Conference Schedule

The conference begins on Tuesday morning and lasts until Friday. On the first three days, the conference begins at 9:00 A.M. and continues till 5 P.M. each day with an hour and 15 minutes for lunch. Both these days are filled with presentations, Q&A discussions, and group exercises designed to cover all vital points and issues related to the creation of a competitive novel manuscript.

In addition, we have scheduled two additional workshops, one on building needed credentials via publishing short fiction, and another designed to assist you perfect your pitch prior to Sunday. On Friday morning, beginning at 9:30 A.M., participants are given the opportunity to pitch agents their novels and narrative non-fiction projects.

Major topics as follows below (including social events).

Presenter Michael Neff What The Successful Author Must Possess
	Role Play Editor, Platform-Premise-Execution, "The Plan," Craft Basics, Purpose-Passion-Tenacity, Single Best Author Tool + A Great Pitch.

Market Reality and Pragmatic Thinking
	Author Needs vs. Market Demands, Nuances of Genre vs. "Literary", What the Commercial Caesar Demands, Insider Info, Fierce Competition and Agent Targeting, From the Heart But Smart, Pitching the Novel, Value of The Perfect Log Line.

Write to Market Pitch Panels - Ongoing - Writers Present Their Novels to The Conference and Workshop Leaders for Analysis and Pitch Perfection

Presenters Ann Garvin and Michael Neff Drama's Most Powerful Elements in The Novel
	Drama Theory, Statement of Conflict, Rising Action, Three Act Structure, Screenplay vs. Freytag, 15 Steps of Complication, Reader Reaction Flow, Dramatic Complication as Plot Core.

Write to Market Pitch Panels - Ongoing - Writers Present Their Novels to The Conference and Workshop Leaders for Analysis and Pitch Perfection

Presenters Ann Garvin and Michael Neff Know Your Story, Know Your Characters
	Animation Sketching, Cognition and Affect, Social Reaction Profile, Ticks and Tags, Epiphany and Emotional Evolution, The Power of Great Antagonists, Sympathetic Protagonist in First Ten Pages.

Publicity and Marketing Panel Isabella Michon and David Cole - 3:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Genre and Upscale Credentials Via Short Fiction Publication - Optional Workshop - 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Literary Happy Hour Mixer - 5:30 P.M. to 7 P.M.

Write to Market Pitch Panels - Ongoing - Writers Present Their Novels to The Conference and Workshop Leaders for Analysis and Pitch Perfection

Presenters Ann Garvin and Michael Neff Plot Devices and Other Needs
	Scene Construction, Verisimilitude, POV, Masking, Foreshadow, Timesim, Exposition, Surprise, Minor Complication, Suspense Techniques, Character Arcs, and more.

Story Enhancement Techniques
	Stages of Event, Narrative Energy, Seeding of Tension and Sub-events, Anecdotal Devices, Imagery, Flashbacks, and More.

Presenters Ann Garvin and Michael Neff Strong Narrative Through Synergy
	Prose Enhancement Guides, Compare and Contrast of Narrative Styles, The Art of Fiction, Subject Matter vs. Prose Style--Who Wins?

Dialogue: Never a Gratuitous Word
	Screen and Stage Dialogue vs. Novel, Major Functions, Show Don't Tell, Inclusion of Specific Elements, Types of Dialogue, Narrative Interjections, Character Roles in Scene, Common Mistakes, Role in Exposition.

Prose Enhancement and Publication
	Prose drills, Narrative Guide and Checklists, Structure Reference Guide, Perfect Synopsis and Query, Best People and Places to Query.

Write to Market Creativity and Inspiration Speaker Penny Warner 10:00 A.M. to 11:15 A.M.

One-on-One Novel Pitch Feedback Optional Workshop - 5:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M.

Literary Happy Hour Mixer - 5:30 P.M. to 7 P.M.

Write to Market Agent Pitch Sessions
	Participants have three hours to meet with literary agents. Conference presenters will be availble for consultation during the process, offering advice and strategy.