MWW25 VIRTUAL SCHEDULE

We’re excited to extend our audience by presenting a hybrid conference. Your virtual registration allows you to:

Attend sessions live via Zoom
- Participate in the Q&A and chat!
Watch the recordings of ALL sessions and both keynotes speeches (for up to 90 days following the event)
Include your books in our Virtual Consignment Bookstore (form available on registration confirmation)
Sign up for a Manuscript Evaluation via Zoom ($50 fee)
Participate in the Early Morning CoffeeTalks
Participate in the Late Night Virtual TalkAbouts
Participate in the MWW25 Private Facebook group

We’re covering a wide array of genres and topics! You’ll find sessions on short stories, poetry, revision, research, structure, marketing, query letters, creative nonfiction, historical fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, young adult, children’s, and more! Also, there are panels about the creative process, writing life, and publishing industry. No matter what your genre, your writing will benefit from the wisdom and input of this impressive faculty. We’ll “see” you in July!

Register for MWW25 Virtual Conference Here

Midwest Writers Workshop 2025 Summer Conference VIRTUAL Schedule

Thursday July 10, 2025

ALL TIMES EASTERN

9:00 – 9:30am CoffeeTalk: Introduce yourselves, troubleshoot audio/video

9:30am – 10:30am OPENING PANEL: Why We Write – Thoughts on the Creative Process

10:45am – 11:45pm

On Earth, as it is in Heaven: The Necessity of Poetry & Kinship — A Generative Writing Workshop – Critically-acclaimed academic and author Curdella Forbes writes, in her essay “The ‘Natives of My Person’ or Blood Is Not Enough” — anthologized in How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill — that “there are many kinds of kinship, and if kinship is felt in the heart, writing brings the state of health of our heart into question” (Forbes 36). Forbes is referring to the notion that we normally think of kinship as inextricably linked to communities in which we spend the most time. However, she urges us to look beyond “familial, ethnic, national, and racial aliations” and cast our gaze onto humanity from a larger—perhaps even cosmic—vantage point (Forbes 37). From there, we can give ourselves the heart checks we need in order to love people for who they are. “On Earth as it is in Heaven,” then, is a generative writing workshop space where we’ll both read and write poems that attempt to:
- remind us that kinship is more than the individual bodies we inhabit
- question our beliefs
- move us toward a full and actionable embrace of humanity
  
  By the end of this workshop, participants will leave with a renewed perspective of poetry and humanity, as well as actionable steps toward advancing our communities—both small and large—with better heart posture and powerful poems. (Thomas Kneeland)

Revising a Novel Draft by Draft – This class will cover the path from “discovery draft” to polished manuscript. Through a mix of lecture, examples, discussion, and in-class exercises, writers will develop a stronger sense of direction for their novel-writing projects and more confidence in their own writing processes. (Rebecca McKanna)

1:00pm – 2:00pm

The Basics of Author Branding: Make Your Name Mean Something – Your brand isn’t just a logo or a tagline—it’s the reason readers pick you. This session will help you uncover what makes your voice unforgettable, craft a brand that screams “must-read,” and build a loyal audience who can’t wait for your next book. Think of it as a branding bootcamp, with the tools and tricks to get your name buzzing in all the right places. (Jessica Berg)

Writing Mental Health in YA – Mental health issues are becoming more and more pressing among teens, and it’s more important than ever to write them with an eye toward compassion and connection. Learn how to frame the story, what research to do, and what pitfalls to watch out for. (Francesca Zappia)

2:15pm – 3:15pm NEW! MWW ALUMNI HOUR

Writing Historical Fiction – Historical fiction has become one the most popular genres in the US today. Why are readers attracted to it, and why do writers write it? More important, how do we write it? What are the best ways to research? How do we know when we’ve done enough research? How do we get into the minds of people who’ve lived in very different eras? In this session, I’ll share the best common wisdom for writing historical fiction, along with challenges I’ve faced and how I’ve overcome them. (AD Nauman)
Humor Me, Please – Humor is not just for comedy writing – it’s a valuable tool which can be used to enhance all genres. Whether you are going for full-out funny, an amusing character, witty dialogue, or a little levity for a serious topic, the specific strategies presented for injecting humor into your writing will be go-to instruments on your writing tool-belt.(Shel Harrington)

3:30pm – 4:30pm

PANEL: A Little Give and Take: Responding to Reader Responses to Our Work – Asking for feedback is an essential part of the writing process. Our readers’ perspectives can take our work to new heights. But not all feedback is created equal. Which comments should you take, and which should you leave behind? (with A.D. Nauman, Rebecca McKanna, Brando Skyhorse, and Kelsey Timmerman)
Crafting a Compelling Romance – Creating a captivating romance involves several key elements that blend seamlessly to engage readers and keep them invested in the story. While both partners play crucial roles, it is often the dynamics between them that truly make a romance memorable. We’ll work on creating a romance with book baes who make you swoon while their counterparts make you proud, creating a combination that will have your readers coming back for more. (Kay Shanee)

6:30pm – 8:00pm Keynote Speech: Brando Skyhorse

9:00 pm – 10:00 pm Late Night VIRTUAL Talkabout

Friday July 11, 2025

ALL TIMES EASTERN

8:30am – 9:00am CoffeeTalk: Say Good Morning and get ready for another day of writing advice and inspiration

9:00am – 10:00am

Getting the Shape of Your Story in Shape – Notecards strung out across the floor? Giant Post-it notes on the wall beside a whiteboard that hasn’t been erased in 27 years? Red yarn connecting ideas that only make sense to you? You’re either trying to catch a serial killer or you’re a writer struggling with structure. In both cases, you’re sleep-deprived and mumbling things like “it all connects!” to an empty room. This class will introduce strategies to help students draw the shape of their stories. Our goal is for each writer to leave with a tidy drawing that makes sense of their mess of words. (No drawing talent required!) (Kelsey Timmerman)

Writing Mysteries & Thrillers – This class will look at the genre of mystery and thriller novels, covering techniques for building suspense, raising the stakes, creating red herrings, inserting plot twists, and more. Through a mix of lecture, examples, discussion, and in-class exercises, writers will leave with a better understanding of the genre and a start on their own novels. (Rebecca McKanna)

10:15am – 11:45pm NEW! POWER HOUR

There are too many topics to cover in one conference, even when it’s three days! In this session, faculty will deliver mini spiels of condensed wisdom on a topic of their choosing. Get ready for rapid-fire inspiration and practical advice!

1:00pm – 2:30pm AFTERNOON KEYNOTE WITH JANE FRIEDMAN

2:45pm – 3:45pm

From Idea to Publication: Creating a Children’s Book – Writing a children’s book is an exciting journey that combines creativity, passion, and a touch of magic. The love for reading starts when children are in the womb, and your book might be the one to spark a child’s love for reading. You can transform your idea into a children’s book that excites and inspires young minds. We will discuss how to get your children’s book from an idea into the hands of the next generation. (Kay Shanee)
Is it a memoir when I remember so little? – In this workshop you will use images – postcards, photographs, drawings etc. – as a way to jolt your memories awake and jumpstart your writing. You will study the connection between the visual and the written, the lived and the imagined, the factual and the remembered, while engaging in a number of dynamic writing exercises to hone your craft as creative prose writers. Please bring your own childhood photos or other images you find inspiring. (Ania Spyra)

4:00pm – 5:00pm

PANEL: I finished it! …Now What? – Few things are more satisfying than completing a writing project. But what’s next for your work? Should you submit it to a contest? A literary journal? Should you take it to an agent or try a small press? Learn to research and navigate your options. (with Jessica Berg, Thomas Kneeland, Robin Lee Lovelace, Jaclyn Youhana Garver)

What Fiction Writers Can Learn from Pro Wrestling – Faces? Heels? Heat?? Learn how to use the foundations, lingo, and flair of pro wrestling to make your story unputdownable.(Francesca Zappia)

7:00pm – 8:15pm An Evening with Robin Lee Lovelace

We are delighted to host Robin Lee Lovelace in a featured reading and signing event, open to the community. She’ll read from her book Savonne, Not Vonny and her Indiana Author Award Shortlisted collection, A Wild Region. Attendees will also learn about her writing journey and process. This event is made possible with the support of Indiana Humanities and Glick Philanthropies.

9:00 pm – 10:00 pm Late Night VIRTUAL Talkabout

Saturday July 12, 2025

ALL TIMES EASTERN

9:00am – 9:30am CoffeeTalk: Say Good Morning and get ready for another day of writing advice and inspiration

9:30am – 10:30am

PANEL: Harness Your Creative Energy – Some things inspire us and feed our motivation; other things sap it right out of us. Discuss the ways we can stay drawn in and focused on our writing and how to avoid pitfalls along the way (Kay Shanee, Ania Spyra, Francesca Zappia)

How to Write a Short Story in 60 Minutes – Take a look at the elements of short story writing including—character, dialogue and plot—while exploring topics like emotional setting, beginnings and endings. Also, you will create a first draft of your short story. All in 60 minutes. (Robin Lee Lovelace)

10:45am – 11:45am

Is it a memoir when I remember so little? – In this workshop you will use images – postcards, photographs, drawings etc. – as a way to jolt your memories awake and jumpstart your writing. You will study the connection between the visual and the written, the lived and the imagined, the factual and the remembered, while engaging in a number of dynamic writing exercises to hone your craft as creative prose writers. Please bring your own childhood photos or other images you find inspiring. (Ania Spyra)

Lions, Liars, and AI: Using Experiences, Interviews, and Technology to Sharp Your Nonfiction & Fiction – For my latest book I protected a herd of cattle from lions in Kenya, recorded hundreds of hours of interviews while standing in jungles and on glaciers, and used ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas and refine language. There’s no better technology than boots-on-the-ground experiences to fuel our nonfiction and fiction, but we also live during a time with a host of amazing tools just a few clicks away. In this session we’ll discuss how to get the most out of our lived experiences, and how to put technology to work for our writing. (Kelsey Timmerman)

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Changing with the Times — A Generative Poetry Workshop on Ecological Memory & Ancestry – At first glance, you may not suspect anything out of the ordinary about your body, but if you just sit with it for a moment, say for the rest of your life, you’ll discover that your body knows a lot more than it lets on. Consider the moments when you unlock a core memory just by smelling or tasting something. Perhaps you’re in conversation with a group of friends and a phrase sends you back to Spring 1994. Maybe your ancestors fled their home country during the height of a civil war. Our bodies remember all of it. Consider these things a matter of ecological memory, which centers itself around the idea that our very existence responds to changes influenced by our individual and collective pasts. In this workshop, we will:
- examine works by poets who explore the concept of ecological memory
- identify our own ecological memories and respond to them through writing poems
- share our initial drafts with other workshop participants. (Thomas Kneeland)

The 6 Smartest Ways to Get Editors and Agents Obsessed With Your Query – What makes an editor or agent say, “Tell me more!” instead of “Hard pass”? In this session, we’ll crack the code on creating irresistible query letters by sharpening your hook, customizing your pitch, and sidestepping the traps that get you ghosted. Packed with insider tips and real-life examples, this is your backstage pass to landing the attention your story deserves. (Jessica Berg)

2:15 – 3:00

CLOSING PANEL: Best Writing Advice and Recommended Books on Craft