ELECTIVE WORKSHOPS

As part of your conference registration options, you will be given the choice of one workshop from each of the following sessions, for a total of four Elective Workshop choices. Please review the options below and have your selections in mind prior to completing the Conference Registration Form.

As you review the agenda 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.

Saturday - Elective Workshops - 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - (you may choose one of the following)

Workshop Title: Creating a Believable Science Fiction or Fantasy Storyworld   (WS1)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Jill Williamson Prerequisite: none Description: What sets science fiction and fantasy stories apart is the unique world they take place in. The more time a writer spends brainstorming his or her storyworld, the stronger the story will be. Jill will share the process she used to create her medieval fantasy world by walking the class through her Blood of Kings series notebook. She'll talk about maps, castle floor plans, city demographics, vehicles and weapons, people and beasts, unique character names, languages, magic, and how to keep it all organized. She’ll also discuss tips on how to keep the experience of the storyworld real for your reader.

Workshop Title: Humor in Fiction  (WS2)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Jenny B. Jones Prerequisite: none Description: Learn effective ways to lighten up just one scene or an entire novel through various methods of humor in fiction. We're gonna funny you up!

Workshop Title: Selling Your Stuff (Pitches, Queries & Proposals)  (WS3)

Level: A Hosted By: Rachelle Gardner and Sandra Bishop Prerequisite: none Description: Learn to effectively pitch your novel without fear, both verbally and in writing. Like it or not, you’re going to have to pitch your novel verbally, as well as write queries and proposals. Two literary agents with decades of publishing experience will break down these various modes of presenting your project and teach how to create these all-important sales tools. Bring your elevator pitch if you have one; we’ll workshop a few examples during the session.

Workshop Title: Perfect Pairings:Crafting Hero/Heroine Who Were Made for Each Other  (WS4)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Allie Plieter Prerequisite: none Description: Three-time Book of the Year nominee Allie Pleiter shows you how to craft the couple that will win the hearts of an editor, your readers, and each other.

Workshop Title: Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace-A Writer’s Support System PART ONE  (WS5)

Level: D Hosted By: Marion Stroud Prerequisite: none Description: Finding ways of watching,walking with and working with Jesus as we write. Jesus tells us to 'Go into all the world' for Him, but He also asks us to 'Come to Him', gain strength and rest, and only then go out, to work in partnership with Him.[Matt.11:28 In the Song of Solomon ch1:6 the Shunamite woman says that she has worked hard in other people's Vineyards, but her own vineyard she has not kept. Many writers come near to burn out as they try to combine the multiple demands on their time and creativity of some degree of success. Perhaps not successful enough to treat their writing as a 'day job' they juggle to keep the needs of family, church and perhaps another job in balance with their writing. Taking the model of the Vineyard as a picture of our inner spiritual life, I explore the importance of keeping the walls in good order, dealing with pests and enemy attack, learning the rhythms of the seasons, and producing abundant fruit in our personal as well as our writing lives.

Workshop Title: It’s Not A Dirty Word-Theme  (WS6)

Level: C Hosted By: Leanna Ellis and Shelley Shepard Gray Prerequisite: none Description: Theme is the tie that will bind your story together and help you over the hurdle to being a published author.

Saturday - Elective Workshops - 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm - (you may choose one of the following)

Workshop Title: This Ain’t Sweet Valley High: Writing YA 4 Today’s Teen   (WS7)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Jenny B. Jones Prerequisite: none Description: In this class we'll discuss trends, tips, and the best way to reach the Millennial generation.

Workshop Title: Fact Into Fiction: Tips & Tools for Writing Historical Novels  (WS8)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Dorothy Love and Margaret Brownley Prerequisite: none Description: Two multi-published authors of historical fiction share their favorite resources and tips for incorporating facts into a seamless narrative. Workshop includes short presentations by both authors, handouts, and a short writing exercise.

Workshop Title: Writing Suspense  (WS9)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Terri Blackstock Prerequisite: none Description: Keep Me in Suspense--Using some popular examples from movies and books, New York Times best-seller Terri Blackstock will teach you how to pace your novel to keep your readers turning the pages. Learn how to raise the stakes, ramp up the danger, and get your reader's heart pumping. This workshop will also be helpful for those who don't write suspense, but want to include some suspenseful elements in their plots. She recommends that attendees watch the movie Ransom, starring Mel Gibson, to prepare for the workshop.

Workshop Title: Finding Your Voice  (WS10)

Level: A Hosted By: Kaye Dacus Prerequisite: none Description: How to find your voice/style as an author by determining how the “rules” of writing affect your natural word patterns. Voice is one of the most difficult craft-of-writing concepts to grasp. When asked, most novice writers can't begin to define it, so how are they going to know when talking to an editor or agent if they have a "unique voice" for the marketplace? This workshop will strive to help novice writers grasp the concept of voice and start finding their own. Utilizing examples from printed novels, the students will analyze what makes the voice of each author distinct. They will then participate in a brainstorming exercise and a writing exercise to start discovering their own unique voices as writers.

Workshop Title: Self-Publishing: Should I or Shouldn’t I?   (WS11)

Level: B Hosted By: Kim Sawyer Prerequisite: none Description: Pros and cons of self-publishing vs. traditional publishing will be explored, as well as discussing the elements a writer should expect from a company should they choose the self-publishing route.

Workshop Title: Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace-A Writer’s Support System PART TWO  (WS12)

Level: D Hosted By: Marion Stroud Prerequisite:  Description: Continued from PART ONE

Sunday - Elective Workshops - 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm - (you may choose one of the following)

Workshop Title: Inside an Acquisitions Meeting  (WS13)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Thomas Nelson Team Prerequisite: none Description: Fiction publisher Allen Arnold and editors Ami McConnell and Natalie Hanemann take you inside the mysterious world of a publisher's acquisition meeting. Most writers have only a vague idea of the decision-making process that goes into acquiring a novel. Fiction publisher Allen Arnold and editors Ami McConnell and Natalie Hanemann will show you a peek at how the acquisitions decision is made. They will conduct a mock meeting that illustrates how a manuscript is accepted or rejected.

Workshop Title: Turning Rejection Into Redirection  (WS14)

Level: B Hosted By: Kim Sawyer Prerequisite: none Description: Rejection is inevitable in the writer's life, but seeing it as a means of shaping us changes our attitude toward it.

Workshop Title: Amish 101   (WS15)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Mindy Starns Clark Prerequisite: none Description: Perfect for writers of any level who are thinking about creating Amish fiction, this comprehensive primer on Amish life provides accurate information about this unique but often misunderstood culture.

Workshop Title: The Last Show vs Tell Class You’ll Ever Need   (WS16)

Level: B Hosted By: Jeff Gerke Prerequisite: none Description: You've been told you "tell" too much and need to "show"--come master this concept in one hour.

Workshop Title: Writing the Bigger Book   (WS17)

Level: C Hosted By: Leanna Ellis and Shelley Shepard Gray Prerequisite: none Description: More is required of a bigger book than just page count and two authors who have written category and now write bigger books will offer tools to help. here’s more to writing the bigger book than just adding to the page count. There needs to be more depth and complexity. Nora Roberts said that writing for category was like writing in a phone booth because of its narrow parameters, but that writing single title had a much bigger scope. That said, there are tools to utilize in order to make the bigger concept into reality.

Workshop Title: Deep and Wide -- Taking your characters deeper and widening your plot  (WS18)

Level: D Hosted By: Susan May Warren Prerequisite: none Description: Do you want to write a more powerful story? One that moves readers and keeps them glued to the page, into the wee hours of the night, with characters that seem to walk off the pages? Then you need to make your book deeper…and wider. Join award-winning, best-selling author Susan May Warren as she shows you how to take your plotting and your characterization to a new level, how to make your story Deep and Wide.

Sunday - Elective Workshops - 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm - (you may choose one of the following)

Workshop Title: Tell Your Story Through the Power of Metaphor  (WS19)

Level: D Hosted By: Rachel Hauck Prerequisite: none Description: How to tell if the clock in the hall going tick-tock is really just a clock in the hall. Recognizing and developing metaphors and symbols in your writing.

Workshop Title: Writing in the Wilderness  (WS20)

Level: C Hosted By: Susan Meissner Prerequisite: none Description: Writing in the isolation of the wilderness - no contract, no agent, no evidence that will change anytime soon - is often the place where God teaches us the most about how to successfully live the writing life.

Workshop Title: Tracking the Details  (WS21)

Level: D Hosted By: Mindy Starns Clark Prerequisite: none Description: Keep track of all of those niggling details about your characters, settings, and much more by learning about several different systems for detail tracking and then taking Mindy’s custom-designed "thinker profile" test to figure out which system will work best for you.

Workshop Title: Fine-tuning Your Brand  (WS22)

Level: E Hosted By: Ami McConnell and Colleen Coble Prerequisite: none Description: Best-selling author Colleen Coble and editor Ami McConnell guide you through the process of fine-tuning your brand to hit the sweet spot you need in this market. Defining your brand can be confusing, but it can get even more complicated when you’re trying to fine tune it to hit the market with the best punch. Best-selling author Colleen Coble and veteran fiction editor Ami McConnell (Thomas Nelson) discuss branding in the inspirational market and help you find your brand no matter what you write. This workshop will cover topics such as the Total Author Package, expectations that come with a brand, your responsibility to your brand, who defines your brand, trust in your publishing house, listening to your readers, goals, changes and trends in the market.

Workshop Title: 10 Ways to Make Your Characters Multi-Dimensional   (WS23)

Level: B Hosted By: Susan Page Davis Prerequisite: none Description: Ten critical components that make characters come alive.

Workshop Title: Legal Scenes Tricks & Traps  (WS24)

Level: B-E Hosted By: Cara Putman and Rick Acker Prerequisite: none Description: his workshop will teach attendees how to get law-related scenes right and will highlight some common ways they go wrong. Non-attorneys often understandably get lost in the distinctions between civil and criminal law, state and federal courts, and so on. This workshop will give attendees a road map to navigate these complexities. We will cover a series of common mistakes in legal scenes--lawyers who yell at witnesses or each other, dramatic surprise evidence, prosecutors appearing in civil cases, etc. The sort of things that pop up a lot in poorly-researched movies and books, but hardly ever happen in real courtrooms. Get tips on how to research legal issues. There are lots of invaluable and user-friendly resources that are publicly available, but most writers haven't heard of them. We will discuss some of these and give attendees the tools to answer the vast majority of their law-related questions on their own.

Sunday - Elective Workshops - 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - (you may choose one of the following)

Workshop Title: Working With Your Agent   (WS25)

Level: A-E Hosted By: Steve Laube Prerequisite: none Description: Working with your agent is a critical balance between Communication, Expectations, Frustration, and Elimination. In this "pull back the curtain" class we will be looking at the best way to create achievable expectations, develop solid communication, deal with career frustration, and even discuss when it is time to change to a different agent.

Workshop Title: The Art of Self-Editing   (WS26)

Level: B Hosted By: Barbara Scott Prerequisite: none Description: Authors are taught how to write, but no one seems to be teaching them how to edit themselves before an editor sees their manuscript. With the cutbacks in the publishing industry, editors are looking for authors who know how to step back from their work and see all those mistakes that an editor spots immediately. I always recommend that people buy the book by Susan Bell titled The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself, ISBN: 978-0393332179, published by W.W. Norton. It’s available in trade paper, hardback, and Kindle, and they can pick it up for under $10 on Amazon.

Workshop Title: How Established Authors May Avoid the “Tipping Point” of Diminishing Sales  (WS27)

Level: E Hosted By: Allen Arnold Prerequisite: **Must have 3 books published in the last 2 years Description: Publisher Allen Arnold discusses what steps authors can do to avoid hearing the dreaded news that a book is going out of print.

Workshop Title: Feeding the Muse: Creativity & Imagination  (WS28)

Level: B Hosted By: Kaye Dacus Prerequisite: none Description: Tap into your creativity and learn to silence the analytical side. The brain is like a kitchen. Reason provides the raw ingredients, imagination is the recipe, understanding and knowledge the pot and stove; the product is a complete, well-rounded “meal” or worldview. Imagination gives us the ability to distance ourselves from oppression or stress. Over the past twenty years, multiple studies have been conducted on the efficacy of creative writing as therapy. Results have shown that college students’ test scores increased an average of about one letter-grade; blood pressure and heart rate can decrease; it can improve immune function and reduce the rate of minor illnesses such as colds and flu; it can reduce psychological distress over a traumatic experience by reducing “intrusive” thoughts about the event; and so on. This workshop will explore the "three strands" of writing: Imagination, Creativity, and Inspiration.

Workshop Title: WS 29 – Author Law 101  (WS29)

Level: C Hosted By: Cara Putman and Rick Acker Prerequisite: none Description: We will address legal questions that crop up regularly on the ACFW e-mail loop, including what typical publishing agreement terms mean, how copyright works, how to avoid defamation lawsuits, etc. The first half of our workshop will walk through typical provisions in a sample publishing agreement. We'll address things like the grant of rights paragraph, royalty clauses, and reversionary rights when a book goes out of print. The second half of the workshop will address legal issues that most novelists will face during their careers. We'll answer questions including: -When do I need to get permission to use copyrighted work? -How do I get copyright protection for my own stuff? -What is this 'fair use doctrine' I've heard about and how does it work? -How can I avoid facing a defamation lawsuit? -Don't I have a First Amendment right to say whatever I want about politicians, big companies, etc.?

Workshop Title: Peace in the Process  (WS30)

Level: E Hosted By: Susan Meissner Prerequisite: none Description: This workshop will offer published authors fresh perspectives on replacing frustration, envy and resentment with purpose, focus and peace amid such disappointments as low sales, hurtful reviews and out-of-print notices. You’ve worked hard on your novel, you persevered, you sought God’s favor, you got published! A dream come true that just keeps getting better, right? Actually, publication is more like a portal that leads to new dreams, some of which just don’t seem come true no matter how hard you work or persevere or seek God’s favor. Peace can be elusive then but it doesn’t have to be. . . .