"The Write Time" Teens 'n Twenties Writers Conference

We are presenting dynamic workshops on all aspects of writing and publishing, featuring authors, editors and agents throughout the United States. The workshops are designed to give you great tools and strategies to use in your writing — immediately! They include:
NOTE: Check-in begins at 8:15am

KEYNOTE SPEECH - Embrace The Complete Writing Experience! • 9:00am • Bob Yehling
What does it take to be a complete writer? Creativity? Storytelling? Imagination? Observation? Dedication? Tenacity? Passion? Artistry? Precision? Versatility? Willingness for new adventures and experiences – often? A little downright craziness? All of the above! Keynote speaker Bob Yehling of Word Journeys, Inc., the author of The Write Time and seven other books, shares a love of writing that began when he was 5 years old, continued when he was hired as a full-time newspaper reporter at age 16, and runs stronger than ever today. When writing burns in your heart, you can write about anything – for life!

BOOK PUBLISHING PANEL • 1:15-2:00pm during lunch break
MEET THE FACULTY & The Write Time BOOK RELEASE PARTY • 5:00-7:00pm

SESSION ONE: 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Writing Memoir, Getting Published
Verna Dreisbach • Dreisbach Literary Management • Sacramento, CA
Our resident literary agent, Verna Dreisbach, pulls double-duty in this essential workshop for everyone who wants to learn the ropes of the book publishing business. Learn how to get from idea to agent to publisher, and how to submit your materials. In the other half of the session, Verna will discuss her first love as a writer — the literary memoir. Verna will show how our life stories contain the seeds for riveting memoir.

How to Get That Freelance Assignment
Malcolm Abrams • Bloom Magazine • Bloomington, IN
In his 40-year career working primarily in New York City, Malcolm Abrams, editor and publisher of Bloom Magazine, has purchased a thousand freelance stories, hired a hundred journalists, and interviewed scores of students seeking internships. His seminar will focus on the application letter, the interview, and making a good first impression.

Novel Building
Missy Feller • Bosse High School • Evansville, IN
What goes into building a novel? How do you create and develop plot lines, conduct research and put characters together? What is narrative arc and why is it crucial? Why is backstory so important? How do you organize all the notes and materials so that you can concentrate on writing? Missy Feller will answer these and other questions in this vital workshop for all current and future novelists and fictionists.

SESSION TWO: 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Telling the Truth: Ordinary Courage for Writers of All Kinds
Beth Lodge-Rigal, Greta Hind & Kim Flowers Evans • Women Writing for Change, Bloomington, IN
Explore what it takes to get to the “truth” of your story, whether it’s your memoir, your creative non-fiction, your poems, short stories or your novel. This is an experiential workshop where writing and sharing will take place in a brief, but potent writing circle.

Fall In Love!
Joe Lee • Illustrator & Author • Bloomington, IN
A career in the arts is fraught with peril. Rejection, misunderstanding, and compromise await the budding artist at every turn. How can one persevere to success? There is only one way: fall in LOVE! Graphic novelist Joe Lee will tell his own love story with the arts and using anecdotes from the careers of many other visual and verbal artists will explain this fundamental relationship between the artist and their art.

Songwriting Basics: the Muse and the Biz
Randy Handley • Songwriter, Singer, Musician • Nashville, TN
When I was signed to the first of my five staff songwriting jobs, I had little interest in and even less knowledge of the music business. This is an error I would not advise any young person to repeat.
In this workshop, I intend to cover most of the lessons that were drummed into my consciousness by my first two 'old school' publishers. I will explain the structure of music publishing deals, give a brief overview of songwriter income, talk about the challenge of maintaining a vital connection to your own muse and disclose dazzling anecdotes about my thirty years in song.

So You Think You’re an Expert Researcher?
Carrie Donovan • Emily Okada • Mary Pagliero Popp • IU Librarians • Bloomington, IN
Googling to find information about a new movie or your favorite bank or your next travel adventure is a lot different than conducting in-depth research for a writing project. Expert researchers think about their topic, make a research plan, brainstorm possible keywords, search, find, evaluate information, and then search again. It can be a frustrating process for anyone who doesn’t know the insider tips and tricks. In this session, three librarians from Indiana University will explain what you need to know to find the best information and how to use it effectively to achieve your writing goals.

SESSION THREE: 2:15 to 3:30 p.m.

Writers Write: Backing Into a Career
Dana Carpender • Bestselling Author • Bloomington, IN
Perhaps the most common question an author hears is, "How did you get a publisher?" The accepted order is to write a proposal, find a publisher to accept it, and then start writing. Dana Carpender did it the other way around: She started writing about what interested her, and figured the audience would follow. She was right. After she'd sold 13,000 copies of a self-published book, she didn't need to find a publisher — they were coming after her. Learn how to turn your passion for writing into a career in this workshop.

Write for Life
Dee Burt • The Edge Alternative High School • Ellettsville, IN
Writing can help you to identify, reflect and clarify your life, and gain guidance and understanding of your life path. Between the lines, you uncover the missing connection to your passions. Prompted free writes and discussion will help you begin to tap into your intuition and goals and link into your purpose in this active workshop.

Developing Personal Branding and Online Presence: Market Yourself and Your Work
Selena Osterman • Marketing Consultant • Los Angeles, CA
Learn how to start marketing yourself and your work by taking advantage of the ever-increasing opportunities for self-promotion with new media. This session will help you recognize and even create an irresistible promotional platform using well-established methods, as well as the new media outlets/tools at your fingertips. Create sites, blogs and even Facebook entries that drive your presence as an author – and your sales!

Poetry
Joseph Kershbaum • Poet • Bloomington, IN
In this workshop we'll explore how to get your poems on the page and give them a little sizzle. We'll discuss poetic devices such as similies, metphaor, repition, and other tools that can make your poetry even more engaging. During this workshop we'll also discuss techniques to bring your poetry to the stage with confidence and force.

SESSION FOUR: 3:45 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Always the Write Time
Bob Hammel • Bloomington Herald-Times • Bloomington, IN
Traditional journalism clearly is taking a hard hit from the economy, but there will always be a place for people who can write clearly, concisely, informatively and entertainingly. Veteran newspaper columnist and writer Bob Hammel takes you through the ins and outs of journalism, and ways to turn your writing subjects into published articles.

Universalizing Your Experiences
Bob Yehling • Word Journeys, Inc. • Sturgis, KY
The greatest writers have one thing in common: they universalize experiences, whether their own, others’ or their characters’. Work with specific techniques to find the universal truth or theme to your experiences that connect instantly with readers and create those “A-Ha!” moments that hit our hearts and souls, and keep us turning pages. Knowing how to take your experiences to the deepest level in your writing is critical, especially for memoir writers, novelists and essayists.

Write a Play in Ten Minutes!
Breshaun Joyner • Bloomington Playwrights Project • Bloomington, IN
Come learn how writing a play can be the easiest and most fun creative exercise you'll ever have. Okay so maybe you won't write a play in ten minutes, but in less time than you think you will learn how to craft the basics of writing an original play including creating characters, dialogue, and an
imaginative and engaging plot. The techniques demonstrated in this workshop can be used regardless of skill level or experience of the young writer or the length of play.

Ten Tidbits to Get You Started in Children's Writing
Michelle Medlock Adams • Author / Children's Author / Freelance Writer • Bedford, IN
Want to be a children's writer but not sure where to begin? In this workshop, Michelle
gives you ten tips that will send you in the right direction. You'll discover how to come up with ideas, how to find the right publisher, how to break into the market and more!