I will be on several panels and teaching three workshops during the course of the weekend. The workshop descriptions are listed below, but for additional details, please visit the official program website.

The Spoken Word

Creating compelling and believable conversations is key to capturing and keeping a reader’s attention. In this presentation we will talk about how to listen to everyday conversation to understand the natural flow of spoken language, complete exercises to improve a writer’s ear for dialogue, and layer tension and characterization in dialogue. We will also discus linguistic taboos, pop culture dos and don’ts, code switching, and other social phenomenon relating to language.

Organizational Tools and Programs for Authors

Sometimes, the hardest part of drafting and editing is keeping track of all the moving pieces of a story. In this presentation, you will be introduced to four programs, some familiar and others less so. We will discuss ways in which these programs can be used as tools to keep a book or series organized and it will include demonstrations of each. When possible, templates will be made available for participants to practice from.

The Web of Worldbuilding

There are rules to every world, and they interconnect as intricately as a web. An author has to  know how these threads knot together in order to help a reader build  bridge from their reality to the book’s. In Erica Cameron’s presentation, we will discuss what worldbuilding is and how to form a world around one key point–concept, setting, character, or other element. In addition to the deep worldbuilding of speculative fiction and the multiple avenues authors must consider when creating a world (including infrastructure and upkeep), we will also discuss the ways in which the rules of worldbuilding apply to realistic fiction of all subgenres. Additionally, we will touch on how maps can be used in the development of a world.