John Gilstrap is the New York Times bestselling author of seven thrillers. His new series character, Jonathan Grave, is former Delta, released from the Army under circumstances that will be revealed over time, and now he's a freelance hostage rescue specialist. He's the finest friend you could ever have, and the worst enemy. No Mercy, the first entry in the series, hit the shelves in June of 2009, with Hostage Zero released earlier this month. John’s previous books include Six Minutes To Freedom, Scott Free, Even Steven, At All Costs, and Nathan’s Run, four of which were selections of the Literary Guild. His novels have been translated into more than 20 languages. John has also adapted four bestselling novels for the big screen: Red Dragon (uncredited) from the Thomas Harris novel for Dino DeLaurentiis Productions, Word Of Honor (from the Nelson DeMille novel, for Dino DeLaurentiis Productions); Young Men And Fire (from the Norman Maclean book, for Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures/Warner Brothers); and Nathan’s Run (from his own novel, also for Warner Brothers). He is currently under contract to write the screenplay for Six Minutes To Freedom for Sesso Entertainment. A former firefighter, EMT, and explosives safety expert, John holds a master’s degree in safety engineering from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. [Purchase John's books]

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

Friday, July 30, 3:10-4:10 pm: Broken Bones, Ballistics and Backdrafts: Technical Stuff That Writers Should Get Right. Before becoming a bestselling author, John spent fifteen years in the fire and rescue service as a firefighter and EMT, responding to well over 4,000 emergencies. With a master's degree in safety engineering, he is a well-respected expert in explosives and hazardous materials. This session will answer the kinds of questions that can make or break a good action sequence: What actually happens when someone gets shot? Can you really run on a broken leg? What's it really like to be in structure fire? Do backdrafts really happen? How silent are silencers? Learn the answers to these questions and more, plus some chemistry, physics and physiology for the common man. (Warning: Contains graphic imagery)
Saturday, July 31, 11:30 am-12:30 pm: Whose Story Are You Telling? Choosing the correct point of view is one of the key elements of dramatic storytelling. John has been praised by Publishers Weekly for "flawless characterization" in his books, and in this interactive session, he'll walk you through the critical decisions that help you propel your story through the most dramatic set of eyes. Bring paper and a pen, because there'll be a writing exercise.
Saturday, 3:15-4:15 pm: Blood on the Page: Using Research to Create Credible Fiction. John’s critically-acclaimed thrillers feature military tactics and surveillance, but he has never served in the armed forces. In this session, you'll learn how to make minutes of research look like years of first-hand experience.
Saturday morning Buttonhole Topic: How do weapons really work?

MARCUS SAKEY

Marcus Sakey is the bestselling author of four novels. His latest, The Amateurs, was called “genius” by the Chicago Tribune. He attended the University of Michigan, two majors, both promptly ignored. Collected single terms at grad schools in several states. Ten years in advertising and marketing gave him the perfect experience to write about thieves and killers.

To research his books, Sakey has shadowed homicide detectives, toured the morgue, gone shooting with Special Forces soldiers, ridden with gang cops, and learned to pick a deadbolt. His first novel, The Blade Itself, was featured on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR, and chosen both a New York Times Editor's Pick and one of Esquire Magazine's "Top 5 Reads of 2007." Ben Affleck's production company has bought film rights for Miramax. The Chicago Tribune called his second novel, At the City’s Edge, "nothing short of brilliant." His third, Good People, came out to wide critical acclaim, with movie rights selling to Tobey Maguire. [purchase Marcus' books]

INTENSIVE SESSION:

How to Keep a Stranger Up All Night: Secrets of Suspense Writing: There’s a word for a book that’s impossible to put down: "Published." No matter your genre, creating suspense is central to good storytelling. In this interactive session we’ll look how to create conflict on every page, how character and theme can be used to heighten tension, and how good plot structure can guarantee that readers—and editors—are desperate to find out what happens next.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

Secrets to Getting Published (Joint session Marcus Sakey & John Gilstrap): Finishing the book is just the beginning of the process. Join bestselling authors Marcus Sakey and John Gilstrap as they explain every step, from editing your manuscript through writing a query, landing a top agent, and signing the book deal.
How Not to Knock Yourself Out of the Game: You’re dedicated, smart, and talented. Now all you need to do is not shoot yourself in the foot. Learn six common mistakes aspiring writers make—and how to avoid them.
Celestial Navigation: Techniques to Guide You Home: Writing is hard. But there are tricks to make it easier. Bestselling novelist Marcus Sakey shares the secrets he’s discovered, from the big picture (“Never write about someone who isn't at the end of their rope”) to the hands-dirty details (“Leave out every word you can.”)

SEAN CHERCOVER

Sean Chercover grew up in Toronto. He spent summers in Georgia, with his grandmother in Louisville (pronounced, Lewis-ville, not like that city in Kentucky) and with cousins in Atlanta. During his teens, Sean worked in the television industry in Toronto and Montreal. After high school, he worked on the underwater documentary series, The Last Frontier. Sean lived in South Carolina for a spell, then moved to the Windy City, where he earned a BA in Indecision at Columbia College Chicago. He attended the American Security Training Institute, qualifying to work as a private detective, security consultant and bodyguard. With Illinois Blue Card in hand, he went to work as a private detective in Chicago. He later moved to New Orleans, where he continued to work as a PI.

In the mid '90s, Sean returned to Toronto and the television industry, where he worked as a writer and video editor on about a gazillion documentaries and industrial videos, a few "reality" shows, infomercials, and so on. He also wrote for children's television, including the award-winning Once Upon A Hamster. Sean's first feature screenplay, Scared Money, sold to Gannaway Pictures in Los Angeles but later died in development hell.

And then there's the glamorous stuff: over the years, Sean has worked as a truck driver, waiter, nightclub magician, car-jockey and encyclopedia salesman. Sean, his wife, and their son live in Toronto and Chicago.

Big City Bad Blood, was published in hardcover by William Morrow and in paperback from Harper Fiction. It won the Shamus, Gumshoe, Crimespree, and Lovey awards for best first novel, and was shortlisted for the ITW Thriller, Arthur Ellis, Barry and Anthony awards. The second Ray Dudgeon novel, Trigger City, won the 2009 Dilys Award and the Crimespree Award for best novel.

His short story, "One Serving Of Bad Luck" won the CWC Dagger award in the UK. And his short story, "A Sleep Not Unlike Death" won the Anthony Award, and was shortlisted for the Edgar and Macavity awards.

DINTY W. MOORE

Dinty W. Moore’s memoir Between Panic & Desire (University of Nebraska) was winner of the Grub Street Nonfiction Book Prize in 2009. His other books include The Accidental Buddhist, Toothpick Men, The Emperor’s Virtual Clothes, and the writing guide, The Truth of the Matter: Art and Craft in Creative Nonfiction. Moore has published essays and stories in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer Magazine, Gettysburg Review, Utne Reader, and Crazyhorse, among numerous other venues. A professor of nonfiction writing at Ohio University, Moore has won many awards for his writing, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction. [purchase Dinty's books]

INTENSIVE SESSION:

The Art of Characterization in Fiction and Nonfiction: The people we write about in our novels and short stories are fiction, while the folks we write about in our memoirs and creative nonfiction are real, but the same rules apply in either case. These people—strangers, family members, figments of our imagination, or the author/narrator/self—must function as characters on the page. They must be brought to life through their actions, reactions, words, and intimate details, and they must hold readers' interest long enough for the story to unfold. This interactive workshop--complete with in-class exercises--will focus on a variety of strategies contemporary writers use to bring vivid characterization to fiction and nonfiction.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

Who Am I Today? Finding Your Voice in Nonfiction Writing: Your singular nature and experience matters and can fuel your writing, even if you didn’t grow up in a family of acrobats or spend ten years sleeping alongside lions on the African veldt. It is not what happens to us in our lives that makes us into writers, it is what we make out of what happens to us. This brief session will explore ways of bringing your unique voice onto the page.
The Truth About a Comfortable Chair: Writing Humorous Prose and Poetry: You can’t force a joke. You can’t “pretend” to be funny. You can’t sit in front of your keyboard and simply decide that “I’m going to write something funny now.” You have to amuse yourself, and take honest pleasure in your own amusement. We’ll use brief exercises to explore what makes humor work in your own writing.
The Art and Craft of the Personal Essay: The personal essay is perhaps the oldest form of nonfiction prose, and yet it remains one of the most commonly misunderstood. Some people persist in the belief that the essay needs to be antiquated and moldy, while others claim the essay must follow a menu of 100 creativity-destroying rules. These misconceptions are unfortunate, because the personal essay is a wonderfully flexible and creative form, as fresh and inventive as the writer wishes it to be. In this session, we'll explore the art of essay writing, with prompts and exercises.
No Such Thing as Writer’s Block: Writers block comes when the voices in our heads drown out our confidence, and anyone who has tried to be a writer knows how persistent those voices can be. But you don’t have to listen to those voices, just because they are there. This brief session will offer useful strategies to keep those voices at bay and keep you writing, even on those days when you want to run screaming from the room.

DEBRA MARQUART

Debra Marquart is a professor of English at Iowa State University. She teaches in the MFA Program in Creative Writing & Environment at Iowa State University and the Stonecoast Low-Residency MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. Marquart's work has appeared in numerous journals such as The North American Review, Three Penny Review, New Letters, River City, Crab Orchard Review, Cumberland Poetry Review, The Sun Magazine, Southern Poetry Review, Orion, Mid-American Review and Witness.

In the '70's and '80's, Marquart was a touring road musician with rock and heavy metal bands. Her collection of short stories, The Hunger Bone: Rock & Roll Stories draws from her experiences as a female road musician. Marquart continues to perform with a jazz-poetry rhythm & blues project, The Bone People, with whom she has released two CDs: Orange Parade (acoustic rock), and A Regular Dervish (jazz-poetry).

Marquart's work has received numerous awards and commendations, including the John Guyon Nonfiction Award (Crab Orchard Review), the Mid-American Review Nonfiction Award, The Headwater's Prize from New Rivers Press, the Minnesota Voices Award, the Pearl Poetry Award (Pearl Editions), the Shelby Foote Prize for the Essay from the Faulkner Society, a Pushcart Prize, and a 2008 NEA Creative Writing Fellowship.

A performance poet, Marquart is the author of two poetry collections: Everything's a Verb and From Sweetness. Her memoir, The Horizontal World: Growing Up Wild in the Middle of Nowhere, was published by Counterpoint Books in 2006. It received the "Elle Lettres" award from Elle Magazine and the 2007 PEN USA Creative Nonfiction Award. Marquart is currently at work on a novel, set in Greece, titled The Olive Harvest, and a roots memoir about emigration, geographical flight, and cultural amnesia titled Somewhere Else this Time Tomorrow. [purchase Debra's books]

INTENSIVE SESSION:

Stop-Time: Finding Poems in Photographs: The photograph is a phenomenal visual record of a personal and cultural moment, powerful in its static remembering of otherwise fluid moments in lives. In this intensive poetry session, we'll begin by discussing the composition and visual details contained in several famous (and not-so-famous) photographs. Then we'll move to the personal by completing a series of generative free-writing exercises, followed by discussion, using participants' photographs as starting points. All participants in this session are asked to bring two photographs-- old or recent, casual or formal. These need not be photographs that the participant took, nor does the participant need to be featured in the photograph. However, they should be photographs that have some resonance, for whatever reason, for the author. The hope is that the free-writes will provide participants with good starting drafts for poems that can be taken home and revised/polished later.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

"Smells Like Teen Spirit": The Use of Smell in Writing: As writers we know that supplying significant detail from the five senses is one of the most effective and efficient means to transport readers into our narratives. Yet, some senses (sight, sound, touch) seem to be privileged in writing, getting far more ink, while others (taste, smell) seem to get short shrift. In a recent New Yorker article, "The Dime Store Floor," author David Owen goes on a "smell tour" of his childhood, revisiting his old dentist's office and his childhood home, in addition to a museum and a dime store that he frequented as a child. "Certain smells go all the way down to the core of memory," Owen writes, "and encountering them again can set off reverberations." In this session, we'll discuss the complexity and problematics of describing smells, as well as the importance of cultivating a well-balanced sensory palate in our everyday lives, so that we will have a well-balanced palette of sensory details to choose from in our writing.
The Souvenir: Travel Writing, in Miniature: Travel memories, as we process them after a trip, are often random, disjointed, and confusing. They are most often stored in the memory as fragments and impressions. These flashes of image, gesture, sensual detail, and anecdote that we saw along the way are a bit like those mute souvenirs (the shot glass from Kentucky, the two-inch replica of the Eiffel Tower) that we pick up on our travels as reminders-in-miniature that we did, in fact, journey to that place that lingers now only in our memory and imagination. In this session, we'll look at a few vivid postcard-sized excerpts from travel narratives and discuss strategies for creating cohesion between the fragmented memories to create a larger coherent rendering of a travel experience.
Facing the Beauty: Divining Your Book’s True Shape Through the Chaos of Drafting: A developing book project is like a free-floating constellation of orbiting planets, meteor showers, spare moons, and interesting space junk that has wandered into your book’s gravitational field throughout the process of researching. While drafting, one wonders what to leave behind, what to keep, where to put everything, and whether or not all this accumulating detail will amount to any kind of meaning for a reader. The idea for the book was beautiful when you first imagined it, almost fully formed in your mind. Now, as each line and paragraph develops—so steeped in the particular and the anecdotal—the process can get chaotic, making it hard, if not impossible, to glance up from the close work and divine the book’s true shape. At this point, some writers find it helpful to step back and identify a higher theoretical structure appropriate to the book’s content (e.g., aesthetic, linguistic, mythic, postcolonial, feminist) as a sobering lens to re-illuminate the material and re-inform the process. In this session, we’ll talk about strategies for conceptualizing the book’s larger shape and prevailing themes while in the middle of the sometimes ugly process of drafting.
Coffeehouse Event/Friday Evening Performance Description – From Poetry to Song: Author/Songwriter, Debra Marquart, will perform some of her songs and poems. A member of a jazz-poetry, rhythm & blues project, The Bone People, Marquart was a road musician in rock and heavy metal bands in the 70s and 80s. With her band, she released two CDs: Orange Parade (songs), and A Regular Dervish (jazz-poems). She continues to perform--solo and with her band--at colleges and museums around the country.

CANDACE FLEMING

Candace Fleming awarded herself the Newbery Medal in fifth grade after scraping the gold sticker off the class copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and pasting it onto her first novel—a ten page, ten-chapter mystery called Who Done It? She’s been collecting awards (her own, not Elizabeth George Speare’s) ever since. Today, Candace is the versatile and acclaimed author of more than twenty books for children, including the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award-winning biography, The Lincolns; the bestselling picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!; and the beloved Boxes for Katje. She is a popular speaker at conferences, schools, and writer’s workshops. [purchase Candace's books]

INTENSIVE SESSION:

Picture This: Writing the Picture Book: By far the largest number of submissions received by children's book publishers are picture book manuscripts. Unfortunately, most of these stories can never be published. Why not? Because their authors did not understand the rigid requirements this unique art form demands. In this fun and relaxed workshop you will discover how to make the basic structure of the picture book work for your story. You will uncover the critical language of this specialized genre, and acquire the tools to make your story sing; learn how to suggest visual scenes and apply techniques for seamlessly integrating story and words. Our time together will be spent in writing exercises, peer review, brainstorming and individual critique.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

Make 'Em Laugh: Writing Humor for Kids: Nothing sells better than humor in today's children's market, but surprisingly, editor's receive few funny stories. Come and discover various techniques for "funnying" up your story, and how to apply them to your writing.
Tales From The Truth: Writing Nonfiction for Children: This workshop will explore the growing market for creative children's nonfiction, from research to ways of artistically weaving facts into a compelling story.
Life In the Spotlight: Author Opportunities After Publication: It's for the published author to determine how much time and energy to devote to self-promotion. This workshop will not only provide participants with publicity techniques and the fine points of creating fruitful relationships with the media, it will also detail the vast public speaking and presentation opportunities open to children's authors.
The Hero and the Shadow: Adversity in Children's Books: Your story is only as strong as the adversity your hero faces. Come and learn how to reveal your hero's strengths and weaknesses, and how battling impossible odds makes a satisfying story.

ANN TATLOCK

Ann Tatlock is a novelist, an annual faculty member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and a co-director of the Honored Authors Program of the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival. Her books have received numerous awards, including the Christy Award and the Silver Angel Award from Excellence in Media. Most recently, her novel The Returning was named one of Library Journals Best Books of 2009. Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, NC. [purchase Ann's books]

INTENSIVE SESSION:

Writing Christian Stories: They’re Not Just for Sunday School Anymore --Some forty years ago, Christian publishing houses started offering the occasional bible-based novel and romance stories. From that small beginning, fiction has become a major force in the Christian Booksellers Association, with hundreds of novels published each year in a dozen genres. Jump on board this publishing phenomenon by learning how to weave together characters, plot, narrative and dialogue to create a story about real people dealing with real-life issues from a faith perspective.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

Ideas and Inspiration: Every novel begins with a single idea. How do you find an idea that works, and how do you develop it into a full-length novel? And is it true that characters have minds of their own and have a say in what happens to them? Come and find out.
Sharpening Your Own Blue Pencil: You are not only your novel’s author but you are its first editor. A sloppy manuscript is unlikely to move beyond the slush pile, no matter how compelling the story. Learn what to look for when getting your manuscript ready for the marketplace.
Nonfiction Article Writing 101: Writing articles for magazine and e-zines is a great way to break into publishing. Learn the basics of crafting the compelling article, as well writing the query letter that will catch an editor’s eye.

DENNIS HENSLEY & HOLLY MILLER

Dennis E. Hensley, Ph.D., is a contributing editor for Writers' Journal and the author of eight textbooks on writing, including How to Write What You Love and Make a Living at [purchase here]. He has written 51 books, including Millennium Approaches (Avon), Uncommon Sense (Bobbs-Merrill), and Money Wise (Harvest House). He directs the professional writing major at Taylor University. His 3,000 freelance articles have appeared in Reader's Digest, Success, People, The Writer, Writer's Digest, and Downbeat, among dozens of others.

Holly Miller is an editor with The Saturday Evening Post and co-author of Feature & Magazine Writing [purchase here]. She and Dennis Hensley have collaborated on four novels and three nonfiction books.

Their Thursday interactive Intensive Session Manuscript Makeover is designed for those fiction and nonfiction writers who are ready to take a quantum leap forward in enhancing their writing skills. Participants will submit 5-to-10 pages of a manuscript in progress. The instructors will edit and critique these pages and display them (anonymously) to the class as a way of revealing strengths and weaknesses in the material. Additionally, the instructors will lead the students in writing exercises and offer advice on such topics as enhancing dialogue, learning to self-edit, mastering proofreading, finding the right markets for manuscripts and knowing when and how to go into writing full-time. This session is limited to the first 20 persons to register. Email your sample manuscript pages to midwestwriters@yahoo.com AND mail to Midwest Writers Workshop, Department of Journalism, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306 by July 3.

UWE STENDER

TriadaUS Literary Agency founder, Dr. Uwe Stender, is a Full Member of the AAR (Association of Authors' Representatives). He received his Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. He also studied at the University of California, Berkeley and the Universitaet Goettingen, Germany. He taught at both Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh and has been widely published in scholarly journals and books. Uwe was a guest speaker at several major conferences including the SCWC in San Diego, the Crimebake (Mystery Writers of America New England Chapter), CAPA-U in Hartford, Connecticut, the Writers' League of Texas in Austin and he spoke on a panel at the Book Expo America in New York City on May 28, 2009.

About TriadaUS Literary Agency, Inc.: Their best known clients are former CNN anchor Daryn Kagan, 4-time Grammy Award winning composer Lalo Schifrin, author Sarahbeth Purcell, author Dan Fante, bestselling author and 2001 NAACP Image Award Recipient for Outstanding Literature in Fiction Omar Tyree, bestselling author Michael Konik, BET's Jeff Johnson, bestselling author and relationship expert Dr. Joel Block, legendary NBA referee Bob Delaney, and popular Romance author Jennifer Horsman. They are always open to any strong fiction and non-fiction projects.

FRIDAY & SATURDAY SESSIONS:

Agent Q&A Panel
Query and Synopsis: How to Grab an Agent's Attention; and What NOT to Do: An agent receives countless queries a month, so your query and synopsis have to grab the agent's attention immediately. Typically, I decide within 5-10 seconds whether a query is interesting to me or not...which eliminates 90% or more of incoming queries within a few blinks of the eye. What can a writer do to grab an agent's attention instantaneously and what does a writer have to do to not lose the attention in the seconds and minutes after that? And thus, ideally make the agent want to see your manuscript, partial or proposal. This session will give some answers from an agent's perspective.

ROBIN MIZELL

Robin Mizell is an independent Midwestern literary agent representing authors of adult and YA fiction. Her practical tips for writers have appeared in the Writer's Guide to 2010, Screenwriter's & Playwright's Market, the Self-Publishing Review, and The Writer magazine. In addition to literary and commercial fiction, she's currently most interested in prescriptive nonfiction, long-form narrative journalism, neuroscience, psychology, sociology, and memoir.

Agent Q&A Panel
Why Agents Say No: Disqualifiers You Might Be Able to Avoid: When evaluating queries and manuscripts, agents use mental formulas. Writers who can highlight desirable qualities and exceptional qualifications while eliminating shortcomings (in their manuscripts as well as their platforms) have better chances of finding literary representation. Learn what agents look for in prospective clients and their books. In fact, congratulate yourself for attending the Midwest Writers Workshop, because acquiring a better understanding of the book publishing industry gives writers a competitive advantage. In this session, there will be plenty of time set aside for questions.

SUZIE TOWNSEND

Suzie Townsend was a high school English teacher for six years before changing careers and joining FinePrint Literary Management as an intern. She represents everything from children’s books (chapter books to YA, both fiction and non-fiction) to adult fiction (speculative, fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, and romance, especially paranormal). She’s interested in strong characters and voice driven stories that will keep her up at night. Suzie gravitates towards strong female protagonists, complex plot lines with underlying political, moral, or philosophical issues, and stories which break out of the typical tropes of their genre, like Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series. She is also interested in select narrative non-fiction (with special interest in food, memoir, pets, pop culture, and teaching). She’s not interested in screenplays, poetry, or picture books. She lives in Philadelphia with four dogs who know that chewing on shoes is okay but chewing on books is not.

Agent Q&A Panel
The Dreaded Synopsis: You've written and revised your novel, polished your query, and then the agent/editor asks you for...the dreaded synopsis. Or: you’re applying for a grant, fellowship or residency and you want to include an excerpt of your novel or book-length work of non-fiction, and you’re asked to include…yup, the dreaded synopsis. Before you toss your computer out the window, let me prove to you that your synopsis doesn't have to be so dreadful. Instead, you can turn it into a strength that gets whoever’s reading it excited to dive into your book.

AMY BOGGS

Amy Boggs is an associate agent at the Donald Maass Literary Agency. She is actively building her list with a focus on fiction, particularly fantasy (both urban and traditional), science fiction, mystery, young adult, and children's. Works that challenge their genre or crossover genres are also welcome. She worked previously for the Beth Vesel Literary Agency and is a graduate of Vassar College.

Agent Q&A Panel
Creating a One-Line Pitch: "So, what is your book about?" It's a question every writer faces but many have difficulty answering. This session aims at helping writers craft an all-purpose, one-line pitch for their next query, conference, or neighborhood barbeque.

JANE FRIEDMAN

Jane Friedman is publisher and editorial director of the Writer's Digest brand community at F+W Media in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she oversees Writer's Digest magazine, Writer’s Digest Books, and the Writer's Market series. Writer's Digest is the world’s #1 resource and community for writers, and for more than 85 years has published the best-selling annual reference guide, Writer’s Market. She has a near-daily blog, There Are No Rules (blog.writersdigest.com/norules).

How to Succeed as a Writer When Print Is Declining: 3 Models: It used to be that writers could cut their teeth writing for newspapers and magazines, and work their way to success, even authorship. But what happens when those print opportunities just don’t exist anymore? Learn the three models that successful writers have used to further their careers when the traditional methods have stopped working.
Marketing & Promoting Yourself Before the Book Deal (Even If You’re an Introvert): Facebook, Twitter, and forums—oh my. Online communities and social media tools should be a part of every author’s marketing arsenal, but most writers don’t understand how they can really make difference using them. This session helps give you a framework for using these sites effectively, and with a reasonable amount of time invested—but most of all, while having fun and growing your writing life in a meaningful way.
Build Your Author Website in an Hour (for Free): You’ve probably heard that every writer needs a website (or maybe a blog). Maybe you’ve felt like doing such a thing was beyond your capabilities, time, and resources. This session will show you, in real time, how to start a site in just an hour, using the tools you have now, and without spending a dime.
Someone Please Explain E-Books to Me—And Why Should I Care?: Should writers care about e-books, e-book devices, or any of the gadgetry that’s now making its way into daily life (Kindles, Nooks, iPhones, iPads, Droids)? Learn what the landscape is like for publishers and authors alike, and how you can use the newest technologies to get a jump on your own career.

GARY HENSLEY

Gary's sessions will focus on the Business Side of Writing. His articles have appeared in Writer's Digest, Writers' Journal, Christian Communicator and several other professional publications. He will cover the business and tax aspects of your career as a professional writer/author. His experience includes working for national and local CPA firms, the Michigan Department of Treasury as an auditor, and as a tax consultant for the Ford Motor Company. As a self-employed accountant/tax consultant, he was enrolled to practice before the IRS for 20 years. He holds both Bachelor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Saginaw Valley State University.

Four Tax Schedules Every Writer Needs to Understand: Attend this session to learn the four critical tax schedules that can make you or break you financially as a professional writer. Don't count on your tax preparer to develop your tax-saving strategies. Also, as part of this session, Gary will cover the key documentation you will need to substantiate your deductions. Handouts to attendees.
Are You a Professional Writer? Don't wait for an IRS audit to find out. Attend this session to find out what it takes to be considered a professional writer in the eyes of the IRS. Learn what you have to do now to nail down your professional status and why you don't want your writing efforts classified as a hobby. This year's expanded session promises to be the best ever on this challenging issue. Handouts to attendees.
What You Need to Know to Maximize Your Business Travel Expenses: This session will show you how to capture maximum deductions for travel, meals, entertainment and the business use of your vehicle. Stop losing significant tax deductions. The information in this session alone will provide immediate and future tax savings that will surpass the entire cost of your attendance at this workshop. Handouts will be provided.

D.E. JOHNSON

D.E. Johnson's literary debut, a historical mystery entitled The Detroit Electric Scheme, [pre-order here] will be published by St. Martin's Minotaur in November, 2010. Dan is a veteran of the Midwest Writers Workshop and was a 2009 Midwest Writers Retreat Fellow. A graduate of Central Michigan University, Dan is a history buff who has been writing fiction since childhood, but had to hit his midlife crisis to realize he should get serious about it. After taking classes, reading everything about writing he could find, and writing for hours every day, he hit on the right subject and genre, and wrote a book that Loren Estleman calls "a LES MISERABLES for the American experience."

The early Twentieth Century, a time of big ambitions, huge achievements, and crushing poverty, holds a special fascination for him. Dan comes by his interest in automotive history honestly. His grandfather was the Vice President of Checker Motors, beginning work with Checker in 1924 and continuing until 1980. Fortunately, Dan doesn’t come by his interest in murder the same way.

Dan is married, has three daughters, and lives near Kalamazoo, Michigan . He’s working on his third novel, the first sequel to The Detroit Electric Scheme.

Friday Luncheon Speaker: "My Literary Novel Debut: How I Got Here From There"

TRACY RICHARDSON

Tracy Richardson is the President of Luminis Books which she started with her husband and publisher, Chris Katsaropoulos, in October, 2008. Luminis looks to publish literary fiction and YA/middle grade fiction that is wise and meaningful. Tracy has a background in sales and marketing and Chris has been a publishing executive for over 25 years. They are also both authors and in 2008 decided to use their combined talent and experience to form Luminis Books to publish the work of other authors as well as their own novels. Luminis currently has two literary fiction titles and two YA titles for 2010 with more scheduled for 2011. Tracy is also writing her second YA novel.

Saturday Buttonhole the Expert
Panel: Choosing How to Publish

LAURIE GRAY

Laurie Gray earned her B.A. from Goshen College in 1986 and her J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1993. From 1986-1990 Laurie taught high school Spanish, working summers as an interpreter in Guatemala. An experienced trial attorney and child advocate, Laurie is the founder of Socratic Parenting, LLC (www.SocraticParenting.com), co-creator of Token of Change™ (www.TokenofChange.com), and a consultant for Sophie’s Café (www.SophiesCafe.org). She is a former columnist for Fort Wayne Woman magazine and has published numerous articles. Laurie also served on the faculty at the 25th and 26th National Symposiums on Child Abuse in Huntsville, Alabama in 2009 and 2010. Laurie is the author of the young adult novel Summer Sanctuary (Luminis Books/May 2010) [order here].

Saturday Buttonhole the Expert
Panel: Choosing How to Publish

PATRICIA KEIFFNER

IBJ Book Publishing which specializes in helping authors achieve success. Whether you have written a novel, a historical profile or you are a business person with aspirations of creating a “book as your business card,” they are dedicated to offering the personal guidance you need. They have created an easy and gratifying way to turn your unpublished work into a finished book. The next step is to partner with IBJ Book Publishing and let their experienced and talented team bring your creativity and expertise to life. IBJ Publishing, 41 E. Washington Street, Suite 200, Indianapolis, IN 46204. www.ibjbp.com

ADVANTAGES OF PUBLISHING WITH IBJ

Clients receive professional services, resources and guidance from an experienced team throughout the process

Author retains 100% ownership and control

Time – Faster production/printing schedule

Profit – By handling your own promotion, you get a bigger share of the profit

Saturday Buttonhole the Expert
Panel: Choosing How to Publish

SHIRLEY JUMP

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing women’s fiction and romantic comedies (Vegas Pregnancy Surprise, July 2010) to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. As AJ Whitten (www.ajwhitten.com), she also writes horror young adult novels for Houghton Mifflin’s Graphia imprint with her daughter (The Well, September 2009). She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.shirleyjump.blogspot.com. [purchase Shirley's books]

Saturday Banquet Speaker, "The Secrets of Successful Writers"