The SCWC provides multi-tiered workshop tracks. With the exception of evening “Rogue” read & critiques, workshops run 90 minutes. Advance sign-up is not required for most workshops, so conferees are free to go to any session they choose. Should you find that a particular session is not for you, or if you’d prefer to simply tap into another, you are encouraged to do so. Workshop summaries can be found on the Workshops and Events page.
Updated 1/14/25 |
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025 |
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Noon – 8:00 PM |
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REGISTRATION OPEN | ||
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM |
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Orientation | How to make the Most of the Conference – Thomas |
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2 PM – 3:30 PM |
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Craft | Pitch Witches: What’s Your Book About? | Miller & Redmond |
Craft | Avoiding Stereotypes, Cliches and the All-Too Common |
Carline |
Business/Alt. | Romance Writing: The Nuts and Bolts of the Fictional Happily-Ever-After |
Taylor |
Business/Alt. | Editing Explained 1 |
Kephart & Perkins |
3:40 PM – 5:10 PM |
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Craft | Pitch Witches: Query Letter Critique | Miller & Redmond |
Craft | Voice: Finding Your Unmistakable Own | Whitsitt |
Business/Alt. | How to Craft a Strong & Believable Villain |
Crosby |
Business/Alt. | Editing Explained 2 |
Kephart & Perkins |
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM |
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NO-HOST MIXER | ||
7:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
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WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS | ||
7:30 PM – 8:15 PM |
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EVENING SPEAKER: ELLE JAUFFRET | ||
9:00 PM – ON “ROGUE” WORKSHOPS |
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Read & Critique | All-Genre | Taylor |
Read & Critique | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Perkins |
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2025 |
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8:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
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REGISTRATION OPEN | ||
8:30 AM – 8:50 AM |
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ORIENTATION | ||
9 AM – 10:30 AM |
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Read & Critique | Networking for Introverts | Crosby |
Craft | Beyond Plot and Character: Who, How, Why | Redmond |
Craft | Plot Your Novel Using Percentages | Berg |
Business/Alt. | The Power of Shorts: Jump-Start Your Career by Writing Short Stories for Market |
Fox |
Novel Boot Camp | What’s It All About, Author? |
Thomas |
10:40 AM – 12:10 PM |
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Read & Critique | First Five Pages |
Miller |
Craft | Unlocking Your Novel’s Inciting Incident | Cangro |
Craft | Slice of Life: Sculpting Your Memoir’s Story | Kephart |
Business/Alt. | When is ‘Done!’ Done Enough? |
Berg, Miller & Lovell |
Novel Boot Camp | Who Comes First? |
Thomas |
12:10 PM – 1:00 PM |
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LUNCH ON YOUR OWN | ||
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Read & Critique | All-Genre | Whitsitt |
Craft | Setting and Place Masterclass | Cangro |
Craft | Soul Therapy: The Spiritual Side of Writing Memoir | Kephart |
Business/Alt. | Against All Odds: Publishing WELL from Scratch |
Huynh |
Novel Boot Camp | The Structure of it All |
Thomas |
One-on-One | Advance Submission Appointments | Various |
2:40 PM – 4:10 PM |
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Read & Critique | Mixed-Genre |
Fox |
Craft | Supporting Cast: Crafting Purposeful Secondary Characters |
Whitsitt |
Craft | What Does ‘Show Don’t Tell’ Actually Mean? |
Wilkinson |
Business/Alt. | Indie Excellence: Glocalization and the Key to Survival |
Taylor |
Novel Boot Camp | Brass Tacks and Hard Facts |
Thomas |
One-on-One | Advance Submission Appointments | Various |
4:15 PM – 5:30 PM |
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AGENTS PANEL: FIRST PAGE CAGE MATCH | ||
6:45 PM- 8:00 PM |
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SCWC BANQUET | ||
6:45 PM- 8:00 PM |
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EVENING SPEAKER: HENRY LIEN | ||
7:00 PM – ON “ROGUE” WORKSHOPS |
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Read & Critique | All-Genre | Taylor |
Read & Critique | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Perkins |
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2026 |
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7:00 AM – 8:30 AM |
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EARLY “BARD” READ & CRITIQUE WORKSHOP |
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9 AM – 10:30 AM |
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Read & Critique | Memoir, Narrative & Straight Nonfiction | Kephart |
Craft | Writing Non-Human Characters |
Crosby |
Craft | Putting Heart Into Thrillers | Vonderau |
Business/Alt. | Build a Better Author Bio: A Powerful Tool to Attract Readers |
Wilkinson |
Novel Boot Camp | The End is Just the Beginning |
Thomas |
One-on-One | Advance Submission Appointments | Various |
10:40 AM – 12:10 PM |
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Read & Critique | All-Genre |
Kephart |
Craft | What’s the Point? Story, Subtext and Plot |
Carline |
Craft | Developing Captivating Series Characters | Coyle |
Business/Alt. | For a Few Dollars More: The Cost of Selling Yourself Short |
Redmond & Peterson |
Novel Boot Camp | The Beats Go On |
Thomas |
One-on-One | Advance Submission Appointments | Various |
12:10 PM – 1:00 PM |
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LUNCH ON YOUR OWN | ||
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
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Read & Critique | To Be Announced | TBA |
Craft | The End is Just the Beginning | Carline |
Craft | Character Therapy: You’re the Shrink! | Menasche |
Business/Alt. | Late Bloomers: Publishing After 50 |
Moore & Vonderau |
Business/Alt. | Promotion on Shoestring |
Griffant |
Novel Boot Camp | We’ve GOT the Beat |
Thomas |
One-on-One | Advance Submission Appointments | Various |
2:40 PM – 4:10 PM |
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Read & Critique | To Be Announced |
TBA |
Craft | Infusing Micro-Tension Into Your Story |
Whitsitt |
Craft | Writing Good, Bad and Ugly Better |
Fox |
Business/Alt. | Writing Coach 101: Saving Time, Money, and Your Sanity |
Perkins |
Business/Alt. | Reboot Your Brain and Electrify Your Writing |
Wilkinson |
Novel Boot Camp | More Beats and Post-mortem |
Thomas |
4:30 PM – 5:15 PM |
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AFTERNOON SPEAKER: KRISTI (K.A.) FOX |
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5:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
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SCWC AWARD & FAREWELL | ||
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
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DINNER ON YOUR OWN | ||
Schedule subject to change without notice. |