PROGRAM
Hooking Your Reader
You have only a few thousand words to tell your story. You want to grab the reader, make their heart race and maybe laugh a little, and prevent them from leaving the page or screen before you deliver the final, satisfying twist. In this two-hour workshop, Edith Maxwell leads you through ways to hook the reader from start to finish without inducing a single yawn. The in-class exercises give you a chance to produce your own stabs at keeping your reader awake, one page at a time. You’ll leave with examples from short stories set in current times as well as in history, and with tools to craft your own nail-biting tale.
Tales from the Slush Pile
Linda Landrigan muses on what works, what doesn’t, and the state of the short story in today’s mystery market.
Ready for Round Two: Creating—and Maintaining—Series Characters
In Libby Cudmore’s presentation, participants will learn how to get their characters ready for a series with practical tips and in-class exercises.
You’ve written a brilliant short story—now what?
Tom Milani will provide a brief survey of the shifting short fiction publication landscape—paying and nonpaying markets, print and online publications—and will discuss how to find markets, what these markets typically pay, and their acceptance rates. Finally, he’ll suggest alternatives to traditional crime fiction markets for short fiction.
Everything You Forgot to Ask
Stacy Woodson guides speakers through an audience-driven Q&A and provides her perspective as an editor and award-winning writer.
You have only a few thousand words to tell your story. You want to grab the reader, make their heart race and maybe laugh a little, and prevent them from leaving the page or screen before you deliver the final, satisfying twist. In this two-hour workshop, Edith Maxwell leads you through ways to hook the reader from start to finish without inducing a single yawn. The in-class exercises give you a chance to produce your own stabs at keeping your reader awake, one page at a time. You’ll leave with examples from short stories set in current times as well as in history, and with tools to craft your own nail-biting tale.
Tales from the Slush Pile
Linda Landrigan muses on what works, what doesn’t, and the state of the short story in today’s mystery market.
Ready for Round Two: Creating—and Maintaining—Series Characters
In Libby Cudmore’s presentation, participants will learn how to get their characters ready for a series with practical tips and in-class exercises.
You’ve written a brilliant short story—now what?
Tom Milani will provide a brief survey of the shifting short fiction publication landscape—paying and nonpaying markets, print and online publications—and will discuss how to find markets, what these markets typically pay, and their acceptance rates. Finally, he’ll suggest alternatives to traditional crime fiction markets for short fiction.
Everything You Forgot to Ask
Stacy Woodson guides speakers through an audience-driven Q&A and provides her perspective as an editor and award-winning writer.