Fabrice Guerrier and David Russell

Share the magic of writing with others by creating a unique fictional universe together and publish the work. The story will be rooted in specific ideas and issues you care about. At Syllble, we believe that the collaboration of writers will change the future. We want to share this unique experience of our literary community with you. Learn and collaborate with others you have never met and put your writing skills and creative mind to the test. It goes as follows: we will design the universe together, then create a three act plot and you will write three short stories for each of those acts, working with your teammates so the stories come alive. This collaborative workshop will be led by the co-founders of Syllble, and will include many guest speakers from our independent publishing press.

Jean Klein

Fiction writers and many poets have a lot to learn from playwriting. Playwrights have to make exciting things happen right in front of their audiences. A lack of clarity or forward motion will send their audiences home at intermission, while a reader in an easy chair might well skim a boring page or two. Audiences can't reread for clarity. We have to make sure that the audience understands every word as it is said and why it is said. Every word counts. We learn quickly what action or forward action really means or we play to empty chairs. Dialogue has to be sharp, clear and pertinent. It has to delineate character, move plot and maintain interest, and we learn techniques to show not tell. Learning to write a play teaches plot, dialogue, characterization and language efficiency in a way no other discipline does. How do I know? My former grad students who go on to write novels tell me so.

David Hancock

Three kinds of publishing for your book, and what to expect from each kind of publisher. What should you, as the author, bring to the table that interests publishers? What can you expect to happen to your work with each kind of publisher? How to stand your ground and when to not, so that you get what you want: your book published and your book your way.

David Perry

"What happens next?" That question is the key to successful novel writing. If you can make your readers ask that question from the first sentence and sustain it through the climax and denouement, you will have succeeded in drawing your readers in and entertaining them to the very end. In this 75-minute presentation, Perry will outline techniques crucial to maintaining suspense and conflict in your plot. He will discuss the six crucial elements of successful plotting and suspense building applicable to all genres. Want to know more? We'll see you in the lecture hall...

Michelle Young-Stone

In this workshop, we'll spend time discussing how to craft complex protagonists, tackling the important questions: what does the main character want? What's keeping her from getting it? Why does she want it? What misconceptions or misbeliefs does our character have? In this generative workshop, we'll write our protagonist's backstory, enabling us to write forward in our stories/novels. Once you understand your main character, her motives and misbeliefs, it's much easier to understand the rest of the story, the scenes you'll need to write to make the character and story important to the reader.

Bill Glose

In this workshop, Bill Glose shares his own roadmap to successful publication to show how to break in at magazines and keep landing assignments after you've kicked the door down. You will learn the basics of querying, editorial timelines and relationships, and the art of narrative nonfiction as it applies to both essays and articles.

Mary Batten, Sarah Gerton, Melissa Warten, Jean Klein

You've written your book and want to see it in print. These professionals will discuss the role of editors and agents in the submission and publication process.

Nancy Sheppard

Throughout this seminar, award-winning nonfiction author, historian and lecturer Nancy Sheppard will teach the"in" and "outs" of writing nonfiction history, including: picking a topic, techniques for performing research, writing a proposal for a publisher, manuscript drafting and so much more!

Kindra McDonald

We will explore the art and origins of found poetry from the Dada movement and Oulipians, to visual collage poetry and abecedarian forms. We will channel our spontaneous sides to find poetry everywhere. With hands on experimentation in cut-ups, cross-outs, ransom notes and magnetic poetry, we will see poetry hiding in plain sight. Come play!

Lisa Beech Hartz

Participants will create a piece of writing inspired by and responding to thoughtful interaction with a visual image through a step-by-step process of looking, writing, sharing and revising.

Bill Glose

As the Books editor for Virginia Living for the past 17 years, Bill Glose has sifted through hundreds of book marketing campaigns. In this workshop, he will discuss how he chooses which books to review and the mistakes that many beginning authors do that harm their chances. He will also discuss the lifespan of a book and show participants how to make a publicity package that stands out.