Join writer and publishing expert Brandi Larsen to understand the ins and outs of book publishing, from how books go from ideas to manuscripts to bestsellers and how your work can fit into the publishing process. Talk will focus on adult books from the biggest publishing companies and some aspects of self-publishing. If your friends and family have said, "That's a book!", this entertaining and inspiring talk is for you.

Books for teen and pre-teen readers have never been more popular, and many adults enjoy reading them too. But what makes a YA or Middle Grade book special? And how do authors know what age group they are writing for? In this workshop, Alex Kourvo and Bethany Neal will be joined by authors Andrea Hannah, Jim C.

Whether at the idea phase, in the middle of a draft, or during revisions, sometimes writers get stuck. In this workshop, Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will provide practical tips and new solutions to keep fiction writers moving forward in all stages of book creation.

Great fiction starts with the heroes and heroines we love. To bring those characters to life on the page, the author must craft heroes and heroines as real as the people we know. In this workshop, Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will show you how to understand your characters deeply and portray them on the page authentically so readers will love them too.

Fiction and memoir is made up of scenes: units of action that dramatize the unfolding events. In this workshop, Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will help you understand scenes as the building blocks of a story, explain why each scene needs a pivot point, and why a character should never be the same at the end of a scene as she was at the beginning.

Do your characters lie when they speak? Are they insecure? Confident? Angry? How does what they say show us who they are? In this workshop, Alex Kourvo and Bethany Neal will show writers how to move beyond the basics to the subtle nuances of dialogue, creating character speech that truly reveals who they are.

Writing is a solitary creative outlet, but sooner or later we all need to muster the courage to share our words with others. What’s the best way to seek feedback? In this workshop, Alex Kourvo and Bethany Neal will break down the differences between a critique group, a beta reader, and a professional editor, showing you how to get feedback and what to do with it when you have it. You’ll leave the workshop with new skills to use when getting and giving a literary critique.

Come with questions, a work in progress, or an empty notebook. All writers are welcome in this casual, supportive environment.

Authors Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will be on hand to answer questions and give encouragement. Bethany and Alex will also provide private, one-on-one critiques if you choose to have them read your work. Sharing your writing with other attendees is not required and is completely voluntary.

Come with questions, a work in progress, or an empty notebook. All writers are welcome in this casual, supportive environment.

Authors Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will be on hand to answer questions and give encouragement. Bethany and Alex will also provide private, one-on-one critiques if you choose to have them read your work. Sharing your writing with other attendees is not required and is completely voluntary.

Come with questions, a work in progress, or an empty notebook. All writers are welcome in this casual, supportive environment.

Authors Bethany Neal and Alex Kourvo will be on hand to answer questions and give encouragement. Bethany and Alex will also provide private, one-on-one critiques if you choose to have them read your work. Sharing your writing with other attendees is not required and is completely voluntary.