Friday, April 16
Current Issues in the Publishing Industry (Panel Discussion):
Panel Leaders:
- Jane Friedman, Publisher/Editor of Writer's Digest
- Regina Doman & Andrew Schmiedicke, Editors of Sophia Institute Press
- Sammie & Dee Jutsesen, Editor & Publisher of Norlights Press, respectively
Time: 8-9 pm, following the Book Signing & Welcome Reception
Open To: Murder & Mayhem attendees & Conference registrants.
Saturday, April 17
Luncheon Keynote: Marketing using the Latest Tools
Speaker: Jane Friedman
Conference Workshops
Four strands of classes are offered. You can choose classes from any strand. Please see the Conference Schedule for times.
Fiction
Writing Dialogue:
Presenter: Nathan Singer
If you think character talk is anything like real-world talk, think again. Nathan will walk you through everything you need to know to write convincing dialogue.
Scene versus Narration:
Presenter: Nancy Pinard
This workshop will examine a published short story to explore the characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages of each mode and teach participants how to decide when to use which one.
Writing for Teens (YA):
Presenter: Emma Carlson Berne
Andrea will show the relationship between her background and her writing. Listeners will see how experiences in Shanghai, Budapest, and Cincinnati come together in picture books and novels for children and young adults. Participants will find the “seeds” of their own stories.
Writing a Novel:
Presenter: Rick Robinson
Characters. Plot. Theme. Dialogue. Scenes. Markets. Credentials. It can all be overwhelming. Let Rick break down the huge and rewarding task of novel writing into manageable pieces you can understand and begin today.
Nonfiction
Historical Nonfiction
Presenter: Dr. Cynthia Crane
Creative Nonfiction: Writing Essays, Memoirs, Articles & More:
Presenter: Vicki Moss
Essays, Articles, Memoirs, and Creative Nonfiction
Discover the difference between nonfiction and creative nonfiction as we explore memoirs, essays, magazine articles, newspaper columns, and other strange truths, like genealogy. You’ll learn how to weave a thread that binds short articles and memoir short stories together for a possible book down the road. Also, you’ll learn which facts to reveal – or not!
Writing for Newspapers (Panel Discussion):
Leaders: Ron Rollins (Cox News Staff) & Teri Horsley (freelance writer)
Genre Hopping:
Presenter: Marilyn Walton
Can writing children’s picture books be similar to writing adult fiction or non-fiction? Do similar writing strategies apply? Transitioning from children’s writing to producing non-fiction or fiction for adults may seem daunting. Yet, many of the same writing techniques apply. Whether writing an historical fiction or non-fiction the venues for research abound and each book although stylistically different, requires the same attention to detail for the sake of authenticity and credibility. We will analyze the structure of the tightly-written, balanced story and concentrate on essential components--beguiling beginnings, marvelous middles and exceptional endings. The class will look with a critical eye at what makes a manuscript unsalable to a publishing house. We will compare and contrast the development of today’s non-fiction book and explore the many valuable sources for research available to today’s writer.
The Good, The Bad and the Nightmare Freelance Query:
Presenter: Zachary Petit, of Writer’s Digest
What makes a good magazine freelance query—and what makes a nightmare one? Moreover, how can you benefit from that knowledge to sell a nonfiction piece of your own? Join the managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine as he shares some of the queries he has found in the slush pile, and reveals strategies for breaking free of the submissions inbox and rising above the pack. (Appropriate for both aspiring freelance writers and fiction authors looking to expand their platforms through nonfiction articles.)
Writing As a Career
Decoding Fiction Submission Guidelines:
Presenter: Regina Doman, fiction editor for Sophia Institute Press
Regina probably holds the title for crafting the industry's longest submission guidelines. As she goes through the guidelines her company uses, she will explain what editors are looking for in a submission and how you can make your writing fit their expectations.
Children’s Markets:
Presenter: Alice Pope, of Writer’s Market
Do you want to write for children? What should you write? How should you write it? What do you do when your manuscript is finished? The editor of the Writer’s Market for Children’s Literature will tell you.
Finding an Agent and a Publisher:
Presenter: Sammie Justesen
This workshop answers the burning questions: Am I ready to be published – is my work good enough? Do I need a literary agent? How can I interest an agent or publisher in my work? What do publishers want? Should I self-publish?
Reading like a Writer:
Presenter: Nancy Pinard
We will examine a published short story to explore how the author’s decisions regarding the structure and the selection of story elements contribute to the story’s effect.
Build Your Author Website in an Hour:
Presenter: Jane Friedman, of Writer’s Market
Every author needs an online presence to survive in today’s publishing industry, and often a website or a blog serves as the centerpiece of that presence. No matter where you’re at in your writing and publishing journey, learn the basics of putting together an online home for yourself—no tech experience required! (But maybe a little patience and willingness to learn.)
Genre Salute to Christian Writing
You do not have to write Christian fiction or nonfiction to attend—or learn from—these workshops.
Christian Fiction Wannabe:
Presenter: Vicki Moss
Writing the Christian Novel Learn how to construct a Christian novel by mining your journal, photos, dreams, and the Bible, while crafting a great hook, a fast paced middle, and a show stopping ending. You’ll discover how to use poetry to enhance a scene and somewhere along the way you should strike the mother lode — your voice — the golden nugget of riveting novels.
How to Create Evil Characters When You’re a Good Person:
Presenter: Regina Doman, of Sophia Institute Press
The conundrum that confounds many Christian or inspirational authors is how to plumb the depths of evil in their fiction when their own lives have been squeaky-clean. Author and editor Regina Doman will lead workshop participants in a fascinating examination of the realities of both evil and goodness, hopefully re-energizing their imaginations in the process.
Plot and Character Arcs:
Presenter: Shelly Shepard Gray
Everything has a natural rhythm and that’s true of successful stories too. Find out how to balance plot and character development naturally in your fiction.
Writing a Spiritual Thriller:
Presenter: Rod Pennington
All of the normal rules of writing compelling fiction apply to the spiritual novel, plus there are a few more. Learn how to deliver your message without being heavy-handed or “preachy”. Learn how to create characters and dialogue that strike a primal, universal chord. Learn the important lessons of Joseph Campbell’s “The Power of Myth” and how to incorporate them into your work.
Amish Fiction:
Presenter: Shelly Shepard Gray
What is Amish fiction? What do you need to know to write in this popular genre.
