Sunday

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded Is it time to mainline some crackling voltage into the language of your stories? Ready to learn the practical value in forgetting the rules they taught you in school? Join master wordsmiths Shane Book, Sheree L. Greer, Renée Sarojini Saklikar, and Finnian Burnett as they reveal how language bending transforms ordinary narratives into unforgettable reading experiences. Discover how syntax, rhythm, and unexpected word choices create immersive fictional worlds readers can't escape. These genre-defying writers will share practical techniques for making your prose sing without sacrificing story. Whether you're stuck in a linguistic rut or ready to push your craft to new heights, this high-energy panel offers the tools to bend language to your will. Accept the challenge—your readers will thank you.

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded Stalled middles and stuck characters don’t have to stay that way. Whatever your type of story, learn how to turn suffering into seeking, along with the use of crisis, plans, schemes, gambles, enemies, prosecutors, jailers, agents of chaos and the propulsive power of “right now” in this hands-on workshop.

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded Dialogue has become such an important part of fiction writing of all stripes - it's literally the voice of your characters! But how do you put across all their joy, sadness, strife, excitement and other emotions on the page? This workshop will look at the art of composing crackling, vibrant dialogue and conversations for your characters across all genres of fiction. And help bring your wonderful characters to life and leap off the page at your readers.

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded Have you ever sat down to write and found yourself stuck, staring at a blank screen or page? Everyone stumbles over writer’s block at some point. Sometimes we just get in our own way – but don’t panic! There’s a cure. Through instruction and short writing exercises, Aren will teach participants the cure for writer’s block. Once you have mastered writer’s block, nothing can stop you from writing.

In Person Only Yes, it is possible to write a synopsis and survive. Learn the many uses of a synopsis from helping guide your story, a testing ground for new ideas, and selling the book. We’ll get over the fact that a synopsis does not set your ideas in stone, but is as fluid as your work in progress. We’ll discuss the differences of the synopsis you start with and the one you end up with. Bring an idea, your current synopsis or a sketchy plan and we’ll hammer something out.

In Person Only The books readers remember are those where they’ve made an emotional attachment either to the characters, the story, or both. This workshop details how to writers can capture emotion on the page and snag that reader interest. Learn how to identify what your characters are feeling and how to integrate those emotions into your scenes to develop your plot, grow your characters and keep readers turning pages.

In Person Only Whether we're talking about writing, publishing, or promoting our work, we can waste untold amounts of time, energy and opportunity searching for the "right" way to do things. But what happens if we remove the pressure, and lean into curiousity as a guiding force?

In Person Only Do you have a great idea for a children’s book, but you aren’t sure where it fits or how to start? In this session we’ll break down the sub-genres of children’s literature, from board books to middle grade to young adult and everything in between. You’ll learn the key differences between categories—word count, themes, language, and point of view—along with practical tips for writing and submitting in each.

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded As the conference wraps up, you’re bound to feel like your head is bursting with all the new information and advice you’ve accumulated from the workshops and panels and pitch sessions. Looking for clarity about conflicting tips? Want help determining your next steps? Or maybe all this content has you wondering about new opportunities. Join the Whisky Chicks for this AMA and get answers to all those lingering questions about writing, publishing, self-promotion, and building your career.

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded Unleash your inner (or not so inner) weirdness. In this workshop, we’ll investigate the odd and unexpected. From characters with strange secrets to stories with surprising point of view characters, you’ll learn how to craft unusual stories by subverting the norm. Through brainstorming and creative prompts, we’ll explore how to write stories that leave people guessing. Come prepared to throw storytelling “rules” out the window and dive into stories that will help you develop your own unique style.

In Person, Live-streamed, and Recorded Dorothy Allison said, “When a writer is successful in using a story taken from experience, it is not told exactly the way it happens, but in the way that reveals, through all one’s beliefs, hopes, and fears, how the event should have happened.” In this workshop, we will discuss how to take real-life experiences and transform them into fiction, asking the question: What can I add, change, or subtract to make this a more compelling story? Please bring something to write with. No experience necessary.

In Person, Livestreamed, and Recorded Whether the thought of it fills you with delight or dread, research is an unavoidable part of writing historical fiction. From archival records to youtube channels and reddit threads to radio plays, this workshop will explore the weird and wonderful world of historical research. We’ll discuss when (or when not!) to do it, where to start, what to look for, and how to stay organized. Then we’ll turn our attention to the monumental task of incorporating research into fiction, including how to assess historical versus narrative value, nailing those details, and when to let it go. Participants will watch a short film clip, complete two reading/writing exercises, and take home a template for organizing their own research.

In Person Only A gaffer once told Diana that while his job as technically to manage the lighting, he was "really in charge of the shadows," which struck her as being particularly profound, and in a way that applies to a whole lot more, artistically, than just the making of motion pictures. ALL kinds of design employ the idea of light and shadow, and that includes literature. You control where your reader is looking, as well as what they're looking at--and how they feel about what they're seeing, and 'how the light falls' is one of the more important tools for doing this. Diana will discuss how to do this with words on the page.

In Person Only You’re a creative, not a lawyer. But you’ll navigate the book biz better if you know some of the ins and outs of intellectual property law. What is copyright? Is writing fan fiction okay? What constitutes plagiarism? If you’re doing work-for-hire, or building a book series empire, you’ll need to know about trademark law and moral rights. Learn from a lawyer-turned-author who’s “been there, done that” re-imagining classics from the public domain and signing licensing deals with Lucasfilm.

In Person Only Every story begins as a whisper, a fleeting image, a question that won't let go. But how do you move from that first spark to a blueprint you can trust? From Idea to Outline walks you through the messy, exhilarating space between inspiration and structure. You'll learn to set goals that keep you accountable without killing your creativity, design a writing routine that sticks, and unleash "blue sky" brainstorming to explore your story's wildest possibilities. Then you'll bring it all together into an outline that gives your draft direction while leaving room for discovery.  Whether you're starting your first novel or your fifth, you'll walk away with a repeatable process to turn any idea into an outline.

In Person Only Book banning is real – but that’s why all kinds of representation in kids books is so needed! How do you respond when your book is banned, or you are getting pushback for your content? This is prevalent now more than ever. In this workshop we will explore how to stay grounded in yourself as a creator of stories you need to tell, and how to keep writing. Stacey will share how she responded to her own pushback in writing queer stories for kids and teens.