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Workshops

LitCon 2016.

These are the outstanding workshops you will find at LitCon 2016! You will be able to attend one workshop of your choice.  Choose your top three workshop choices during the online registration process. We will do our best to schedule
you into your first-choice workshop. 

You! Yes, You, Can Get Published Too!

Presenter - Rachele Alpine, Author

Teens will learn about the process of getting published and resources and places that will help them if they are interested in publishing.  They will also learn about YA writers whose books were published in high school and get firsthand advice from these authors.  I will include a Q&A about publishing where they can ask me any and all questions.

 

Getting Started and Over the Hump

Presenter - Robin Yocum, Author

You’re full of ideas. Can’t wait to begin that novel that’s been burning up inside you. You start, but you just can’t get it finished. You’re stuck and can’t get over the hump. Is it the plot? Is it character development? Is it narrative drive? Or, is it the seemingly overwhelming task? This workshop will show you how to get over the hump and finish what you start. Robin Yocum is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, Favorite Sons and The Essay. His novel, A Brilliant Death, will be released in the spring of 2016.

 

Worldbuilding: How to Create Compelling Worlds That Make the Reader 

Want to Visit

Presenter - Colleen Gleason, Author

This is an interactive workshop I’ve given many times in the past to audiences ranging from middle schoolers, high schoolers, beginning writers of all ages, and experienced writers. Attendees always list it as one of their favorite workshops. I will discuss how I approach building a world for my novels, and then, led by me, using the basic steps I’ve used to create four different “worlds” for my books, we will “build” a world as a group. Usually by the time we are done, *everyone* wants to read a book set in that world!

 

Tropes, Archetypes & Keeping It Fresh

Presenter - Mindy McGinnis, Author

Telling a story that’s already been done can sound less than exciting, but author Mindy McGinnis will show you how to take familiar stories and keep them fresh while building on daily experiences and people in your life to help build believable characters and situations. Writing exercises included.

 

Finding and Telling Your Story

Presenters - Edith Pattou, Jody Casella and Natalie D. Richards, Authors

Flannery O'Connor once famously said: “Anybody who has survived childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.” What is YOUR Story? And how do you tell it? Tips and tricks for mining your memories and experiences and turning them into stories.

Includes a brief writing activity.

 

Flash Fiction: Fiction Writing in a Flash

Presenter - Jean Kanzinger, Writing Coach

In Flash Fiction, stories are told in just a few hundred words – so every word counts. Learn the elements of a great flash fiction story and try your hand at a story of your own. You'll be amazed how you can write in a flash!

 

Magic on the Page

Presenter - Cinda Williams Chima, Author

E. L. Doctorow famously said, “Writing a book is like making a long car trip at night. You can only see as far as the headlights reach. But you can make the whole trip that way.” In this session, I answer frequently-asked questions about the writing and publishing process including the role of reading in writing, where authors get their ideas, how a novel progresses from idea to finished work, what do to with a first draft, what common problems to look for in revision, and how to get feedback on your work. Moving into the publishing process, I discuss the roles of agents, editors, illustrators, and book designers, using examples of preliminary and final covers from my books. Audience participation: Q & A

 

The Structure of S.U.S.P.E.N.S.E

Presenter - Mindee Arnett, Author

In this hands-on workshop students will learn techniques to keep readers engaged. We will explore everything from the importance of sentence and paragraph structure to defining the audience’s expectation and how to use those expectations to maintain forward momentum in the text. Students will learn the importance of emergent writing—one where the contents of each paragraph informs/demands/builds the contents of the next paragraph. We will also discuss the overall structure of stories, including a look at Freytag’s Triangle.

 

 

 

Check out What's New!

Presenter - Christina Getrost, Teen Librarian, Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library

Looking for some great new books to read? Join teen librarian Christina Getrost as she talks about some exciting new and recent young adult books that you’ll want to put on your to-read list. See the latest book trailers and find out where you can go to see more lists of great books for teens.

 

           

       

       

       Click Here

       To Register

 

 

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    Lori Guerrini, Chair, OELMA LitCon 2016.

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