2024 Conference Schedule

THURSDAY EVENING, Nov 7, 2024

CHECK-IN @ 6:30 PM

7:00 – 9:00 PM The Writer’s Lens: Your First Page (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—BettyJoyce Nash

7:00 – 9:00 PM Architect Your Story (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Preslaysa Williams

7:00 – 9:00 PM Building Your Social Media Platform for Authors (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Business of Getting Published)—Heather Weidner

7:00 – 9:00 PM Perfecting Your 10-minute Author/Agent Pitch (Business of Getting Published)—Jackie Kruzie

7:00 – 9:00 PM

9:00 – 10:00 PM OPTIONAL Meet and Greet Happy Hour near Blue Bar

FRIDAY, Nov 8, 2024

7:30 – 8:30 AM Check-in/Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:45 Welcome/First 10 lines critique session

9:45 – 10:15 Keynote Address by Yasmin Angoe

10:15 – 10:30 Contest Awards

10:45 – 12:15 Revising Short Fiction: Writing IS Revision (Fiction—BettyJoyce Nash

10:45 – 12:15 Generative Exercise: Exploring Point of View (Fiction)—Jody Hobbs Hesler

10:45 – 12:15 How Hot is Your Hook? (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—La Sheera Lee

10:45 – 12:15 Creative Event Planning for Authors (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Business of Getting Published)—Heather Weidner

10:45 – 12:15 Memoir Writing: Discovering Your Life Arc and Writing about Others (Creative Nonfiction)—Kyle Marie McMahon

10:45 – 12:15 How to Find a Literary Agent? (Business of Getting Published)—Nikki Terpilowski

12:15 – 1:15 Lunch Buffet

1:25 – 2:25 Writing in General: NO RULES (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Jack Campbell

1:25 – 2:25 Write about the Person You Know Best: Yourself (Creative Nonfiction)—BettyJoyce Nash

1:25 – 2:25 The Life of a Traditionally Published Author (Business of Getting Publishing)—Preslaysa Williams

1:25 – 2:25 ?—Agent 4 (1^st class)

1:25 – 2:25 On Mindful Writing: How Can ‘The Flow State’ Help You Become a Better Writer?—Nikki Terpilowski

1:25 – 2:25 Revising Poems to Create More Impact, or: How to Use a Trash Compacter (Poetry)—Henry Hart

2:35 – 3:35 Understanding Your Readers’ Responses (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Dr. A.D. Nauman

2:35 – 3:35 Everybody Does It: Writing Sex (Fiction)—BettyJoyce Nash

2:35 – 3:35 How I landed an Agent (and a Second One) (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Business of Getting Published)—Heather Weidner

2:35 – 3:35 Writing Your Thriller or Suspense Story (Fiction--Thrillers and Suspense)—Yasmin Angoe

2:35 – 3:35 The Dreaded Synopsis (Fiction and Business of Getting Published)—Jackie Kruzie

2:35 – 3:35 Voice in Poetry (Poetry)—Kathy Smaltz

3:45 – 4:45 Non-traditional and Non-Western Ideas to Give Your Story a Unique Feel (Fiction)—Jack Campbell

3:45 – 4:45 From Idea to Premise (Fiction and Nonfiction)—Kyle Marie McMahon

3:45 – 4:45 An Introduction to Book Reviewing and Literary Citizenship (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Jody Hobbs Hesler

3:45 – 4:45 Writing the Essay (Creative Nonfiction)—Kate Lewis

3:45 – 4:45 Do You Know Your Character? (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—La Sheera Lee

3:45 – 4:45 Retelling the Old Stories, or: How to Put New Wine in Old Bottles (Poetry)—Henry Hart

5 – 6:30 Networking Social/Silent Auction Fundraiser; heavy hors d'oeuvres & cash bar

7 – 9:00 PM OPTIONAL Open Mic

SATURDAY, Nov 9, 2024

7:30 – 8:30 AM Check-in/Continental Breakfast

8:30 – 9:45 Welcome/First 10 lines critique session

9:45 – 10:15 Keynote Address by Jack Campbell

10:15 – 10:30 Readings of first pages of first place winners

10:45 – 11:45 Best Practices for a Positive, Constructive Critique Workshop (Fiction & Creative Nonfiction)—Jody Hobbs Hesler

10:45 – 11:45 Should I Get an Agent (Business of Getting Published)—Jackie Kruzie

10:45 – 11:45 The Foundational 5 Cs of Creative Storytelling (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Kyle Marie McMahon

10:45 – 11:45 Outline Your Novel or Memoir: A Workshop for Pantsers & Plotters (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Preslaysa Williams

10:45 – 11:45 Birthing a Fictional Character (Fiction)—Dr. A.D. Nauman

10:45 – 11:45 Writing from the Shadow (Poetry)—Kathy Smaltz

11:45 – 12:45 Lunch Buffet

12:55 – 1:55 ?—AGENT 4 (3rd Class)

12:55 – 1:55 Effective Dialogue (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—BettyJoyce Nash

12:55 – 1:55 Inside the Reading Room (Creative Nonfiction/Journalism)—Kate Lewis

12:55 – 1:55 Writing Historical Fiction (Fiction)—Dr. A.D. Nauman

12:55 – 1:55 Making your Author Website and Email List Work for You (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Business of Getting Published)—Heather Weidner

12:55 – 1:55 Choosing a New Perspective, or: How to Write Martian Poetry (Poetry)—Henry Hart

2:05 – 3:05 Queries 101 (Business of Getting Published)—La Sheera Lee

2:05 – 3:05 Narrative Tension: The Promises Writers Make (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Jody Hobbs Hesler

2:05 – 3:05 Smart Editing for Smart Novelists and Memoirists (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Preslaysa Williams

2:05 – 3:05 Firearms in Fiction—My Story Has a gun in it. Help! (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—BettyJoyce Nash

2:05 – 3:05 How to Pitch Essays & Op-Eds (Creative Nonfiction/Journalism)—Kate Lewis

2:05 – 3:05 Line Breaks in Free Verse/Open Form Poems (Poetry)—Kathy Smaltz

3:15 – 4:15 It's All About You--Establishing Your Author Brand (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Business of getting Published)—Heather Weidner

3:15 – 4:15 Pacing in Flash (Fiction and Nonfiction)—Kate Lewis

3:15 – 4:15 Self-Editing for Self-Publishing VS Traditional Publishing (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Kyle Marie McMahon

3:15 – 4:15 Classifying Your Hero, Villain, & All the Folks in the Middle (Fiction)—Yasmin Angoe

3:15 – 4:15 Writing an Epistolary Poem, or: Finding the Right Voice for Your Reader (Poetry)—Henry Hart

4:25 – 5:25 Details, Details: Scene Setting and Description (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—BettyJoyce Nash

4:25 – 5:25 5 Tips for Helping Readers Empathize with Your Villain—Yasmin Angoe

4:25 – 5:25 Writing Fiction for Social Justice (Fiction)—Dr. A.D. Nauman

4:25 – 5:25 Make a Scene (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Preslaysa Williams

4:25 – 5:25 Lessons from a Six-Book Series (Fiction and Creative Nonfiction)—Jack Campbell

4:25 – 5:25 Nature Poems (Poetry)—Kathy Smaltz