Workshop Descriptions

Be sure to choose one workshop from each of the four sessions listed below 
and keep the course numbers handy as you register.

Click on the Workshop Leader's name to see their biography

Workshops Session I: Fri, Sep 21, 7:45 to 9pm

111WC.312  – PG&E Teen Writers: The Writing Life – You Make it Happen!  
- Rachael Herron  
You dream of being a writer, but what are you doing today to build that dream? Are you taking the right courses? Reading the right books? Joining the best mentoring organizations? Developing the best writing habits to aid your future success? Author Rachael Herron will help you create a plan to cultivate your writing life today to sustain your creative life into the future.

112WC.312  Life Story: Courage & Craft - Writing Your Life Into Story
-  Barbara Abercrombie                                                                                                 
Writing about yourself and the truth of your life can sometimes feel scary and risky. How do you get past the fear and develop the discipline to turn your own experiences into an autobiography, essay, a memoir, autobiographical fiction? This workshop will explore each genre and help you find the courage to write your story.

113WC.312  First Page Pitch: American Author Idol
- Laurie McLean & Pam van Hylckama Vlieg
Will you be a phenomenon like Scottie McCreery or will you get tossed after the first round? Making the judges request more demands a dazzling first impression. Do you know what literary elements will compel them to request more? Bring your first page to our American Author Idol and see if our panel of literary agents would move you on to the next round.

114WC.312  Poetry: Sentence and Line
- Marilyn McEntyre                                                                                                               
Some poets begin with prose as their method to inspire and produce a polished poem. Marilyn will demonstrate this poetic technique working from sentences to lines of poetry, considering the art of line-breaks, how to play with syntax, and what a sentence fragment or phrase may accomplish when it's allowed to be a line.

115WC.312  Fiction: The Arc of Character
- Mara Purl
Babies all look somewhat similar, but as we grow into adults our distinct differences become more evident. How can you build that uniqueness into the DNA of your characters? And how do you match their inner truths with your external plot points? Mara Purl will map the trajectory for "live" characters in this interactive session. 

116WC.312  Kidlit: Breaking In and Conquering a Unique Genre
- Jill Corcoran & Robin Mellom
Agent Jill Corcoran and her client, Kidlit author Robin Mellom, will share how to break in and write successfully for today's market. What are the parameters of each genre? Learn how to determine if you have the voice for picture books, chapter books, middle grade and/or YA.

117WC.312  Collaboration: Great Ideas or Big Mistake?
- Barbara Hodges
Collaboration, bringing two voices together to make a third, can be a blessing or a curse. Barbara will share the good, bad and the ugly of collaboration. Based on her four book experiences, learn what you should know and ask before the first word is written? Will team writing enhance your creative process? Barbara has business and marketing tips to help you make it all work.

118WC.312  Novel: Crafting Suspense in a Mystery or Thriller Novel
- Jeff Carlson
The pages of a book don’t turn themselves. How do you build suspense from page one when you’re trying to introduce the characters and set the stage? Tricks that work in literary fiction might not succeed in thriller or mystery novels. Explore the short cuts, flashbacks, “feathering,” dual storylines, and other successful methods of creating suspense in any manuscript.

Workshops Session II: Sat, Sep 22, 9 to 10:15am

211WC.312  PG&E Teens: Lights! Camera! Plot Your Story Like a Screenplay
– Robin Mellom
Think movie magic and learn to write cinematically. Robin Mellom will show you how to use a screenplay outline to create your plot. You’ll learn the screenplay “turning points” to propel events to keep your story moving. Have a concept in mind to work with and get Robin’s feedback on your efforts.

212WC.312   Novel: Creating a Distinctive Voice
- Jill Corcoran
A novel has three distinct voices. Agent Jill Corcoran will help you recognize your author’s voice, that unique voice that permeates all your work.,Then she will guide you towards the manuscript’s voice, that tone you’ll use for a particular story. And finally, learn how to use that tone to determine each character’s distinct voice.

 213WC.312  Fiction: Fantasy's Many Faces - Which One is for You?
- Barbara Hodges
Today's fantasy genre is a kaleidoscope of choices: fantasy romance, suspense fantasy, high fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction fantasy, even ghost, werewolves and vampires are of the fantasy genre. Barbara will explain the similarities and differences of each, so you can figure out where your story fits and how to best market your idea.

214WC.312  From a Little Acorn, Where to Go with an Idea
- Victoria Zackheim
When you get an idea—fiction or nonfiction—where do you go with it? Victoria defines a treasury of creative directions: short story, personal essay, novel, theater, documentary, film, television movie. She will explore them all and help you find new directions for your creative thoughts.

215WC.312  Poetry/Prose: Using the Transformation Line to Access the Deep Voice - Jack Grapes                                                         
Discover a great voice within you by learning to use the “Transformation Line.” It will give you the technique that can be used in a multiplicity of ways to bring depth and authenticity to your writing. Learn to "massage” your transformation lines and discover a powerful approach to finding your deepest voice. After all, it is the voice, not clever writing, that separates your work from all others.

216WC.312  Revision Thoughts from Editor to Author
- Denise Middlebrooks
Authors refine their craft during the revision process. In this workshop, learn to analyze your manuscript through the eyes of an editor, identify patterns in your writing that can obscure the best of stories and the most compelling voice, and sharpen your ability to recognize problems and explore potential “fixes.”

217WC.312  Publishing: Today's Self-Publishing is Easy, Cheap & Fast
- Carla King
In 2010, self-publishing lost its stigma. By 2012, new tools and technologies can help you create your dream book in print, color, ebook, and even interactive. In this workshop, you will come away with usable tools and technologies as Carla King demystifies BookBaby, Smashwords, Amazon CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing, Lightning Source, Apple eBook Creator, and Vook, too.

218WC.312  Travel Writing: Pitch, Pack, Publish - Write Like a Pro
- Judith Fein & Paul Ross
Showcase your travel writing skills by bringing a 500-word article from your Boot Camp adventure tour or a memorable travel experience. In a supportive critique environment, generating lots of information and plenty of laughs, Judie and Paul offer constructive, helpful feedback by random selection of your articles. Learn what will make them sell. Don’t forget to show Paul your two most marketable photos.(Boot Camp NOT a pre-requisite)

Workshops Session III: Sat, Sep 22, 10:30 to 11:45am

311WC.312  Worldbuilding in Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Jeff Carlson                                                                                      
In a genre celebrated for strange planets and new civilizations a writer must work even harder to WOW their readers. From high-tech alien star fleets to medieval, magic-based societies, how much should be based upon real-world research? Learn tips to avoid clichés, develop memorable characters, and expand your stories evolutionary stages.

312WC.312  Children's Picture Books Q&A from A to Z & 1-2-3 Go!
- Pam van Hylckama Vleig
Picture Books aren't as easy to write as you might think. Literary Agent Pam van Hylckama Vlieg will answer all of your questions -- Are there basic standards? What's the formula? Are any topics taboo? Is word play, rhyme or straight talk best? She'll help you discover your theme voice and let you in on today's hot topics.

313WC.312  Fiction: Building Your Novel or Short Story from Floor to Ceiling
- Mara Purl
You wouldn’t build a house without blueprints. To build your fiction you must also have the proper foundation. Novels and short stories are crafted with a different set of detailed plans. Mara Purl will reveal the structure for each of these sought-after forms of fiction.

314WC.312 Writing Poetry as a Spiritual Practice
– Marilyn McEntyre
Poetry is a craft, an art, a skill set. It is also a habit of mind, a way of seeing; a place of refuge from the left-brain world. Marilyn will guide you toward letting your day be seeded with phrases, images, words that surface and ripple to reorganize your senses while accomplishing your tasks. Your seedlings at day's end may sprout their own direction to grow into poems.

315WC.312  Social Media: Blogging Tools & Techniques for Authors
- Carla King
If you've been thinking about blogging but don't know where to start, blogging expert Carla King's workshop will answer all of your questions. She'll cover the different blogging tools available, discuss potential topics, and show you how to unleash a personality that readers will want to follow. Come ready to participate to set the stage for your dynamic author platform.

316WC.312   Nonfiction: The Personal Essay - A Pathway to Publishing
- Barbara Abercrombie
The personal essay is your journey through a specific experience – where this journey led you, what you learned from it, and how it changed you (or not). It can be funny, serious or somewhere in between. A personal essay could be the fastest route to getting published. It is the most marketable of all the genres of creative writing. Learn basic guidelines for writing the personal essay and where to market it.

317WC.312  Publishing: Writing the Winning Query Letter
- Jill Corcoran
Your query letter is the first impression you make before an editor or agent reads your work. Learn how to write a query letter that will get editors and agents to request your full manuscript. Bring a sample query and Jill will demonstrate the must’s and absolute must not's.

318WC.312  Novel Revision: Getting Over the Fear of Diving in Headfirst
- Rachael Herron
Revising a novel is a challenge, but have no fear! Approached systematically with a plan in hand, revising your novel can actually happen sooner than you think. Learn how to sort out the parts that are keepers while culling the ones that don't make the cut, so that you can streamline your editing process to something manageable and maybe even fun.

Workshops Session IV: Sat, Sep 22, 2 to 3:15pm

411WC.312  Publishing: How to Be a Writer in the E-Age
- Anne R Allen
As we zoom into the electronic age, writers have more choices than ever: Self or traditional publishing? What about social media? Who should you trust? Anne shares tips to avoid scams and overpaying for services you don’t need; the secrets of slow blogging and twitter for shy persons; must-read blogs; how to get useful feedback and handle rejection…and all the while, keeping your sanity!

412WC.312  A Perspective on Publishing Today & Tomorrow
- Laurie McLean
Publishing has changed more in the past four years than it has in the last two hundred. Instant Kindle eBook millionaires; Big Six original eBook imprints; agents acting as publishers and authors acting as powerbrokers. Senior Agent Laurie McLean has survived the indie revolution and thrived because of it. How does it impact you? She will share what’s happening and where we are headed.

413WC.312  Travel Writing: Closing the Deal: Selling & Marketing
- Judith Fein & Paul Ross
Whether you are a travel writer or tourism specialist, the goal is to publish! A captivating story written and pitched from a unique angle will sell articles, whether an unusual location or time-worn destination. Long is out. Punchy is in. Every word counts – especially your email subject line. Which publications will want your articles? What options are out there? And how do you choose the right photos to complement it? Fein and Ross will answer all your travel writing questions. (Boot Camp NOT a pre-requisite)

414WC.312  Novel: The Character Arc - Making of a True Hero(ine)
- Rachael Herron
The quickest way to lose a reader is to bore them and the speediest way to do that is to write a flat, boring, unrealistic character. Character arc is as important as plot, but difficult to identify. Learn tips and tricks to make sure your characters are as real as people in your neighborhood.

415WC.312  Stage & Screen: Adapt Your Writing for Performance
- Victoria Zackheim
You’ve written a great short story, memoir, personal essay, article, or even the great American novel. Why not take it to Broadway or Hollywood? Victoria Zackheim took personal essays from her anthology, The Other Woman, and adapted them to the stage. She adapted a friend’s story to a screenplay. Learn the tricks and traps to adapting work to other media.

416WC.312  Writing: Manuscript Magic - Why Use an Editor?
- Denise Middlebrooks
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a savvy author in possession of a completed manuscript must be in search of an editor. In this workshop, we’ll demystify the process of finding and working with a free lance editor. Handouts with sample edits will exemplify all levels of the editorial process.

417WC.312  Finding Your Middle Grade & Teen Voice
- Robin Mellom
Writing for kids and teens is much different in style and tone than writing for an adult audience. Robin Mellom will discuss techniques to develop an authentic, young voice in your writing while staying true to your “personal” voice. Learn how to write compelling, believable characters kids and teens can relate to.

418WC.312  Poetry & Prose: The Secrets of Image in the Moment
- Jack Grapes
Writers tend to focus on their story. Great writers understand how to transform their story lines into lifelong memorable scenes. Once you learn how to manipulate your image moments, you will write like a master and swim like a bird.

Closing Session: Sat, Sep 22, 3:45 to 4:30pm

A Panel: Getting Noticed
Emerging from the Slush-Piles with eReviews
(automatically included with your Writers' Conference enrollment)

Introducing: Danielle Smith, Amy Riley & Pam van Hylckama Vlieg

Your book has finally been published! Now a world of readers awaits, but how do you reach them? An author’s newest marketing partner is the Blog Book Reviewer, whose business it is to connect talented authors with their worldwide network of readers. The Blog Book Reviewer is an integral part of an author’s marketing plan, but how do you connect with them and focus their attention on your book? Top Blog Book Reviewers, Amy Riley, Danielle Smith, and Literary Agent Pam van Hylckama Vlieg, will show you how to vault your book to the top of a reviewer’s “slush” pile. You’ll learn how to pitch, who to pitch, how to schedule a blog tour, and how to respond to reviews. Bottom Line - you want to be noticed and our Blog Book Reviewers intend to help you get your book read & reviewed!

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