• Turning Ideas Into Stories – Dr. Linda Beed
• Authors as Activists – Kathleen Cross
• Creating Strong Characters – Sharon Ewell Foster
• Powerful Plots – Dr. Venise Berry
• Scene & Setting – Gwynne Forster
• Dialogue & Style – Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Learning to Layer – Dr. Venise Berry
• Developing Emotion in Fiction – Stacy Hawkins Adams
• Point of View – Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Writing the Novel: Story & Structure – Dr. Venise Berry (4-hour Saturday workshop)
• Writing Your Memoirs – Dr. Anita Heiss
• Secrets of Group Writing & Collaboration Success – Melanie Trausch & Chiquita Board
• Creating Your “Write” Space – Dr. Jacqualyn Green
• Self-Editing Techniques & Tricks – Michelle Chester
• Writing Christian Fiction – Sharon Ewell Foster
• The Elements of Romance – Dr. Angela Benson
• Writing the Nonfiction Book – Dr. Anita Heiss (3-hour Saturday workshop)
• Self-Publishing – Sara Freeman Smith & Mack Smith
• Marketing the Write Way – Renee Daniel Flagler
• ImPRESS the Press – Cheryl Pullins
• Write Some Cents Into It – Nakia Laushaul
• Quit Your Day Job & Write – Dwan Abrams
• Travel Writing – Dr. Anita Heiss
• Playwriting 101 – Bryan-Keyth Wilson
• Getting Started in Screenwriting – Bryan-Keyth Wilson
• From Book to Film – Vincent Alexandria
• Speak Easy – Patricia Haley
• Legal Matters That Matter to Writers – Tonya Marie Evans, Esq.
• How to Profit From Poetry – Marc Lacy
• Open Reading Critique Sessions – Dr. Linda Beed & Stacy Hawkins Adams
• Start Your Own Editing Business – Michelle Chester (3-hour Saturday workshop)

The Writing Craft

Turning Ideas Into Stories

Linda Beed
Skill level: Beginner

No reader should exit a book the way they entered. Readers have an expectation to be intrigued, entertained and/or enlightened by what they read. If your desire is for your novel to be one that is read, reread and recommended to others you will need more than just a good or popular idea. Award-winning author Dr. Linda Beed will inspire and equip the aspiring, novice and seasoned writer with tools necessary to turn ideas into reads that leave indelible impressions upon the reader.

Authors As Activists
Writing the Change You Want to See in the World

Kathleen Cross
Skill level: All levels

There are as many motives for becoming an author as there are lukewarm coffee mugs aside worn-out computer keyboards. Some writers, inspired by their own love of reading, desire to create for others the joy that’s been created for them. Others simply have a story to tell that they believe is worthy of an audience larger than the family, friends and coworkers whose ears they’ve bent one time too many. Still others are in it strictly for financial gain, and their dream of hitting the Times Bestseller List urges them forward (even after learning that the vast majority of writers will never make an ample living at their craft).

There is another group of writers whose motivation is as simple as this: They have something important to say that they believe will make a positive change. Unfortunately, many writers who desire to use their talent to send a “message” to readers have no idea what they’re in for. Whether you are writing novels or nonfiction, attempting to plant meaningful messages in your manuscript can easily result in a minefield of preachiness, propaganda and proselytizing-all of which will destroy the chances of your book being published or purchased.

This session is for the author/activist with an admitted agenda who wants to know how to successfully convey that agenda to readers. Some of the questions asked and answered in this session are:

• What are the messages I want to convey in my writing? How is that different from theme?
• What are some examples of authors who expertly conveyed their “agenda”?
• How do I avoid the minefields of preaching, propaganda, and proselytizing?
• Who is my audience? How can I tailor my message to be sure it reaches that audience?
• What is “didactic fiction” and how do editors respond to it?
• How do I get an agent and/or editor to support my goals?
• How can I use my message to help me market my work?
• What kinds of responses can I expect from readers?

Creating Strong Characters

Sharon Ewell Foster
Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

Want to catch the attention of agents and editors? Want your books to sell? The key is developing memorable characters. Memorable characters will get your writing noticed and get your books sold. Grab your pen and paper and join award-winning author Sharon Ewell Foster for a hands-on workshop where you will learn to create memorable, realistic characters that will jump off the page and into your readers’ hearts.

Learning to Layer

Dr. Venise Berry
Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

Powerful and effective narrative writing is essential in telling a good story. Layering is a great way to build and develop narrative. Several exercises involving use of description, word choice and metaphor will be completed. (Note: Participants should come to this workshop prepared to WRITE.)

Powerful Plots

Dr. Venise Berry
Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

There are three questions to ask when building a powerful plot for your novel. First, is the plot interesting and how will it connect with a lot of people? Second, as an important part of the plot, are your characters believable and well-rounded? Third, which format is best for your plot: linear, episodic or cyclic? These are the questions we will explore in this workshop to help you build a powerful plot.

Secrets of Group Writing & Collaboration Success
Why More Pens Are Better Than One

Chiquita Board & Melanie Trausch
Skill level: All levels

This interactive session will provide insight for aspiring and unpublished authors on the secrets to group writing and collaboration success through the examination of four topics: creative interaction development, leveraging parallel experiences and perspectives, shared material safeguarding and expanding audience reach. Each topic will be discussed and depicted though group exercises to highlight how collaborative efforts can garner superior benefits to individual writing labors. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the advantages of collaboration; learn the differences between group writing, collaboration and ghost writing; ascertain the basic principals for successful group works; and gather effective marketing strategies and tips to increase their chances for getting published.

Creating Your “Write” Space
Physical, Mental & Spiritual Practices to Diluting the Distractions

Dr. Jacqualyn Green
Skill level: All levels

Do you ever miss writing deadlines? Do you sometimes feel exhausted and unable to fill that page? Are you easily tempted by distractions such as e-mails, the Internet, family or friends? During this fun and interactive session, a combination of physical, mental, and spiritual practices which contribute to: (1) enhanced ability to focus, (2) increased creativity, and (3) maintaining the necessary balance to accomplish your writing goals, will be explored. Participants will evaluate their current “Productivity Quotient.” Both seasoned writers and writers-to-be can benefit from this session, which will include a discussion of readiness for change and essentials of maintaining balance. Attendees will leave with a “Personal Plan for Invigoration.”

Self-Editing Essentials
Techniques for Refining your Manuscript

Michelle Chester
Skill level: All levels

Don’t let the revision process intimidate you any longer! Discover how to transform your manuscript with easy to follow techniques and tips. Whether you’re in the process of writing a novel, have a finished draft you don’t know what to do with, or have a rejected manuscript you don’t know how to fix, this workshop will give you the courage you need to revise your work.

Genre Fiction

Writing Christian Fiction

Sharon Ewell Foster
Skill level: All levels

So you want to write Christian fiction? What is it? Are there rules? Who are the key players? Can you keep it real and keep it holy? Can you keep it holy and get paid? Come join one of the pioneers in African-American Christian fiction Sharon Ewell Foster and learn the ABCs of Christian fiction and join her for a no-holds-barred discussion of the controversial genre.

The Elements of Romance

Angela Benson
Skill level: All levels
This mini-workshop will introduce unpublished writers to the basic elements of romance and how to capture those elements in extra-short series romance novels as well as longer women’s fiction novels. This workshop is targeted for unpublished writers of romance. Attendees should come with a story idea that they’d like to develop. Attendees will be provided a worksheet to use during the session.

Creative Nonfiction

Writing Your Memoirs

Dr. Anita Heiss
Skill level: All levels

Is there an aspect of your life that needs to be recorded as a memoir? Is it for your own family and community or for a major mainstream audience? This workshop will help you work out your structure (by event, chronology, people, place), identify your target audience, and show you how to go about getting your story onto the page. Memoir writing is not just for older people. Anita is writing her memoirs at 41! So, if you are committed to writing your memoir — regardless of age or writing experience — and whether you have started the process or not, this workshop will help you clarify for yourself (and any potential publisher) why your memoir must be written. The workshop will involve writing exercises delving into short- and long-term memory, and will also be useful to fiction writers. Warning: be prepared to share, laugh and at times cry, because many memoirs are about telling difficult truths, whatever those truths may be. Writers of all levels are welcome.

The Business of Writing & Publishing

How to Self Publish & Market Your Own Book

Mack Smith & Sara Freeman Smith
Skill level: All levels

This workshop will cover the four P’s of Self-Publishing:

• Planning – How to plan effectively for publishing your book, including marketing plan pros and cons of self-publishing, costly mistakes to avoid, different ways to publish your book
• Packaging your book – How to design & layout your book. One word you should almost never place on your book cover. The importance of a good book title and how to arrive at one.
• Pricing your book- how to determine the price for your book
• Promoting your book – how to market and distribute your book to major bookstores & other profitable resources

Marketing the Write Way

Renee Daniel Flagler
Skill level: Beginner to Experienced

This marketing session offers the blueprint of developing, implementing and executing strategic marketing plan designed to help build brand awareness and drive sales, and is specifically geared to writers. The session will teach attendees what it takes to create a real marketing plan that has had proven results in the corporate environment. The session will also teach attendees how to build a platform in order to exponentially increase brand equity as a writer.

ImPRESS the Press
Creating an Impressive Media Kit

Cheryl Pullins
Skill level: All levels

When an author pens a book, it is only the beginning of the journey. Once you have a finished product—your book—you need to get it into the hands of readers. Although you may have a marketing plan, a very important element which sometimes goes unnoticed is a public relations plan which includes an “impressive” media kit. If you can’t get to magazine editors, newspaper journalists, etc. then your book has a much lower chance of reaching readers in mass numbers. “ImPRESSthe Press: Creating an Impressive Media Kit” is a practical and fundamental seminar designed for the beginner or novice author. This session covers the development, creation and assembly of an impressive media kit for published authors. Media kit evaluations will be provided.

Write Some Cents Into It

Nakia Laushaul
Skill level: All levels

This workshop is for the writer whom desires to turn their hobby into a possible lucrative business. The participants of this workshop will gain a working understanding of the basic fundamentals of bookkeeping. They will learn the principle of treating their zest for writing as a business, an entity separate from themselves. They will learn the importance of keeping detailed records and the tax benefits of operating as a business to optimize profits.

Quit Your Day Job & Write

Dwan Abrams
Skill level: All levels

You’ve written your book and have dreams of quitting your day job to pursue your writing full-time. You’ve heard the horror stories about how hard it is to make a living as a writer, yet you see some authors living the dream. If given the opportunity to pursue your passion, you believe you could make it work too.

This workshop will give you insight into building your brand, marketing and promoting your book in unconventional ways, and ultimately prepare you to kiss your day job good-bye.

Beyond Books

Travel Writing

Dr. Anita Heiss
Skill level: All levels

While many think travel writing is all luxury hotels and free meals, rest assured it’s not really holiday! Dr. Anita Heiss, who has published travel stories from everywhere from Las Vegas to Mallorca and all around Australia, will give participants an understanding of travel writing genres in magazines, newspapers and on-line, with practical exercises. Topics covered include: how to impress an editor with a stand-out pitch, ways to use photographs to help tell/sell your story and how to turn every destination into a desirable place to visit. Participants should prepare for this workshop by writing a 150-word travel story pitch about the 2010 BWRC host city, Atlanta; researching the travel story publishing opportunities in their own city and state; and reading Anita’s travel story on Las Vegas.

Playwriting 101

Bryan-Keyth Wilson
Skill level: Beginner to intermediate

Do you have a book that you want to see on stage? Or better yet, do you have a story in your head that you want to see come alive? This playwriting workshop, taught by renowned writer, director & playwright Bryan-Keyth Wilson, is designed for those who are interested in playwriting and would like additional knowledge on the process.

In this workshop you will receive the essential tools needed to turn your book, idea, or storyline into a play. You will be given essential tools on how to build strong characters and write a strong story arc that will have all theatre-goers on the edge of their seats. This is not your average sit down and absorb type of class; you will be writing scenes and acting them out.

Getting Started in Screenwriting

Bryan-Keyth Wilson
Skill level: Beginner

In this workshop the attendee will understand and analyze the story ARC—forming the idea into a dramatic entity with beginning, middle and end. By the end of this session the attendee will be given the essential start-up tools needed for writing for the screen.

• Finding the idea
• Centralizing the subject
• Character & action breakdown
• Screenplay structure
• Storyline structure
• Writing the treatment

Speak Easy

Patricia Haley
Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

What do you do when you are asked to speak, either impromptu or planned? Sweaty palms, panic, or just back out with any available explanation? If this is you, you are not alone. Public speaking has often ranked up there with dying as one’s greatest fear. In and out the literary world, this tool is utilized to assist in a platform to express what you believe, or what is required as a delivery, either with your employer, professional organization, or in the face of triumph, celebration, and tragedy. The tools required for dynamic speaking are simple, yet untapped with many. Learn some basics building blocks on public speaking that will allow you to unleash who you are verbally, so that eventually, you can express to anyone how you feel about your written word – or other talents given to the literary world.

Legal Matters That Matter to Writers

Tonya M. Evans, Esq.
Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

We as creative people spend a lot of time honing our creative skills
and the craft of writing itself, and necessarily so. Of course it is
vital to have a well written, well edited, professional literary work
and package. However, to go from writer to—as BWRC founder Tia Ross
says—“literary entrepreneur,” equal time must be given to
understanding the business and legal issues affecting writers. This
workshop has been developed to do just that, to bring to your
awareness the critical legal issues and answers that every writer MUST
know about the law.

In this popular, lively and engaging workshop, intellectual property
and entertainment law expert and BWRC alum Professor Tonya M. Evans
will address some of the most common and pressing issues facing
writers and other creative people in the twenty-first century. Topics
sure to be covered include how copyright is created and protected,
important changes in registration requirements, what is considered a
fair use in print and on the Internet, copyright and electronic media,
how legally to refer to real people, places, and events in one’s own
work, the real deal about the Poor Man’s Copyright, and the most
important contracts writers — especially self-published writers —
should be aware of before and after the writing phase. Plus, Professor
Evans has added a new segment to address 2010 hot topics!

Get ready to learn, laugh and take your writing career to the next level!

How to Profit From Poetry

Marc Lacy
Skill level: Beginner

For years, to many, poetry had been known as the “second literature” or “subordinate” to fiction/non-fiction. Regardless of any billing, poetry is still a valid genre of writing and is one of the more powerful forms of expression. Some say they pick fiction/non-fiction over poetry because of the sense of “longevity” in a story or essay. They would go on to imply that poetry is about the “moment.” Yes!
Poetry is about the moment and that is NOT a bad thing. From day one, this world has been filled with “momentous” occasions. With such being the case, there is plenty of room for poetry to generate funding. However, one has to be realistic in their expectations regarding return on investment. If the proper foundation is laid, then the potential is endless.

This workshop will highlight a variety of ways to creative revenue via poetic expression. A few pinpointed areas of coverage are as follows:
1. Audio Recordings
2. Books
3. Illustration Accompaniment
4. Life Performance
5. Greetings Cards

Of course, the basics will be elaborated upon as well:
1. Budgeting
2. Tour Planning
3. Event Selecting
4. Advantages
5. Drawbacks

…and much, much more.

Open Reading Critique Sessions

Stacy Hawkins Adams
Dr. Linda Beed
Award-winning authors and editors Stacy Hawkins Adams & Linda Beed will each facilitate a critique discussion group session during the conference to give writers with works in progress an opportunity to receive feedback from moderators as well as peers.

Crash Course on Writing

So You Wanna Write

Renee Daniel Flagler
Have you ever felt like you have a gift for writing and wanted to write a book but didn’t know where to start? This free workshop covers the basics of the writing process, including writing techniques, writing styles, theme, character development and plots.

Renee Daniel Flagler will present a free crash course in writing basics. Although the material discussed in this sessions is helpful to all writers, it is extremely helpful to new and aspiring writers. Registration for this workshop is not included in conference registration and is offered to aspiring novelists who are unable to attend the conference. To apply, download an application.

Post-Conference Extended Workshops

On Saturday, June 26, beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m., Dr. Anita Heiss, Dr. Venise Berry, and Michelle Chester will each offer a unique, extended workshop covering how to write a nonfiction book, the story and structure of novel writing, and how to successfully start your own editing firm. Learn more about these awesome 3- and 4-hour workshops!!

Register now to get the best savings!