Spokane Writers Conference Has Creative, Informative Sessions with In-Person & Online Options

Posted on September 27, 2022 at 6:00 am

The Spokane Writers Conference is celebrating its sixth year with sessions offering informative and creative approaches to writing as well as insights about the process of getting your work published.

Topics include writing, editing, revision, research, and traditional publication, and sessions cover the genres of children’s literature, fiction, graphic novels, mystery, nonfiction, poetry, police procedurals, and science fiction.

This conference offers both in-person sessions and online sessions and is free to attend.

You won’t want to miss out on this great day of free writing workshops.

View handouts and recordings for select sessions.

NORTH SPOKANE & ONLINE
Saturday, October 29
9:30am–4:30pm

Registration is required for all sessions.

The Library Foundation of Spokane County has generously sponsored the 6th Annual Spokane Writers Conference. You can learn more the organization at the Library Foundation’s website.

In-Person Sessions

Sticking the Landing: Organizing & Revising Your Novel to Completion

As writers, we’ve all heard about the importance of revision. But putting it all together in one plan to see a novel from rough draft through revision can be daunting. We’ll look at a focused, step-by-step guide for revision with a number of practical methods to help you polish your novel until it shines.

Presented by Trent Reedy

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 1A
Saturday, Oct 29, 9:30–10:45am

10 Tips for Selling to Traditional Publishers

As the author of over 55 traditionally published children’s books, Linda Joy Singleton offers tips on how to break through the slush pile and get an agent. Hear stories about the wild roller-coaster ride of submissions, rejections, and the excitement of being offered a contract. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of choosing traditional publishing versus self-publishing.

Presented by Linda Joy Singleton

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 1B
Saturday, Oct 29, 9:30–10:45am

Designing Imagined Worlds

John Bladek leads you through the process of world building for fantasy and science fiction stories, whether based in an imagined world or a version of the real world.

Presented by John Bladek

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 2A
Saturday, Oct 29, 11am–12:15pm

Writing & Pitching Your Cozy Mystery Series

Murder, mystery, cats… and knitting? The world of cozy mysteries follows a unique set of rules. Death is present but never described in detail. The towns are small, hobbies abound, and there always seems to be an animal running around in the background. Learn which of these conventions are genre rules and which are just for fun. Tamara Berry discusses how to come up with a great cozy mystery hook, craft a compelling series arc, and pitch your story to traditional publishers.

Presented by Tamara Berry

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 2B
Saturday, Oct 29, 11am–12:15pm

Freud, Not Frankenstein: Bringing Characters to Life with Psychology CANCELED

Nobody wants to read a book full of flat, lifeless, or inconsistent characters—and writing them isn’t much fun either. We dive into how to bring your characters to life naturally and organically, rather than artificially stitching them together and forcing them to do what you want. We’ll talk about defining moments, personality typing, and personal experience as tools to build characters from the inside out.

Presented by Kerry Schafer

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 3A
Saturday, Oct 29, 1:30–2:45pm

Graphic Novel Writing

Learn the ins and outs of writing with illustration and text, including what makes sequential art, how graphic novels are different from other literature, and how to get started. We look at an overview of the comics medium, and then tackle exercises to get your creativity flowing and get your ideas on paper. All materials for the workshop will be provided. All levels of experience and interest are welcome.

Presented by Derrick Freeland

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 3B
Saturday, Oct 29, 1:30–2:45pm

5 Phases of the Writing Process

This workshop examines the five steps in any writing project: getting an idea, conducting research, finding the focus, preparing the draft, and polishing your work. Understanding these five phases of the writing process can help you avoid wasting time, either by focusing on the wrong step or tackling these tasks in the wrong order.

Presented by Gordon Jackson

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 4A
Saturday, Oct 29, 3–4:15pm

How to Get a Bowl Full of Chicken Soup

Publication credits can be hard to come by for budding nonfiction authors. The Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise produces dozens of volumes each year, offering a paying market for novice and experienced writers alike. Learn how to get your writing published by this franchise and increase your publication credits.

Presented by Cindy Hval

NORTH SPOKANE
Session 4B
Saturday, Oct 29, 3–4:15pm

Online Sessions

History to Mystery

Historical mystery author, Patricia Meredith, shares the Gilded Age historical research that inspired the Spokane Clock Tower Mysteries series, set in Spokane in 1901. Learn how researching history can help you write realistic and intriguing historical mysteries.

Presented by Patricia Meredith

ONLINE
Session 5A
Saturday, Oct 29, 9:30–10:45am

Writer & Editor: A Love-Hate Relationship

Whether you’re working on a novel, a short story, a memoir, a blog, a Bible study, or anything in between, everyone needs an editor—even editors! We discuss different levels of editing and how to know what your project needs, where to find an editor, which editor is right for your project, what an editor can do that a critique group can’t, what the writer can expect from a good editor, and what the editor will expect from the writer. This session is helpful for writers of both fiction and nonfiction.

Presented by Carrie Del Pizzo

ONLINE
Session 5B
Saturday, Oct 29, 9:30–10:45am

Police Procedurals: Getting It Right

Readers expect authenticity in the details in police procedurals. Frank Scalise discusses the many considerations—and incorrect stereotypes—involved when writing a police procedural. Topics include the structure of a police department, roles within it, the inner workings of a department, procedural elements of an investigation, terminology, and most of all, the best resources you need to get the details right. This workshop is perfect if you are writing procedurals, if your characters will interact with the police, or if you are simply a procedural reader who wants to peek behind the curtain.

Presented by Frank Scalise

ONLINE
Session 6A
Saturday, Oct 29, 11am–12:15pm

Ideas & Prompts for Writing Poetry

We focus on some simple and concrete ways to start writing poetry. For both beginning and advanced writers, this session focuses on ideas, writing prompts, and ways to sharpen our skills for crafting strong, sensory images.

Presented by Jordan Brown

ONLINE
Session 6B
Saturday, Oct 29, 11am–12:15pm

Revision Means to See Again

Learn different revision strategies to help you see your writing in new ways and discover what your work is really (really!) about. This is a participant driven workshop, in which participants will bring previously written work. You can try out offered strategies with your written work and will have an opportunity to share your revisions.

Presented by Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel

ONLINE
Session 7A
Saturday, Oct 29, 1:30–2:45pm

Writing Picture Books

Learn about the current picture book market and the writing tools for drafting your own picture book stories. We explore some common story types and look at the craft issues at work in those stories. We also explore some exercises to work on craft and picture book story development.

Presented by Eija Sumner

ONLINE
Session 7B
Saturday, Oct 29, 1:30–2:45pm

Research Done the Right Way

Extensive research is essential for the production of accurate nonfiction or realistic fiction. Using 30 years of professional nonfiction writing experience, we discuss how to identify accurate sources and how to avoid sources that cannot be trusted. We look at how to dive into discovery without getting lost in the weeds.

Presented by Kelly Milner Halls

ONLINE
Session 8A
Saturday, Oct 29, 3–4:15pm

Survival Is Insufficient: The Rebirth of Literary Science Fiction

The field of science fiction, also called speculative fiction, has been historically maligned by critics and yet has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Viewed by many as escapist, science fiction has a long and proud tradition dating back centuries, and many of its seminal works have earned legendary places within the Western canon. We look at a survey of the best in modern science fiction writing and learn more about its class-straddling, genre-busting, and world-changing potential.

Presented by Seth Marlin

ONLINE
Session 8B
Saturday, Oct 29, 3–4:15pm

Tags: children's literature, editing, fiction, graphic novels, mystery, picture books, publishing, writer, writers, writers conference, writing workshop