• Nicole Givens Kurtz

    OPENING KEYNOTE: When Everything Feels Terrible, Create

    In today’s challenging climate of sensationalism, inequality, and uncertainty, it can be difficult to create. However, this is exactly the right time to write and invent, to share stories and creativity. The arts are what people turn to when the world is too much, and freelancers are the architects of a society’s empathy, understanding, and comfort. In this inspirational keynote, Nicole Givens Kurtz will discuss the importance of creating in the current climate.

    CRAFT SESSION: The Art of Short Story Writing

    Short stories provide fiction writers with an important opportunity to sharpen their creative writing skills due to the compositional limitations of the form. In this instructional session, Nicole Givens Kurtz offers thoughtful tips and suggestions for taking your short story ideas from brainstorming to publication.

    Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and science fiction and fantasy” by Book Riot, which also named her one of the Six Black SFF Indie Writers You Should Be Reading. Nicole’s work has appeared in Pseudopod, Fiyah, Apex Magazine, White Wolf, The Realm (formerly Serial Box), Subsume, and Baen. She has published more than 50 short stories and is the author of the Cybil Lewis and Death Violations cyber noir series, as well as the Kingdom of Aves fantasy mystery series. Nicole is also an active instructor at Speculative Fiction Academy, and is the owner of Mocha Memoirs Press. (nicolegivenskurtz.net) NICOLE'S VIDEO PROMO

  • Don Vaughan

    The Treasures in Your Own Back Yard: Mining Your Life for Article Ideas

    Successful freelance writers understand that marketable article ideas are everywhere if you know what to look for. One area often overlooked is a writer’s own life. In this illuminating session, veteran freelancer Don Vaughan will explore how a writer’s life experience can provide a treasure trove of marketable ideas and explain how to determine an idea’s merit. As a bonus, he will give tips for developing ideas uniquely pegged on holidays and anniversaries.

    Don Vaughan has written professionally for 47 years and has worked as a full-time freelance writer since 1991. During that time, he has published more than 2,700 articles and columns in scores of publications ranging from The Saturday Evening Post to Encyclopedia Britannica. Don has also written, co-written, ghost-written, or contributed to nearly 35 books on an eclectic range of topics, but his proudest achievement is establishing Triangle Association of Freelancers (TAF). (donaldvaughan.com) 
    DON'S VIDEO PROMO

  • Kyle Marie McMahon

    Share Your Story: Memoir Writing

    Each of us has a unique story to tell, but turning a story into a memoir can be tricky. Kyle Marie McMahon covers how to mine your memories to discover the stories that shaped your life, along with other tips for crafting a compelling personal narrative.

    Kyle Marie McMahon is an author, editor, and writing instructor. Possessing a degree in English Literature and a background in project management, she has guided self-published authors to publication in genres ranging from fantasy and science fiction to self-help and essay collections. Kyle teaches creative writing, speculative worldbuilding, and self-publishing in the Triangle area. Her most popular course, “Sharing Your Story: Memoir Writing,” will be available through her website in 2024. Kyle has two books forthcoming: a nonfiction guide to memoir and an epic fantasy story. (literatusediting.com)

  • Reese Ryan

    Enhance Your Story with Compelling Secondary Characters

    Well-developed secondary characters illuminate the reader’s understanding of a story’s protagonists in a far more compelling way than narrative alone. Award-winning romance author Reese Ryan will discuss the role of secondary characters and explore methods for crafting layered, vivid supporting characters who enrich the narrative and move the plot forward without disrupting your story.

    Vivian Award-winning author Reese Ryan writes sexy, emotional, “grown folks” romance fiction set in small Southern towns. Her characters find love while navigating career crises and family drama. A two-time recipient of the Donna Hill Breakout Author Award, Reese is an advocate for the romance genre and diversity in fiction, and hosts “Story Behind the Story,” an interactive YouTube show that connects readers and writers. Reese’s books have been featured in Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, and Book Riot. (reeseryan.com)

  • Sean Flynn

    The Art of the Interview: How to Talk to Anyone About Anything

    Talking to subject matter experts and other sources is a necessary part of nonfiction freelance writing. Award-winning journalist Sean Flynn will explore the key components of a successful interview, and offer advice on both the importance of research and on crafting evocative questions that get to the heart of the topic. He will also discuss the use of recorders and other necessary tech tools.

    Sean Flynn is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist, author, and podcaster who has reported from six continents during the past 30 years. A long-time correspondent for GQ, his work has been widely anthologized and translated into nearly a dozen languages. Sean’s most recent book, Why Peacocks? An Unlikely Search for Meaning in the World’s Most Magnificent Bird, was a longlist selection for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in nonfiction.

  • Karin Wiberg

    A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing

    With traditional publishing contracts becoming increasingly difficult to land, more writers are deciding to take charge of their own literary careers via self-publishing. But the process can be complex and time-consuming. Where do you start? Gain confidence as publisher Karin Wiberg focuses on the logistics of self-publishing your work, including key steps in the production process, marketing, and more.

    Karin Wiberg is the owner of Clear Sight Books, where she helps seasoned business leaders write and publish nonfiction books. Through her ghostwriting, editing, and coaching services, Karin’s clients learn to develop a clear message and compelling voice so they can engage their audience. (clearsightbooks.com)

  • Laura Poole

    A Writer's Best Friend: Style Manuals and How to Use Them

    You have a dictionary, a thesaurus, and the whole internet to support you when writing. But do you have and use a style manual? Using one or more can make you a stronger writer regardless of genre or form. In this essential session, Laura Poole will explore what style manuals are, the many different manuals available to writers, and how to use them effectively.

    Laura Poole is a professional copyeditor for scholarly nonfiction publishers whose career spans more than two decades. She edits for Oxford University Press, Iowa University Press, University of Wisconsin Press, University of Pennsylvania Press, Duke University Press, and the World Humanities Report. In 2020, Laura won the Robinson Prize from the ACES Society for Editing.

  • Amy Jones

    CONCLUDING KEYNOTE: Plot Twist: How Not to Land Your Dream Job

    Sometimes landing your dream job seems like the unlikeliest of outcomes. Even more so when it’s literally the only position like it in the world. How can you begin to prepare for it, and should you even take that risk? In this sometimes funny, sometimes poignant keynote, Amy Jones, editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest magazine, shares the surprising plot twists that landed her in the role she coveted and what she learned along the way.

    CRAFT SESSION: 10 Ways to Catch and Keep an Editor's Attention

    Most publications receive hundreds of pitches a week from writers. So how can legitimate writers stand out in the chaos of a submission box? Amy Jones will share her top 10 tips for catching and keeping the attention of editors, along with examples of real pitches from the Writer’s Digest inbox that caught her attention and scam pitches that look like the real thing.

    Amy Jones is the award-winning Editor-in-Chief of Writer’s Digest and former managing content director for Writer’s Digest Books. She is the editor of the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market and Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market. Prior to joining the Writer’s Digest team, Amy was the managing editor of North Light Books and IMPACT Books. She also spent time producing instructional videos for ArtistsNetwork.tv. Amy is a voracious reader and has a particular interest in literary fiction, historical fiction, page-turning mysteries, and steamy romance.  AMY'S VIDEO PROMO