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Workshops
Special Keynote
Canadian novelist and long-time English professor Hugh Cook has crafted a life focused on words and writing. Now retired, he taught for over 30 years at American and Canadian colleges. His literary fiction has appeared in multiple journals including Canada’s leading literary journals, and his stories in Home in Alfalfa were adapted to stage. Other books include Cracked Wheat and Other Stories and The Homecoming Man. He is a frequent presenter at the Calvin Festival of Faith and Writing. He and his wife reside in Hamilton, Ontario.
Hugh will speak about spirituality and writing on Friday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. (open to the public for $10) and Saturday, Oct. 16 at 9 a.m.
Workshop time slots:
Friday
Workshop 1—1:45-2:45 p.m.
Get a Jump Start on Your Writing Life—Ann Byle
Writing career seem stalled? Nervous about starting a writing life? Get help here thanks to sound advice and solid tips for moving your writing career along. Perfect for beginning writers and those looking for a little extra nudge.
Social Media: Practical Steps to Strengthen Your Platform and Retain Your Sanity—Andrew Rogers
Learn how to make your online life more effective and less confusing, as well as how to take your blog, Twitter account, Facebook page, or other network to the next step without sacrificing hours of writing time. Build your platform, strengthen your network, and even host an online event without losing your sanity.
Breathing into Clay: Fashioning Real People Out of Fiction—Tracy Groot
Every writer's conference should have a workshop on characterization, and this is it. Build into your own method by learning from the methods of others. Tracy will share tips from well-known writers on what they do to create believable characters.
Wrestling Writing Demons---Cynthia Beach
How can you wrestle with your inner critic and win? How can you move forward despite getting some rejection slips? Discover creativity exercises that can help you win over fear, perfectionism and rejections. Taught by a "no" expert and creativity coach.
Workshop 2—3-4 p.m.
Agenting 101—Tim Beals
Get answers to all your questions about agenting, including when to enlist an agent, how and where to find an agent, when an agent isn’t necessary, and what an agent can do for you.
Earning The Right To Be Read, or Obeying The Laws of Literature—Jo Kadlecek
C.S. Lewis did it. So did Flannery O'Connor. These writers of faith were read, and continue to be read, because they followed the rules of writing. Our call is to write well and obey the laws of language. This practical workshop will review such "laws" as literary devices, principles of grammar, syntax, and structure that will help your writing earn the right to be read.
Children's Poetry, Puppetry, Publishing, Music, and More!—Kevin Kammeraad
Join Kevin for a lively, interactive session where he'll be sharing insights on the world of children's books, music, and life on the road at schools, libraries, and festivals.
Bookstore Symbiosis: How to Plan Events and Build a Relationship with Local Bookstores—Josh Mosey
Bookstores want to help you sell your books. Learn how you can build and benefit from a relationship with your local bookstore from the marketing manager of Baker Book House, independent Christian bookseller and winner of the 2009 Spirit of Excellence in Innovation Award from the Christian Booksellers Association.
Workshop 3—4:15-5:15 p.m.
Creating a Book Proposal Editors Read—Lorilee Craker
Put together a book proposal editors love, with tips such as: leave white space, research the competition, pitch your book in one or two sentences, summarize effectively, and highlight features and benefits. You'll come away with ideas and advice to create the best proposal possible.
Plugging In: How to Write for Teens—Emily Downs
What are teens looking for today? How do you write something they want to read? How do you reach the next generation spiritually? This class will cover writing about the age-old issues of being a teenager, as well as the unique issues facing modern teens and the bridge of God’s unchanging Word.
Poetry Basics—David Landrum
An introduction to the writing and marketing of poetry. We will cover techniques, themes, and styles popular in contemporary poetry, as well as strategies for marketing poetical works.
Tracking Your Writing Personality—Tim Burns
Learn about writing and speaking from your heart, your passion, and your experience, all of which make up your writing personality. God has gifted each writer uniquely. This workshop will help you figure out what kind of writer you are and tap into confidence to speak from the passions God has placed within you.
Saturday
Workshop 4—10:15-11:15 a.m.
Use-What-You-Have-Marketing—Brooke Nolen
Discover a non-intimidating marketing approach to your book project to make it a success for you and the publisher. Learn about free and low-cost ways to promote your writing and message before your book is published. Help solidify your book pitch, define your audience, learn social and online marketing tools, uncover article lead information, and create a plan to strengthen your networking. Leave with practical ways to continue the momentum once your book is accepted.
Editor’s Panel: Good News, Bad News and Lots of Advice—Maranda Gardner, Hugh Cook, Ryan Pazdur, Judith Markham
These four editors describe the best and worst they’ve seen from authors, how best to approach an editor, and advice on creating a book that an editor will love.
Memoir: Write About Yourself Without Looking Like You’re Writing About Yourself—Ted Kluck
As Christian writers we see people, situations, and issues through a biblical lens, as well as our own eyes. We’re often characters in the stories we write. Learn to put yourself in the middle of stories that are constantly unfolding around you.
Plot and Pacing in Fiction—Jo Kadlecek
Setting, conflict, events, characters, dialogue--how do each work together to move a story to its arc, its high place of action? This workshop will explore the role of each in developing plot and pacing that keeps readers turning pages.
Workshop 5—11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Editing and Revising Your Novel—Andy Meisenheimer
Writing is rewriting, and that means every writer needs to know what it takes to bring fresh perspective to your own work. We’ll discuss techniques and tips for editing your manuscript: easy signs of weak writing to target, how to avoid change for change's sake and how to discover the better manuscript that lies just below the surface.
Maneuvering the Magazine Market—Emily Downs
Magazines are a freelancer’s best friend, but also a must for anyone working on a book. Not only can you earn clips and paychecks, but you can market your book long before it’s published. We’ll cover the mighty query letter, breaking into the magazine market, and becoming a writer editors love. Perfect for beginners and those looking to expand their writing resume. Print and on-line publications covered.
Writing Under Fire: Reasons to Keep Writing When You'd Rather Crawl into Your Helmet—Tracy Groot
We'll talk about a few darned good reasons why you write in the first place, and how those reasons (and a few other combat tricks) can keep you on the writing battlefield. For those who have written for a long time, or have just picked up the pen.
Preparing for TV, Radio, and Print Interviews—Shelly Beach Shelly, a veteran speaker and frequent interviewee, shares her best tips for becoming a go-to interview for all kinds of media. She'll talk about honing your message, perfecting your sound bites, and sharing the information your listeners, viewers, or readers need most. Be ready to practice.
Workshop 6—1:30-2:30 p.m.
Adding Depth, Value, and Selling Points with Questions and Curriculum—Sharon Carrns
Take your book one step further for publishers and readers by adding thought-provoking discussion questions, response journals, and/or study guides. Learn how and why to add this dimension to your writing.
Publishing Process Overview: Meeting the Editor to Book in the Store—Brooke Nolen
Walk through the publishing process from start to finish. Learn the stages of development from acceptance to store shelves, how a publishing committee works, what publishers are looking for in proposals, and how editorial, marketing, publicity, and sales teams interact to secure book sales. Brooke offers tips from a variety of publishers.
Sifting for God in the Gravel: Secrets to Writing Great Devotionals—Shelly Beach
Learn what editors are looking for in devotional writing, as well as the key elements of inspirational writing that leads people toward God and understanding themselves better.
2010 - The Year of the Screenplay—Ted Kluck
Screenwriting can be lucrative and creatively rewarding, but it’s a tough market to crack. Explore practical tools to get started—including software and where to find free scripts—and learn about the writing process, pitch process, adaptations, and finding representation. Humorous/humbling stories from the author’s screenwriting adventures included.
Lunch Forums:
Sportswriting: The Reason for Sports—Ted Kluck
How do we, as Christian sportswriters, make a living and keep our sanity in a culture that over-values sports? Explore what's fun/rewarding about sports and sportswriting, while maintaining a healthy spiritual perspective and crafting redemptive stories.
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