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Teen Writers' Program
In
order to encourage young people to take advantage of
this unique opportunity to learn from published authors,
we offer a special rate of $80 for
ages 13 to 19. Teen-specific classes are offered Session 1 and
2. The last two sessions, teens can choose
from any workshops offered.
We’ll have a
special “teen table” at the Friday evening reception,
Saturday morning breakfast, and Saturday lunch with a
conference helper to make sure you get to meet the other
teen writers at the conference, help you find your way
around the Cuesta campus, and answer any questions you
might have during the conference.
Central Coast Writers' Conference
Teen Writers'
Program
$80
(13 to 19 years old)
Return
to
Conference Fees Page to register
once you have
your workshop #'s handy
(Choose Teen Writers' Fee from Fee List when registering)
See the
Schedule of Events for the
full conference lineup!
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Workshop Session I: Friday 7:30 to 9 p.m.
118WC.310 Teen
Writers': The Art and Craft of Story-Making
Kathleen Duey
Writers possess a unique heart and since there are
really no rules, writing is incredibly fun and never
boring. However, reality bites – writing a good book is
really hard. This workshop will focus on the importance
of skill and craft emphasizing major elements of novel
writing, such as character and plot development.
Workshop Session II: Saturday
8:45 to
10:15 a.m.
218WC.310 Teen Writers':
Exchanging Respectful &
Helpful Critiques
Becky Levine
Whether you just started putting words on a page or have
notebooks filled with stories, it is helpful to share
your work with other writers. You’ll learn the basics
about critiquing deeply and supportively, really
“listening” to comments about your own work, and how to
revise your manuscript. By understanding the critique
process, you will gain confidence and find out how to
strengthen your work.
Workshop Session III: Saturday 10:45
a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (Choose one)
311WC.310 Getting Published: Let’s Play Query Letter Mad
Lib
Nathan Bransford
Remember
those "mad lib" games where you start off writing down a
list of verbs, places and adjectives, and inevitably the
words "snot" and "farted" make any story HILARIOUS? This
game will teach you the basic formula for a successful
query letter incorporating industry standard formatting
practices. Discover how to be unique enough to catch an
agent’s attention, but traditional enough to win a
second look.
312WC.310
Young Adult: Writing on the Edge of Everything
Kathleen Duey
Publishing is shrinking, yet Young Adult book sales are
booming. This workshop will discuss YA writing
opportunities -- bending and blending the genre’s
elements of romance, vampires, dragons, science fiction,
urban fantasy, contemporary serious literature, graphic
novels, illustrated novels and more. Find out if you
have what it takes to write for teens today.
313WC.310 Writing
Dialogue: Conversation That Counts
Marcia Preston
Dialogue is much more (and less) than ordinary
conversation. This session covers techniques to improve
the dialogue in your writing, including tips on speaker
tags, scene construction, and using action with
dialogue.
314WC.310
Poetry:
Helping Poets Become Their Own Best Critics
Dr. Kevin Clark
Sometimes poets have difficulty distancing themselves
from their own work. Sensing something is amiss, they’ll
settle for the easy fix instead of changing the internal
structure of the poem. While paying special attention to
accessibility, conflict, transformation, and the “big
picture,” this discussion will focus on three critical
keys to identifying areas for revision.
315WC.310 Infusing Historical Research into Your Writing
Melissa
Pritchard
In this workshop learn to write novels, short fiction,
memoir and creative nonfiction using an historical
perspective -- exploring the joys, surprises and
occasional difficulties of the research process. We’ll
discuss where to find it, when to use it, and how to
make it fit seamlessly. Examples will be drawn from the
author’s historically-based fiction.
316WC.310 The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide
Becky Levine
Are you looking for instruction on revision and
self-editing? This workshop is for anyone considering
joining a writing group or actively participating in
one. Students will learn the basics of running a strong,
productive critique group, the three respectful roles
within a group, and essential elements of a strong and
helpful critique.
317WC.310
Spiritual Writing for Today’s Marketplace
Paula Huston
With the advent of the Internet, the publishing
opportunities for spiritual writers have increased
dramatically. Besides the traditional sources, you can
now write for electronic publishers devoted to
particular faith practices and a myriad of blogs. This
workshop looks at spiritual writing being published and
fiction techniques to enhance your writing, as well as
where you might market your work.
318WC.310
Picture
Books for Children Part II
(Pre-requisite Part I)
Merrily Kutner
Utilizing the picture book
diagramming method taught in Session I, students will
develop and fine tune their own manuscript learning to
structure and recognize where and how to revise their
story. Fundamental skills such as voice, setting,
point-of-view, and characterization will be emphasized.
Tips will be provided for the submission process to
potential markets, publishers and/or agents.
Workshop Session IV: Saturday
1:30 to 3
p.m.
(Choose one)
411WC.310
Personal Essay: How Deep Do We Dig?
Victoria Zackheim
When you write a personal essay, there is an expectation
that what you write is true, but how deep into your
heart/soul must you go? Would you upset your child
writing about his rehab? Will your friend be your friend
after you discuss your relationship? We’ll explore these
issues with vignettes while learning essay organization,
how to create a compelling introduction and a body that
will keep the reader engaged through the all important
arc that carries the theme to a satisfying conclusion.
412WC.310 Editing:
An Acquisition Editor Polishes Your First Pages
Charlotte Cook
Bring a writing sample of three pages (formatted
appropriately) and an acquisition editor will read and
comment on it just as she does when evaluating
submissions. She’ll tell you what works and what
doesn’t, giving a balanced accounting what drives an
editor to keep reading or consider work not ready for
this level of scrutiny. (Limit to 30)
413WC.310 Travel
Writing: From the Road to the Page
Diane LeBow &
Laurie McAndish King
Turning your notes and memories into a well-crafted piece of
writing takes both creativity and planning. We’ll
explore angles, leads, and kickers; structure and pace;
uses of conflict; voice and point of view; epiphany and
sensory imagery; revision; and more. Learn the seven
essential elements of a great travel story, twenty types
of plots, and ten types of closes.
414WC.310 The
Short Story: From Vision to Revision
Melissa Pritchard
Writing short fiction demands students learn the
four-fold process of creativity and how the completion
of each step is essential for understanding and
overcoming potential obstacles. By incorporating real
world examples, the instructor will demonstrate a
practical model for your creative writing success.
415WC.310 Getting
Your First Novel Published
Marcia Preston
Directly from an author’s point of view, novelists will
learn tips and motivation to stay the course and get
published. This workshop will include information on
common problems with first novels, understanding market
niches, the Agent Wars, persevering beyond all common
sense—and why it's all worth it.
416WC.310 Writing
For
Young Readers: Deep Stories in Small Words
Kathleen Duey
The best children’s books—even the wonderfully silly
ones—have depth and meaning. Some of the worst ones are
constructed solely to convey wisdom, life lessons, and
advice to young readers. Students will learn how to
strive write a great story with both child appeal AND
deep meaning.
417WC.310
Publishing: Which Option is Right for You?
Diane Lindsey Reeves
Author, Producer, Independent Publisher
- there is more
than one way to get your words in print. This workshop
will discuss the pros and cons of traditional and
non-traditional publishing opportunities and ways you
can use emerging, technology-powered publishing trends
to open doors for your work.
418WC.310 Poetry: Living the Life as a Published
Literary Citizen
Dr. Kate Gale
You are a poet with a few poems out there floating
around, maybe in a few publications. What you want to be
is a poet with a lot of published poems, perhaps even a
book. In other words, you desire a poetry life that is
happening. We will discuss the step-by-step process to
move yourself into a place where you and your poetry
have found a home.
Return
to
Conference Fees Page to register
once you have
your workshop #'s handy
(Choose Teen Writers' Fee from Fee List when registering)
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