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Conference Schedule
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June 23 |
June 24 |
June 25 |
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8:30-10:00 am |
Road to Nonfiction
(Three-day workshop) |
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10:15-11:45 am
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From Ordinary to Outstanding (Part 1 &
3)
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The Freelancing Payoff
(Three-day workshop, three different topics) |
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11:45 am-1:00 pm
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Lunch on your own |
Lunch on your own or
optional Author Luncheon
with keynote speaker,
Cecil Murphey. $15
Location to be announced.
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Lunch on your own or Conference
Concluding Lunch. $15 or included with full conference registration.
Location to be announced. |
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1:00-2:30 pm |
Introduction to Nonfiction Feature Writing
(Three-day workshop)
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From Ordinary to
Outstanding (Part 2) |
1:30-3:30 pm
Pitch your manuscript to
publisher Steve Semken.
Ten minute pitch sessions
available for $25.
Pre-registration required.
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2:45 - 4:15 p.m. |
Writing Poems that Stir the
Senses (Three-day workshop) |
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4:30 - 6:00 p.m. |
The Publishing
Process (Three-day workshop) |
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6:30-8:45 p.m. |
Creating Buzz for
You and Your Book
(Two-day workshop) |
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7:00
p.m. |
Midwest Writing Center
Presentations by Eric Butterman on “Overcoming Rejection as a
Writer” and Steve Semken on “Self-publishing & Marketing Yourself”
with Q&A.
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Midwest Writing Center
Open readings by conference faculty and participants with
faculty book signing. |
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Workshop Descriptions |
Creating Buzz
for You and Your Book (Marketing & Publicity)
June 23 & 24 6:30-8:45 pm
Presenter: Twila Belk
No matter how powerful or entertaining or world-changing your
message is, who will read it unless they’ve heard about you or your
book first? In this class we will discuss different ways to create
buzz—publicity tips, building your platform, social networking, and
lots more. Get answers to your questions and ideas that you can
start using today. |
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The Freelancing
Payoff
Presenter: Eric Butterman
Part 1: It Starts with a Pitch
June 23 10:15-11:45 am
With publishing companies laying off workers, freelance writers
offer them a cheaper alternative—yep, you might actually make MORE
money. You will learn pitching from actual pitches which sold for
$1,000 and we will write pitches together and analyze them for a
better chance at landing the assignment. I will also show you how
following up on the phone could double your writing business.
Part 2: Feature Writing for More Money
June 24 10:15-11:45 am
Feature writing has long been a key part in having a successful
freelancing career. Still, whether it's getting top sources or
interviewing well, it can feel like a struggle. Well, struggle no
more. We will break down every aspect of the process to complete a
quality article in a lot less time. Turn half-hour interviews into
15 minutes, learn exercises that turn a procrastinator into a pro
and, most importantly, become the confident freelancer you have
always wanted to be.
Part 3: Organize and Grow
June 25 10:15-11:45 am
The sad truth is the success of a freelance writer isn't usually
just based on quality of work or marketing. It's often about who is
the most organized, has a clear plan for future goals, and
understands how to best execute it. We will look at how to make the
most of literally every hour you devote to your freelancing career.
This covers everything from finding the balance between pleasing
clients and getting new ones to creating a “career map” which will
allow you to see where you want to be a year from now. Change can
come fast—if you're moving in the right direction! |
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From Ordinary
to Outstanding
June 23 10:15-11:45 am & 1:00-2:30 pm
June 24 10:15-11:45 am
Presenter: Cecil Murphey
The difference between ordinary and outstanding is subtle. Murphey
has taught and mentored writers for more than 30 years. He shares
forty subtle-but-significant details that can transform your fiction
and make you a superior writer. |
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Introduction to
Nonfiction Feature Writing
June 23, 24 & 25 1:00-2:30 pm
Presenter: Emma Rainey
Nothing provides people with more pleasure than a “good read.” This
course teaches students how to write feature stories for publication
that readers will stay with from beginning to end, for both print
and online publications. Students learn to gather and organize
material from reliable sources, develop interviewing techniques, and
hone their writing skills. Students will generate a topic of
interest—whether that focus is “hard” news, features, profiles, or
the art of narrative storytelling. You will also look closely at
several readings culled from contemporary sources and then engage in
a series of workshops, writing drills, and one-on-one conferences.
The focus of the class will be on further developing your unique
voice and range as well as augmenting your talents as a reliable
writer. |
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The Publishing
Process
June 23, 24 & 25 4:30-6:00 pm
Presenter: Steve Semken
Publisher of Ice Cube Books since 1993 (Radish magazine award in
2009), Steve Semken, will cover the publishing business in all of
its many facets. From how to start a small literary press, the
options of self-publishing versus more traditional publishing, the
art of submissions & queries, working with authors, marketing, book
tours, dealing with booksellers, and more. There will be lots of
time to ask questions so you can learn about what most interests
you. As both a publisher and author, I will cover a couple of sides
of the publishing business. |
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Road to
Nonfiction
June 23, 24 & 25 8:30-10:00 am
Presenter: Dr. Roald Tweet
This workshop will follow the steps needed to turn out a publishable
piece of nonfiction from getting an idea to completing a manuscript
for submission. |
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Writing Poems
that Stir the Senses
June 23, 24 & 25 2:45-4:15 pm
Presenter: Stephen Frech
Pablo Neruda writes in his Memoirs of his love for words: “They
glitter like colored stones, they leap like silver fish, they are
foam, thread, metal, dew […] they have a crystalline texture to me,
vibrant, ivory, vegetable, oily, like fruit, like algae, like
agates, like olives.” Poems that come alive for us have a physical,
sensual presence Neruda describes, one that appeals to all our
senses. This workshop is designed to generate poems that stimulate
the senses and to revisit existing work with our whole bodies. |
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Author Luncheon
Keynote ~ Getting There from Nowhere
June 24 11:45 am-1:00 pm
Presenter: Cecil Murphey
Murphey shares his writing journey from the wishful,
want-to-get-published status to New York Times best-selling author.
Along the way, he explains the qualities it takes to reach the top.
$15 Location to be announced. |
