Southwest Washington Writers Conference
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Conference participants will choose one workshop from each time slot.
WORKSHOP SESSION 1: 11 a.m. Workshops
A) The Well-Trained Author: Supercharge Your Brain to Generate Great Ideas—Elizabeth Goddard
This workshop session with Q&A is for fiction writers of all levels and genres and will aid both traditionally and indie-published writers in building a book list for a successful career. Learn how to become prolific and more than a one-book wonder. The process starts with ideas and lots of them. A publisher (even if it’s yourself) doesn’t want a book; he or she wants an author. In this workshop, you’ll learn where to find inspiration, how to become an idea ninja and a master curator, meaning you’ll learn techniques for developing an eye to see which in your idea-collection is the absolute best of the best to present to the world—an idea you can transform into a great novel. Then do that all over again.
B) Making Audiobooks: Reaching Ears and Hearts—Jon Drury
Audiobooks are one of the fastest-growing ways for readers and listeners to connect with the message of your book. Don’t be left behind! Learn how to transform your book into an audiobook, either by doing it yourself or finding a narrator and studio. Audiobooks can increase your income stream.
Jon Drury has published more than 500 devotionals, and articles, and for twenty-one years directed the Christian Writers Seminar. His book BOU Pilot tells of his flying in Vietnam. Jon’s writing journey led from devotionals to articles then books. At Mount Hermon, Jon received the David Talbott Special Recognition Award.
C) Understanding Narrative Flow— Lindsay Schopfer
Readers may struggle to describe a story with bad narrative flow. They may use terms like clunky, disjointed, unfocused, or just plain bad. Join Lindsay Schopfer to learn how to arrange your story for a smooth, natural reading experience. Students will learn how to transition between subjects, how to identify superfluous statements, and how to structure sentences that are both enticing and easy to read.
Lindsay Schopfer is the award-winning author of five novels and two collections of short stories. His steampunk-flavored fantasy series, The Adventures of Keltin Moore, received an OZMA Award from the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Lindsay’s workshops and master classes on the craft of writing are top-rated in writing conferences across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He teaches creative writing for Centralia College and South Puget Sound Community College. He’s also an active member of the Northwest Editors Guild.
D) Writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul—Jan Bono
Jan Bono has had fifty-seven stories accepted for publication in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, putting her in the publication’s top five contributors worldwide. She will teach participants to:
1) Write your humorous, sentimental, and entertaining life experiences,
2) Learn to follow publication guidelines to make your submission stand out,
3) Learn what it takes to have your story published in an international venue.
Jan Bono wrote a six-book cozy mystery series set on the Southwest Washington coast. She’s also published five collections of humorous personal experiences, three poetry chapbooks, nine one-act plays, a collection of twelve “murderous” short stories, and one serious novel. Learn more about her at www.JanBonoBooks.com.
E) The Art of the Query Letter: How to Wow Editors and Literary Agents with a Single Page—Melissa Hart
This workshop empowers writers to grab the attention of literary agents and editors at magazines, newspapers, and publishing houses with a concise and vibrant query letter full of story promise, conflict, and surprise.
Melissa Hart’s articles and essays have appeared in Smithsonian, CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Real Simple, The Advocate, Orion, and numerous other publications. She’s the author of two middle-grade novels, two memoirs, and Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens. She’s an instructor for Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA program in Creative Writing.
F) Book Marketing & Social Media—Nell Stamper
Writing the book is only half the battle. Selling it to the public requires persistence and skills. Nell Stamper, the online content editor for Ooligan Press who runs its social media channels, including the blog, Instagram and Facebook accounts, and YouTube channel, will discuss the benefits of using social media in a writing business (it’s more than ads!); What a book launch campaign might look like; and Social Media ideas, tips and useful hints.
Nell Stamper is an editor and publishing professional, with both academic and practical experience with small press publishing. She is the founder/owner of Sea Change Wordcraft Services and a graduate of the Portland State University Book Publishing master’s degree program. She coordinates content, book launches, marketing, and author engagement for Ooligan Press. She lives and works on the Oregon Coast.
NOON LUNCH
WORKSHOP SESSION 11 1:15 p.m. Workshops
G) You Need Killer Instincts to Write Romantic Suspense—Elizabeth Goddard
This workshop with a Q&A is for romantic suspense writers of all levels and will aid both traditional and indie-published writers. Romantic suspense is one of the toughest genres to write because you need it all. You need compelling and relatable characters. You need an outstanding, nail-biting plot with plenty of unexpected twists. You need an unforgettable romance that tugs on your heartstrings. You need all of this with the ultimate goal of writing a story that’s unputdownable. Learn techniques for developing a good foundation and deep understanding of the genre, establishing the tone, twisting up your plot, and balancing romance and suspense.
H) Nancy Drew Helps You Solve the “Mystery of the Children’s Publishing Gatekeepers”—Sonja Anderson
Traditional publishing for children is worth pursuing because most books purchased for children by parents, grandparents, teachers, librarians, and bookstore buyers are published by traditional publishers. This can be a long and daunting process, yet even beginners can start from a place of strength and confidence.
We can find “secret passageways” (e.g., writing contests and “above the slush” opportunities in publications like Children’s Book Insider, etc.) that can ease our way into the traditional publishing market.
We can learn how to turn detours (i.e., rejections, “orphaned projects,” and more) into opportunities, such as transforming our research and writing exercises into articles, devotionals, and short stories for children’s magazines and anthologies. Attendees will also learn to leave no stone unturned, discovering relatively new opportunities such as Twitter pitch parties to attract agents.
Attendees will leave feeling empowered to look for and take advantage of future opportunities to show their edited and polished work to any appropriate agent and editor in the industry.
Sonja Anderson is a published author with two middle-grade novels (the first, Sophie’s Quest, has recently been re-released in an illustrated second edition), a contract for her debut picture book, and articles and devotional pieces in magazines, newsletters, and anthologies. She co-authored Mount Rainier’s Historic Inns and Lodges with her husband, Jeff, and she is an elementary school librarian assistant in Seattle. She has a master’s in education from Harvard University.
I) Unlocking Character Motivation—Lindsay Schopfer
Motivation is the fuel that allows a character to make the long journey from a story’s beginning to its ending. No other character trait will prove more useful to the writer in determining a story’s structure, pacing, mood, and theme. Participants in this course will learn how to identify character needs, how to create motivation for both protagonists and antagonists, how to increase pacing through motivation, and how to make a character’s motivation evolve throughout the story.
Lindsay Schopfer is the award-winning author of five novels and two collections of short stories. His steampunk-flavored fantasy series, The Adventures of Keltin Moore, received an OZMA Award from the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Lindsay’s workshops and master classes on the craft of writing are top-rated in writing conferences across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. He teaches creative writing for Centralia College and South Puget Sound Community College. He’s also an active member of the Northwest Editors Guild.
J) Biplanes, Juggling Clubs and My Naked Great-Grandmother: How You, Too, Can Turn Historical Research into a Celebration—Melissa Hart
In this lively and supportive workshop, Melissa will take readers on her journey to write the first draft of her historical novel, based on the lives of her vaudevillian great-grandparents. She’ll pack this presentation with the shocking newspaper clippings, photos, and other artifacts she discovered, all with an eye for giving participants concrete online resources to begin their own historical research. We’ll talk about where to find historical newspapers, photos, and videos and how to pull details from advertisements, as well as from articles and editorials. We’ll also cover how to use Ancestry.com, specific history podcasts, and documentaries in order to create living, breathing characters out of our family members and the noteworthy people that populated their lives. Participants will leave with a robust bibliography of resources so that they can immediately begin their own historical research. They’ll also understand how to incorporate research into fictional scenes in order to add authenticity to setting, characterization, dialogue, plot, and theme.
Melissa Hart’s articles and essays have appeared in Smithsonian, CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Real Simple, The Advocate, Orion, and numerous other publications. She’s the author of two middle-grade novels, two memoirs, and Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens. She’s an instructor for Southern New Hampshire University’s MFA program in Creative Writing.
K) Potent PR Secrets to Help Sell Books & Services—Julie Bonn Blank
Few can afford a full-time public relations team to pitch themselves, help their platforms, and sell more books or writing-related services. But public relations (both traditional and online) are essential pieces to do this successfully. Learn five do-it-yourself tips to get started, how to be seen as an expert in your field, and tips for managing your reputation.
When Julie Bonn Blank is not writing, she designs websites, works a day job with ARMS/Abuse Recovery Ministry Services, and loves to garden and walk the beach. She is a Certified Domestic Abuse Advocate in the State of Oregon, an expert in domestic violence, and an abuse recovery coach. She is the Facilitator of the Washington County Survivor Voices Committee and also provides training in abuse as well as on many marketing and writing topics. She serves as president of Oregon Christian Writers and facilitates North Coast Christian Writers. She and her husband have four children, one granddaughter, and one fur-child, and live in Forest Grove, Ore. Visit Julie at https://juliebonnblank.com. Download TWO free w eBooks at: https://www.innocentjourneys.com
L) Multiple POV: Defining Character Voice—Christina Suzann Nelson
Novels told from multiple points of view can be engrossing for the reader, but only if the characters are clearly defined. Missing this important skill will leave readers confused, and not in a good way. In this workshop, Christina will teach and discuss:
1) Knowing your characters inside and out;
2) Word choice and character voice;
3) Changing your environment to change your writing style.
Christina Suzann Nelson is an inspirational speaker and award-winning author of six books including More Than We Remember, What Happens Next, and the Christy Award-winning The Way It Should Be. She is the mother of six children, an advocate for children in foster care, a substitute teacher, a conference director, and the wife of her partner in this crazy adventure.
WORKSHOP SESSION 111: 2:30 p.m. Workshops
M) The Well-Trained Author: Supercharge Your Brain to Generate Great Ideas—Elizabeth Goddard
This workshop session with Q&A is for fiction writers of all levels and genres and will aid both traditionally and indie-published writers in building a book list for a successful career. Learn how to become prolific and more than a one-book wonder. The process starts with ideas and lots of them. A publisher (even if it’s yourself) doesn’t want a book; he or she wants an author. In this workshop, you’ll learn where to find inspiration, how to become an idea ninja and a master curator, meaning you’ll learn techniques for developing an eye to see which in your idea-collection is the absolute best of the best to present to the world—an idea you can transform into a great novel. Then do that all over again.
N) From Spark to Story—Melanie Dobson
Do you have the spark of an idea for a novel? Or maybe you have an entire story burning in your head and you’re ready to organize the blaze. This workshop will provide a detailed roadmap of the eight major elements needed—including strong opposition, heroic characters, and a persuasive message—to write a novel across genres that will engage and inspire readers. This workshop is meant to help new and experienced writers be able to take an idea or concept and turn it into a novel.
Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to explore abandoned houses, travel to unique places, and spend hours reading old books and dreaming up new stories. The award-winning author of almost thirty novels and co-author of the writing resource A Split in Time, Melanie enjoys researching and then weaving together historical and time-slip fiction including The Winter Rose, Catching the Wind, and her upcoming Gilded Age story, The Wings of Poppy Pendleton. Her novels have won five Carol Awards, the ForeWord Book of the Year, an Audie Award, and two Christy nominations. More information about her journey is available at melaniedobson.com.
O) Messy First Draft to Polished Manuscript—Sue Fagalde Lick
You’ve turned out a bunch of pages for a novel or memoir in a burst of inspiration or the marathon of NaNoWriMo. Congratulations! You’re off to a good start. But is it ready to publish? Not even close. What you have is a raw lump of clay ready to be shaped into a work of art. In this workshop, we work through the steps needed to create a publishable book.
The discussion includes how to make each chapter do the work it should, make sure your characters ring true, ramp up the suspense, eradicate unnecessary words, and conquer verbal tics. We will also discuss when and how to bring in help, such as critique groups, beta readers, and paid professional editors. We will look at the big picture—story, organization, characters, theme—and zoom in on sentences, excess verbiage, unconscious verbal tics, and other picky fixes. We’ll also consider changing the lens—using critique groups, beta readers, and paid editors who can see the problems you might miss.
Sue Fagalde Lick’s books include Stories Grandma Never Told, Childless by Marriage, Love or Children: When You Can’t Have Both, the novels Up Beaver Creek and Seal Rock Sound, and two poetry chapbooks, Gravel Road Ahead and The Widow at the Piano. She blogs about childlessness at https://www.childlessbymarrige.com and life on the Oregon coast at https://www.unleashedinoregon.com. When not writing, she is a Catholic music minister. She lives with her dog Annie in the woods on the Oregon Coast.
P) Flash Fiction, Prose Poems, and Micro Memoirs: Writing in Miniature—Clare Lilliston
Short-short, sudden, immediate, quick, flash, micro, nano… short forms of writing go by many names and can fall under any genre. Whether six words or one thousand, these forms require precision and curiosity. In this workshop, we will explore brevity and consider how much can be communicated in a contained space. We will learn about the differences between forms and read pieces by authors such as Lydia Davis, Joy Williams, Gertrude Stein, Anne Boyer, and Sawako Nakayasu. Then, we will experiment with compression through a series of writing exercises. A resource list will be provided with further reading and flash-focused literary journals.
Clare Lilliston, a writer and editor based in Seattle, received a master’s in fine arts in creative writing from Mills College and a bachelor’s in literary arts and critical theory from Evergreen State College. Clare’s poetry and reviews have been published in The Encyclopedia Project; May Day Press; MARY: A Journal of New Writing; sPARKLE & bLINK; The Tiny; Action, Spectacle; BOMB Magazine; Cleveland Review of Books; and Full Stop. As a writer, Clare has a particular interest in hybrid and cross-genre forms and took a graduate-level course on flash fiction. Clare has experience with planning and facilitating generative creative writing workshops at The Evergreen State College, Mills College, and Richard Hugo House.
Q) Finding the Core Message of Your Memoir—Valerie Ihsan
Theme is arguably more important in memoir than in any other genre. You need a compelling takeaway for the reader because you aren’t a celebrity coasting on your platform. You are an ordinary person who lived an extraordinary segment of your life, and you are here to write about it. In today’s presentation, you’ll discover and clarify the thematic core of your memoir, decide which structure to use, and maybe even settle on a working title. Come prepared to look underneath the plot of your story and find its true meaning.
1) Identify your Story Hypothesis.
2) Discover what your story is really about.
3) Choose one of three memoir structures.
Valerie Ihsan, Story Analyst, and Book Coach, is the author of You Can’t Dance a Lie: A Memoir of Stepping into My Truth; The Scent of Apple Tea; and Smell the Blue Sky: Young, Pregnant, and Widowed, winner of a B.R.A.G. Medallion for Top Indie-Published Books. She co-chaired the Eugene Chapter of Willamette Writers for ten years, diagnoses manuscripts as a Certified Three Story Method Editor, and helps authors write memoirs. She podcasts at the Writer Craft Podcast, loves dogs, and aims to live in Costa Rica and run writing retreats. She lives in Oregon with her husband and three dogs.
R) Having a Marketing Plan Before Your Book Releases—Christina Suzann Nelson
Is it ever too early to start your marketing plan? Christina will walk participants through the process of creating a marketing plan that will not only increase sales but could also be used to sell the book to a traditional publisher. Topics covered include:
1) Pre-Order Incentives
2) Working with a bookstore
3) Multi-Author Promotions
Christina Suzann Nelson is an inspirational speaker and award-winning author of six books including More Than We Remember, What Happens Next, and the Christy Award-winning The Way It Should Be. She is the mother of six children, an advocate for children in foster care, a substitute teacher, a conference director, and the wife of her partner in this crazy adventure. She has increased her pre-order sales with each release by using the techniques she’ll teach in this workshop.
WORKSHOP SESSION 1v: 3:45 p.m. Workshops
S) Heroes and Villains: Who Are They and Why Should We Care?—Connie Jasperson
Character creation crosses all genres from children’s books to memoirs to thrillers to epic fantasy and beyond. Who are your characters? Who do they love, and who do they despise? What is their goal? Why is this goal so important?
When we begin planning a novel, we might have the plot for an award-winning narrative in our head and an amazing cast of characters eager to leap onto the page. But until we know who the protagonist and the antagonist are when they are off duty, we don’t really know them. In this workshop, we will:
1) Explore tips and tricks to show how our characters think and react as individuals.
2) Discover their void, the need that drives them.
3) Investigate the importance of knowing our characters’ boundaries, to be able to discern what is out of character for each individual.
Connie J. Jasperson is a published poet and the author of nine fantasy novels. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies. A founding member of Myrddin Publishing Group, she blogs regularly on both the craft of writing and art history. You can find her blog and sign up to receive her posts by email at Life in the Realm of Fantasy: http://www. conniejjasperson.com.
T) Marketing to Public Libraries: An Untapped Market—Judy Gann
Public libraries are one of the most overlooked avenues for reaching readers. In this workshop, we’ll explore ways to connect with libraries in your neighborhood and across the country, look behind the scenes of the public library’s book selection/ordering process, and discuss some of the trends in library purchasing, including the selection of self-published materials, materials in various formats, such as ebooks and audiobooks, and the impact of the pandemic on selection policies.
A retired librarian, author, and speaker, Judy Gann served as the librarian for Library Insider™, a program to assist authors, publishers, and publicists in marketing to public libraries. She received the Oregon Christian Writers 2014 Trailblazer Award for her efforts to connect the publishing industry with the public library community. The author of The God of All Comfort, Devotions of Hope for Those Who Chronically Suffer, Judy lives near Tacoma where she enjoys spending time with her honorary granddaughters, taking long walks, and collecting vintage children’s books.
U) Grand Openings: Creating a Memorable Introduction to Your Story World—Alan E. Rose
Opening a book is like meeting someone for the first time. First impressions count. There are books that grab us from the very first page—by their distinctive voice, the dialogue, or the intriguing characters and situations, or by their emotional tone—and we are hooked.
This interactive workshop will explore how to entice one’s readers (or an agent or publisher) from the first page. Because they may not go on to the second.
Workshop participants will be invited to:
1) Review a selection of effective openings from successful fiction and nonfiction books,
2) Discuss what makes them effective, and
3) Experiment with the opening of their own prose work.
Participants are invited to bring four copies of the first page of their fiction or nonfiction work. During the hour, they will have the opportunity to share and get feedback from their table group, and then rewrite their opening in light of the examples shared and the feedback offered.
A worksheet will be provided with examples of effective openings and a guide to evaluating the opening of one’s own prose work
Alan E. Rose is the author of three published novels and one novella. His novel about the AIDS epidemic in the Pacific Northwest, As If Death Summoned, won the 2021 Foreword INDIES (small independent publishers) Book of the Year award for the LGBT category. Book reviewer for the Columbia River Reader and host of KLTV’s “Book Chat” program, Alan also coordinates WordFest, a monthly gathering of writers and readers in Southwest Washington State. He also has conducted numerous writing workshops and classes. More information can be found on his website at www.alan-rose.com.
V) Where Are You From? Writing About the Past for the Future”—Gretchen Staebler
Everyone has stories that future generations of family need to know. It’s up to each of us to capture them. One way to preserve a communal past that next gens will not experience (think milk bottles on the front porch, PacMan as the only video game, VHS tapes, the Fuller Brush Man, bookmobiles), along with personal history, is through a “Where I’m From” poem. (Don’t be scared off by that word. It’s fun! It’s easy!) Each participant will leave with their first “Where I’m From” poem, and a plethora of legacy writing prompts to do at home.
Gretchen Staebler is a longtime blogger and the author of Mother Lode: Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver (2022, She Writes Press). She created an enormous self-published book of her family’s WWII letters and experiences. She has been a legacy writing circle facilitator and is a workshop presenter on the subject of self-care for caregivers. She maintains a website in support of family caregivers (www.gretchenstaebler.com). She lives with her cat, Lena, in her childhood home— which provides endless legacy writing inspiration—and solo hikes as often as possible.
W) What Makes Creative Nonfiction “Creative?”—Sue Fagalde Lick
This workshop explains the elements that make up creative nonfiction and shows participants how to use the elements of fiction while writing about real life. We will read examples and write in class. What is creative nonfiction and how is it different from other types of nonfiction? We will make a scene that really happened. We’ll look at some examples and try creating scenes. We’ll explore tense, point of view, and other technical issues of writing true stories that read like fiction.
Sue Fagalde Lick’s books include Stories Grandma Never Told, Childless by Marriage, Love or Children: When You Can’t Have Both, the novels Up Beaver Creek and Seal Rock Sound, and two poetry chapbooks, Gravel Road Ahead and The Widow at the Piano. She blogs about childlessness at https://www.childlessbymarrige.com and life on the Oregon Coast at https://www.unleashedinoregon.com. When not writing, she is a Catholic music minister. She lives with her dog Annie in the woods on the Oregon Coast.
X) Plaracterization: The Kiss Between Plot & Character—Joshua Mohr
The best plots aren’t controlled by the author. They spring from the characters themselves. The writer masterminds all things, yes, but the more we as writers realize that our characters are sovereign beings with independent consciousnesses, the better prepared we are to traverse what Joshua Mohr calls “plaracterization.” During this lecture, we will ponder characters’ decision-making, the causality between plot points, and how to keep a reader flipping pages.
Joshua Mohr is the author of five novels, including Damascus, which the New York Times called “Beat-poet cool.” He’s also written Some Things that Meant the World to Me, one of O Magazine’s 10 Terrific Reads of 2009, and All This Life, winner of the Northern California Book Award. Termite Parade was an editor’s choice on the New York Times Best Seller List. His latest book is a memoir, Model Citizen, and it was an Amazon Editors’ Pick. In his Hollywood life, he’s sold projects to AMC, ITV, and Amblin Entertainment. He has taught in master’s in fine arts programs for the last fifteen years.
5 p.m. Evaluation Drawing and Book Signing
