All workshops and events will take place at the conference hotel, the Sonesta Irvine Hotel (formerly Wyndham), located at 17941 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614.
Workshops: Read & Critique
Cold Openings: Your First Five Pages
Leader: Marla Miller
Objective: Most readers can determine if they’re in the hands of a quality writer within the first five pages. Experienced agents and editors require even less. Do your opening pages telegraph the story you’re trying to tell with skill and confidence or spell rejection out of hand? Let’s start at the beginning and find out in this troubleshooting workshop.
Early “Bard” Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: Sunday 7 a.m. troubleshooting of potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
First Day/First Page (All-Genre)
Leader: Judy Reeves
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Pitch Witches: Query Letter Critique
Leader: Marla Miller & Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: An exceptional query letter is what lands a manuscript request from an agent or acquisitions editor. But is the book you’re pitching in it an accurate description of the book you’ve written? Is it too long or filled with superfluous information that actually undermines a reader’s confidence in your potential? Bring in your no-more-than-1-page query letter and let the “Pitch Witches” work their “magic” to make it the best it can be.
Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: Reeves
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: White
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Read & Critique (Memoir, Practical & Narrative 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.
Read & Critique: Perfecting Page One (All-Genre)
Leader: Marla Miller
Objective: Bring the first page of your manuscript and submit it at the door. During the workshop your page will remain anonymous and be read aloud either by the workshop leader or a volunteer in the class and have a group critique. You will receive your page back at the end of the workshop.
Rogue Read & Critique (All-Genre)
Leader: Laura Taylor
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Rogue Read & Critique (Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
Leaders: Melanie Hooks & Laura Perkins
Objective: Troubleshoot potentially problematic aspects of works-in-progress.
Workshops: Craft & Execution
Car Chases, Fist Fights, and Battles – Oh my!
Leader: Laura Perkins
Objective: Are you fighting with your action scenes? Are they winning? Strap on your armor, and we’ll attack those beasts together. We’ll work on making your action scenes jump off the page, while driving your story forward. Stuff your rucksack with tips for honing logistics and clarity, while keeping the players in motion and emotion bleeding from the pages. We’ll tackle where to start & end, as well as how to sink readers into the action. Bonus: we’ll sneak in ways to plunge sharp dialogue and objects into your characters. Plus, weapons! Bring your action scenes and questions. You will leave with an arsenal for tuning your work in progress.
Character Therapy 1: You’re the Shrink!
Leader: Reina Menasche
Objective: Think you know your protagonist? Have you put him/her through some really tough therapy? In Part 1 of this 2-part hands-on workshop, participants will “therapize” (analyze) at least two characters from their novel or short story, using a few choice psychological theories.
Characters: The Trauma of it All
Leader: Jan Jurgens Steele
Objective: Trauma—how do we write about characters whose lives are forever changed due to a deeply disturbing experience? How do we illuminate emotional wounds that reveal themselves in mysterious and confounding ways? Dive into how trauma affects behavior and the role memory plays during and after a traumatic event. We’ll study how trauma is portrayed in the work of Toni Morrison, Tim O’Brien and others, and you’ll learn how to write trauma authentically in your own work. The end result will be a deeper understanding of how we reveal the invisible wounds of our characters with authenticity and empathy.
Front Story: Pouring the Foundation of a Powerful Tale
Leader: Ara Grigorian & Janis Thomas
Objective: Front Story is the foundation where the “A” story is fully fleshed out, the narrative elements keep the reader connected to the story, the main character, and her transformative journey. In this workshop you’ll learn what is expected (by an agent, editor, reader) and recommended when constructing your story’s Act I structure to better build beyond.
I/Then, I/Now—Voices in Memoir
Leader: Judy Reeves
Objective: In memoir, you are both the narrator telling the story and the character who experiences the events in the story. Two different voices, both speaking in first-person. Navigating between these voices can be a challenge for the writer. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll learn the function of each voice and how it serves the memoir. We’ll read examples of how various memoirists have traversed this tricky terrain and work toward developing and strengthening our own.
Little Things Mean a Lot: Using Small Details to Create a Big Impact
Leader: Judy Reeves
Objective: One of the ways to move the reader from reading to experiencing your writing is through the effective use of detail. Not enough detail and you’re awash in a sea of generalities; too many and you must slog your way through seaweed to get to shore. But the right details in the right places bring the writing to life and include the reader in the world of the story. This workshop will address the use of the smallest of details that can bring the story to life through description, character, dialogue and narrative, and focus on how to select and render the telling detail.
Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction: Know Your Audience and Get the Voice Right
Leader: Mary Vensel White
Objective: Maurice Sendak once said in an interview, “I don’t write for children. I write. And somebody says, ‘That’s for children.'” Are you writing a novel and you’re not sure if it would be considered middle grade fiction, or young adult? In this workshop, find out what the criteria are for these categories in the current publishing marketplace, and how to reach readers with stories that ring true in tone, relevancy and that all-important consideration, voice. We’ll also discuss the important distinctions between middle grade and young adult, apart from the main character’s age, and some common tropes, themes and traps.
Mining Your Story’s World, One Tool at a Time
Leader: Laura Perkins
Objective: Is your story-world an info dump, or do your characters paint its walls with engaging brush strokes? Do you use nail guns and duct tape to clarify your world, or does your plot, characters’ goals, and dialogue breathe into the world’s framework, giving it a life of its own? From modern high schools to dinosaurs to Roman Empires to galaxies far, far away, if your world doesn’t come alive, neither will your story. This workshop will provide the chisels and sandpaper to fine tune your world, including activities for your own work in progress.
Plot vs. Character: What’s Driving Your Story?
Leader: Janis Thomas
Objective: Is your novel plot or character driven? Is it possible for your story to be both? In this workshop, we will address plot vs. character driven fiction, the characteristics, merits, pitfalls and genres most associated with each. The emphasis will be on plot development, creating a complex, relatable main character; setting and world and how they relate to your plot and main character, and interweaving your plot and main character’s journey to create a compelling read.
Putting POV in Perspective
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: Point-of-view is the reader’s gateway into your story, turning a hot spotlight on its characters’ motivation, emotion, and soul. But which POV should you use to most effectively communicate your story? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore the practical application–and consequences–of applying first-person POV, third-person omniscient POV, and third-person close POV in your writing.
Rhythm, Pace, and Amusement
Leader: Gayle Carline
Objective: Along with a good plot and characters who feel real, a story has to pull the reader from the first page to the last. This requires writing that keeps the reader engaged and wanting more. We’ll discuss how to plump up flat sentences, and how to make sure each scene keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
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.
Start-up: Building a Successful Series
Leader: Ara Grigorian & Brian Lemmons
Objective: Take a look at the top 100 books in your category of choice. Chances are you’ll find a large number of those books are either a new series or part of a well-established series. Now look at the rankings of each book in the series. One thing will become clear — readers love series and they buy them in bunches. In this hands on workshop, we will first define what a series is, the different types of series that you could develop, and why some series are amazing and others… well, not so much. We will walk through the process of developing the overall series arc, potential ways to split up the series, and how to assure that each book in the series advances the overall story line while still delivering a satisfying read in each book. During the workshop, we’ll show real life examples and help you develop your idea and some will even pitch it to the class and get feedback. Come prepared with your concept.
Sustaining Suspense in Every Genre
Leader: Janis Thomas
Objective: Suspense is an integral part of any story. Will the character get what she wants? Will the hero save the world? Will she come home and tell him? Will he care? If not, why not? Editors talk about building suspense with plot twists but writers need to learn how—and when—to use that advice. This workshop will cover: introducing suspense that will buy you the most real estate; how best to use suspense elements; mistakes writers make regarding suspense elements; appropriate suspense elements for the genre you’re writing; and, of course, tailored to your work.
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 Sci-Fi/Fantasy for People Who Don’t Write Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Leader: Ryka Aoki
Objective: From starships to superheroes, witches to Wookies, works of Science Fiction and Fantasy are all around us. I’ve been a fan—chances are, you’ve been a fan, too. Even if you’ve never written science fiction or fantasy, maybe you’re wondering, “What I if I could write about dragons or Dyson Spheres? How would I build my universe?” Let’s chat SFF, the existing market, and ways you can master this genre, even if that galaxy has always been far, far away.
Workshops: Business & Alternative
Acorn Publishing: Exploring the Benefits of Hybrid Publishing
Leader: Holly Kammier & Jessica Therrien
Objective: In an ever-changing industry, hybrid publishing is a new concept. Combining traditional publication expertise and cover appeal with the benefits that come with publishing independently, in this workshop the owners of Acorn Publishing will lead authors through the process, from submission to published novel, of cost-effectively self-publishing vetted, quality books under an established collective imprint–Acorn–while enabling them to retain all rights to their work and collect 100% of their profit.
Audio Books: Beyond the Basics
Leader: Melanie Hooks
Objective: Join Melanie Hooks, audiobook narrator, for a unique session that goes behind the scenes on one of the hottest emerging forms of storytelling. Have you wondered whether to explore creating one for your own novel? Whether you’re an indie author, traditionally published, or a hopeful voice talent, Melanie will give you the scoop on how the sauce gets made. Learn a few basic techniques for voice work, what a real studio setup requires, and how/if the work pays off as a voice actor. Just like anything in the DIY atmosphere of books these days, no one way fits all. The live workshop will feature a sample recoding and screen sharing of the software and editing techniques that transform an initial take to polished audiobook.
Characters: The Trauma of it All
Leader: Jan Jurgens Steele
Objective: Trauma—how do we write about characters whose lives are forever changed due to a deeply disturbing experience? How do we illuminate emotional wounds that reveal themselves in mysterious and confounding ways? Dive into how trauma affects behavior and the role memory plays during and after a traumatic event. We’ll study how trauma is portrayed in the work of Toni Morrison, Tim O’Brien and others, and you’ll learn how to write trauma authentically in your own work. The end result will be a deeper understanding of how we reveal the invisible wounds of our characters with authenticity and empathy.
Collaborating with Creatives
Leader: Ara Grigorian & Brian Lemmons
Objective: Now, more than ever, the need and ability to work with other creatives can be the differentiator in establishing and accelerating your career as a writer. Whether you’re going traditional or independent, collaboration with other creatives will show up in many flavors — from working with co-authors, to editors, to cover designers and voice-talents. In this workshop, you’ll be introduced to a blueprint for collaboration. We will focus on the fastest growing trend — working with a co-author (or authors) to produce a new book. You will receive practical guidance on how to collaborate in developing a story idea, to establishing a working agreement, and employing technology/common sense approaches to a daily process of writing/reviewing/revising with another. When it comes to working with editors, you will get a comprehensive explanation of what types of editors are out there, what each provide, and how to best collaborate with them. Finally, we will give you advice on how to get the most out of working with a cover designer and the voice talent that you hire for your books.
Content/Structural Editing: What It Is and What It Isn’t
Leader: Jennifer Silva Redmond
Objective: Long-time editor Jennifer Silva Redmond will explain what content/structural editing is and how it differs from line- or copy-editing, and why you likely need both. You’ll learn when your manuscript is ready for “big-picture” editing, and how to prepare your work for that first professional read. Whether you intend to submit your manuscript to interested agents and editors or are planning on self-publishing, this workshop is for you. It will also be of interest to the writer who’s been told they “think like an editor” and may want to become a content/structural editor.
How to Make the Most of the Conference
Leader: Wes Albers
Objective: The vital relationships forged at any given SCWC event often extend well beyond the close of any given conference weekend, ultimately resulting in many of our notable publishing success stories—not just “many attendees have
Indie Excellence: Glocalization and the Key to Survival
Leader: Laura Taylor
Objective: Two issues loom large on the Independent Author-Publisher horizon once a writer produces a beautifully written, skillfully edited book and makes it available for purchase: diversification and discoverability. Updated each conference with the latest information, this workshop is geared for writers who wish to globally expand their readership beyond Amazon and gain royalty income from a wide range of sources. >>Details
Pitch Witches: What’s Your Book About?
Leader: Marla Miller & 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 Witches” Marla Miller and Jennifer Silva Redmond can work their “magic” to make it even shine.
The Power of Shorts: Jump-Start Your Career by Writing Short Stories for Market
Leader: Kristine 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.
Panels, Appointments and Events
- Advance Submission One-on-One Consultations
- No-host Mixer
- Special Guest Speaker: Ryka Aoki
- Special Guest Speaker: Kristi (K.A.) Fox
- Special Guest Speaker: TBA
- State of the Agent Panel