All workshops and events will take place at the conference hotel, DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego, located conveniently at 1515 Hotel Circle South, San Diego, CA 92108, San Diego, CA 92108.
Workshops: Read & Critique
Early “Bard” Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: Sunday 7 a.m. troubleshooting of potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: Claudia Whitsitt
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Read & Critique (Memoir, Narrative & Straight Nonfiction)
Leader: Cherie Kephart
Objective: In this workshop, be prepared to experience reading and critiquing in a new way. Also, be ready to read aloud, listen intently, and support each other as we elevate our words to a more inspired level. Bring any writing up to five pages you want to work on. If you don’t have anything to share, you are absolutely welcome to join us, since there will be plenty of interesting of ways to participate and learn. While specifically geared toward non-fiction, fiction folks are welcome too.
Rogue Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: Laura Taylor
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Rogue Read & Critique (Genre Fiction)
Leaders: Laura Perkins
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Workshops: Craft & Execution
Avoiding Stereotypes, Cliches and the All-Too Common
Leader: Gayle Carline
Objective: Does your world-weary detective fight an uphill battle with his gruff police captain? Does your big-city young woman find true love when she moves back to her small hometown and opens a bakery? Maybe it’s time to think outside these boxes. This workshop will discuss the various ways to take the all-too common and make it special, crafting a unique story that will keep readers engaged.
Clarify the Vision of Your Novel by Answering Two Questions
Leader: Julia Amante
Objective: If you’ve ever felt lost in the messy middle of your story, you are not alone. This workshop will help you to understand what your book is really about by encouraging you ask two important questions. Clarifying the vision of your book will help you write a focused, compelling story readers will be drawn to and that you will later be able to easily market.
The Conflict Triangle: A Simple Tool for Killer Conflict in Any Genre
Leader: Conor Black
Objective: Whether your novel is “character driven” or “plot driven”—it’s really conflict that propels a story from irresistible hook to powerful climax. No conflict, no story. The Conflict Triangle will help you generate more complex, less clichéd plots and payoff scenes, and construct gut-wrenching dilemmas that force your protagonists to make difficult choices and grow. Examples of Conflict Triangles for a variety of genres will be covered in depth. To conclude the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to identify, share, and get feedback on their own Conflict Triangles.
Constructing Compelling Nonfiction
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: Learn about structure and explore ways to effectively shape your book, and discover how to use expository to introduce and reveal the information you want to share; whether you are writing a memoir or other nonfiction, you need to give your readers just enough content to entice and intrigue—compelling them to keep turning pages.
The Economy of Words—Flash Fiction
Leader: Kimberlee R. Mendoza
Objective: Did you know the average person’s attention span is less than eight seconds? That is one second less than a goldfish. Due to this phenomenon, flash fiction is on the rise and in high demand. This flash fiction workshop will teach writers the economy of words and the art of writing a full story in under 500 words with a complete beginning, middle, and end.
First Day, First Page
Leader: Judy Reeves
Objective: What must your first page do to capture, seduce, woo, plunge the reader into your story? In this fast-paced, interactive workshop, we’ll examine what the writer must include to shape those first few words into the beginning of a story that engages the reader and reassures them, “Yes! This is a world you want to enter.” Bring your first page (roughly 250 words) for a quick review by the workshop leader and your fellow workshop participants and discover what it takes for a first page to compel the reader, editor or agent to read on, right through to the end of your story and then say…”tell me another.”
Five Tips on What to Do When Your Story Stalls
Leader: Julia Amante
Objective: When a story isn’t working, it’s easy to get discouraged, but rather than giving up, this is the time to take a deep breath and get ready to put in the hard work to make your novel exactly as you envisioned it when you started writing it. Checking and fixing five key elements: vision, characters, dialogue, plot, and story scope is all it takes to get back on track.
Infusing Micro-Tension Into Your Story
Leader: Claudia Whitsitt
Objective: Micro-tension is achieved on a line-by-line basis. We will delve into not just “how” microtension works in a novel and memoir, but “how to” infuse the small, subtle changes that keep a reader engaged throughout your story.
Jump-Start Your Career by Writing Short Stories for Market
Leader: Kristi Fox
Objective: Want to be a writer, but not sure how to start? Does the business of writing feel overwhelming? Is there even a market for what you want to write? From cover to keywords, formatting to pricing, box sets to bestsellers, this USA TODAY Bestselling Author will outline the basics to take you from idea to publication quickly.
Mind Mining: Writing and Your Subconscious
Leader: Cristina LePort
Objective: Welcome to “Mind Mining,” where we scratch beyond the surface and blast past bedrock to tap into a geyser of raw, untamed creativity lurking in our subconscious. In this dynamic session, you’ll learn the secret handshakes of the un-waked mind. Through exercises and discussion, we’ll explore how to identify personal, subconscious premises which can ignite your creative output and be applied to theme, plot development, character creation, and much more.
The No-Outline Alternative
Leader: Conor Black
Objective: For writers who recoil at the thought of working from an outline, and for scribes in search of an intuitive process to craft a compelling yarn—this workshop’s for you. Expect to learn . . . When outlines were invented (hint: after storytelling) and why outlines were invented (hint: not for writing novels). The “fractal” nature of dramatic fiction, and how applying one simple pattern helps prevent writer’s block. How and why writing without a roadmap leads to fewer contrived scenes and better twists. The psychology of an engaged reader and how to manipulate it to keep them turning pages. The primitive (yet surprisingly effective) three-step process many of the world’s best writers rely on instead of outlining. In the latter portion of the workshop, attendees will apply the techniques discussed in real-time to compose the opening to a story.
Novel Boot Camp (Stand-Alone Track)
Leader: Janis Thomas
Objective: Using concepts from the popular Novel Intensive, the Novel Book Camp combines informative lessons with hands-on writing, beat dissection, and read & critique. Participation is limited and advance sign-up is required prior to the conference. >>Full Details (SOLD OUT; WAITING LIST ONLY)
Novel Boot Camp consists of the following sessions:
- What’s it All About, Author?
- The Structure of it All
- Who Comes First?
- The Beats Go On
- We’ve GOT the Beat
- Brass Tacks and Hard Facts
- The End Is Just the Beginning
- Last Words, Final Thoughts, Post Mortem
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The P.I. Procedural
Leader: Dennis Crosby
Objective: From the Noir to the Cozy, mystery novels and short stories have relied on the Private Investigator to solve crimes in a logical, methodical, and sometimes comedic way. But how do you create a PI with intelligence and charm without falling into big screen cliché? How do you keep them authentic? In this workshop writers will learn some tricks and tips from a former Private Investigator that will add authenticity to your PI without dragging your story into the weeds. You’ll learn the best places to collect information, the best methods to follow someone (on foot and otherwise), tips on how to gather information from the subject of your investigation without revealing who you are, and more. We’ll explore investigative techniques to keep your protagonist true to their craft, your antagonist unaware, and your readers anxiously turning the page
Putting Heart Into Thrillers
Leader: Carl Vonderau
Objective: Thrillers are much more than plot. You, as the writer, feel the story. But more important is that the reader feel it. There are more affecting ways to express emotion than saying the character is happy or sad. This course will delve into how to do that through underlying character motivation, linking the emotions of the past to the present, the power of contradiction, the importance of protagonist engagement, the timing of emotional evocation, how to use outer and inner description, metaphor and objects, confirmation of character traits through points of view, the pitfalls of voice and action scenes, and other methods for creating emotion. Participants will be given some exercises to explore these techniques.
Romance Writing: The Nuts and Bolts of the Fictional Happily-Ever-After
Leader: Laura Taylor
Objective: This workshop will provide an overview of the romance genre and its many sub-genres. We’ll start with this premise: everything that occurs in a romance novel revolves completely around the love story. Romance book sales constitute more than a billion dollars in profits globally each year for traditionally published, hybrid published and independently published books. It is one of the most viable and accessible fiction lanes a writer can opt to pursue, but … those writers must willingly and fully grasp the expectations of romance readers. If the writer fails to meet those expectations, readers will simply say, “Next.” Lots of information to share in this workshop, so don’t be shy. And, yes, romance writing can get a little sexy. Sky’s the limit!
Setting and Place Masterclass
Leader: Jackie Cangro
Objective: In this workshop, we will uncover the myriad ways to use these detail to make the story sing. We’ll discuss what a writer should make the setting a natural extension of the character how to choose the right descriptive details.
Slice of Life: Sculpting Your Memoir’s Story
Leader: Cherie Kephart
Objective: Memoir is a slice of life. It’s about a timeframe or event in which you went through some sort of transformation. Identifying the part of your life you want to share is only one component. How do you then shape your story? How do you decide what to include and what to leave out? Where does it begin? How do you end it (after all, you’re still alive, right)? Lastly, how do you immerse readers in your world? Together we will explore the answers to these questions and more through interactive discussions and exercises. You will leave with concrete tools on how to successfully navigate the common pitfalls and challenges of the beautiful craft of memoir.
Soul Therapy: The Spiritual Side of Writing Memoir
Leader: Cherie Kephart
Objective: Writing a memoir is a journey beyond words. It’s a soulful experience. Enter the unwritten and learn about writing a memoir from a spiritual vantage point. It’s about relinquishing the power your story has over you. By learning to let go of the story that is holding you back, you can craft the story you were meant to tell. In this workshop, we will explore the fears that block us, the truth behind our intentions for writing our stories, how to discover the real message we are communicating to the world, what to focus on, what to let go of, and how this entire experience transforms us.
Supporting Cast: Crafting Purposeful Secondary Characters
Leader: Claudia Whitsitt
Objective: The world in which a protagonist exists is often populated by a variety of characters, each with their own perceived life, or at least their own agenda, even if appearing in only one scene. We’ll explore the tricks of infusing secondary characters with meaningful purpose to bring main characters truly to life.
Unlocking Your Inciting Incident
Leader: Jackie Cangro
Objective: The inciting incident is an important beat in a story that moves the protagonist toward a new course of action. It’s a gateway scene from the before to the after for the protagonist, from the what was to the what will be. We’ll debunk the myths about inciting incidents and review examples from published works. Then we’ll unpack recommendations for making a story’s inciting incident dynamic and compelling.
Voice: Finding Your Unmistakable Own
Leader: Claudia Whitsitt
Objective: How one lays out the plot is not “authorial voice.” Authorial voice is what distinguishes one writer from all others. Comprised of far more than simply sentences containing a subject, a verb, and main clause, voice is prose that speak singularly and almost always immediately to the stranger across a page. Voice pops to attention. In this workshop we’ll focus on how to recognize “voice,” and apply what tools are available to cultivate one uniquely your own.
What’s the Point? Story, Subtext, and Plot
Leader: Gayle Carline
Objective: Authors write books because they have stories to tell to the world. Whether it is to impart a lesson, or provide entertainment, the author who understands what story they are trying to tell and why they are telling it, is more capable of producing a book that resonates with readers. This workshop will discuss ways of drilling down to the core of your story, and layering it throughout your book.
Writing Good, Bad and Ugly Better
Leader: Kristi Fox
Objective: Calling all writers who want to write faster and freer. In this session, we’ll explore the power of fast writing, the liberation of no editing, and the inspiration found in focused sprinting sessions. Together, we’ll empower your creativity and kindle the spark that fuels your passion for writing. If you’re a plotter, bring your outline. If you’re a pantser, bring your ideas. And if you’re somewhere in between, bring whatever you’ve got. But most of all, come ready to write and bring your willingness to embrace imperfection and leave your inner editor behind. Let’s unlock the words within and set your stories free!
Writing Non-Human Characters
Leader: Dennis Crosby
Objective: In fantasy, our characters can do anything. They can fly, turn invisible, wield magic to protect or destroy, and heal from wounds that would otherwise be fatal. They are gods, witches, superheroes, Fae and other creatures of legend—superpowered beings that we often aspire to be. But how do you keep the otherworldly interesting? With all their power, how do you keep the human, in superhuman? This workshop will explore methods to keep your all-powerful being grounded and thus relatable to your very human reader.
Write Away: Avoiding Common Errors of Execution
Leader: Kimberlee Mendoza
Objective: The focus of this session is to troubleshoot in advance the pervasive issues that routinely undermine writers seeking representation (show versus tell–and the distinction between the two–shifting POV, passive voice, and more.
Workshops: Business & Alternative
AI, The Writer: Pitfalls, Potential, Practices
Leader: Ryan Hunter
Objective: It’s not the End Times. Generative artificial intelligence will prove to be a formidable tool for novelists, narrative non-fictionalists, and creative writers in general. In this workshop we’ll drill down to the practical understanding, applications and methodologies writers of all ilk can utilize to significantly benefit from this game-changing technology. We’ll be tackling AI “training,” “prompting,” misconceptions, tactical applications and myriad other ways to exploit AI’s potential, using ChatGPT and multiple alternate resource equivalents, to elevate one’s craft and reach in effort to make AI work for you, the writer.
Author Rights Revealed
Leader: Roseanne Cheng
Objective: Have you ever wondered how books get picked up by international rights buyers for print, audio, TV, and film? Are you curious about how your book can be adapted, translated and sold in the global market in multiple languages? Join Roseanne Cheng, Director of Business Development for DropCap Rights Agency, to learn about the world of international rights, what the global rights market is currently looking for, and the opportunities YOUR book has worldwide.
Battle Plan: Everything You Need to Know Before Going Indie
Leader: Gayle Carline
Objective: There are many reasons to go indie, but impatience is not a good one. Being an independently published author lets you make all the decisions and reap all the rewards — it also means you take all the risks. This workshop covers what it takes to publish your book independently. We will talk about the realities of the costs of both time and money, the pros and cons of various platforms, and the different mindsets an author must adopt in order to see their work released for public enjoyment.
Build a Better Author Bio: A Powerful Tool to Attract Readers
Leader: Patricia Wilkinson
Objective: The author bio is often key to whether an editor, agent, or reader will read your work. Come find out what to include–and exclude–in a rockin’ author bio, practice what you learn, then give and get feedback for polishing. You’ll leave this workshop with a clear understanding of a bio’s objective across media and how to craft one that entices people to engage.
Crafting a Killer Query Letter to Attract Agents and Editors
Leader: Patricia Wilkinson
Objective: Traditional publishing anyone? In a world where agents and acquisitions editors get hundreds of queries, sometimes weekly, how can you make your query letter stand out among the rest? Come find out how to write a query letter that motivates agents and editors to respond with an invitation to send them pages of your manuscript. You will leave this workshop with a stronger draft of your query than you’ve likely written before and clear instructions for fine tuning before clicking the “send” button.
Editing Explained 1 and 2
Leaders: Cherie Kephart & Laura Perkins
Objective: Don’t panic. Editors aren’t scary monsters waiting to rip your words apart. We’re here to help. We’ve created this workshop to do just that. Sharpen your writing by learning everything you ever wanted to know, and more, about editing — such as: the top ten most frequent pieces of feedback editors give to clients, how to edit your own work, the different types of editors and what they do, and how to determine when your manuscript is ready and for what.
How to Make the Most of the Conference
Leader: Wes Albers
Objective: The vital relationships forged at any given SCWC often extend well beyond the close of any given conference weekend, ultimately resulting in many of our notable publishing success stories. In this interactive overview, learn how to navigate the schedule and best take advantage of opportunities over the conference weekend.
My First Conference is Over, Now What Do I do?
Leader: Laura Taylor
Objective: The answer to that question is simple. You get yourself organized. You need checklists that itemize a variety of tasks, and this workshop will help you to create them. You need a writing schedule. You need information about the various publishing lanes available to you in today’s book market, i.e. traditional, hybrid or independent publishing. We’ll discuss the process of seeking a literary agent, how to create your own publishing team if that approach makes more sense to you, how to make your presence felt in social media, the value of preparing to promote your book(s) well in advance of the release of the book(s), branding yourself if you’re planning to write a series or a trilogy, etc. Plus a Q&A session if time permits to address YOUR questions/concerns.
Painting with Prose: Crafting Children’s Picture Books
Leader: Henry Herz
Objective: Unleash your inner child and grab your most colorful crayons for a deep dive into the vibrant heart of children’s picture book creation. Unveiling the secrets of blending lyrical language with arresting artwork, we’ll explore how simple stories can weave complex emotions and teach young minds without preaching; delve into dynamic design and visual storytelling that captivates evolving brains. Exceptional structure, plot, character development, word choice, rhyme, pacing, themes and humor remain–they’re all as essential to pic-lit as excellent adult fiction.
Pitch Witch: What’s Your Book About?
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: Whether you’re an author-publisher or are querying agents and editors, knowing how to summarize your story in as few words as possible is key to selling it. Commonly referred to as your “elevator pitch,” write it down and bring your best so “Pitch Witch” Jennifer Silva Redmond can work her “magic” to make it shine.
Productivity Tips & Tools for Writers
Leader: Henry Hertz
Objective: Very few of us are lucky to be able to write full-time. Being more efficient with our non-writing activities (whether writing-related, like submitting, or not), creates more time for writing. We’ll cover tips and tools that help you do that. In addition to being an author, Henry is a Lean Six Sigma-certified process improvement consultant.
Take Your Book Marketing Beyond Bookstores
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: In a world that offers myriad podcasts, newsletters like Substack and Medium, not to mention the social media world of TikTok, Instagram, X and Facebook, book marketing can be rewarding and fun. Discover how to start marketing yourself now, no matter what stage you’re at in your career—even if you’ve just started your first book. Learn the difference between marketing tools such as advertising, email campaigns, sales promotions, and PR, from an entrepreneur who spent a decade doing marketing and promotions for a small publishing company and over 25 years successfully marketing her own publications.
Writing Coach 101: Saving Time, Money, and Your Sanity
Leader: Laura Perkins
Objective: Whether you are just starting out or have been writing for years, a writing coach can provide personalized feedback, accountability, and support to help you overcome challenges. From brainstorming to writers’ block, story arcs to character development, and worldbuilding to craft, a writing coach has your back. In this workshop, I will cover ten ways coaching sessions can be a game-changer for your writing, productivity, and confidence. We’ll dive into different tools and techniques coaches use with clients and how they assist at different stages of your writing process. To help you achieve your goals, come see how an hour with a one-on-one writing coach can make all the difference.
Panels, Appointments and Events
- Advance Submission One-on-One Consultations
- No-host Mixer
- State of Publishing Panel
- Saturday Evening Banquet
- Special Guest Speaker: Jennifer Silva Redmond & Judy Reeves
- Special Guest Speaker: Matt Coyle
- Special Guest Speaker: Suzanne Redfearn