EARLY BIRD SESSION

Fees for the Early Bird Session are $99, over and above Conference Registrations Fees. This year's session will be held on Thursday, September 17, 2009 from 8:00 am- 4:00 pm (1 hour lunch break)..

Enrollment is limited, so sign up early!


2009 Early Bird Session - (optional)

Early Bird Session

Level: All Title: Writing the Breakout Novel Hosted By: Donald Maass Status: Description: Thursday - September 17, 2009 8:00 am- 4:00 pm (1 hour lunch break) Cost: $99.00 WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL is a rigorous writing workshop designed to teach working novelists new techniques to bring their fiction to the next level. Participants should bring the manuscript of a completed novel or work-in-progress. Familiarity with the basics of plot, character, dialogue, and scene construction are presumed. Learn to: Grab your reader from beginning to end Create unforgettable characters Choose timeless, universal themes Create a potent sense of time and place Develop a dramatic storyline that sets your work apart from the competition …and much more! Donald Maass, a top agent for fiction writers and author of Writing the Breakout Novel, leads participants through practical writing exercises that plumb depths of character, raise stakes both public and personal, add plot layers, heighten sense of time and place, strengthen point of view and voice, deepen themes, transform openings, and develop the brainstorming skills that produce consistently original stories. Donald Maass has helped many mid-list and genre authors transform their careers. His twenty-five years of experience can help you, too.

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. Each Continuing Education Session will consist of four parts.

As you review the options, you will see that each class is marked with a Level. These Levels are a tool to help you determine which classes will be most beneficial FOR YOU. So read the definitions below, and then grab your highlighter to mark the workshops and sessions you most want to attend. Also notice that Level E classes have requirements the presenters have set for attending those classes. All other classes are open to anyone; the tracks are merely to help you determine the type of instruction to expect.

Level Definitions

Level A:

Writers who are starting out, who have attended 1-3 conferences, have completed 0-3 manuscripts, and are getting a handle on the publishing industry would benefit most from these classes. Classes will cover the basics elements of novel and proposal writing as well as how to submit finished manuscripts, and meet agents and editors.

Level B:

Writers who have been studying the craft for a while and have become strong writers, are receiving some requests for full manuscripts, but are getting rejected and haven't acquired an agent will benefit from this track. Classes will delve deeper into strengthening the elements of a good manuscript and proposal as well as help identify the areas a writer needs to improve to help advance his/her career.

Level C:

Writers who have gotten requests for complete manuscripts with revisions from agents and editors, and have possibly made it to committee but are still receiving rejections will benefit from these classes. Your writing is strong, you're ready for publication, editors and agents are watching you, but that elusive contract has not yet been offered. In these classes you will learn the next step to publication as well as continue to strengthen your prose and publishing knowledge.

Level D:

Writers who are published or recently contracted will get the most from these classes. You're still struggling with balancing your life with your new writing career and trying not to be stressed while meeting deadlines. Classes will also cover organization, marketing, public relations and speaking, and the business side of writing.

Level E:

Published authors with several books will benefit most from the community of writers gathered in these classes. While the main goal of these workshops is to learn about craft or marketing in a new or improved way, it will also be a gathering place for published writers to exchange ideas.

Please review the options below and have your selection in mind prior to completing the Conference Registration Form.

2009 Continuing Education Sessions - (you may choose one of the following)

CE Session - 1

Level: A Title: Foundational Basics Hosted By: Jim and Tracie Peterson Prerequisite: none Description: Tracie and Jim Peterson have been married for 29 years and make their home in Montana. Tracie is the bestselling author of over 80 books. Jim is a historian who helps Tracie, and often other authors, with historical research. Foundational basics are always necessary for any writer. If you're just getting started or even if you've been at it for a while, but just aren't getting the publishing attention you think you deserve, this class is for you. We will explore the basics of plotting from novella's to the mega-sized novels. Many stories today lack a solid plot and pacing that actually moves the story and characters forward in a believable manner. In our class we'll explore some of the best ways to accomplish this. Character motivation is another huge detail that often goes lacking in today's stories. We will explore characters and characterization, through descriptions, dialogue, backgrounds and motivations. Other topics of discussion will be how to best use setting, events, research and history to flesh out and add intrigue to your story. How to create antagonists worthy of your heroes and heroines. And how to avoid common first-timer mistakes. We plan to have a lot of fun and look forward to seeing you there.

CE Session - 2

Level: B Title: Piecing Together of the Novel into a Salable Product Hosted By: Margaret Daley Prerequisite: none Description: Margaret Daley is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Contest for 2007. This year she placed second in the Short Contemporary category for the Book of the Year Contest for Heart of the Family. Recently she has won the Golden Quill Contest, FHL's Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines. She has sold sixty books to date. At the beginning of a new story, sometimes a writer will stare at a blank computer screen, trying to decide how to put together the novel that has been swirling around in her head. This class will go through the piecing together of the novel into a salable product. How to construct a novel will follow the construction of a house, starting with having a solid foundation (characters), putting up the framework (plot) and finishing with the roofing (the black moment and resolution). Other elements of a novel (pacing, setting, point of voice) will also be discussed with interactive exercises to have the class experience hands on the different elements to constructing a novel that will be compelling to readers.

CE Session - 3

Level: C Title: Pinpoint, Diagnose, and Heal the Broken Places in Your Novels Hosted By: Rachel Hauck and Susan May Warren Prerequisite: none Description: Florida based Rachel Hauck is a best selling and award winning novelist with over ten books in print. She is a worship leader and conference speaker, and the vice president of My Book Therapy, a boutique craft service. Married to Tony for almost seventeen years, she is active in ministry and the mother of two pets. Susan May Warren is the best-selling author of more than 20 novels and novellas with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A three time Christy award finalist, and three time winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice contest, as well as a RITA finalist, Susan currently has over 500,000 books in print. A seasoned women's events speaker and writing teacher, she's taught at the American Christian Fiction Writer's conference for the past four years, and she runs a fiction editing service www.mybooktherapy.com training writers how to tell a great story. This class will teach intermediate and advanced novelists how to pinpoint, diagnose, and heal the broken places in their novels. Using proven techniques developed by award-winning novelists Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck in their boutique fiction editing service, novelists will go over the four basic parts of a novel: concept/plot; characterization; scenes; and the elusive concept VOICE -- to discover their story's weakness. Then, they'll be armed with treatments to know how to fix them. Don't just Plot along -a great plot has many layers, from a riveting premise, to the tension of stakes versus motivation to the perfect epiphany. It's all about Character - Did you know your character has layers? Make a Scene Đ A great scene is simply made up of interlocking pieces. Let me hear the VOICES! What is your "voice" and how do you find it? Become Your Own Book Therapist is for every novelist who has ever finished a book and desires to learn the tools to take it to the next level. Roll up your sleeves...It's time for self-therapy! Attendees should plan to bring a copy of their current WIP or other manuscript project to class as we will be doing DEEP CRITIQUE and rewriting exercises.

CE Session - 4

Level: E Title: THE UNIVERSITY OF FICTION "5 HOUR DEGREE" Hosted By: Allen Arnold and Karen Ball Prerequisite: 2 novels published in the past 3 years Description: In a few short hours, we'll take you from Freshman to Senior-level insights into the world of Fiction in this college-themed session. A panel of experts will be there to offer "graduate level" advice on everything from agents to advertising. We'll even have a mock graduation at the end...if you pass our final exam! Please note, you will need to provide the title(s) and ISBN number(s) as required to meet prerequisites on the Conference registration form.

CE Session - 5

Level: A-E Title: Screenwriting and the Novelist Hosted By: Rene Gutteridge Prerequisite: none Description: Rene Gutteridge is the author of 14 multi-genre novels, including the Boo Series, The Occupational Hazards Series, The Storm Series, as well as My Life as a Doormat (Women of Faith) and the novelization for the motion picture The Ultimate Gift. Her current novel, Never The Bride, is a full-length novelization published by WaterBrook Press. Her forthcoming title, Listen, a thriller, is due out early 2010 from Tyndale House Publishers. This continuing education class will cover several topics. A general overview of structure and format will be taught, giving the attendee a good, solid foundation for how to write a screenplay. Next we will look at the unique applications novelists can explore in regard to the screenplay, including how the study of screenwriting can enhance any novel, the pros and cons of adaptations versus spec scripts, how to adapt your own novel, plus a comprehensive look at the growing demand for novelizations and how to write them.