Presenters

The Child Hero

9:15 - 10:30

Janet Lee Carey

Janet Lee Carey writes children's and Young Adult novels. Her books include Molly's Fire © 2000, Wenny Has Wings © 2002 winner of 2005 Mark Twain Award, and The Double Life of Zoe Flynn © 2004. Her YA fantasy, The Beast of Noor: Book One of the Noor Chronicles, will be out in the summer of 2006.

Janet also offers courses in novel writing, presents workshops at writing conferences and performs assemblies in elementary and middle schools. "I love to write," says Janet. "If you tied my hands behind my back I'd simply drop the keyboard to the floor and type out stories with my toes."

The Child Hero

Are heroes important in this modern age? Yes! Why? Books featuring child heroes pass courage along to the young reader. By traveling alongside the hero in the tale, children learn about ordinary people just like them who face and overcome their fears and, going forward despite failures, change themselves and the world. Participants will learn techniques for creating a believable child hero in their middle-grade or young adult novels. Janet will also share some powerful writing techniques for creating dramatic story tension.

Writing that Sells

4:00-5:15

Carola Dunn

Since 1980, Carola Dunn has had 47 novels published by major publishing houses, as well as numerous novellas and short stories. Born in England, she has lived in the US for longer than she cares to remember, but still sets most of her books in England. Several mysteries have been IMBA bestsellers, and the series was nominated for a RT Lifetime Achievement award. She has also won awards for Best Period Cozy and Best Regency Comedy.

Many of her books have been translated, into languages ranging from Norwegian to Czech to Hebrew. Large print, audio, and e-book versions are also available. She now lives in Eugene, Oregon, with her dog, Willow, who walks her by the Willamette River every morning. Visit her website at www.geocities.com/CarolaDunn/

Writing to Sell

A discussion of genre fiction, with an emphasis on mystery. Publishers and booksellers all like books that fit into an established category. We will consider the various genres and sub-genres, and how they provide plenty of scope for the exercise of any writer’s imagination and skills; ways to "do your own thing" within the confines of the chosen genre; how to engage your readers, especially the importance of a sympathetic protagonist; tips for keeping a story moving without compromising good writing; etc.

All the Good Advice I Wish I'd Gotten Way Back When

2:30-3:45

Earl Emerson

Earl Emerson has published sixteen mysteries and four suspense novels, with contracts for three more thrillers. His books have been nominated for an Edgar, five times for a Shamus from the Private Eye Writer's of America, for an Anthony award and many others. Poverty Bay won a Shamus for best private eye novel of the year and Black Hearts and Slow Dancing was listed as one of the ten best mysteries of the year by the New York Times.

Emerson began writing at nineteen but didn't publish his first book until fifteen years later. In the meantime, he joined the Seattle Fire Department, where he's been working for the past twenty-eight years.

All the Good Advice I Wish I'd Gotten Way Back When

A compendium of all the best advice for anyone starting out in today's increasingly perilous fiction publishing world, including what are your chances of getting published. Do you really need an agent? How do you write a book but more than that, how do you write a good book. Why it took me fifteen years to sell my first mystery novel and why it wouldn't take nearly so long if I was starting today. Why I switched from mysteries to suspense novels. The one hurdle that kept me from getting published for years. The question I ask would-be writers to find out if they have a chance to make it. Plus: some of the best inside war stories I've told my author friends. Q & A session afterwards.

The Short Fiction Toolbox

10:45-noon

Andrew C. Gottlieb

Andrew Gottlieb lives and writes poetry, short, and long fiction in Seattle. His chapbook of poetry, Halflives (New Michigan Press, 2005) has just been released, and other work has appeared in many journals including the American Literary Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, The Long Story, Poets & Writers, and Seattle Review.

He was recently the writer-in-residence at Isle Royale National Park, and he's the recipient of grants from the Seattle Arts Commission, Artist Trust, and the Washington State Arts Commission.

He's taught writing and short fiction workshops at the University of Washington and at Iowa State University where he received his MFA (2000) and MA (1998) respectively.

When he's not writing, he can be found at the gym-working out or doing laps in the pool or out riding his motorcycle. He is currently working on a collection of short stories, a collection of poems, and a novel.

The Short Fiction Toolbox

So much of what we learn about short fiction writing seems ineffable, felt, mystical: sort of like fog. We know it’s there and we sure can feel it, but we don’t know what it is or how to make it. Aren’t there concrete things I can know? The truth is that there are. In this session we’re going to add some tools to your tool box. First we’ll look at plotting and characterization. How we create ‘story.’ We’ll also consider other issues, some of which may include facial description, setting description, point-of view, titles, sentence length and variation. Tricks of the trade. Most importantly, we won’t just show you what is. We’ll show you how to do. This session will help you carve your own emotional path through fiction as you use these techniques to shape your own work, writing stories your own way.

Super Sonnets: writing poetry in form

2:30-3:45

Anna Maria Hong

Anna Maria Hong is the founder and producer of The Po Show/Trapdoor 62. Her first poetry collection was a finalist in the 2005 National Poetry Series Open Book Competition and the 2005 Tupelo Press First Book Awards.

A recent Pushcart Prize nominee, she received grants from the Artist Trust and the A Room of Her Own Foundation in 2005 and was named One to Watch by The Stranger Genius Awards in 2004.

Her poems have been published or are forthcoming in journals including Hotel Amerika, Fence, Puerto del Sol, Crab Orchard Review, Golden Handcuffs Review, and Cranky Literary Journal. Her interview with Adam Zagajewski appears on Poets & Writers online.

She is the editor of Growing Up Asian American, an anthology of fiction and memoir. In 2005, she produced and participated in programs at many Seattle venues including the EMP Pop Conference, Theater Schmeater, the Chamber Theater, the Microsoft Art Gallery, and Words’ Worth, the official poetry program of the Seattle City Council.

Super Sonnets: Writing Poems in Form

Short, sharp, metered, and rhymed, the sonnet has been practiced by virtually every major writer in English since Shakespeare. In this class, we will look at how we can harness these 14 little lines to our own purposes. The class will cover traditional Italian and English forms, a discussion of rhyme scheme, and analysis of sonnets by poets including Marilyn Nelson, Eavan Boland, Amy Gerstler, and Rick Kenney. We will also write a collective Shakespearean sonnet. Participants will acquire knowledge of the form's dynamic possibilities and will leave the class with a draft in hand.

The Writing Life

9:15-10:30

Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson is author of A Story is a Promise, a workbook that explores how to create dramatic, engaging stories, and webmaster of Essays on the Craft of Dramatic Writing, a site that explores principles of storytelling through reviews of popular movies, books and plays.

Bill has led workshops on writing around the United States, including the Southern California Writing Conference, Surrey Writing Conference, and the Expo 2 Screenwriting Conference in Los Angeles, where he was a featured speaker. For the 2005 Expo conference, Bill was chosen to offer notes on a winning screenplay entered into a contest associated with the Expo.

Bill is a produced playwright, optioned screenwriter, and has read manuscript submissions for literary agents. He is currently office manager for Willamette Writers, a Pacific Northwest non-profit writing group with 1,200 members, and on the board of the Northwest Playwrights Guild, a group of playwrights with chapters in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington.

His play, The Baggage Handler, won a festival in New York in April 2005. Pre-Life, Pre-Nuptial, about a couple arguing about a pre-nuptial agreement before they are born, was produced in New York and Oregon.

The Writing Life

This workshop is meant to help writers find both their voices and their writing niches; ways to find time to write while leading a busy, complicated life; and to help writers recognize some of the subtle barriers that can block the process of writing. He’ll offer strategies for getting started, including writing weekends, guided critique groups, support groups, workshops, and creating achievable goals; and how to respond to criticism in a way that it doesn’t become a barrier to writing.

The Make-It or Break-It First Page of a Novel

10:45-noon

Non-Fiction Books: From idea to Proposal to Contract

4:00 5:15
(revised time)

Elizabeth Lyon

Elizabeth Lyon is a veteran book editor who has helped scores of nonfiction writers and novelists break into print. She is the author of many acclaimed books including A Writer's Guide to Fiction, A Writer's Guide to Nonfiction, The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, and National Directory of Editors & Writers.

Her articles and essays have appeared in The Writer's Handbook, The Novelist's Complete Handbook, The Writer magazine, Writer's Digest, the St. Martin's/Bedford Language Arts Reader, and many print and online newsletters. Each year she travels throughout the United States and British Columbia as a speaker and workshop teacher.

Elizabeth has taught adult education writing classes at Lane Community College for nearly ten years, transforming that program from a few limited classes into a dozen courses and weekend retreats. Currently, she is working on a memoir.

A mother of two young adult children, Elizabeth lives in Eugene, Oregon with Riley the border collie and Hunter the cat.

The Make It or Break It First Page of a Novel

How can agents and editors reject a manuscript after reading just the first page? Veteran book editor Elizabeth Lyon will unravel this mystery to help you make your first page rejection-proof. In this workshop we’ll examine narrative hooks, best structures for beginnings, mistakes that kill interest, and considerations of plot, characterization, theme, and tone. You'll build a first-page checklist and be able to create a remarkably improved first page.

Non-Fiction Books: From idea to Proposal to Contract

The glitz, glamour, and money-obsessed publishing industry requires of writers that we have the wits of Roadrunner and the cunning of Wiley Coyote. Based on her book, Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write, Elizabeth Lyon will reveal the four questions—and right answers—all agents and editors must have. You'll learn about the eleven parts of a complete proposal and what will give you the competitive edge.

Turning Memory Into Memoir

10:45-noon

John Douglas Marshall

John Douglas Marshall is the author of Reconciliation Road, a family memoir that won a 1994 Washington Governor's Writers Award (now the Washington Book Award). He is also the teacher of a popular memoir course at Richard Hugo House, the literary center in Seattle. Marshall's other books include: Volcano: The Eruption of Mount St. Helens, a New York Times' best-seller, as well as Place of Learning, Place of Dreams: A History of the Seattle Public Library.

Marshall is the book critic for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and is a recipient of the Open Book Award from the Pacific Northwest Writers Association for his support of writers in the region.

Turning Memory Into Memoir

Memoir remains one of the most popular forms of writing today, a non-fiction genre that has brought prominent notice to many new authors. This workshop focuses on what it takes to turn one’s various memories into a successful memoir. It examines such essential memoir elements as focus, voice and theme. The workshop will also suggest helpful books on memoir, as well as fine memoirs for further reading and inspiration.

Plot and Structure

9:15 - 10:30

Indu Sundarasan

Indu Sundaresan was born in India and came to the US for graduate school. After degrees in economics and operations research, she decided to become a writer. She is the author of two novels based on the life of one of the most powerful empresses in the Mughal dynasty that built the Taj Mahal in India. The Twentieth Wife and The Feast of Roses were published in 2002 and 2003 respectively by Simon & Schuster. The Twentieth Wife won the 2003 Washington State Book Award.

Indu has also published short fiction and essays in The Vincent Brothers Review, Travelers' Tales, India Currents and a recent anthology titled The Pen and the Key. Her third novel, set in India in the 1940s, will go to press in 2006 with Simon & Schuster.

For more information on Indu and her work, please visit her Web site: www.indusundaresan.com

Plot and Structure

Learn how to craft a storyline, place your characters within the action, and create a framework for a complete novel with powerful beginnings, middles and ends. This class will also cover topics on tension and conflict within a story—how to create them and how to resolve them, chapter by chapter, scene by scene.

Breaking In: How to Get Published in a Vidiot World

4:0-0 - 5:15

Alice Volpe

Alice Volpe has worked in book publishing for the last 30 years. She began her career "on the inside" of the industry in New York, working at Macmillan, Harcourt Brace, and Time-Life, as well as in Tokyo, Japan for Time Life Books, Kodansha International, Harper, Britannica and Grolier.

She has held the positions of book publicist, staff writer, editor and publisher, and opened Northwest Literary Agency (Northwestlit [at] aol.com) in the 1980's to help bridge the chasm between lone author and remote, corporate publisher. Her clients include J.A. Jance, Carola Dunn, Judith Smith-Levin, J. Carson Black, Lee Lofland, Jeffrey Layton and many others.

Breaking In: How to Get Published in a Vidiot World

Today's fiction and non-fiction authors face very different challenges from those trying to break in even a decade ago. Celebrity-mania, video and internet competition, poor literacy skills and increasingly short attention spans conspire to erect seemingly insurmountable hurdles to aspiring authors. They create a mogul field down which a smart skiier may race, but the racer must learn the terrain. The pros and cons of having a coach or manager (agent), as well as the division of labor between the two, and what one can and cannot expect in the representation relationship with also be discussed.

River Writing: How Natural History Can Enliven Your Prose

2:30-3:45
(revised time)

Susan Zwinger

Susan Zwinger is a full time author and instructor, keeps elaborate illustrated journals, and teaches natural history and/or creative writing workshops across the West. She is currently teaching for the Whidbey Island Writers' Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts Creative Writing Program, the North Cascades Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and Audubon.

Her books include: The Hanford Reach, U. of Arizona Press 2004, The Last Wild Edge, Johnson Books 1999, Stalking the Ice Dragon, U. of Arizona Press 1991, Still Wild, Always Wild, Sierra Books 1994, and co-authored Women In Wilderness, Harcourt Brace, 1997.Her first book received the Governor's Author's Award in 1992.

Zwinger has a PhD. from Pennsylvania State University, an MFA in Poetry from Iowa's Writers Workshop where she worked with Northwest poet Richard Hugo, and a B.A. in Art from Cornell College. She lives on Whidbey Island where she speaks with Bald Eagles daily. Robert Michael Pyle, author of Wintergreen and Chasing Monarchs, says, "Susan Zwinger is one of the brightest lights in American nature writing. I know few others who combine a refined and whimsical poetic sense with a naturalist's eye as keen as hers, and none who take them so far afield, so well." Be prepared, you will be taken far afield and not want to return.

River Writing: How Natural History Can Enliven Your Prose

Without grounding, without situating the reader in a specific place and time, even the best idea essay or fast-paced novel will suffer greatly. Human beings are physical animals; their need to smell, hear, taste, feel, move through, touch, and see the location of your ideas or characters is basic. We cannot extricate human beings from nature because we ARE nature. Yet—how to use the specifics of natural history? Find out the specific tools from writer/naturalist Susan Zwinger.