Write Here Write Now

A writing conference unlike any other 

8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday, October 15, 2011

Rainier Valley Cultural Center
3515 South Alaska Street
Seattle, Washington 98118

Over the course of nine creative, productive, resource-packed hours you will:

• Take part in seven author-led Mini Writing Lessons
• Write for seven sustained 45-minute blocks, designed to maximize productivity, alongside seasoned writers who will offer encouragement, support, camaraderie, and advice
• Meet one-on-one with authors who will read your excerpts, troubleshoot your ideas, doctor your plots, and otherwise help you develop your writing in private 12-minute Writers Consultation sessions
• Attend bookend opening and closing talks from bestselling authors Erik Larson and Garth Stein

CliffsNotes for Mini Lessons:

Chapter 1: Erik Larson, Killer Opening Paragraphs
From Rebecca to The Hunger Games, the elements of a killer first paragraph—whether to lull, seduce, or hook ‘em through the eyeball, and why that first paragraph is more important now, in the age of e-readers and info-glut, than ever.

Chapter 2: William Dietrich, Plotting Tricks That Have Worked Since Homer
Popular fiction writers ratchet up their plots with a bag of tricks that work again and again. Let’s talk about ways to turbocharge your story without being formulaic.

Chapter 3: Thea Cooper, Dialogue?
Sharpen your ear for dialogue that sounds real, reveals much, develops character, advances plot, and engages your reader.

Chapter 4: Erica Bauermeister, Indulge Your Senses
Most of us call upon one or perhaps two of our physical senses in our writing – here’s a chance to dive into all five.

Chapter 5: Jennie Shortridge, Getting Unstuck
Writers who spend hours at their craft often get stuck, figuratively and literally, Jennie will share her tips for moving past writing blocks as she teaches you physical therapy-approved body stretches for aching desk jockeys.

Chapter 6: Kaya McLaren, Six Traits
Gain awareness about what elements make up good writing through exposure to the Six Traits. Reflect on your strengths and the traits in which you’d like to grow.

Chapter 7: Laurie Frankel, What’s It All About?
No matter what you’re writing, it should have a point. Before we wind up for the day, we’ll make sure you’re making yours.

Writers Consultations
Sign up for any of these 12 minute sessions with a published author. You will be scheduled throughout the day during Writing Block times (never during a Mini-Lesson). Choose as few or as many as you want to, but just once per room, please. Schedules available upon check-in on October 15.

Validation Room
We all need a little love, encouragement, and positive reinforcement from time to time. Come to this room with a 1-2 excerpt of your writing to hear how pretty it is, how exciting your story, how deep your characters, and what a general all-around fabulous job you’re doing. We’ll find what’s best in your writing and lovingly tell you all about it.

Tough Love Room
As any good parent or army sergeant knows, sometimes you don’t need coddling or forgiveness. Sometimes, the only thing that will save you is tough love. We’ll take a look at an 1-2 page excerpt of your writing and tell it like it is. You’ll leave armed with ideas about how to fix what’s not yet working.

Pitch a Story/Plot Doctors’ Office
Your characters are believable. Your theme is bold and beautiful. Your prose just sings. But for the life of you, you don’t know what happens in your story. The conflict and tension sags until even you’re snoring. Does your plot make sense, keep your reader’s attention, and do what it needs to do? Or does it have holes the size of Mt. Rainier? Step into our office for plot healing from plot experts.

Dialogue Coach/Read Aloud
Making characters sound like real people—real people who sound different from one another—is hard when they all live in your head. Bring us a page or two of your dialogue, and we’ll assign parts and read it aloud so you can hear it, then help you refine it. Or perhaps you want coaching reading your own work aloud. Get up on stage, and we’ll help you do that, too.

Writers’ Confessional
Forgive you writer, for you have sinned. You overuse adverbs, and you fail to format correctly. You wile away your precious writing time on Facebook or playing solitaire. Your main character needs killing off, but you just can’t bring yourself to do it. It’s okay — we’ve all been there. Come confess your writerly sins and receive absolution plus hints for how to achieve redemption and clean up your messes.

Participating Authors:

• Erica Bauermeister
• Dave Boling
• Lynn Brunelle
• Randy Sue Coburn
• Thea Cooper
• William Dietrich
• Robert Dugoni
• Laurie Frankel
• Maria Dahvana Headley
• Erik Larson
• Kaya McLaren
• Boyd Morrison
• Kevin O’Brien
• Maria Semple
• Jennie Shortridge
• Ed Skoog
• Garth Stein

Registration

REGISTRATION OPENS SEPTEMBER 1. Registration fee: $117, includes continental breakfast and lunch.

Our scholarship lottery is now closed.

Cancellation policy: 20% processing fee will be applied to any cancellations before September 30. After September 30, no cancellations please. (Registration is transferrable—someone else may use your spot with notification to info@seattle7writers.org.)