Class Descriptions

Friday, October 24th

Note: Sessions 1 & 2 (Friday Intensive Workshops) are optional, pre-conference sessions.

Session 1: Intensive Workshops 8:45 am – 12:00 noon

  1. An Editor Helps You Polish Your First Ten Pages (bring 15 copies of your first 10 pages, typed, double-spaced), Charlotte Cook
  2. What Agents Wish Every Author Knew, Alexandra Machinist
  3. How to Write a Novel, Robert Lamb
  4. Developing Your Voice: Effective Stylistic Choices, C. E. Murphy
  5. Poetry: Holding the Flaming Word, Anne C. Barnhill
  6. The Arc of the Story (pre-conference assignments, see note 1 below), Derek Nikitas
  7. Character Growth & Plot Development, Darnell Arnoult
  8. Bringing Fiction to Life: Show Don't Tell, Beth Webb Hart
  9. Steps to Submission Success, Carrie McCullough
  10. Point of View: Options, Best Practices and Mistakes to Avoid, James O. Born

Session 2: Intensive Workshops 1:15 – 4:30 pm

  1. Breaking into TV Writing, Lee Goldberg
  2. The Shape of the Story, Jeanne Leiby
  3. Websites & Blogging: Internet Promotion and Marketing, Marshall Turner
  4. Cain & Able: Character Conflicts That Drive Your Story (pre-conference assignments, see note 2 below), Derek Nikitas
  5. You Have a Great Beginning! Now What?, Asya Muchnick
  6. Author Boot Camp: Know How to be an Effective Author in the Industry, Charlotte Cook
  7. Beginning Fiction: How to Start, Anne C. Barnhill
  8. Editing & Refining Your Novel, Carrie McCullough
  9. Poetry: Playing With Form, Darnell Arnoult

Session 3: Leveraging This Weekend 4:40 – 5:30 pm

  • Orientation with pointers on how to get the most out of your conference experience, with Jennifer Pooley, Senior Editor, HarperCollins s

Session 4: Welcome Reception 5:00 – 6:00 pm

  • Cash bar throughout the evening

Session 5: Dinner Session 6:00 – 8:30 pm

  • 6:00 Faculty Introductions – Lee Goldberg
  • 6:30 Recognition of The Petigru Review contributors
  • 6:45 Buffet Dinner with faculty-hosted tables
  • 8:00 Performance Poet – Patricia Smith

Session 6: Night Owl Gatherings 8:30 pm until

  1. Poetry Open Mic – Hosted by The Poetry Society of South Carolina
  2. Prose Open Mic
  3. Chapter Connections – Meet other writers in your geographic area
  4. Mix & Mingle - The hotel bar is located on the mezzanine level, near Open Mic & Chapter Connections

Saturday, October 25th

Session 7: Breakout Sessions / Workshops 8:45 – 10:15 am

  1. Agents' Panel Discussion: What Gets Our Attention, Stacey Glick, Irene Goodman, Alexandra Machinist, Matthew Mahoney, Philip Spitzer, & Paige Wheeler
  2. The Thirty Second Pitch, Kate McKean
  3. Publishing 101, Sulay Hernandez
  4. Slush Fest: Young Adult & Children's Books (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Claudia Gabel & Ginger Knowlton
  5. Screenwriting Basics, Lee Goldberg
  6. Understanding Christian Fiction as a Genre, David Long
  7. Exploring Tara: Elements and Style of Southern Fiction, Robert Lamb
  8. Weaving in the Backstory, James O. Born
  9. Five Things You Should Know About Poetry, Gilbert Allen
  10. Refining Your Non-Fiction Manuscript, David Forrer
  11. Point of Narration vs. Point of View, Charlotte Cook
  12. Getting Your Book Noticed, Darnell Arnoult
  13. Breaking into the Mystery Market, Michael Homler & Derek Nikitas
  14. Authorpreneurship 101: Is Self-Publishing Right For You? Richard Ridley

Session 8: Breakout Sessions / Workshops 10:45am – 12:00 noon

  1. Editors' Panel Discussion: What Gets Our Attention, Sulay Hernandez, Kathleen Gilligan, Rose Hilliard, David Long, Asya Muchnick, & Jennifer Pooley
  2. Writing a Synopsis that Sells, David Forrer
  3. Crafting a Mystery (pre-conference assignments, see note 3 below), Derek Nikitas
  4. Slush Fest: American Idol - Mainstream & Literary Novels (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Irene Goodman & Barbara Poelle
  5. Slush Fest: Poetry (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Patricia Smith
  6. Writing for the Inspirational Market, Beth Jusino
  7. Low-Maintenance, High-Impact Promotion Strategies, Beth Webb Hart
  8. The Elements of Young Adult Fiction, Daniel Lazar
  9. Writing for the Children's Picture Book Market, Margot Raven
  10. The Art of the Short Story, Jeanne Leiby
  11. Getting Your Facts Straight: Research Methods, A. J. Hartley
  12. Laws of the Universe: Creating Your Fictional World, Toni Weisskopf
  13. Personal Narratives, Tommy Hays
  14. TBA (Sponsor Session)

Session 9: Breakout Sessions / Workshops 1:15 – 2:45pm

  1. Writing the Perfect Query Letter, Daniel Lazar
  2. I Have an Agent! What Now? The Mysteries of the Agent/Editor Relationship, Rose Hilliard & Paige Wheeler
  3. Slush Fest: Mainstream, Literary, and Contemporary Women's Fiction (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Katherine Nintzel & Jennifer Pooley
  4. Slush Fest: Sci-Fi / Fantasy (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Jennifer Jackson & Toni Weisskopf
  5. Creating a Sense of Place, Beth Webb Hart
  6. Fiction Based on Real Life, James O. Born
  7. Believable Dialogue in Young Adult Fiction, Kate McKean
  8. The Eye and the Lyric Line, Forrest Gander
  9. Editing Fiction: Turning a Maybe Into a Yes, Barbara Poelle
  10. Creating Narrative Drive: Keep the Pages Turning, Irene Goodman
  11. Children's Picture Book Workshop (bring 12 copies of your first 500 words), Ginger Knowlton4
  12. If At First You Don't Succeed, Stacey Glick & A. J. Hartley
  13. Magazine Article & Feature Writing, Robert Lamb

Session 10: Breakout Sessions / Workshops 3:15 – 4:30 pm

  1. Panel Discussion: A Life of Crime: Ask the Experts, Michael Connelly, Asya Muchnick, & Philip Spitzer
  2. Writing a Synopsis that Sells, Alexandra Machinist
  3. Slush Fest: Literary Fiction, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Kate McKean & Katherine Nintzel
  4. Slush Fest: Non Fiction (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Daniel Lazar & Jennifer Pooley
  5. Slush Fest: Inspirational Fiction (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Beth Jusino & David Long
  6. Visualization as a Writer's Tool, C. E. Murphy
  7. Plot: The Shape of Your Story, Beth Webb Hart
  8. Unveiling Yesterdays, Patricia Smith
  9. The Surprises of Writing Memoir, Anne C. Barnhill
  10. Developing a Story's Language and Voice, Darnell Arnoult

Session 11: Faculty Book Signing, Poetry Readings & Mixer 4:45 – 6:00 pm

  • Cash bar throughout the evening

Session 12: Dinner Session 6:00 – 9:00 pm

  • 6:00 Announcements, General Remarks – Lee Goldberg
  • 6:30 Keynote Speaker: Michael Connelly
  • 7:15 Plated dinner with faculty-hosted tables
  • 8:30 Carrie McCray Literary Awards

Session 13: Night Owl Gatherings 9:00 pm until

  1. Prose & Poetry Open Mic (combined)
  2. Genre Connections – Meet other writers in your genre
  3. Mix & Mingle - The hotel bar is located on the mezzanine level, near Open Mic & Genre Connections

Sunday, October 26th

Session 14: Breakout Sessions / Workshops 8:45 – 10:15 am

  1. Editors' Panel Discussion: What Gets Our Attention, Michael Homler, Katherine Nintzel, & Toni Weisskopf
  2. Finding the Agent That's Right For You, Jennifer Jackson
  3. Platforms That Sell, Irene Goodman
  4. Slush Fest: Mainstream, Memoir, Women's Fiction & Historical Fiction (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Rose Hilliard & Daniel Lazar
  5. Slush Fest: Short Fiction (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from plus one copy for a reader to read from), Jeanne Leiby
  6. The Place of Faith in Fiction, David Long
  7. The Heart of the Story, Margot Raven
  8. Freeing the Artist Within: Lessons in Creativity, Anne C. Barnhill
  9. Eco-Poetics, Forrest Gander
  10. Editing Fiction: Spinning a First Draft Into Gold, Charlotte Cook
  11. Writing for Television, Lee Goldberg
  12. Young Adult Workshop (bring 12 copies of your first 500 words), Ginger Knowlton4
  13. Creating and Building Suspense, James O. Born

Session 15: Breakout Sessions / Workshops 10:45 – 12:15 pm

  1. Agents' Panel Discussion: Avoiding Common Submission Mistakes, David Forrer, Daniel Lazar, Kate McKean, Philip Spitzer, & Beth Jusino
  2. The Career Novelist, Paige Wheeler
  3. Editing Your Novel, TBD
  4. Slush Fest: Anything Goes Book-Length Prose (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Alexandra Machinist
  5. Slush Fest: Mystery / Suspense (bring 2 pages on transparencies plus one copy for a reader to read from), Michael Homler & Jennifer Jackson
  6. Voices in Your Head: Dialogue as a Narrative Tool, C. E. Murphy
  7. Cultivating Your Voice, Beth Webb Hart
  8. Building an Effective Author Bio, Margot Raven
  9. Writing Effectively For Young Adults, Claudia Gabel
  10. The Dual Origin of Poems, Gilbert Allen
  11. Screenwriting: Novel to Script, Lee Goldberg
  12. Creating Your Own World, Tommy Hays
  13. Authorpreneurship 101: Is Self-Publishing Right For You?, Richard Ridley
  14. Sponsor Session TBA

Notes:

1. To get the most out of The Arc of the Story, Derek Nikitas requests that attendees prepare as follows:

  • Read Aristotle's Poetics (can be found online)
  • Read Bloodwork, by Michael Connelly (novel)
  • Watch Memento (film, directed by Christopher Nolan, 2000)

2. To get the most out of Cain & Able: Character Conflicts That Drive Your Story, Derek Nikitas requests that attendees prepare as follows:

  • Watch LA Confidential (film directed by Curtis Hanson, 1997)
  • Read The Blade Itself , Marcus Sakey (novel)
  • Watch Closer (film directed by Mike Nichols, 2004)

3. To get the most out of Crafting a Mystery, Derek Nikitas requests that attendees prepare as follows:

  • Read The Maltese Falcon, Dashiell Hammett (novel)
  • Read The Poet, Michael Connelly (novel)
  • Read Songs of Innocence, Richard Aleas (novel)

4. Ginger Knowlton’s Children Picture Book and Young Adult Workshops will be limited to the first 11 registrants. You must register online to select these classes (but will be offered the opportunity to pay by credit card or check). We regret that we cannot take mail in registrations for these workshops.

5. Please note: Although unlikely, workshops may be cancelled or substituted without notice.