Fall Conference 2004
Fall Conference 2004 was held in Research Triangle Park, NC, at the
Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center. The conference is over, but we have
left this conference information on the site so that you can refer to it as a model
of what our Fall Conference is like.
Session III Classes
Saturday, October 30, 2:30-4:00 pm
FICTION - Alive on the Page, with Elizabeth Cox
In this class we will emphasize characterization--how to make a
character come alive through dialogue, description, and gesture. I will
present examples from literature, then offer ten-minute exercises.
You will write a short dialogue, argument, or description of a character
- showing the interior of the character through specific details,
nuance, or particular speech
POETRY - Living Words: Poetry as reflection and Witness, with Phillip Shabazz
We will focus on writing free verse lyric poems, which combine Blues
sensitivity with Jazz improvisation. The intent is to witness from the
heart, by transcending protest or lament, thus creating a subtle balance
between sentimentality and illumination.
NONFICTION - Getting Personal: The Essay, with Peder Zane
Drawing from the techniques of both fiction and nonfiction, a
perfect platform for addressing the most public or most intimate of
questions, the essay is a mightily flexible vehicle. And yet, its very
possibilities make it seem daunting. This 90-minute course will draw on
masterworks of the form to show how every essay is a form of personal
expression and to explore how that foundation is the key to crafting
effective essays.
CHILDREN'S - Good Book, Bad Book, with Susie Wilde
Do you want to publish a children's book and wonder what pitfalls to
avoid? Have you ever gotten a form rejection and wondered why? Susie
Wilde, writer and children's book reviewer, has been examining books for
over two decades. She's discovered some books she's passionate about and
others that are so terrible they wind up in her Bad Book Pile! In this
hands-on workshop, Susie will lead the group in an examination of
children's books, slicing and dicing those that fail, praising the ones
that succeed. Together we'll develop a list of children's book no-no's
that will make us all better readers and writers.
SCREENWRITING - Life Begins Before Fade In, with David Sontag
The actual writing of a script is only the tip of the iceberg. The
class will explore all the work on theme, story, structure, character
and style that one should do before you ever write FADE IN.
MARKETING - Agent/Editor Roundtable: The Changing Face of Publishing
Marketing Roundtable with Shannon Ravenel,
Miriam Altshuler,
Michael Curtis,
Rita Rosenkranz, and Amy Cherry.
MARKETING - Making It As a "Well-Fed Writer," with Peter Bowerman
While most writers long to make their mark in a more literary way,
their writing passions are often pursued after a full-time job has
drained their energy and creativity. There's a better way - the
lucrative ($50-100+/hour) and surprisingly accessible field of
commercial freelancing - writing for businesses and creative agencies.
Join Peter Bowerman, author of the award-wining Book-of-the-Month Club
selection, The Well-Fed Writer, as he serves up 90 minutes of meaty
"how-to" strategies to help you get your share of this profitable work -
while enjoying a lifestyle most would envy.
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