Expanded Schedule with Session Descriptions
9:00 - 10:00 Keynote
The Creative Process: Pictures then Words Author/Illustrator Dorothy Donohue
The creative process is never easy. Dorothy Donohue will share with you her journey. Though primarily an illustrator, she will share how she has found her voice as an author as well.
10:15 - 11:15 (Choose one)
In The Beginning: The Genesis of a Successful Start Alane Ferguson
Step by step, through 27 books, author Alane Ferguson has worked out her own devices for capturing young readers. Join her as she shares secrets of success and warnings against common pitfalls. Learn how to structure your own exciting beginnings in this fun, down-to-earth class!
Culture Building for Science Fiction and Fantasy Hilari Bell
In fantasy and science fiction, the world in which your story takes place is almost a character in itself-but how do you make that world as interesting and outstanding as your other characters? In this fun and interactive workshop we will create our own culture, and demonstrate how culture building works in tandem with character creation and inventing plot conflicts that resonate with your universe.
Please Don't Leave Me Alone With a Gym Full of Kids! - The How and Yikes of Author Visits Becky Clark Cornwell
In addition to putting a couple of extra bucks in your pocket, school visits can be excellent marketing venues. Unfortunately, they can also turn normally mature and eloquent writers and artists into quivering masses of simpering nincompoops. While she can't completely cure you of stage fright, Becky Clark Cornwell can give you the tools to create and market well-organized, effective programs with your unique, non-nincompoop stamp on them.
Creating Pictures with Paper - a Hands-on Workshop Dorothy Donohue
A picture book doesn't have to have words but it does have to have pictures! We will be exploring how to create a character and a story through paper, working similarly to the way Dorothy Donohue does when she begins to work on a book. We will brainstorm as a group to come up with possible stories for the characters we created. If time allows, we will sketch a story board for the characters. (Note: This workshop runs until 2:45, with breaks in between) Please bring a pair of scissors.
11:30 - 12:30 (Choose one)
Beginnings in Action Alane Ferguson
Are you wondering if your beginning is strong enough? Whether you attended Alane Ferguson's session, "In the Beginning" or not, join her to get feedback on your work. In this interactive session, you can read your beginning and receive comments from Alane, who is a master at spotting attention-grabbing starts and pointing out where authors can improve that all-important beginning.
NOTE: To get the most out of this session, please bring the first page from a manuscript-in-progress.
Type: Picture book, early reader, novel
Format: Standard manuscript style -- style consists of 1" margins, double-spaced, 12-point font, white paper.
Please include the title and type of manuscript. You may include your name or leave it off.
Length: The FIRST page of a manuscript. (up to 250 words)
NOTE: Depending on the number of participants, Alane may not get through all of the manuscripts.
Popping the Questions: How to Get, Conduct, and Use an Interview Claudia Cangilla McAdam
During her nearly 30 years as a published writer, Claudia Cangilla McAdam has interviewed scores of "ordinary" folks, young and old, as well as celebrities in the areas of sports, entertainment, politics, business, the arts, and more. It's all part of the research she does for both her fiction and nonfiction work. She'll share tips on how to go about snagging an interview, asking the right questions, and incorporating the answers into your written work.
Guerrilla Marketing for the Creative Person Lisa Lodholm Gilman
So, your book is being published - congratulations! You can't count on your publisher to do more than the standard, limited promotion, which means you need to take initiative to ensure your book's (and your) success. Self-promotion is critical! Lisa Lodholm Gilman will motivate and guide you in developing your own marketing and public relations strategy. You will learn your five key guerilla marketing tools as well as creative ways to promote your work.
Creating Pictures with Paper - a Hands-on Workshop Dorothy Donohue
This workshop with author-illustrator Dorothy Donohue continues.
2:00-3:00 (Choose one)
The Dreaded Short Synopsis Hilari Bell
Writing a one- or two-page synopsis is a task every writer dreadsbut it's a lot easier if you know what you're doing! Using Pam McCutheon's five plot-point method, this workshop conducted by Hilari Bell will examine what you ought to leave out, what you need to put in, and how to summarize your novel in a way that will really show an editor what your story is about.
Is My Book Face Out? Children's Bookselling 101 Shirley Sternola
Join Shirley Sternola, owner of the children's bookstore Bo Peep Books, as she provides valuable insights into how a bookseller chooses the books that will appear on her shelves, how they are displayed, her take on the current market for children's books, and how local authors can approach bookstores to carry their books. This is a wonderful opportunity to get an insider's take on what can happen to your book once it is published. Bring your questions for the Q&A period at the end of her session!
Creating Pictures with Paper - a Hands-on Workshop Dorothy Donohue
This workshop with author-illustrator Dorothy Donohue continues.
3:00-3:30
Autographing, Book Sales, Public Viewing of Portfolios
Instructions for Portfolio Showing:
Bring your portfolio with you on April 8. Do not mail it. Portfolios should measure no more than 24" x 32" (the standard large portfolio
size) and contain no more than 12 pieces. This display will be an informal sharing among friends; portfolios will not be formally reviewed. If you have questions, contact Illustrator Coordinator Bobbi Collier-Morales.
3:30-4:30 (Choose one)
Who You Know, What You Know, Where You Go... Generating Ideas for New Writing Projects Claudia Cangilla McAdam
Join award-winning author Claudia Cangilla McAdam as she shares the methods she uses to come up with ideas for books as well as magazine and newspaper articles. In a presentation geared for novice writers, Claudia will address the question she's been asked frequently: "Where do you get your ideas?" She'll share the inspiration for many of her works that have been published during the last three decades. This session is sure to get those creative juices flowing as you discover that your next big idea may be as close as your own back yard.
Murder for Hire: How to Write and Publish a Mystery! Alane Ferguson
Join Edgar Allan Poe winner Alane Ferguson as she walks aspiring writers through the maze of mysteries, including tips on research, finding your voice, and the challenge of structuring a mystery!
Websites, Blogs, and Platform Building Olgy Gary
Every published and yet-to-be-published writer should have a website and/or a blog. They are a means to an end: building your platform. It's your platform that editors and agents look for once they fall in love with your writing...and even before! This workshop will cover what you need to know in order to launch your own website and/or blog in a cost-effective manner. It'll cover the terminology, software, costs, philosophy, design components, etiquette, and maintenance of good sites that inspire visitors to bookmark them and come back to them time and again.
School Visits for Illustrators Dorothy Donohue
School visits can be a nice supplement to the royalty and advances from a book. Schools and libraries around the country contact authors and illustrators to come and talk to children about their books and they even pay you! Dorothy will share stories and tips she has learned about breaking into the world of school visits--which in some ways has been more difficult than getting published!