Friday, April 19, 2013
Knicely Conference Center
East Lobby Entrance
2355 Nashville Road
SouthernKentuckyBookFest
Generously supported by
Kentucky Writers Conference
At A Glance
Session 1: 9-10:15 am
Session 2: 10:30-11:45 am
David Bell
, Room 112, Creating Suspense in Fiction
Allie Pleiter
, Room 113, Crafting a Career in Category Romance
Virginia Smith
, Room 175, Stories that Sparkle: Grip Your Readers with a Story that Sparkles with Life and energy
Carolyn Wall
, Room 112, Plot: Fleshing Out the Bones of a Story
Molly McCaffrey
, Room 113, To Tell the Truth: The Implications of Honesty in Memoir
Marcus Wicker
, Room 175, The Prose Poem
Session 3: 12:45-2:00 pm
Lee Martin
, Room 112, I’ll Be Brief: Crafting Flash Forms of Fiction and/or Creative Non-Fiction
Chuck Sambuchino
, Room 113, Chapter 1 Dos and Don’ts
C.J. Redwine
, Room 175, Query: Everything You Need to Get Started, Get Noticed, and Get Signed
Session 4: 2:15-3:30 pm
Janna McMahan
, Room 112, Act Like You’re Somebody! What Your Grandmother Knows about Character Development
Cynthea Liu
, Room 113, Top Ten Manuscript Mishaps That Are Holding You Back
Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
, Room 175, Revision as Reconstructive Surgery
Chuck Sambuchino
, Auditorium, Building Your Freelance Portfolio
(Writing for Magazines and Newspapers 101)
Kentucky Writers Conference Sessions
Friday, April 19, 2013
SESSION 1: 9-10:15AM
1. ROOM 112
Creating Suspense in Fiction – Even though publishers have created an entire category of books called "suspense," it would seem that suspense is a vital component of all good storytelling. Isn’t this why we read? To be held on the edge of our seats, turning pages as quickly as possible to see what happens next? This workshop will explore the creation of suspense in fiction. We will discuss techniques for grabbing readers at the opening of a novel or story as well as the best methods for doling out information to the reader so that they know enough to keep reading--but not so much that they don’t want to read on. We will also discuss the role that character, setting, and dialogue play in the creation of suspense.
David Bell
is an assistant professor of English at Western Kentucky University, where he won the Potter College Research and Creative Award in 2012. Before beginning his writing career, Bell received an M.A. in creative writing from Miami University in Oxford, OH, and a Ph.D. in American Literature and creative writing from the University of Cincinnati. Since then he has co-edited an anthology of short fiction—Commutability: Stories about the Journey from Here to There—and published four novels: The Condemned, The Girl in the Woods, Cemetery Girl, and The Hiding Place, which Publishers Weekly called "an artfully constructed tale—a powerful, provocative novel." His fifth novel—Never Come Back—will be out with Penguin’s NAL imprint on October 1st. All of his novels are available as e-books, and his most recent novels are also available on audio. Bell’s fiction has been translated and published in France, Italy, China, and Taiwan, as well as the U.K. Bell has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize five times and was a finalist for the Kentucky Literary Award in 2012.
Moderator:
Trish Jaggers
2. ROOM 113
Crafting a Career in Category Romance –
Category romance has been the Launchpad for many fiction careers. In today’s volatile market, it still remains one of the best places to begin, supplement, or even be the mainstay of a working writer’s career. That doesn’t mean "those little books" don’t have a few drawbacks. With over 800,000 books out there in readers hands – from single title fiction to non-fiction to chick-lit to historical to category – longtime Kentucky Writers Conference favorite Allie Pleiter will show you the "Yea!"s, "Nay!"s, and "Meh!"s of category romance.
An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic,
Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing has produced two parenting books, sixteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.
Moderator:
Paul Bush
3. ROOM 175
Stories that Sparkle: Grip Your Readers with a Story that Sparkles with Life and Energy –
Through a series of "Sparkle Tips," this course will address fiction writing techniques such as the proper spacing of plot points, seamless sensory description, creating tension, avoiding throw-away words, pulling readers into the fictional world from the first sentence, and adding back-story that enhances the plot without hijacking it. Then learn a 3-step revision process sure to put that final polish on your story. Handouts, discussion, and plenty of examples make this workshop a must for fiction writers.
Virginia Smith
is the bestselling author of more than twenty traditionally published novels and over fifty articles and short stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes in fiction, Ginny writes in a variety of styles, from lighthearted relationship stories to breath-snatching suspense. Her books have been finalists in ACFW’s Carol Award, the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, the Maggie Awards, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. Her romance novel, A Daughter’s Legacy, received a 2011 Holt Medallion Award of Merit.
Moderator:
Marya Davis Turley
SESSION 2: 10:30-11:45AM
1. ROOM 112
Plot: Fleshing Out the Bones of a Story –
Create the core of your story. Using nineteen kinds of details, learn when and where to add characters, setting and conflict. Then follow these simple tricks to always find the resolution!
Carolyn Wall
is the author of two widely acclaimed novels, Sweeping Up Glass and Playing With Matches, both published by Random House. Sweeping Up Glass was the winner of the 2009 Oklahoma Book Award for Fiction. Playing With Matches received a Publishers Weekly starred review and was chosen as Target’s Bookmarked Club Pick for July, 2012. Across the US, Carolyn teaches and lectures on writing from the heart, adding the subtleties readers love. Her third novel nears completion.
Moderator:
Sandy McAllister
2. ROOM 113
To Tell the Truth: The Implications of Honesty in Memoir – Memoir has become an extremely popular genre over the past twenty years: memoirs from writers as diverse as Frank McCourt (
Angela’s Ashes) and Patti Smith (Just Kids) have stormed the bestseller list. The rise of the memoir has raised many questions: Is it ever acceptable to embellish (as James Frey did in A Million Little Pieces)? Does the memoir writer owe it to the reader to be completely honest? Also, is it appropriate to re-create events and dialogue that the writer doesn’t remember verbatim? And then there are the questions about the other people who appear in the memoir: When is too soon to tell family stories? And what does the writer do when family or friends are not happy about or have their feelings hurt as a result of appearing in the memoir (even if their names are changed)? What is your obligation to those people? And how do you balance your desire to tell your story with others’ desire for privacy? Also, what happens when the writer’s subjects disagree with the writer’s version of events (like they did with Augusten Burrough’s Running with Scissors)? Of course, all of these questions raise an even bigger one: Simply, what is the truth? And can we, as writers, ever do it justice? This workshop will address those questions and offer an approach to dealing with these complicated issues.
Molly McCaffrey
is the author of the short story collection How to Survive Graduate School & Other Disasters, the co-editor of the short fiction anthology Commutability: Stories about the Journey from Here to There, and the founder of I Will Not Diet, a blog devoted to healthy living and body acceptance. Nominated for three Pushcart Prizes, an AWP Intro Journals Award, and Scribner’s Best of the Fiction Workshops, she received her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati and currently teaches English and creative writing classes at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. She is at work on her first memoir, You Belong to Us, which tells the story of McCaffrey meeting her biological family.
Moderator:
Trish Jaggers
3. ROOM 175
The Prose Poem -
In this class we will read contemporary prose poems by Zbignew Herbert, Jericho Brown, Russell Edson and others, paying close attention to the ways in which natural language and tapered pacing contribute to epiphany and consciousness. We will also begin a writing exercise that will help you generate an original prose poem.
Marcus Wicker
is the author of Maybe the Saddest Thing, selected by DA Powell for the National Poetry Series. The recipient of a 2011 Ruth Lilly Fellowship, he has also held fellowships from Cave Canem, the Fine Arts Work Center, and Indiana University where he received his MFA. Wicker’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Poetry, American Poetry Review, Third Coast, and
Ninth Letter
, among other journals. Marcus is assistant professor of English at University of Southern Indiana and poetry editor of Southern Indiana Review.
Moderator:
Tom Hunley
SESSION 3: 12:45-2:00PM
1. ROOM 112
I’ll Be Brief: Crafting Flash Forms of Fiction and/or Creative Non-Fiction –
This session will explore the writing of flash forms of fiction and creative nonfiction, those forms that create their effects though the art of compression. How do writers create something so memorable and resonant in fewer than 750 words? We’ll look at some samples and talk about some of the strategies involved in the art of the very brief story or essay. Then we’ll do a writing activity to create a flash piece of our own.
Lee Martin
is the author of the novels, The Bright Forever, a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction; River of Heaven; Quakertown; and Break the Skin. He has also published three memoirs, From Our House, Turning Bones, and Such a Life. His first book was the short story collection, The Least You Need To Know. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in such places as Harper’s, Ms., Creative Nonfiction, The Georgia Review, The Kenyon Review, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, The Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, and Glimmer Train. He is the winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He teaches in the MFA Program at The Ohio State University, where he was the winner of the 2006 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
Moderator:
Brent Fisk
2. ROOM 113
Chapter 1 Dos and Don’ts -
This workshop examines that all-important Chapter 1. It spends a lot of time going over what not to do Рlisting clich̩s and overused techniques that repeatedly pop up in chapter 1 manuscripts, with comments from agents and editors alike. Following a discussion of agent pet peeves, the workshop addresses what writers should be doing to draw readers in.
Chuck Sambuchino
edits the Guide to Literary Agents as well as the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market. His first humor book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack (gnomeattack.com), had its film rights recently optioned by Sony and director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future). His second humor book, Red Dog/Blue Dog: When Pooches Get Political (July 2012, reddog-bluedog.com), is a humorous photo collection of dogs doing stereotypical liberal and conservative things. In addition, Chuck has also written two
other writing-related titles: the third edition of
Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (2009), and Create a Writer Platform (fall 2012). Find him on Twitter
(@chucksambuchino) or online (chucksambuchino.com).
Moderator:
Nancy Baird
3. ROOM 175
Query: Everything You Need to Get Started, Get Noticed, and Get Signed – Learn how to write an amazing query letter! Course focuses on basic query structure, do’s and don’ts, how to target the right agent for you, and how to identify your basic plot and conflict to use in writing a stellar hook. If time permits, C.J. will do on-the-spot query critiques.
C.J. Redwine
loves stilettos, lemon bars, and any movie starring Johnny Depp. She is the author of Defiance, the first in a post-apocalyptic fantasy trilogy from Balzer + Bray/Harper Collins. C.J. lives in Nashville with her husband, four kids, two cats, and one long-suffering dog. To learn more about C.J., visit her website at cjredwine.blogspot.com.
Moderator:
Portia Pennington
SESSION 4: 2:15-3:30PM
1. ROOM 112
Act Like You’re Somebody! What Your Grandmother Knows about Character Development-
What makes unforgettable characters? The best fictional people somehow exemplify the best and the worst in us. But how do you create complex characters we love and love to hate? Do all protagonists have to be likable? How can you make an antagonist relatable? Learn how motivation and decisions under pressure are central to developing characters your readers will remember. Find out the secret your grandma knows.
Janna McMahan
is the national bestselling author of the novels Anonymity, Calling Home and The Ocean Inside and the novella Decorations. She has won numerous awards for her short fiction including being named a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Fiction Award. Visit www.JannaMcMahan.com
Moderator:
Trish Jaggers
2. ROOM 113
Top Ten Manuscript Mishaps That Are Holding You Back –
Children’s book author and manuscript consultant Cynthea Liu will cover the top ten manuscript mishaps she sees most often when reviewing work for publication. She will cover all genres and formats in the children’s fiction book market (picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade novels, and young adult). Find out what might be holding your manuscript back. Better yet, learn some tips and tricks to avoid these common mistakes and get your manuscript back on track!
Cynthea Liu
is author of Wooby and Peep (Sterling, ages 4-8) and Paris Pan Takes the Dare (Putnam), a humorous mystery novel for grades 4-7. Her book The Great Call of China (grades 7-12) is part of Speak’s bestselling S.A.S.S.
series. Based in Chicago, Cynthea has spoken to a number of schools in Illinois and across the country. She has also been a guest speaker for national
conferences organized by the American Library Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and the International Reading Association, among others. She is also a writing coach and faculty member for conferences associated with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and local universities and colleges. She has been featured on ABC’s Chicago 7 and the Chicago Sun Times. Finally, she is the woman behind the website www.WritingforChildrenandTeens.com, a top ten website on the subject.
Moderator:
Roxanne Spencer
3. ROOM 175
Revision as Reconstructive Surgery –
Writers and editors often liken a revision to a "deep-tissue massage" of the material, but in actuality, revision is more often like reconstructive surgery: a total rebuilding of the story on its framework. These five tips will help writers see which parts of their stories are essential and which are extraneous. Examples from Kristin O’Donnell Tubb’s new middle-grade novel, The 13th Sign (Feiwel and Friends) will be shared.
Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
’s fantasy debut, The 13th Sign (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan 2013), is the story of 13-year-old Jalen Jones, who awakens the mysterious 13th sign of the zodiac, causing everyone on earth to undergo a personality change. Tubb is also the author of Selling Hope (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan 2010), set on the 1910 vaudeville circuit. In it, Hope McDaniels cashes in on the fear of Halley’s Comet by peddling anti-comet pills. In a starred review, Booklist said it was "a bouncy tale populated by a terrific cast of characters." It is a winner of SCBWI’s 2011 Crystal Kite Member’s Choice Award and a finalist for the 2012 National Homeschool Book Award. Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different (Delacorte Press/Random House 2008), an historical fiction account of the beginnings of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was selected by the Tennessee State Library to represent the state of Tennessee at the 2009 National Book Festival and has been nominated for the Volunteer State Book Award (2011 – 2012).
Moderator:
Sean Kinder
4. AUDITORIUM
Building Your Freelance Portfolio (Writing for Magazines and Newspapers 101)
– This presentation studies the basics of freelancing – how to write articles for magazines, newspapers, and websites. It targets writers new to the arena and shows how to identify markets, how to realize your own specialties, how to structure a magazine query, how to come up with ideas,
how to resell ideas, and more.
Chuck Sambuchino
- See biography on page 5.
Moderator:
Cindy Gaffney
Special Saturday Presentation
by Chuck Sambuchino
Knicely Conference Center
- Auditorium -
1:00pm
Create Your Writer Platform
– A writer’s platform is as important as ever now. This speech teaches writers the basics of what a platform is and why it is necessary. Then we delve into the building blocks of what can constitute a platform, from media appearances and speaking engagements to social networking, Twitter, and more.
Chuck Sambuchino
edits the Guide to Literary Agents as well as the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market. His first humor book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack (gnomeattack.com), had its film rights recently optioned by Sony and director Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future). His second humor book, Red Dog/Blue Dog: When Pooches Get Political (July 2012, reddog-bluedog.com), is a humorous photo collection of dogs doing stereotypical liberal and conservative things. In addition, Chuck has also written two other writing-related titles: the third edition of Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (2009), and Create a Writer Platform (fall 2012). Find him on Twitter (@chucksambuchino) or online (chucksambuchino.com).
What You Need to Know!
• Beginning writers and high school and college students are welcome! Free parking is available. Sessions are subject to change without notice.
• You may bring your lunch or there are restaurants nearby.
For more information visit:
www.sokybookfest.org
or contact Kristie Lowry at kristie.lowry@wku.edu or (270)745-4502
Directions to East Lobby Entrance
From Nashville:
Follow I-65 North to Bowling Green. Use Exit 20 (Natcher Parkway). Follow Natcher Parkway north to Exit 6 (US 31-W). The Knicely Center is on the left about one block past Campbell Lane. It is located adjacent to WKU South Campus.
From Lexington and Louisville:
Follow I-65 South to Bowling Green. Use Exit 20 (Natcher Parkway). Follow Natcher Parkway north to Exit 6 (US 31-W). The Knicely Center is on the left about one block past Campbell Lane. It is located adjacent to WKU South Campus.
From Owensboro:
Exit Natcher Parkway at Exit 6 (US 31-W). The Knicely Center is on the left about one block past Campbell Lane. It is located adjacent to WKU South Campus.
Notes
Notes
After the Kentucky Writers Conference,
please join us for...
SouthernKentuckyBookFest
Southern Kentucky Book Fest
Saturday, April 20, 2013
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Knicely Conference Center
654 Campbell Lane
Bowling Green, KY 42104
Meet award-winning authors for adults and children, including Henry Winkler, Mary McDonough,
Obert Skye, Julie Kagawa, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.
Attend author presentations and panel discussions.
Purchase signed books for yourself or gifts for others.
FREE ADMISSION!
For a list of all authors, illustrators, and activities,
visit our website at sokybookfest.org.
