|
This is the workshop schedule for all three days of the 2008 conference. Classes are listed by track within each day. To download a PDF of the program schedule, click on the link. You do not have to register to attend workshops. Getting to any workshops five minutes before it starts should get you a seat. |
|
FRIDAY |
FICTION
Cascade A/B
8:30-10:00Jessica Morrell
Fiction's Balancing Act
Fiction writers strive to create stories that are polished, ingeniously plotted, smart, and satisfying. But in the midst of storytelling there is always the need to weave in facts and details to ground the reader in reality. Understanding when to explain or expose and when to leave the readers to draw their own conclusions can be tricky for even experienced writers. We'll discuss when you need to weave in back ground information, when you need to achieve psychic distance in the story, and when to trim transitions. We'll also cover how information is needed in stories to set the emotional tone, convey atmosphere, and how to avoid common pitfalls such as information dumps, "as you know" dialogue and when exposition masquerades as dialogue.
Level: Intermediate / Advanced
Format: Presentation
10:30-12:00
Pamela Smith Hill
Confessions of an Eavesdropper: Or Learning to Write Like People Talk
This hands-on workshop will focus on writing dialogue--how to give your characters a believable, realistic voice. Bring a short piece of troublesome dialogue from your own work to revise and share with a critique group.
Level: Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q&A, exercises
1:30-3:00
Tobi Piatek
The Busy Platform: Why You Need It, and How to Build It
It's one more way to stand out, get noticed and sell books (or services). Today, a great website, one that is well designed, well planned, easy to access, and supports other online tools, is an essential part of an authors' marketing plan. In this workshop, Tobi Kibel Piatek, web content developer, instructional designer and writer, will provide practical information, technical tips and helpful strategies that writers need to know to make a vibrant online presence an effective part of their platform. This workshop will include hands-on planning tools and guides to help.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A, writing exercises
3:30-5:00 Mary Rosenblum
Invite the Reader To the Party: What Show, Don't Tell Really Means
'Showing' doesn't merely mean 'describe the action'. 'Showing' includes character voice, dialogue, internal narrative. Learn to deliver what readers need to know, and let the readers figure things out on their own.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A
GENERAL/GENRES
Cascade C
8:30-10:00Gary Corbin
Quit the Day Job
So you want to make your living as a free-lance writer? Writers need to understand that writing is a business - and to earn a living wage, writers need to take a business-like approach. Learn how to prepare for the moment when you take the plunge and kiss the regular paycheck good-bye - and say hello to Living the Dream.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A, exercises
10:30- 12:00
Kimberly Shumate
Do's and Don'ts of Christian Manuscript Submission
Working on a novel for the Christian market? This workshop is for you! Kimberly Shumate, agent for HarvestHouse, will help even seasoned writers clean up their manuscript submissions. The audience will walk away with the Granddaddy of all cheat sheets regarding what to do and what not to do when sending their work to publishing houses. Though geared towards Christian writing, many of the tips will be valuable to all writers.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
1:30-3:00
Diana Schutz
Introduction to Graphic Novels
Join the editor of Dark Horse comics for a look at this fascinating and rapidly growing craft. Learn about the industry, the creation process, differences between writing prose and graphic novel material, do's, don'ts and best bets for someone interested in entering the market.
Level: Beginning/ Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Stella Pope Duarte
Truth Told From The Heart: How To Write Unforgettable Stories
What is the most unforgettable story you have ever heard? What made the story unforgettable? In this workshop participants will explore the heart of story, zeroing in on techniques for sifting through the truth of a story, uncovering what's real and what's not. Senses, memory, historical references, and observational skills will be utilized to connect the dots and create dramatic work that will lead readers to fresh, new ways of thinking about stories. Stranger than fiction, truth in story explores the human heart, inspiring connections in readers.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
FICTION/GENERAL
St Helens A
9:00-10:00Panel: Literary Agents
Join this this group of litery agents as they discuss their agencies' needs and personal histories. This is an interactive panel. Questions are encouraged.
Level: All Format: Q & A
10:30-12:00
Sheila Stephens
Private Investigators and Citizen Sleuths
Police officers have advantages in locating information needed to solve cases. They throw a badge out and most people give up the info. They're trained in interrogation and interview skills, and can bring suspects into the station, or "the house", to put the heat on them. They can get a subpoena to request phone records, install a wiretap or search a suspect's house or vehicle. How does the P.I. or the average citizen sleuth get access to information? Furthermore, what kind of information can she obtain legally? What's available illegally and how is it used by the disreputable P.I. or citizen? These questions and more will be answered in Sheila L. Stephens's presentation, helping you to create more exciting, realistic plots and believable characters.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
1:30-3:00
Hallie Ephron
Writing a Killer Mystery
You know you're reading a great mystery novel when you're up at three in the morning, unable to put it down. This workshop demystifies the art and artifice, and gets down to the nuts and bolts of writing a killer mystery novel, including: turning an idea into a premise; the crime scenario; twisting the plot; creating a sleuth that makes the reader care, and much more.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
Repeats Sunday
3:30-5:00
Alice Acheson
Marketing Tips Your Publisher Doesn't Tell You
Become a smarter -- and wiser -- author in the marketing of your book with tips to help you sell the book initially to the agent or the publisher and all subsequent marketing of your book. Alice Acheson will share knowleged gained from decades of book marketing experience with major publishers and as an independent consultant. In addition to copious handouts you will leave with insider knowledge of timing needed, abundant ways to market your book, and professional savvy to level the playing field.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
FICTION/GENERAL
St Helens B
8:30-10:00Marilyn Allen
How to Query and Pitch to Get Agents' and Editors' Attention
Join agent Marilyn Allen of the Allen O'Shea Literary Agency and learn to craft a pitch and query that will get attention and sell your book in record time. Writers will learn the importance of a professional query and how to pitch the idea to agents and editors at the conference. Marilyn has over 25 years experience in the publishing industry and is truly committed to making your conference experience successful.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A
10:30-12:00
Jane Friedman
The World of Sales: It's All About the Numbers
Find out what happens across all outlets (e.g., chain bookstores, specialty accounts, libraries, Amazon) when a publisher sells your book. Includes behind-the-scenes look at wholesaler databases, Bookscan reports, etc. Immensely helpful for anyone expecting to be published within the next year, and also useful for writers who are interested in self-publishing and need to learn the ins-and-outs of book distribution and placement in chain and retail stores.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Elizabeth Lyon
Writing and Revising Your Novel's Query, Synopsis, and Two Pages
To join the select "one-percent" club, those queries that yield a request to see your manuscript and those manuscript partials that yield a request for the rest of the novel, you must sweat and polish your marketing manuscripts: the query, the one-page and five-page synopsis, and the first two pages of your novel. Take home checklists to guide further revision.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
3:30-5pm Verna Dreisbach Literary Agents: The Agent-Writer Relationship
In this workshop, Verna Dreisbach of the Andrea Hurst Literary Agency, will explain the role of the literary agent and what they can do for the writer. You will also learn how to best match an agent to your own writing and genre, how to approach and query an agent and what happens after you are accepted for representation. The roles and responsibilities of both the agent and the writer will be discussed. You will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of this workshop.
Level: Beg/Int.
Format: Presentation, Q&A
NON-FICTION
Garden A/B
8:30-10:00Cornelia Seigneur
The Art of Memoir Writing
This workshop will offer practical ideas for jumpstarting your memoirs, and look at the history of memoir writing. Walk away with publishing ideas inspiration.
Level: Beginning / Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q&A
10:30-12:00
Christina Katz
Your Roadmap to the Non-fiction Book Writing Process
Do you know about book graveyards where editors at publishing houses bury the books that don't ever see the light of publication? As an aspiring non-fiction author, you need to be forewarned about these types of pitfalls. This workshop will serve as the roadmap-in-hand that you'll need to tread the traditional book-publishing road wisely. You'll walk out knowing what to expect from the glimmer of an idea all the way through to your book's publication date. This workshop will grant you the courage to control the things you can and the wisdom to let go of the things you can't, so you can focus on writing the best book possible. Learn about the role of agents and editors, the non-fiction book publishing process, how to make the best choices for your book, and how to form win-win-win relationships with the publishing industry players on your book's team.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Elizabeth Rusch
Write A Winning Magazine Query
Learn what freelancers must know about magazine publishing. Activities will help you identify magazines that buy the writing you want to do; analyze any magazine's audience, format, subject matter, and writing style; and write a query that convinces editors you can nail the assignment. Bring story ideas and favorite publications and leave with at least one winning query.
Level: Beginning/ Intermediate
Format: Presentation, writing exercises
Bring: Story ideas, favorite publications
3:30-5:00
Bharti Kirchner
How To Use Fiction Techniques In Creative Non-fiction
What are some differences between fiction and creative non-fiction? How is writing in "scenes" different from narration? Why is "show, don't tell" so important in fiction writing and how can you use it for dazzling effects in your creative non-fiction? How do you depict character motivations in non-fiction? Why might you want to use dialogue? You will learn these and other techniques to give your creative non-fiction more resonance.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A, exercises
CHILDREN'S/YA
Garden C
8:30-10:00Spencer Humphrey
Understanding the Children's Book Market
Join children's book agent Spencer Humphrey to learn about diversity of book formats and content requirements for each, the variety of audiences both in age and in marketplace (mass versus trade), and the array of publishers serving them. This is a great opportunity to have your book market questions answered by an industry pro!
Level: Beginning / Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q&A
10:30-12:00
Mike Thaler
Creating Picture Books from Scratch
Participants will create and illustrate a picture book from scratch as a group. This is a hands-on experience for all!
1:30-3:00
Anne Warren Smith
Plots That Work
Our stories may be complex, but the underlying structure should be extremely simple. We will work together to develop a compelling character and uncover the problem that will start the action. Ideas for a tantalizing beginning will lead us to a tension-packed middle and a satisfying ending. Our goals - creating successful plots based on sympathetic characters, high tension, and reader satisfaction.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Writing Exercises
3:30-5:00
Pamela Smith Hill
Too Much Information: What To Do With All That Exposition
It's a perennial problem for writers: what to do with everything that happened in your characters' lives before the action of your story or novel unfolds. Where does your story really begin? How much backstory do you as a writer need? How much does your reader need? And how do you tell the difference? Finally, how do you make all that exposition palatable and interesting?
Level: Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
FILM 1
St Helens C
9:00-10:00Panel: Film Agents & Managers
Join this group of film agents and mangers as they discuss their company needs and per- sonal histories. This is an interactive panel. Questions are encouraged.
Level: All
Format: Q & A
10:30-12:00
Cynthia Whitcomb
Heart, Spine, Mind and Spirit
Cynthia's unique take on using right brain/ left brain strengths alternately, so as not to beat yourself up during the creative writing process. This is also an overview of how to write a screenplay from idea to polished final draft.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Luke Ryan
What's So Scary: Deconstructing Horror
The horror genre is at an interesting time in Hollywood. After a few recent successes, the market is flooded with horror movies, but audience interest has been falling off at a steady pace. Something must be done to reinvigorate a genre that is complicated by its reliance on specific conventions while still requiring great creativity beyond those conventions. This workshop will address the key structural components of horror movies, a variety of the most popular sub-genres and how they work, character and villain design, and the micro-structure within scary moments and sequences.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
3:30-5:00
Evan Stuart
Subtext and Irony in Screenwriting
Can you define Irony? Stop reading this now and attempt to do so in your own words. The dictionary definition: using language that normally signifies the opposite of what one expects, or where the textbook definition contradicts the actual meaning. Also dramatic irony: where the full significance of a characters words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character. Understanding these principals in screenwriting can immensely help in writing strong dialogue with subtext, understanding the arc of your character's change, helping comedy come effortlessly and finally elevate the mechanical, predictable formulas of screenwriting to a story which is a real, living organism.
FILM 2
St Helens D
8:30-10:00Daniel Manus
A No B.S. Guide to Pichfests for Writers
This class will be a no-nonsense guide to pitchfests for writers. Topics discussed will include the Dos and Don'ts of pitchfests, should not be pitching; who writers are really pitching to, and what we're looking for; how to prepare your pitch (everything before you sit down). As time permits, the instructor will also listen to and critique select pitches (Simon Cowell style), and have a Q&A session.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Pitch Practice, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Ken Sherman
The Business of Writing for Screen
Join Ken Sherman, President of Ken Sherman & Associates to discuss the relationship between the screenwriter and his potential producer, studio, network, adaptor, agent, publisher and the city sometimes referred to as Hollywood.
Level: Intermediate/ Advanced
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Josh Kesselman
How to Market Yourself in the Film/TV Industry
Learn the essentials of marketing yourself in this competitive industry. Josh Kesselman from Principal Entertainment will offer tips on how to see representation, how to get people to pay attention to you. Learn the difference between and agent and a manager, and more.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Luke Ryan
How Hollywood Works and How to Work in Hollywood
As a screenwriter, your writing talent is your most important asset in Hollywood, but even the most talented writers find it hard to build a lifelong career without a comprehensive knowledge of how the movie business really works. Luke and Dave will walk you through the Hollywood system to give you a clear idea of what really motivates studio execs, producers, agents, and managers, and the vast number of factors beyond your own writing ability that can decide whether or not you sell your material or can find steady work. Specific attention will be given to strategies for getting your work noticed by the right people in Hollywood and what to do once you're getting the attention of people who can make a difference in your career.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
GENERAL INTEREST
Mt. Adams
8:30-9:45Mary Andonian & April Eberhardt
Conference Success Basics
Join Mary Andonian and Agent April Eberhardt as they talk about all the ways to maximize your experience at the Willamette Writers Conference. Topics include: who's who at the conference, networking strategies, preparing your dossier, pitch etiquette/ technique, and post-conference checklists. Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
Also offered Saturday
SATURDAY |
FICTION Cascasde A/B
8:30-10:00Elizabeth Lyon
Fiction Manuscript Makeover-Revision, Revision, Revision-Part 1
You're finished or almost finished with that novel or story. Now what? Revise, revise, revise. But how, what, why, and when to stop-that's what you'll learn in this practical workshop that gives you a systematic way to revise for craft and style. You'll receive checklists for improving the foundations of structure (story and plot), characterization, style, and line editing. Expect fast-paced instruction, Q&A, some in-class application, a lot of TTT (take it to the typewriter-okay, TTPC), and even more material for at-home use.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Elizabeth Lyon
Manuscript Makeover-Part 2
1:30-3:00
Eric Witchey
From K-Mart to Tears OR Setting IS NOT Character; Character IS Setting
We've all heard it from reviewers and readers: "The setting is so good it's almost a character." This seminar will shift perspectives from the consumer's (the reader's) view to the creator's (the author's) view. Using an experience at K-Mart, this fun, interactive seminar will deliver techniques for using your character's perspective and experience to create contrasts and resonances that will load any setting with the power to make your readers claim your setting is a character. Come and walk the isles, then go home and use these techniques to make any setting an exotic and powerful setting.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Leigh Anne Jashaway-Bryant
I Don't Have Writer's Block, I Have Writer's Subdivision: Humorous Approaches To Boosting Your Creativity
Author and stand-up comedienne Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant uses lessons in comedy writing and improv to help participants in all genres generate more unique and creative ideas. The focus will be on not only thinking outside the box, but shifting the writing paradigm from thinking of it as "work" to thinking of it as "play."
Level: All
Format: Presentation, exercises, Q & A Bring: Your Funny Bone
GENRE/GENERAL Cascades C
8:30-10:00Lee Lofland & Sheila Stephens
Panel: Local and Federal Law Enforcement
Retired police Detective Lee Lofland and former ATF Special Agent Sheila L. Stephens come together for a panel discussion about law enforcement issues. They open with a few words about the difference between local law enforcement and federal law enforcement. They'll also point out differences in the way male and female officers and federal agents do their jobs. This is important in developing a character who is not only believable, but who gives the reader a bit of inside information as to authentic routine and behavior. After this, the floor is open for questions.
Level: All
Format: Q & A
10:30-12:00
Bharti Kirchner
A First Page That Captivates Readers
Learn how to make the first page of your novel shine. In this class we'll learn tips and techniques, study examples from published writers, and do classroom exercises to gain experience. If possible, bring the first page of your novel to this class.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
Bring: First page of your novel.
1:30-3:00
Stella Pope Duarte
Tending The Flame: Writing Through Revelations, Visions and Dreams
How do revelations, visions, and dreams affect us on a daily basis? In this workshop, Stella Pope Duarte traces her own work, inspired by the dream of her father in 1995, to set the basis for the mysterious effect internal "leadings" have on all writers. While focusing on external energy, movement and change, writers often miss the huge source of energy within themselves. How do we tend the energy of who we are within to con- nect with the "real writer" and create work of lasting beauty and meaning? Nothing is "haphazard" when we learn to decipher and identify inspirations from within.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Writing Exercises, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Elyn Selu
The Magic is in the Details: Speculative Fiction
How do you make the fantastic world and characters you've created believable for your reader? To make speculative fiction--fantasy, science fiction, horror--come alive, you need to ground the story in believable details. We'll learn how to use all five senses (and more, if you've got them) to capture your reader. From there, we'll create characters and settings and learn how your character's emotions influence what he sees, hears, smells, feels, and tastes.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Writing Exercises
GENRE/GENERAL
St. Helens A
8:30-10:00Sally van Haitsma
Nuts and Bolts of Submission
Taught from the perspective of a literary agent, this workshop will give aspiring authors feedback on how their query letters and submissions are perceived by agents, and what impresses and distresses agents the most. Workshop leader Sally van Haitsma of the Castiglia Literary Agency will walk authors through the agent submission process--from deciding when your project is ready to be considered by an agent, producing a professional presentation of your project, and selecting the right agents to query regarding your project, to the etiquette of the actual submission process. Time will be allowed for responding to participants' questions regarding these essential elements in establishing favorable contact with a prospective agent.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Hallie Ephron, Sally van Haitsma, Jim Frenkel
Panel: Why I Stop Reading
Get the inside scoop from panelists on why your manuscript or query letter might not be grabbing readers' attention. Learn the various ways writers shoot themselves in the foot when they're barely out of the starting gate.
Level: All
Format: Q & A
1:30-3:00
Alice Acheson
Publicity for Pennies
Some PR campaigns have spent as much as $1,000,000 and it didn't translate into sales. Join Alice Acheson, publicity manager for Clan of the Cave Bear and many other successful books, to learn when and where to spend money and save money; how and when you can use creativity instead of cash; how and when to encourage the publisher to market your book. Walk out of this session with abundant handouts and your head buzzing with effective ideas that cost "pennies."
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Hallie Ephron
Plotting Crime Fiction-The Secret's in the Secrets
In a mystery novel, every character has something to hide. The revelation of secrets pull the reader forward. This workshop presents a strategy for plotting crime fiction by mapping out characters and their secrets, deciding how and when to conceal and reveal. We'll explore using secrets to create tension and conflict, how to deal with the problem of the mushy middle, and saving the biggest secret for last. We'll also talk about the credibility gap, and strategies for keeping the characters consistent and believable.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
(Double size Classroom)
GENRE/GENERAL
St. Helens A
9:00-10:00
Panel: Literary EditorsJoin this group of editors as they discuss their wish lists and personal histories. This is an interactive panel. Questions encouraged.
Level: All
Format: Q & A
10:30-12:00
Gregory Kompes
Part 1: Internet ACE: Online Self-Promotion
Promotion for writers is a specialized arena and the Internet offers opportunities to writers that are varied, easily researched and about as free as promotion gets. Some current tools include websites, email, eCommerce, teleconferencing, podcasting, blogging, eZines, autoresponders, ePublishing, product lines, cross promotion, and affiliations which can be combined to create a recognizable writer's brand, build and retain readership, and improve a writer's income earning potential. The difficult task is learning how to take advantage of these technologies in ways that benefit and enhance a writing career. That's what Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion is all about. This course lessens the new technology learning curve so writers can start quickly using the Internet to build a better career.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Gregory Kompes
Part 2: Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion
See description for Part I
3:30-5:00
Hallie Ephron
Plotting Crime Fiction-The Secret's in the Secrets
See description above.
Double-Sized Classroom.
NON-FICTION
Garden A/B
8:30-10:00Robert Shepard
What I Look For in a Non-Fiction Proposal
Learn how to write the most effective and convincing overview, convey the strength of your narrative through the outline, choose the right sample chapters, present your qualifications as an author, make the case for the market, and more. The workshop will also address some common errors that have a surprising power to sink an otherwise strong proposal. You could say that proposals are more important than ever and, while never as hard to write as the actual book, do require a great deal of thought and collaboration between author and agent.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Julie Fast
Write a Best Selling Self Help Book
Self help books are a specific genre with set formats. Once you learn the basics of the self help world, you can write proposals and books that sell. This class will cover the rules of self help proposals and then discuss the technique Julie Fast uses to write clear, professional, creative and best selling self help books. This class is hands on and will end with a discussion of the fascinating world of agents, editors and contracts. Her writing philosophy is that writing a best selling book is as much about the business of writing as it is about having a great idea.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Linda Konner
Building an Author Platform
In today's competitive publishing world, the author platform is more important than ever. A strong platform is essential to launching and sustaining an author's career. Linda Konner, President of Linda Konner Literary Agency, will teach you about the important elements of a platform and how to build one.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
3:30-5:00
Nancy Christie
Writing the Feature Article
You've dreamed of having your byline in a newspaper or magazine. Now find out how to turn that dream into a reality! Learn how to turn your own experience, hobbies and knowledge into article ideas; find the sources and develop the interview questions that will give your article the "expert touch"; compose a winning query and choose the right target market.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
CHILDREN'S/YA
Garden C
8:30-10:00Elizabeth Taylor
Self-Editing The YA/Middle Reader Novel
Before a manuscript is sent to a professional editor or a publisher, it can be honed and polished to a large extent by the writer. Learn specific ways to view one's own work with the eye of an editor. Each tool we pull out of the editor's hat will be practiced on a handout for maximum clarification, so that writers may learn to apply these skills to their own work. Students may wish to bring the first two pages of their YA manuscript to class in order to practice with their own work, if time allows. Emphasis will be on the practical application of editing tips. Q&A is welcome.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
Bring: The first two pages of your YA MS.
10:30-12:00
Elizabeth Rusch
Listen to the Children
How can you get meaningful feedback from children on your board books, picture books, and novels? Learn how to read aloud to toddlers and read their body language, how to nudge elementary-aged kids to do a meaningful mark-up, and how to start a fruitful dialogue with older kids about your work.
Level: All
Format:Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Maureen McQuerry & Renee Riva
Scene by Scene: Writing the YA Novel
YA writing moves by scenes. Each scene moves the story forward. How do you create compelling scenes that will capture the YA reader? What are the components all scenes should include? Using examples from their own novels and from other literature, the presenters will examine what makes a scene work for the YA reader. How do you analyze your own writing to determine if a scene is doing its job?
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Carolyn Digby Conahan
Story-telling in Words and Pictures: Writing and Illustrating Stories for Children
How do words and pictures work together to connect with readers and tell a story? This session is about balancing the storytelling power of words and pictures to reach the desired audience, set the scene, and control mood, flow, and pacing. We will discuss issues regarding characterization and "voice". If time allows, we will discuss story and art submission, and important elements of a professional portfolio.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
FILM 1
St. Helens C
9:00-10:00Panel: Film Producers
Join this group of producers as they discuss their wish lists and personal histories. This is an interactive panel. Questions encouraged.
Level: All
Format: Q & A
10:30-12:00
Luke Ryan
What's so Funny: Deconstructing Comedy
Comedy is the most popular genre in Hollywood, but also the most challenging to do well. As a comedy writer you're charged with the task of not only creating a story that can sustain itself over 90 minutes, but one that keeps your audience laughing for 90 minutes as well. This workshop will cover story and character design, setup/payoff relationships, the different styles of comedy and what Hollywood is currently looking for, and over 20 techniques that can be used in designing funny beats and sequences. A must for comedy writers of all levels and styles.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
1:30-3:00
Ellen Sandler
Mining for Story Ideas (Television, Film)
Discover how to translate your personal experiences into story gold, from Ellen Sandler, who has written for Everybody Loves Raymond, Taxi, and Coach. She'll show you how to create fresh, original stories that are intensely personal and charged with the power of your own emotions and experience, while still conforming to the demands of professional commercial scripts. Learn how to write the kind of script every agent and producer is looking for. Includes some class participation.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A.
3:30-5:00
Luke Ryan
Reviving The Action Movie
After serving as the centerpiece of Hollywood spectacle and box office bonanzas through the 80's and 90's, the traditional action movie has become almost extinct from studio slates. This workshop will focus on key principles in the design of heroes, villains, story structure, and story progression necessary to create riveting action stories. Particular attention paid to defining where the genre made a wrong turn and what needs to be done in reinventing and reviving a story-type that audiences are hoping to connect with again.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
FILM 2
St Helens D
8:30-10:00Jaquelaine Blain
The short film is to a feature what the short story is to a novel. Funny or fierce, thoughtful or goofy, the under-ten-minute film is a genre all its own - AND a great way for a screenwriter to get a produced credit, and even hit the film festival circuit. In this workshop, we'll look at what makes a good short, do some exercises to generate ideas. and maybe even write a script page or three. We'll also talk about ways to get your shorts shot and how to get them shown.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A
10:30-12:00
Clark Kohanek
Visual Storytelling Techniques Part I: Context and Subtext
Great stories pale and lose meaning when told out of context. Great storytellers labor to pick clear points of view, couching their subjects in the proper context in order to create dramatic, compelling stories that resonate. This workshop explores psychological and cinematic tools that help bookend context in scenes, examine the themes weaving through them, while shining a light on the meaning/subtext that flows beneath powerful and effective storytelling.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:30-3:00
Clark Kohanek
Visual Storytelling Techniques Part II: Thinking in Pictures
"Vision is the art of seeing the invisible"- Jonathan Swift.
Thinking in Pictures, the companion piece to "Context and Subtext", delves deeper into specific, cinematic storytelling tools and concepts (e.g. proximity/ framing, story codes, object relations, use of light and mood) that shade and contour attitude and meaning. This workshop explores a paralinguistic universe of images, symbols, and metaphors that help create coherent, cohesive points of view, boiling down dialogue, settings and scenes into succinct, descriptive and emotive lines and phrases.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:30-5:00
Ken Sherman
Selling Your Book to The Film and Television Markets
If you were ever curious about how to get your novel made into a movie, this class is for you. Ken Sherman, President of Ken Sherman & Associates, will discuss some of his book-to-film deals, and how to access producers and studios to place your material. Discussion followed by Q&A.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
GENERAL INTEREST
Mt. Adams
8:30-9:45Mary Andonian & April Eberhardt
Conference Success Basics
Join Mary Andonian and Agent April Eberhardt as they talk about all the ways to maximize your experience at the Willamette Writers Conference. Topics include: who's who at the conference, networking strategies, preparing your dossier, pitch etiquette/ technique, and post-conference checklists. Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
Also offered Friday
SUNDAY |
FICTION
Cascade A/B
8:30-10:00Mark Schorr
Creating Compelling Villains
Want to write evil characters that readers remember? Mark Schorr will teach you what motivates real-life villains and how to transform their psychopathic behaviors to the written page.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Jessica Morrell
Corpses, Cliffhangers, & Other Remedies for Pacing
Pacing is the speed and intensity with which a story unfolds. This workshop will suggest remedies for typical pacing ailments such as moving too fast or too slow; failing to pause for significant moments; repetition; unnecessary scenes. The lecture will also include tips on using sentence length and structure, camera distance, flashbacks, and description to influence pacing.
Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Format: Presentation
1:15-2:30
Eric Witchey
Write a Short Story Now
This fun, fast-paced, audience-interactive seminar will demonstrate brainstorming, outlining, and writing techniques that will result in a collaborative short story written on the spot by the presenter and the audience. Attendees will walk away with handouts and techniques they can immediately apply to the development of new short stories, new novels, and existing work revision.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
Bring: Material you are working on.
3:00-4:15
Eric Witchey
Mythic Power from Your Life
Discover the hundreds of heroic journeys you've lived and learn to mine them for emotional content that will make you characters real for the reader. A moment from your life can become a short story. A day can become a novel. A thought can make a character real for the reader. Come and learn techniques for discovering the unnoticed power in the moments of your life and turning them into powerful fiction.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
GENRES/GENERAL
Cascade C
10:30-12:00
Gigi Rosenberg
Fund Your Writing Projects
In this hands-on workshop writers learn to write compelling and lively grant applications to fund their writing projects. Participants discover how to research funding, decode application questions, and let the grant writing process focus their writing projects. Instructor demonstrates how to enlist colleagues and friends to help write a successful grant.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Writing Exercises, Q & A
3:00-4:15
Sage Cohen
From Flabby To Firm: Toning Your Poetry For Power And Precision
Revision is not a four-letter word! In this interactive workshop Sage Cohen will offer a high-level review of revision strategies that can be employed to make a good poem great. We will consider a few sample poems in detail to practice identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement. Students should each bring a poem of their own, which they will practice revising together through a series of exercises.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Exercises, Q & A
Bring: A Poem of your own
GENRES/GENERAL
St Helens A
8:30-10:00
Hallie Ephron
Writing a Killer Mystery
You know you're reading a great mystery novel when you're up at three in the morning, unable to put it down. This workshop demystifies the art and artifice, and gets down to the nuts and bolts of writing a killer mystery novel, including: Turning an idea into a premise; the crime scenario; twisting the plot; creating a sleuth that makes the reader care, and much more.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
Also offered Friday
10:30-12:00
Elyn Selu
Ain't Love Grand
Love scenes aren't just for the romance market. The ache of unrequited love and the ecstasy of that first touch... Who are your characters and how do they express desire and love--with a longing glance, through traditional courtship, or in a passionate single encounter? How graphic must the scene be? We'll learn how well-crafted love scenes serve any story, whether it be a historical romance, literature, or a science fiction space odyssey. Come on, don't be shy.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Writing Exercises
1:15-2:30
Mary Rosenblum
Publishing Today: Exploring Your Options in the World of POD and e-Publishers
How do you decide if a small press, POD house, or e-publisher is the right choice for YOU and how do you avoid the scammers? Learn answers to these questions and more!
Level: All
Format:Presentation, Q & A
3:00-4:15
Mary Rosenblum
Voice: Scoring The Scene
Character voice in both third and first person influence the dramatic tone of a scene and can increase or reduce tension and drama. The right voice resonates with readers and reels them into your story.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
FICTION/GENERAL
St Helens B
8:30-10:00
Linda Clare
Grounding the Reader: Scene Setting
The reader needs to know where they are in every chapter and scene you write. It isn't enough to tell about the location at the beginning of the story or chapter. Ground your reader at intervals so you maintain a clear vivid picture for the reader at all times. Movies give you a few handy techniques to achieve scene setting. At all times ask yourself, "Where is the camera?"
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Gregory Kompes
Part 1: Internet ACE: Online Self-Promotion
Promotion for writers is a specialized arena and the Internet offers opportunities to writers that are varied, easily researched and about as free as promotion gets. Some current tools include websites, email, eCommerce, teleconferencing, podcasting, blogging, eZines, autoresponders, ePublishing, product lines, cross promotion, and affiliations which can be combined to create a recognizable writer's brand, build and retain readership, and improve a writer's income earning potential. The difficult task is learning how to take advantage of these technologies in ways that benefit and enhance a writing career. That's what Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion is all about. This course lessens the new technology learning curve so writers can start quickly using the Internet to build a better career.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:15-2:30
Gregory Kompes
Part 2: Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion
See description for Part I
3:00-4:15
Linda Clare
Attending to the Body
Learn how to employ the physical body in pacing scenes, using the acronym STOP. Scenes help the reader "live" the story, using the senses. But some scenes deserve more attention than others, especially if your narrator touches or is touched by another character. Validating a character's true, deep emotions will resonate with readers and also lends itself to good writing, resulting in showing rather than telling. Participants will learn to use STOP to lend believability as well as cultivate reader sympathy. Valuable for fiction or memoir writers.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
NON-FICTION
Garden A/B
8:30-10:00
Cornelia Seigneur
Column and Personal Essay Writing For Publication
If you've ever dreamed of being a columnist for a newspaper or magazine, come to this workshop designed to give you basics of breaking into column writing for publication. Learn how to find your niche, approach editors with ideas, and follow up.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Bharti Kirchner
Somebody's In The Kitchen: How To Write A Cookbook And Get It Published
You're a good cook. So, where's your cookbook? Author of four successful cookbooks, Bharti Kirchner will show you how to select a central theme, create recipes, and test them, what the rules of recipe writing are, and how to organize a pile of recipes. She'll touch on writing a cookbook proposal and even how to entice an agent.
Level: Beginning/ Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:15-2:30
Elizabeth Rusch
Go To The Source: The Art And Science Of Finding And Interviewing Experts
Background research enlivens your writing and educates your reader. The best source: People! They keep current, can answer questions, and often offer unexpected tidbits. Using the audience's research questions, Rusch will show how to use the Internet, phone, and library to find a real, live expert who can give you the answers you need - and so much more.
Level: All
Format:Presentation
3:00-4:15
Elizabeth Lyon
Finding the Form for Facts, Essays, Self Help, & How To
Everything in art has an underlying form. Once you know the structures for your writing ideas, you're free to express yourself more creatively. This workshop supplies you with the power of structures, and examples to model for slants/leads, conclusions, and the eleven different kinds of outlines for the middles: from chronological, sequential, inductive/deductive, classification and division, simple to complex, problem-solution, and more. Expect a fast-paced, highly structured workshop covering non-fiction as a whole, then breaking out into each of four common forms of non-fiction. (Class does not cover profiles, biographies, or memoirs.)
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
CHILDREN'S/YA
Garden C
8:30-10:00
Laura Whitcomb
Getting at the Gold in Your YA Novel
This workshop covers how to enhance your YA manuscript for sale by exploring why recent bestsellers were successful and by learning tricks for developing unforgettable characters, strengthening voice, and uncovering the diamonds in rough scenes. It will include advice from acclaimed authors and varied resources, handouts with step by step instructions, and specific examples for clarification.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Maureen McQuerry
Writing the Mythopoeic-Fantasy, Myth and the Reluctant Hero Mythopoeic literature, fiction and poetry, occurs at the intersection between fantasy and myth. Think Tolkein, C.S.Lewis, Neil Gaiman, and Jane Yolen. Elements of myth haunt their writing. This session will discuss the characteristics of mythopoeic writing in fiction and poetry. Explore the hero's journey and how to incorporate some of those elements in your writing. Also explore markets for both fiction and poetry.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:15-2:30
David Greenburg
Writing Publishable Children's Poetry
This workshop will focus on the qualities that distinguish poetry that really works from merely a collection of rhymes. Author David Greenburg will explore what distinguishes excellent rhyme and meter, discuss the vital aspect of story and review the other language qualities that make poetry luminesce. You will learn tips for discerning if your writing is at its fullest potential, and what makes a children's poetry project enticing to an editor.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:00-4:15
Carmen Bernier-Grand
Universal Emotions
How can you identify a character's emotion from what he has said or done? How can a writer make a reader secretly admit that he knows how that character feels because she has felt that way herself? From the writer's point of view, how does a character's specific emotion look in words? Carmen will consider not only the character's universal emotions but also the universal truth of a story.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation
FILM 1
St Helens C
8:30-10:00
Ellen Sandler
The Essential Pillars of Every Pilot: The Characters. The Relationships. The World.
Ellen Sandler is an Emmy-nominated, industry pro who has created pilots for all the major networks. In this workshop you will discover the tools you need to turn your own ideas into a fresh, original pilot. You'll learn the key elements that make an original series pilot work.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
10:30-12:00
Cynthia Whitcomb
Writing the Romantic Comedy
How to write authentic fresh love stories. How to make your characters specific, right for each other, with forces that are keeping them apart. And most importantly how to crack open the heart of the characters so they actually fall in love with each other. From the Cute Meet to the Final Kiss. Movie clips to illustrate.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:15-2:30
Evan Stuart
Character Arc
While understanding action is essential, only when your character lives and changes throughout a meaningful character arc does a screenplay become truly original. Examples from movies.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Character Arc
3:00-4:15
Cynthia Whitcomb
Writing Dialogue
Learn how to write original, fresh, lean dialogue. How to hide exposition. How to move from the obvious A choice to the more interesting B or C choice. How to differentiate different characters' voices. This course is also highly recommended for fiction writers and playwrights as well as screenwriters.
Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
FILM 2
St Helens D
8:30-10:00
Jacqueline Blain Was it Good For You? Set-ups, Payoffs and Climaxes
The climax of a film is traditionally a showdown between the main character and the antagonist. But how do we make that climax satisfying and resonant? By finding the heat, then setting up expectations and paying them off in plausible but unexpected ways. We'll look at clips and do some interactive exercises as we explore how to deliver the real goal of an effective climax: the truth.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A
10:30-12:00
Luke Ryan & Kevin Neustadter
It's Who You Know 101: A Handy Guide To Getting Your Foot In The Hollywood Door Without Being Ignored Or Humiliated
Join Luke Ryan and Dave Neustadter for this open discourse on the best ways for new writers to get recognized in Hollywood. Learn how to network from afar, get your scripts into the right places and right hands, find representation. Also learn what studios want, how to be studio/producer friendly, and more.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q & A
1:15-2:30
Bill Johnson
Creating Narrative Tension
When and audience is drawn in to feel tension over the course of a story, they will need to experience the relief offered by a story's resolution and fulfillment. This workshop will teach you to recognize how narrative tension is created. Participants will be asked to read from their work for discussion. Level: Beginning/Intermediate
Format: Presentation, Q & A
3:00-4:15
Perrone/Fendon
From "Pass" to "Recommend": Evaluating and Editing Your Script Is your script ready to market or would a reader stamp "Pass" on it before getting past the second page? Find out how to evaluate and revise your story structure, character and dialogue so you send the highest quality product possible to agents and studios. Learn what readers look for in a script and how to combat writers' biggest mistakes.
Level: All
Format: Presentation, Q&A
GENERAL INTEREST
Mt. Adams
1:15-2:30
Marc Acito
Writing a Page-Turner
The Internet. TiVo. Video games. With so many forms of entertainment clamouring for our attention, it's grown increasingly more difficult for a book to cut through the noise. Therefore, writers of both fiction and non-fiction need to use every technique they can to capture a reader's imagination.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
3:00-4:15 Marc Acito
Making Your Manuscript Sing
The Oregon Book Award winning novelist of How I Paid for College and its sequel Attack of the Theater People will demonstrate how novelists and screenwriters can use the structure of the Broadway musical to create unforgettable characters and find the key emotional moments in their stories. Prepare to be entertained and uplifted.
Level: All
Format: Presentation
Wrap-Up Session
Mt. Adams
Bring your Conference Evaluation and turn in your badge to be eligible for prizes.
4:20 - 4:30
Back to top