Workshops
Fantasy Culture Creation
Morgan Chalut
Writing fantasy is a blast – all the world is yours to create! So where do you begin? Luckily enough, you can join this workshop on culture creation! Bring a pencil and paper because it is time to write down some ideas. We will discuss several places to start and a whole host of directions to go in the development of your fantasy culture. Let’s talk language, death rituals, taboos, family structure, numerology, diet, fashion, and technology. And then, after a long drink of water, we’ll dive deeper!
Tarot for Writing Workshop: The Hero’s Journey and the Fool’s Journey
L.J. Keys
Join LJ Keys, author of Before I Sleep: Poetry, Prose, and Peculiarity to explore the similarities between the Hero’s Journey and the Fool’s Journey. Learn how to use the age-old archetypes present in the major and minor arcana to help direct your plot, scene, or book. Come ready with difficult characters, complex plot lines, and irritating writer’s blocks!
Story Basics Workshop
Rook Riley
We will discuss the steps of a three-act structure and work on building interesting characters as we go. Attendees will need their favorite way to take notes in order to participate.
Material Culture in Daily Medieval Life
Scribal Workshop with Lucas & Bethany Tucker
This class will explore writing tools and materials leading up to the renaissance period as well as fiber arts tools and materials from the same periods. The session will focus on the hands on and physical aspects of the tools and materials in both writing and fiber arts, as well as a few other recreated daily objects, discussing cooking, fire, etc. This session will be very dynamic and variable depending upon participant questions.
Presentations
Every Scene is a Love Scene – Even When Everybody Dies
Bill McCurry
We’ll discuss the idea that scenes can better resonate with our readers when we ask ourselves, “Where is the love in this scene?” This applies to all genres, not just romance. We’ll cover the origin of this idea and talk about examples.
Writing the Fight
Sam Nash
Do you have to know how to fight to be able to write about fighting? No, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. Much. Join the performers from A Play on Swords to learn more about how they craft a fight for stage, and how you can use that in writing a fight for the page. We will go beyond the bare bones of fighting and discuss why people fight, how they go about it, and how different cultures have looked at fighting. Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about the art of simulating violence, whether it be in person or in writing – and maybe take a chance to swing a sword (safely!) while we’re at it.
Quick and Dirty Novel Outlines
William Ledbetter
Whether you’re a planner or a pantser, this quick and dirty method of outlining is a hybrid that starts with a simple list and can work for anyone.
Writing Diverse Characters
Richard J. Gonzales
The United States is becoming increasingly diverse. The US Census recently announced the largest ethnic group in Texas is Latino at 40 percent. Editors and publishers have received pressure and criticism to publish more books with diverse characters for all age groups. Enterprising writers search for ways to include diverse characters in their stories. This class will review the steps to take on how to include authentic characters from diverse origins and to avoid the pitfalls of stereotypes.
How to Write Flash NonFiction: Short & Sweet
Minadora Macheret
This workshop will help you learn the elements of writing flash nonfiction to help explore the possibilities in seemingly tiny moments. We will use various examples and writing exercises to help us build stories, memories, and moments into sites of reflective possibility and connection.
Writing Flash: The Art of the Super Short Story
Michelle Muenzler
Flash fiction is a fantastic way to learn how to maximize your story per square inch. Here we’ll discuss how to condense the most story into the least amount of space, how much to tell versus how much to imply, and other various flash fiction techniques, including the all-important “how to stick that landing”!
Writing beyond the fight scene
Morgan Chalut
Do you want to learn to write fight scenes? Heck yeah! Do you have lots of questions about fighting? Fantastic! Learn some of the ins and outs and pitfalls of writing those violent moments that make your story’s conflict all the bloodier! Get information to help know when and where and how much! This high-energy lecture will discuss the value these scenes can add or detract and how to know which is which.
CW: discussion of violence, possibly in detail (as discussion dictates)
Villainy!
D. G. Swain
It’s more than protagonists versus antagonists, and mustache-twirling is so passe. In a world of increasing moral ambiguity, what makes a good villain? What motivates a character to act against another’s best interest? Is it really just a matter of perspective? Let’s find out! (Black hats welcome.)
Writing Historical Fiction
Mark A. Nobles
Mark writes historical fiction and folk horror but also dabbles in literary and speculative fiction.
Join Mark and he’ll show you how to augment and strengthen your writing through research. No
matter the genre, the proper research can add color and grounding elements to any story. As an
added bonus, he’ll show you how befriending library archivists can ensure you never get stuck
for ideas again!
The DOs & DON’Ts of Writing Dialogue
Chris Irby
One of the hardest disciplines for an author to master is writing dialogue that manages to be interesting while moving the story forward and/or revealing something about the characters. In this class, I’ll be sharing some of the insights and hard lessons I’ve learned about writing dialogue over the last three decades.