Saturday Workshop Schedule

Session #1,  10:00-10:45 a.m.

“Writing the Book You Are Meant to Write Today,” Corey Blake

Learn how to draft a manuscript that reaches to our depths and pulls out our own personal truth.

“Writing Short Story, Using Our Wild Nature,” Dr. Julie Hemker

Explore/connect narratives and the “wilderness” of the human heart.

“Pitching An Agent Looking for a Fire in the Belly,” Katharine Sands

Learn agent/client etiquette and pitching strategies.

“Poetry in the Wild,” Prof. Jean Mach

There’s no better place to get wild than in poems, where danger and passion run free.

Session #2, 11:00-11:45 a.m.

“Map Your Career NOW,” Teresa Le Yung Ryan

Find out how to thrive in a competitive world in this fun interactive session.

“Allowing Myth to Speak,” Jyoti (Jeneane Prevatt) PhD

A story stalks you until you are ready, so that the story can speak through you.

“Super Sleuthing: Internet Research Secrets for Killer Prose,” Geri Spieler

Bullet proof your non-fiction and make your fiction explode with richness.

“Building Your Novel,” Laurel Anne Hill and Alice Wilson-Fried

Avoid editorial earthquakes and floods of rejections.

Session #3, 2:00-2:45 p.m.

“Book Proposal Boot Camp,” Ted Weinstein

Learn to write the perfect book proposal from SF/NY Literary agent.

“Writing Your Way: Q&A with the Voice of Experience,” Dan Millman

Bring your questions, hopes and dreams to get the information you need.

“Poetry: The Importance of Words,” Frank Jones, PhD

Words express our being; they are the building blocks to human intercourse.

“Writing Children’s Books for Today’s Savvy Kids,” Penny Warner

An overview of children’s book categories and genres, what’s hot today

Session #4, 3:00-3:45

“True Crime, True Crime Fiction,” Anthony Flacco, MFA

Getting the Story Rights, the Who, What, When, Where, Why

“Eco-Myth,” Luisah Teish, PhD

Can you hear the stories told by enchanted trees that dramatize all they have witnessed?

Create Irresistible Talking-Taglines, Elisa Southard

Learn to nail down your pitch, prepare for the unexpected, plan your success.

“Use the Internet for Your Writing Career,” Scott James, aka Kemble Scott

Learn the tricks to using the breakthroughs with YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Web sites.

Session #5, 4:00-4:45

“The Legal and Business Aspects of Writing,” Paul S. Levine, Esq.

Learn about the nuts and bolts of the business of writing, the agent and attorney roles.

“Embodying Mind & Words,” a Zen Spin with Edward Espe Brown

Vegetarian cookbook writer/Zen priest explores the use of body-based practices.

“Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy,” Terry Bisson

Look at the short story as the controlled release of information, with 60 rules for SciFi and fantasy.

“Writing Memoir—Tell the Truth?” Claire Mack, former mayor of San Mateo

Learn why when writing memoir, the truth is so freeing, even if you don’t publish.

Sunday Workshop Schedule

Session #6, 10:20-11:05

“The Technical Writer,” Sandy Emerson, M.A., and Marcy Darnovsky, PhD

Secrets of the technical writer revealed; an overview of styles and techniques.

“Writing Through the Darkness,” Elizabeth Maynard Schaefer, PhD.

The proven benefits—emotion, social and physical—of writing about the tough times.

“How to Create a Page-Turning Plot,” Alice Wilson-Fried

Tense up “storyline” with slow transitions, and “exposition” with fast-paced drama.

“How Not to Get An Agent Even If You Are A Brilliant Writer,” Katharine Sands

Learn the easy-to-fix mistakes writers maker when querying agents.

Session #7, 11:15-12:00

“Writing Your Screenplay,” Corey Blake

Learn the seven do’s and don’ts of effective screenplay writing, dialogue and plot

“The Magic Word: Writing As Alchemy,” Catherine MacCoun, PhD

Magicians have the power to make things happen through words alone.

“Legal Rights for the Writer,” Andrew Pierce, Esq.

The legal twists and turns that every writer should know.

“Plot: First Draft to Final Submission,” Martha Alderson, M.A.

Learn the nuances of plotting in drafts, from the first to the final draft.

Session #8, 1:00-1:45

“How to Write and Get Published in Today’s Business,” Alan Rinzler, Editor

Focus on both the craft of writing proposals and manuscripts, fiction and non-fiction.

“The Zen of Writing: Sharing Your Gifts With the World,” Edward Espe Brown

Sowing up, receiving inspiration. The gift, the voice of the muse, comes from beyond.

“Writing With Passion,” Marcy Darnovsky

Find your passion, advocate your cause. Speak out and let your voice be heard.

“Clean, Well Lighted Sentences,” Janis Bell, English Professor

Learn about grammar, usage, and word choice in a lively and interesting exchange.

Session #9, 3:10-4:00

“Luisah Teish Presents,” in the Grand Ballroom

Participants from Saturday’s Eco-Myth workshop will read/perform their creations.

“Historical Fiction,” Nick Taylor, Eng Professor

Learn about the techniques of historical fiction, finding sources, and research methods.

“We Like Short Shorts!” Terry Bisson

Learn how to write short stories told with dialogue only, without descriptive narration.

“Editing to control your novel,” Charlotte Cook  

Learn the difference of developing a manuscript to completion for self, and for agents and publishers.