1 1/2-Day Pre-conference Workshop* with James Scott Bell
8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday 8 a.m.-12:30 Friday

Thursday: “Novel and Screen Writing Intensive”  

What does it take to sell your novel or screenplay? Find out in this 1-1/2 day power-packed workshop as bestselling author James Scott Bell shares the secrets he has learned in his highly successful writing career.

From this workshop you will: >Learn the single most important secret to selling your work to Hollywood or big publishers (or to long lasting self-publishing success); >Discover the one plot element most writers miss (dooming their chances of selling); >Find out how a misunderstanding of “character arc” might actually be hurting your story (and learn what you can do about it); >See why “inciting incident” can be confusing (and learn the more powerful concept that replaces it); >Discover a process for mining irresistible stories out of your writer's mind; >Understand why and how dialogue is the fastest way to improve your story instantly; >Know the one crucial element to apply to every scene of your book or script to keep your story from dragging; >Gain insight on how to bond a reader with a character so that they have to finish your novel or screenplay; >Learn what a “plot point” really is, and more important, what you need to do to make your plot points work; >See how to craft the perfect finishing touch: a knock-out ending.

This workshop uses analysis of film clips, hands-on exercises, and other techniques that enable you to improve your work-in-progress right in the seminar. Jim will teach you what works, why it works, and how to make it work for you.

(Includes box lunch both days)

*This workshop is NOT included in the Write Stuff conference price. A separate $130 fee is required for this workshop. If you are registering for the conference, you must also fill out a separate Pre-conference Workshop Registration Form and enclose a separate check made out to GLVWG, or register via Paypal. See conference registration page for details.

GLVWG reserves the right to cancel advance registration workshops that do not fill. In the event of cancellation, your check will be returned.

The Writer's Cafe, Conference Edition. Topic: You're in Charge, Now What?
Moderator: Bart Palamaro (Salon C)

Typically an informal gathering held the second Wednesday of the month at PBS Ch. 39 in Bethlehem, all conference attendees are invited to this special conference edition of the Writer's Cafe to network, ask questions, and share tips. In the first hour we'll be surveying the Indie (self) publishing field with a special emphasis on e-books, markets, and the new options you have to publish your books.  Pitch and critique session during hour 2.

Continuation of optional workshop and is NOT included in the Write Stuff conference price

Continuation of Pre-Conference Workshop with James Scott Bell
8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday 8 a.m.-12:30 Friday

Friday: “Novel and Screen Writing Intensive”
Continuation of special 1 1/2 day Pre-Conference workshop.*

Continuation of Novel and Screen Writing Intensive 1 ½ day pre-conference workshop with James Scott Bell 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 – 12:30 Friday

(Includes box lunch)

You’ve figured out your basic plot. You’ve developed your characters. You’re writing away, watching as your original concept morphs and develops a life of its own. You’re still in control but barely. Time to ask some critical questions. For example, are your characters consistent or do they waffle, changing as you get a new idea? What is your lead’s inner struggle and how does it play off the outward struggle? Are you letting your characters off too easily? How can you add depth or layers to your material? We’ll look at these questions and others that will help us each write our version of the Great American Novel.

**This workshop is NOT included in the Write Stuff conference price. A separate $30 fee is required for this workshop. If you are registering for the conference, you must also fill out a separate Pre-conference Workshop Registration Form and enclose a separate check made out to GLVWG, or register via Paypal. See conference registration page for details.

Page Cuts NOTE: Page cuts is now filled, you will be on a waiting list.

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"Claim your Victory in Today's Publishing Revolution"
(Open Seating)

Nervous about the new changes in publishing? Get excited instead. Join Marie Lamba, Associate Literary Agent and author, as she shows how you can chart your own publishing revolution victory. Find out some of the newest trends in both traditional and independent publishing and why she believes this all points toward a new "Age of the Writer." Discover how you can leverage these changes to make your own writing career soar. Fresh opportunities abound. Gain insights and get excited about your next steps as a writer.

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Concurrent Workshops (Open Seating unless otherwise indicated)

Creating and Maintaining Tension in Your Fiction – Gayle Roper
Tension in your writing is one of the main ingredients in keeping a story moving and a reader turning pages. We will talk about some techniques for creating and maintaining the kind of tension, both in emotion and action, that has your readers on the edge of their seats. We’ll also talk about mis-emphasis in writing as a tension killer. Handouts and examples provided.

The Business of Writing – Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer – Hana Haatainen Caye 
Running a freelance writing business can be more profitable than you may think. In this workshop we’ll cover the various types of business and creative writing opportunities that exist for writers who see beyond their fiction and poetry and want to find a way to make a living, or simply earn some extra cash, through the written word. Examples will include press releases, advertising copy, magazine articles, on hold message scripts, sales letters, webpage writing, search engine optimized writing, newsletters, and more.

Agents Panel, Moderator: Kathryn Craft
Literary agents Katie Shea (Donald Maass Literary Agency), Lauren Ruth (Bookends LLC), Rachel Stout (Dystel & Goderich Literary Management), Carrie Pestritto (Prospect Agency), and Maria Lamba (Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency) will share insights, guidelines, and ideas for writers. These agents, along with editor Laurie Edwards (Leap Books) will meet with participants to hear pre-scheduled pitches throughout the day.

Cool Tools: Tools of the Trade – Mindy Starns Clark
Due to its hands-on nature, this class is limited to 15 people. Pre-registration is required.
THIS CLASS IS FILLED, NO MORE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Have you ever seen an Alphasmart? Tried voice dictation software? Considered a treadmill desk? This interactive session gives you access to all sorts of cool tools that every writer will love.

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Concurrent Workshops (Open Seating unless otherwise indicated)

Power Revision—How to Get Your Novel in Top Shape – James Scott Bell
Taking that manuscript of yours from raw genius to sales potential--and beyond. How to cool off before you begin. What to do on the first read through. How to tackle the big issues in the right way. A systematic, rather than chaotic approach is the way to go. This workshop will show you how it's done.

Making Sense of Social Media
Join author Kristin Bair O’Keeffe for a breakdown of what aspiring and established writers need to know about social media and why it’s more important than ever to engage in the global conversation. Great tips for coming up with a social media strategy that works for you and for tracking the results of your heartfelt labor. Visit Kristin’s web site at www.writerhead.com and follow her on Twitter for writerly tips. (@kbairokeeffe)

Flash Fiction – Randall Brown
Flash is for the fearless. No wishy-washiness here. This talk focuses on the essentials of writing flash fiction: ideas, narrative structures, voice, image patterns, twisted expectations, and the like. Hear that POP! That's the sizzle of your prose, your veins like wires. That's the world where every word matters, the world of infinite yearning, where everything and everyone―writers, texts, characters, readers―lose their quiet everyday world and enter a state of intense arousal and desire. Oh Baby. Micro. Sudden. Flash. Fiction. Awww!

How to Break into the Young Adult Market: A Q&A Session – Joyce McDonald
This informal discussion is aimed at answering questions about writing for the YA market and how to go about getting your book published.

Concurrent agent and editor appointments

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