Workshop Schedule — Friday Afternoon
Please note this is a preliminary workshop schedule. A final list will be available on-site in the conference program.
Friday, August 1
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Bad Boys and Naughty Girls (CRAFT) — Allison Brennan, Jordan Dane, Cindy Gerard, C.J. Lyons, and Lucia Macro
Best-selling authors, debut authors, and an executive editor discuss the seductive nature of villains and anti-heroes. Discover how authors create the darker characters we love to hate and who've become our guilty pleasures.
Behind the Badge (RESEARCH) — Julia Hunter
This senior special agent and 19-year veteran of law enforcement has investigated federal crimes: international arms, trafficking, arson, and violent crimes involving firearms and explosives. Get the inside scoop and personal anecdotes in this fun, interactive workshop about body language, agency missions, and court procedures. (2 hours)
Creating a Web Presence (CAREER) — Emma Clair and Michelle McGinnis
With a combined total of 23 years of Web marketing, design, and coding experience, these professionals will teach you to create or revitalize your Web presence for any stage of your career—including detailed help in plain English.
Creativity for Life (SPECIAL) — Eric Maisel, Ph.D.
Creativity coach and certified counselor Eric Maisel will teach writers the principles of: creating in the middle of things, achieving a centered presence, and committing to a goal-oriented process. Join this special speaker as he shows you how to be “creative for life.” (2 hours)
Do As I Say, Not As I Do: Rules for Breaking and Making It (CAREER) — Andrea Laurence, Brenda Chin, Kimberly Lang, and Kira Sinclair
Dos and don’ts of writing romance—which rules to break and which can help forge a successful writing career.
Down and Dirty: Media Training That Works (CAREER) — Theresa Meyers
Step up to the next level in your promotion efforts by learning how to get and make the most of any interview situation.
Fat-Free Writing or How to Eliminate Wordiness in 10 Easy Steps (CRAFT) — Annie Oortman and Darlene Buchholz
An English teacher and a former marketing writer show you how to transform an overweight manuscript into a lean, mean, prose machine and enhance your chance of garnering an editor's attention.
Layering the Story Concept (CRAFT) — Sylvie Kurtz
A best-selling author discusses using the seven elements of story concept to put together a blurb that is complete, conflict-filled, and concise enough to use as a selling tool.
Myths, Legends, and Realities of e-Publishing (PUBLISHING) — Melissa Schroeder, Shelley Bradley, and Angela James
Join two authors, both print and e-published, and a Samhain Publishing executive editor as they discuss the pros and cons of electronic publishing.
Spotlight on Bethany House/Revell
The Stairway to Plot Heaven: How Plotting with Other Writers Can Change Your Life Forever (CRAFT) — Susan Mallery, Maureen Child, and Teresa Southwick
Learn how using a plot group can take your book to the next level while making the writing itself so much easier.
Friday, August 1
3:15-4:15 p.m.
Advanced Tools of the Trade (CRAFT) — Charlotte Maclay
Guided by a best-selling, award-winning author, participants will learn to enhance their writing through the use of images, props, and layering and to create gaps between fictional reality and character expectations.
Behind the Badge (RESEARCH) — continued
Creativity for Life (SPECIAL) -- continued
First Year on the Job: from "the Call" to Publication (CAREER) — Debby Giusti, Janet Dean, Krista Stroever, and Missy Tippens
Three inspirational authors and a senior editor will present an honest and in-depth look at the most exciting year in an author's life—from contract negotiations and revisions to marketing, promotion, time management, and maintaining a productive author-editor relationship.
How to Be a Trained Extrovert (CAREER) — Leanne Shawler
Most writers are introverts but, to succeed at the business of writing, writers need to talk to real people and network. A trained extrovert will share some tips to help introverts get out of the hermit’s cell, as well as reveal an introvert’s secret weapon—active listening.
Navigating the Ever-changing and Expanding Christian Inspirational Market (PUBLISHING) — Lyn Cote
Award-winning Christian author Lyn Cote offers a how-to workshop for writers interested in selling to one of the major romance markets—inspirational Christian fiction. Come learn if this subgenre is the right fit for you.
Secondary Characters: the Good, the Bad, and the Quirky (CRAFT) — Beth Cornelison and Winnie Griggs
Two multipublished authors and seasoned presenters discuss the importance and function of secondary characters—and how to make them worthy of your hero and heroine—in this interactive session.
Secrets to Writing Better (and Sexier) Love Scenes (CRAFT) — Cara Summers
An award-winning, multipublished Harlequin author shares everything she learned in the process of turning herself into a Blaze author. Learn to distinguish between sensuality, sexual awareness, sexual attraction, and sexual tension and how to use them to create love scenes unique to your characters.
Sociopaths vs. Psychopaths and the Serial Killer (RESEARCH) — Dr. Cynthia Lea Clark
A sociopath is not the same as a psychopath. Clear up the misconceptions, what they have in common, and how to create one that has real characteristics of both with the co-founder of Crime In Mind.
Spotlight on Dorchester Publishing
Friday, August 1
4:30-5:30 p.m.
His Brain/Her Brain (RESEARCH) — Eileen Dreyer
Don’t miss this intriguing workshop by RWA Hall of Fame author Eileen Dreyer, and learn the medical reasons behind why women and men think and act the way they do.
Improv Techniques for Writers (WRITER’S LIFE) — Denise McInerney
Join this accomplished speaker as she demonstrates how improvisation techniques help drive a stake through the heart of your inner critic and let your muse come out to play. (2 hours)
It’s All About Me: How to Write Successfully in First Person (CRAFT) – Jane Porter
Writing a successful fiction novel in first person has its pitfalls, and best-selling author Jane Porter will share the pluses and minuses of using this point of view. Learn how to make the most of first person voice, practical writing tips, and where first person fits in today’s market.
Plotting 101: the Plotting Wheel (CRAFT) — Rebecca Martinez and Sue Viders
Two experienced speakers and authors (fiction and nonfiction) examine different methods of plotting and why they work (or not!). Each participant will receive a plotting wheel—an integral piece of a new method to be examined. (2 hours)
Secrets of the Best-selling Sisterhood (PUBLISHING) — Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz
Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz reprise their very popular workshop on what it’s like to be New York Times best-selling authors.
Spotlight on Pocket Books
Spotlight on Steeple Hill
Taking the Mystery Out of Taxes (CAREER) — Barbara Horvath
An experienced CPA and tax software designer discusses taxes and the self-employed writer.
The Down and Dirty Guide to Making Your Own Book Trailer Videos (CAREER) — Diana Holquist and Lindsey Faber
Diana Holquist, an advertising professional, and Lindsey Faber, a self-taught techie, will show you how to make a book trailer video from concept to finished product by building one before your eyes.
The Romance of Alternative Lifestyles (CRAFT) — Laura Baumbach, Kate Douglas, Linda McLaughlin, M.L. Rhodes, and Caitlyn Willows
A panel of publishing professionals and authors explore the difference between traditional romance and alternative lifestyle romance writing in both erotic and non-erotic works. Popularity, audience diversity, marketing, and future directions will be examined.
Friday, August 1
5:45-6:45 p.m.
Reject Me, Please! How to Be a Warrior Woman Writer (WRITER’S LIFE) — Kimberly A. Cook
Kimberly A. Cook, a military veteran and nonfiction writer, shares the tactics she learned in the military to turn rejection into success.
