Schedule
Friday, November 5
Welcome, 6:00 - 6:25pm
- Dr. Ivan Harrell, II, President of Tacoma Community College
- Dr. Olga Inglebritson, Dean for Gig Harbor Campus and Continuing Education
Keynote and Q&A, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
- Bronwyn Scott
Keynote Speaker Bronwyn Scott is celebrating her 13th year writing historical romances with Harlequin Mills and Boon, with over 65 books in publication. Her latest release is a Christmas book, entitled Lord Tresham’s Tempting Rival, comes out Oct. 1, 2021. Among her works are the 2018 Christmas release, Dancing with the Duke's Heir, which was a RITA finalist for best novella, and her 2019 novella, An Invitation to a Cornish Christmas: Unwrapping His Festive Temptation was a 2020 Booksellers Best Finalist.
Bronwyn is a Northwest native and resident who got her start at the Tacoma Community College Writer's Conference back in 2003. She holds a master's degree in Rhetoric and in her 'real life' she is a Professor of Communication Studies at Pierce College. Bronwyn has three children, 3 dogs, and three jobs - mom, writer and professor, which proves it can be done, and you can do it too! Bronwyn firmly believes in the saying, "to get what you never had, you'll have to do what you've never done."
Saturday, November 6
Master Class with Bronwyn Scott
Session details coming soon
9:00 - 9:50am
10:00 - 10:50am
Story Forms: Pros and Cons
Session A with Dean Wells
Narrative fiction comes in multiple forms and lengths. How do they differ? How are they alike? In this class we will discuss the benefits and constraints of each, and which may work best for you.
Presenter BioFrom Page to Screen: Book-to-Film Adaption
Session B with Regina Sadono-Fletcher
This close examination of the book-to-film adaptation process will offer insights into film structure and character development. Writers in any domain will gain knowledge, skills, and tools that will support their creative process.
Presenter Bio11:00 - 11:50am
Writing Novellas
Session A with Wendy Kendall
The novella is surging in popularity with publishers and readers. This workshop reviews expectations of publishers and readers and how to write novellas. We'll also discuss opportunities and challenges to that writing craft.
Presenter BioMaster Microsoft WORD for Writers
Session B with Leslie Hall
Make WORD work for you! Tips include: page numbers, section breaks, customizing page and paragraph formatting, tables, track changes, the magic of styles, and how to create an instantaneous outline based! Plus dictating manuscripts. Writers at all levels will learn what this powerful program can do for productivity.
Presenter BioLunch and Small Group Sessions with Bronwyn Scott (must have preregistered)
Lunch on your own
Details Coming Soon
If you have preregistered for a small group session with Bronwyn Scott, you will be emailed a Zoom link to your session about 30 minutes before the session begins.
12:00 - 1:00pm
1:00 - 1:50pm
How to Create Plot Twists That Keep Readers Reading
Session A with Valerie Brooks
Plot twists can be used in any genre, but do you know the foundations of how they're created? This workshop teaches not only the types of plot twists but what a writer needs to do to set up a plot twist that matters.
Presenter BioOvercoming the Inner Obstacles to Writing Success
Session B with Christine Dubois
What's stopping you from becoming a successfully published writer? For most people, the biggest obstacles are inside. Learn to overcome procrastination, perfectionism, writer's block, fear of success/failure, lack of confidence, and more.
Presenter Bio2:00 - 2:50pm
The Devil is in the Details
Session A with Bob Balmer
Why does the woman only get her haircut on Tuesdays? Details add insight into a character and a place. Details can drive a plot. Attendees will learn how to use details to develop characters and places, as well as how extraneous details hinder the story.
Presenter BioMarketing Your Self-Published Book
Session B with Jeanne Lewis
Everything you need to know to self-publish your WIP. You will learn the steps to prepare your manuscript for publication, how to publish your ebook and paperback, build your marketing and advertising plan and design your author platform.
Presenter Bio3:00 - 3:50pm
Real-life Characters and Other Troublemakers: Make Them Toe the Line
Session A with Wayne Ude
Troublesome characters tend to fall into four types: based on real-life characters, but Grandma wouldn't do that!, villains whose only goal in life is to thwart the hero/ine , single purpose characters who just lie there on the page, and important characters who won't obey.
Presenter BioThe Art of the Hook
Session B with Wendy Kendall
Hooking your reader is a way of writing that attracts interest and curiosity in your story. It pulls people to buy your book, and within your story propels readers to keep turning pages, and prompts people to buy your next book.
Presenter Bio