Thursday, August 4

9:00 -9:15 AM       Welcome   Barbara Struna, President and Nancy Rubin Stuart, Executive Director

 

9:30-11:30 AM     The Psychology of Character            Lynne Reeves Griffin   

Do you struggle to manage a cast of characters who are distinctive, empathetic, and memorable? Authentic characters work their way into readers’ hearts and minds because the challenges they face are both recognizable and uniquely personal. This session shows writers how to use psychological and behavioral research to create leads, allies, and opponents who are more than the sum of their physical traits. Learn to move your characters closer to their goals while introducing complications to your story, putting at risk what your characters want and need, making failure more possible and dangerous.

 

12: 00 -2:00 PM   Truth Vs. Memory in Memoir    Alysia Abbott

Whenever we set out to write about our lives we realize that “truth” is a slippery concept. Memories of an event are colored by subjectivity and circumstance. Three people at a car accident may remember that scene differently, depending on their point of view. And as we change over our lifetimes, how we remember events may also change. But as nonfiction writers we owe it to our readers to tell the truth as we know it. To deliver A truth, if not THE truth. In this seminar, we will look at how different memoirists tackle the issues around truth and memory. Includes writing exercises.

 

2:15-4:15   5:00 – 6:45 PM  Writing for Young Children  Marc Aronson

Writing the text for a 32-page picture book aimed at young children is a true artistic challenge. The picture book is most similar to a film, as art, design, and page turn tell much of the story, and words must be crafted to dance with art – that the author does not create. Using storyboards we will explore how to turn an idea into a true picture book.

Friday, August 5

9:00-11:00 AM       Point of View   John Cotter

We all know the difference between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person, but there are more different shades of 3rd than we can fit on a color wheel. Free indirect, for example, in all its manifestations, remains the style de jour among contemporary fiction writers. Mastery of this style is an essential tool. In this course, we’ll study the evolution, variations, challenges, and power of Free Indirect narration. You’ll never read or write 3rd-person the same way again, and your work will be stronger for it.

  11:15 AM-1:15 PM  Striking Images for Poets & Prose Writers   Rebecca Givens  Rolland 

Writing striking images is a key way to bring both your poems and prose pieces to life–but too often, when we’re focused on plot, narrative arc, or character, we neglect to focus on the images we create through our writing. But adding such images doesn’t only make your work more lively; it can also bring you new creative directions and ideas. Through exercises and models from both poets and prose writers, we’ll identify how to highlight and enrich the images in your work. Please bring a piece in progress to this workshop.

Over two years into a global pandemic and after months of reeling from war stories that consume our hearts, all the uncertainties of our modern world can make maintaining a writing practice feel insurmountable. Best-selling novelist Marjan Kamali will talk about how to stay inspired, disciplined, and connected in our writing lives in a time of upheaval.

 

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR 2023