Sat. July 30th, 2016 - Schedule Overview
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Registration - 8:30 - 9:30 am
Keynote reading with Joanna Connors, author of I Will Find You - 9:30-10:30 am
Workshops & craft talks - 10:45 am - 4:45 pm
Open mic in the Eastman Reading Garden / Lunch on your own - 12:15-1:15 pm
Resource Fair for Writers with independent booksellers - 9 am - 5 pm
Workshop Schedule
10:45-12:15 pm
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The Fiction Writer's Dilemma: What to Write About?
Laura Walter Part of the magic of writing fiction is enjoying the freedom to invent anything (or anyone) you’d like. But part of the frustration of being a fiction writer is choosing from an infinite range of narrative possibilities. In this session, we’ll discuss how and why fiction writers choose the stories they write, strategies for finding new story ideas, and how to break through the uncertainty to focus on what matters most: getting your story down on paper.
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Theater as a Political Act
Mary Weems In this interactive workshop, participants will have an opportunity to explore theater from a social justice perspective including learning the playwright’s approach to creating short plays and monologues pertinent to current social issues, as well as how socio-political theatre can be effective in beginning the kinds of critical, non-politically correct dialogue at the foundation of pursuing social change.
Food on the Page
Gail Bellamy Warning—this food writing session might make you hungry. Contemporary food writing opportunities range from cookbooks and memoirs to travel books, food history, literary food writing, culinary anthropology, food poetry and restaurant reviews. Food is also a great metaphor for creative writers. An award-winning food editor/writer shares examples, plus some of her best resources and tips for budding food writers. Food writing prompts and exercises included.
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How to Captivate a Crowd
Ray McNiece Interested in performing your writing, but not sure where to start? This workshop is for anyone who reads aloud and will cover aspects of performance drawn from drama, storytelling and stand-up comedy. Participants will study the art of performing their work and have the chance to read their work and get feedback. For all genres.
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1:30-3:00 pm
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Creating Comics
John G. The comic book medium offers storytelling opportunities like no other. This workshop will focus on ways to have fun with the medium while keeping an eye on creating a compelling story. There will also be exercises and advice aimed at the specific skill sets participants are looking to develop.
Documentary Poetry
Ali McClain This workshop is intended for writers who are interested in exploring how place shapes our identity. Documentary poetry combines primary source materials with creative writing. Together we will read and explore documentary poems by Patricia Smith and Mark Nowak for inspiration and influence. To advance our conversation and study, please bring in news articles, letters, photographs and other primary source materials relevant to yourself or the identity (a friend or stranger) you're interested in exploring.
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Researching and Writing True Crime in History
Jane Ann Turzillo If you want to write about true crime or history, this is the workshop for you! We’ll talk about how to choose a subject and where to dig up the information. We’ll talk about how to use the information in an interesting way. We’ll go from first draft to finished story. If time permits we’ll look at some markets. Bring ideas or works in progress.
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No Joke! How to Write Comedy
Josh Womack We all have those moments during the day where you observe someone at the grocery store doing something peculiar (if at's Wal-Mart, then the weirdness comes standard). Or maybe it's an off-handed comment that someone made where you say, "Did she really just say that?" You know there's something funny there, but how do you present it? Short stories with surprise endings are the building blocks of comedy. In this workshop, you'll learn how to look for joke premises and match them up with potential punchlines. You'll also learn how simple exercises can keep your brain sharp while always being on the lookout for your next bit.
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3:30-4:45 pm
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Writing for Caregivers
Amy Breau Family caregiving can be a source of enormous stress, yet also a place where we discover central questions of our lives and art. Does writing about caregiving enhance our experiences or memories of it? How can we honor our responsibilities to -- and nurture creative possibility within -- ourselves and our loved ones? And how have other writers translated intimate and private caregiving experiences into stories to bring to the larger world? This workshop will focus on creative nonfiction.
Telling Your Story Through Sound
Ken Schneck From Serial to Radiolab, Professor Blastoff to Planet Money, the power of the podcast is undeniable. The listening audience continues to grow exponentially and the people are clamoring for more voices. Including yours. This workshop will walk you through the nuts and bolts of creating a podcast: from finding your voice to storyboarding to the easily-managed technical aspects of getting your audio out there to the world.
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The Truth of Creative Nonfiction
Brad Ricca Do you have a real story to tell? Or do you want to tell someone -- or something -- else's? In this workshop, we will examine how to take the truth and shape it into a meaningful (and truthful) narrative. You'll learn how facts can be employed in order to create moments, scenes, and stories. We will also ask the big questions: what is creative nonfiction anyway? Does that term even make any sense? What does it mean to engage in it? What is the line we can or cannot cross? The goal of this workshop is to introduce writers of any kind to a practical process of thinking about (and writing) creative nonfiction -- whatever that is.
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World Building 101
Eric Anderson This workshop will examine some of the ways that science fiction and fantasy writers establish unusual premises, characters, and settings. Participants will look at a few examples from well-known authors and participate in writing exercises.
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Craft Talk Schedule
10:45-11:30 am
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The Personal Essay: Crafting, Submitting, and Getting Paid for Your Story
Sharon Holbrook This presentation will touch on the following:
• What a personal essay is and how it differs from memoir, opinion, and other types of writing • The critical elements of a successful personal essay • How to find places to submit your essays • Submission etiquette and tips • The scoop on payment for personal essays • How to leverage essay writing into other writing opportunities |
11:30-12:15
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Brutal Honesty: Writing Memoir
Derf Backderf Graphic Novelist Derf Backderf (My Friend Dahmer, Trashed) discusses the challenges of crafting a personal memoir. The dangers of relying on memory alone, useful journalism tools, conducting research and using visual reference. Backderf pulls from his decades of experience as a writer, comics creator and journalist to offer a unique perspective on a popular genre.
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1:30-2:15pm
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Making Freelance Writing Pay
Afi-Odelia Scruggs How do you turn a vocation into a business? Afi Scruggs, an experienced freelancer and former Plain Dealer columnist, explains the ins and outs of pitching, finding community, keeping records and growing your businesses.
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2:15-3:00 pm
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Learn How Publishing Works
Lance Parkin When you have a good idea for a book, how do you take it further? In this workshop you will learn how to pitch your book to agents and publishers with a focus on nonfiction.
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3:15-4:00 pm
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Archives and Autobiography: An Introduction to Comics and Graphic Memoir
Valentino Zullo In this craft talk we will explore a short history of comics and the ways these graphic narratives have documented historical traumas and personal stories. We will linger over the art of cartooning and the form of comics as we explore narratives ranging from Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer prize winning Maus to Alison Bechdel's Fun Home: A Tragicomic.
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4:00-4:45 pm
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Whodunits for Kids
Amanda Flower What makes a great mystery novel for kids? And how are children's mysteries different from novels written for an adult audience? This session will introduce you to ins and outs and dos and don'ts of writing mysteries for children that adults will want to read too.
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Resource Fair for Writers - Exhibitors
TBA
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Information Available from:
TBA |