Continuing Education Sessions
As part of your conference registration options, you will be given the choice of one Continuing Education Session track to follow throughout the conference agenda.
As you review the options, you will see that each class is marked with a Level. The Levels are a tool to help you determine which classes will be most beneficial FOR YOU. These same Levels are also used to help you select Workshop Electives. You can find Course Level Definitions by clicking HERE, or you may also use the link provided in the navigation menu to the right.
After reading the Level Definitions, make note the workshops and sessions you most want to attend and have it handy when you complete your registration. Please note, some Level E classes have requirements the presenters have set for attending those classes. All other classes are open to anyone; the Levels are merely to help you determine the type of instruction to expect.
CE Session - 1
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Title: Basic Fiction Techniques: The Creative and the Practical
Level: A
Presented by: Cindy Woodsmall and Kathy Ide
Prerequisites: none
Learn both creative and practical fiction-writing tips from a best-selling author and a full-time freelance editor who’ve been working together, learning from and teaching each another, through various projects since 2002. Topics for this class include: writing with your heart and your head, characters and characterization, scene and summary, goal-motivation-conflict, pacing, overall storyline, understanding point of view, effective use of back-story/flashbacks, showing and telling, active versus passive, dialogue, weaving in messages and themes without preaching, discovering your writer’s voice, and tightening your story to make it stronger and leaner. PowerPoint presentation and movie clips are used to illustrate the points and liven up the session.
CE Session - 2
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Title: Writing and Editing Toolkit: Taking Your Novel from Unsellable to Best-Seller
Level: B
Presented by: Cara Putman and Tricia Goyer
Prerequisites: none
In this class multi-published, award-winning authors Cara Putman and Tricia Goyer will show you that while there may not be one right way to write a novel, there are the best tools to use to take you from unpublished to holding your freshly published book in your hands. We will cover many of the essential aspects required to move from good writing to a story that gets an editor or agent’s attention.
CE Session - 3
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Title: Writing that Sings: The Secrets to Captivating Novels
Level: C
Presented by: Karen Ball
Prerequisites: none
A hands-on workshop where novelists will discuss/explore techniques for refining their craftsmanship, then apply what they learn to their current WIP.
CE Session - 4
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Title: The Heart of the Matter: Developing the Inner Journey of Your Character
Level: C
Presented by: Susan May Warren
Prerequisites: none
A great story is about a great character, one who lives and changes and becomes a hero or heroine. In this advanced level class, you’ll learn the key elements of the inner journey and how it intertwines with a compelling plot. You’ll learn how to build a multi-layered character, and then how to reveal him on the page, layer by layer. You’ll go deeper and learn how to write emotions that bring your reader into the heart of your character. Finally, you’ll learn how to craft a powerful black moment, epiphany, and ending-one that will ensure your story that not only changes your character, but your reader too.
This class is for intermediate to professional storytellers.
CE Session - 5
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Title: How to Market Your Fiction Like a Non-Fiction Pro
Level: D
Presented by: Rachelle Gardner, Kathi Lipp, Dineen Miller, and Jim Rubart
Prerequisites: At least one contract
Is marketing non-fiction easier than fiction? Yep. So we’ll teach you proven non-fiction marketing methods your can apply to your fiction-and make a major impact on your book sales.
CE Session - 6
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Title: Forging Ahead: Growing Your Audience And Your Craft
Level: E
Presented by: Davis Bunn
Prerequisites: 2 Published Novels
It is tempting to criticize the postmodern story structure, but one vital fact often goes unmentioned: For most people under thirty, particularly in mainstream society, the postmodern story is the only structure they know. We will unravel the mystery and the hype, and come to grips with what the postmodern story structure really signifies. We will then compare this to the classical, or heroic, structure. And we will fashion some guidelines for how both of these can become vital components of your own structure, and help forge a deeper bond with your readership.
Over the past twenty-five years, a number of highly successful agents, editors, publishers, and Hollywood pros have written on this very subject. What makes for the novel that rises above the rest, and carries a writer’s career with it? We will discuss the various approaches to this concept, and determine which components best suit your writing style, and your vision.
You must be 18 years old to attend conference without a parent/guardian.
Participation of an individual presenter, agent, editor, or publisher in the ACFW conference does not constitute endorsement by ACFW. Conference attendees are advised to use due diligence and take personal responsibility when choosing industry professionals with whom to schedule appointments or enter into agreement.