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Friday, SEptember 26

RASMuson hall | UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA, ANCHORAGE

 8:30am  Check-In for Optional Friday Morning Workshops in Rasmuson Hall
 All Day  1-on-1 Manuscript Critiques | Location TB A
 9:30am - 11:30am

Workshop 1Craig Martelle

Opening Sentence Hook the Readers: and Keep Them Reading


This workshop will help you identify what makes a good opening for your story and through practical application, you'll build your own unique and gripping opening sentence/paragraph.

 9:00am - 11:30am

Workshop 2: Elizabeth Pratt

Writing a Standout Query Letter

Querying agents can seem daunting, especially when agents are receiving hundreds of queries a month. That is why it is so important to craft an excellent query letter. In this workshop, we’ll go over everything that should be included in a query letter, from comps to the description of your book to your biography; then, we’ll explore how to make your query letter stand out among the rest. Please come prepared with a draft query letter for us to workshop together.

9:00am - 11:30am

Workshop 3: Fiona Kenshole


Structuring the Perfect Plot for Your Picture Book 



 11:45am  Optional Lunch Available in Lobby (please pre-pay for lunch on your conference registration)
 12:30pm - 2:30pm

Optional First Pages Roundtable Reviews with Eva Scalzo (Room 210), Sera Rivers (Room 110), Kaitlyn Katsoupis (Room 216)

 2:30pm Check-In for Optional Friday Afternoon Workshops (in Wendy Williamson Auditorium Lobby)
 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Workshop 4: Cat Rambo

Creating the Story-Shaped Object: How Elements Work Together


We know the basic elements of storytelling: character, plot, and setting, but stories are more than the sum of those parts. How do you make sure all the elements work together in order to create something memorable, vivid, and immersive? We will combine lecture, in-class exercises, and discussion to discover how to pull everything together into a satisfying package.

 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Workshop 5: Kari Martindale

From Prose to Poetry: Give Your Old Prose a Fresh Spin


During this interactive workshop, attendees will work on two ideas (old or new) and walk through the steps of creating new poetry. Attendees will leave with two new draft poems. 

 3:00pm - 5:00pm Workshop 6: Jen Newens


How to Write a Book Proposal That Sells


In this workshop, Jen will walk you through the steps of writing a book proposal including key components to catch and editor's eye and comp titles.

Saturday, SEPTEmber 27

rasmuson hall

 University of Alaska, Anchorage

8:00 - 8:30am Conference Check-In
8:30 - 8:50am  WWA: Welcome and Awards
8:50 - 9:30am  

WWA: Keynote by Cat Rambo

How to be Your Own Hero: Hope and Your Writing Practice: The world has always been a weird place, and not always particularly accepting of artists, but today even more so. How do you use your own writing to lift yourself up so you can do the same for your readers?

9:30 - 9:40am  BREAK
 All Day  
1-on-1 Manuscript Critiques | Wendy Williamson Auditorium Backstage


 9:40 - 10:40am 

 BREAKOUT

SESSION 1

Lecture Hall 101 Lecture Hall 110 Lecture Hall 117 Room 220
 

Fiona Kenshole:  Emotional Engagement 


How to write a novel that readers will lose themselves in. This is the secret sauce of writing - how to craft a novel that you don't want to put down. 

Jen Newens: State of the Children's book Industry: What the Top Editors are looking for Now


Craig Martelle: Three Pillars of Marketing

Put your book into as many of the right readers' hands as possible by knowing your genre, knowing where your readers are, and then putting your genre-aligned book in front of the them. Marketing consists of advertising, promotions, and brand. If you're smart enough to write a book, you're smart enough to put it into the right reader's hands.


MA Nichols: From Blank Page to Breakthrough: Mastering Story Brainstorming 

Staring at a blank page waiting for inspiration to strike? Don't. Forget waiting for the muse-learn how to take control of your creativity and fill your well on demand! In this class you'll discover a treasure trove of brainstorming techniques to generate fresh ideas, develop compelling plots, and organize your thoughts before they slip away. Whether you're starting a new story or stuck in the middle of one, these methods will keep the ideas flowing so you never have to fear creative drought again.   



10:40 - 10:50am    BREAK      

10:50 - 11:50am

BREAKOUT

SESSION 2

Lecture Hall 101
Lecture Hall 110  Lecture Hall 117

Room 220


Fiona Kenshole: Wrangling Feedback to make



Cat Rambo: Writing Connections: The Relationships between Your Characters

Characters have a multitude of connections to the characters around them: co-workers, neighbors, students and teachers, employees and employers, friends, family, and acquaintances. How do you figure out the relationships between your characters and write them in a way that makes those characters more engaging and interesting?

 Elizabeth Pratt: The Ever Changing Publishing Industry: What Success Looks Like

So, you want to be an indie author? That’s great. However, there’s a ton of pitfalls that face authors as they step into the indie publishing arena. Before you hit publish, come learn about all the mistakes you need to avoid from an indie author who has gone from struggling to successful.



11:50am - 12:50pm Lunch Available in Lobby      

12:50 - 1:50pm

BREAKOUT 

SESSION 3

Lecture Hall 101
 Lecture Hall 110 Lecture Hall 117 Room 220
 

Craig Martelle: Get Out of Your Own Way

The objectives of this session are to identify sources of self-sabotage, learn to face your fears, build confidence in your own abilities, and find and nurture support.




Jen Newens:TBA




Elizabeth Pratt: TBA


Lynn Lovegreen- Book Bans and Libraries 

In these days of book bans and soft censorship, libraries need our love. How can you help? UAA Librarian Rebecca Moorman and Authors Against Book Bans member Lynn Lovegreen will discuss the challenges libraries face and how writers and illustrators can support libraries and library workers.
 1:50 - 2:00pm     BREAK      
 2:00 - 3:00pm

BREAKOUT 

SESSION 4

Lecture Hall 101
Lecture Hall 110
 Lecture Hall 117   Room 220 
 

Elizabeth Pratt: TBA


Cat Rambo: Self Publishing Q&A


ARW Panel: Build-A-Character: Constructing a Compelling Character in Any Genre

Character development is an essential element in telling a powerful story. Join members of the Alaska Romance Writers as they demonstrate how to draw from iconic archetypes, personality inventories (IMBT, enneagram, Clifton Strengths), and other methods to create unforgettable characters. From Girl Next Door to FBI Special Agent, we’ll give you the tools to bring your unique characters to life. Appropriate for all levels of writing experience.


Jilleen Dolbeare: Paranormal Women's Fiction

Paranormal Women's fiction; the tropes that are expected, and making it marketable.



 3:00 - 3:10pm     BREAK
 3:10 - 3:50pm   Wendy Williamson Auditorium: Industry Panel Discussion with  Fiona Kenshole, Jen Newens, Elizabeth Pratt
 3:50 - 4:00pm   Wendy Williamson Auditorium: Closing Announcements 
 4:00 - 5:00pm   Author Book Signing and Mingle in WWA Lobby
  • Times, speakers, and topics subject to change.

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Alaska Writers Guild

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Chugiak, AK 99567


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