Spring Conference 2005 was held at Peace College in Raleigh, NC. 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 Spring Conference is like.

Session II Classes

Saturday, May 21, 2:00-4:00 pm, Flowe Hall

FICTION - Make a Scene: Emotional Elements of Fiction, with Quinn Dalton
This workshop is appropriate for fiction writers working within the short story or novel form. Emphasis will be placed on scene development-the purpose of scenes, how to decide whether to use scene or summary to build emotional tension in a story, how to get "in" and "out" of a scene. Within this framework, we will address through discussion and in-class exercises the elements of scenes: character, setting, and time. Participants of all levels are welcome.

POETRY - Writing the Journey, with Jaki Shelton Green
This workshop will explore the relationship between the external world (sensory perceptions, place, music, etc.) and the interior (thoughts, emotions, memory, amnesia). Through these investigations, the participants will elicit writing that speaks about their personal journey. To further explore the topic, writers in this workshop will explore the blending of words and objects. Using an exercise called, "What we keep keeps us," and with the help of "kept" objects and ideas as triggers, writers will begin their own journeys. Letters, diaries, photographs, jewelry, clothing, furniture, plants, recipes, heirlooms and treasures can all be the source of the writer's inspiration, the story line, and the details that bring our poetry and characters to life. Writing is a "dig," a searching, and a recovery. Each participant should begin a short archaeological "dig" before coming...identify and bring your bag of "artifacts" with you and we will see where they take us!

CROSS GENRE - Generating Stories from Songs, with Charisse Coleman
Characters, conflict, resolution-a whole, vivid world in four minutes or less. Explore how great narrative songwriters use rhythm, persona, time, place and mood to create compelling characters and stories. We'll listen to Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, and Lyle Lovett, among others. Then get ready to write, using elements of the songs themselves as a basis for your own lively, imaginative prose.

CROSS GENRE - Creating from History: Researching in Three Dimensions, with Philip Gerard
For the writer of stories-both factual and fictional-the whole world is a fascinating archive of records, experiences, and artifacts, all of which can be mined to create living scenes with passionate characters. In this session we'll approach research as part treasure hunt, part investigative reporting, and discuss ways to integrate what we discover into stories of all kinds. I'll use examples from my recent work following the course of Paul Revere's midnight ride for a novel-in-progress.

ROUNDTABLE - What You Should Know About Self-Publishing
This panel discussion will be led my Edwina Woodbury, president of the Chapel Hill Press; Patricia Perkins, travel writer and biographer who keeps a blog at www.livejournal.com; and novelist Louis Stannard author of China Diaries (www.chinadiaries.com). Participants are encouraged to include questions for the panelists with their registrations.