, storyteller and recording artist, Darrell House, discusses what it takes. A veteran performer in more than 60 elementary schools, over a hundred libraries and numerous reading festivals and early childhood education conferences, learn proven techniques that get you invited and get you paid.
2:45 p.m. - Writing for the YA (Young Adult) Market, Adrian Fogelin
What makes a children’s book a winner? Young Adult author, Adrian Fogelin, will share the ins and outs of writing for the young reader, with an eye to current trends in children’s book publishing.
2:45 p.m. - Put a Guerilla On Your Marketing Team, Victor DiGenti
It’s becoming harder and harder to get your books on the shelves, plus half of all book sales are made outside the bookstore. Today’s writer needs every marketing weapon at his disposal in order to succeed. Not only does it require out-of-the-box thinking, it requires a different mindset — the mindset of a marketing guerilla. Award-winning author Vic DiGenti unveils some practical and low-cost methods for reaching new markets and generating more sales in this fast-paced workshop.
2:45 p.m. - Understanding Point of View and Using It Effectively, Julie Compton
Point of view is one of the most important elements in an author’s story, yet it’s also one of the most difficult elements for newer writers to grasp. In order to tell a story effectively, writers must (1) understand the different points of view available to them, (2) be aware how the choice of point of view will affect other elements of the story, such as voice, tone, plot, setting, even theme, and (3) use the chosen point (or points) of view effectively. In this workshop, Julie Compton discusses the various points of view for telling a story and provides exercises to help writers understand, choose, and effectively use this powerful device.
4:10 p.m. - 7-7-7 — 7 Skills, 7 Exercises, 7 Minutes, Sandra McDonald
Explore your imagination, strengthen your voice and boost your word counts with seven writing exercises lasting seven minutes each. These exercises, drawn from popular writing workshops from across the country, are fun ways to sharpen your technique and productivity. We’ll talk about the seven core skills every writer needs and brainstorm ways to incorporate exercises into our daily writing. Bring paper and pen and let’s write!
4:10 p.m. - The Reader Wants It: Narrative Desire and the Plotting of Mysteries, Michael Wiley
Michael Wiley has an eye for mysteries as the author of two private-eye mysteries published by St. Martin’s Press. In this workshop he asks, “What do mystery readers want - physically, emotionally, psychologically? What do they need?” This session will teach participants how to write suspenseful mystery plots.
4:10 p.m. - The Top Ten Reasons Why Editors Reject a Non-Fiction Proposal (and How Authors Can Avoid this Fate), John Byram
As the Editor-in-Chief at the University Press of Florida, John Byram has turned down more than his share of book proposals. In this session, he’ll demystify what goes on behind the scenes, and highlight the most common mistakes that quickly move book proposals into the rejection pile.
BOOK SIGNINGS & WINE/CHEESE RECEPTION
5:30 p.m. - Book Signings & Wine/Cheese Reception
Everyone is invited to attend this social hour with book signings by published authors serving on the conference faculty. Featuring wine and cheese and making new friends.
|
