Category: WilWrite26 Saturday

  • 4 – 5PM Saturday Belmont C: Genre Screenwriting Workshop

    Genre is where imagination meets tension. As a writer, you can stretch reality while keeping every moment grounded and real. This workshop is designed for screenwriters who are comfortable with craft fundamentals and want to explore genre writing or deepen their existing genre work. We’ll move through the craft challenges that genre presents to a skilled writer: how to honor audience expectations while finding something genuinely your own; how to use tropes as tools rather than crutches; and how to make the familiar feel surprising.

    Faculty

    • Dustin Morrow
      Dustin Morrow bridges the worlds of creative practice and scholarly inquiry as an Emmy-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, film festival programmer, optioned screenwriter, podcaster and educator. He is a tenured Professor in the School of Film at Portland State University. More here: https://dustinmorrow.com/biography/. Schedule

  • 4 – 5PM Saturday Belmont B: How to be a Happy and Successful Writer

    How do you stay happy, healthy, and feeling successful as a writer or artist while dealing with rejection, imposter syndrome, envy, and other fun challenges of the creative life? Randy Henderson will share research-based tips on defining success and maintaining emotional well-being as a creative. He’ll also show how to craft character arcs as a tool for examining our writing selves.

    Faculty

    • Randy Henderson
      Randy Henderson is the author of the quirky Finn Fancy contemporary fantasy trilogy from Tor. He’s also a Writers of the Future grand prize winner, Clarion West grad, sometime TTRPG livestreamer, and frequent cat pillow. Socials: @randyauthor. Find out more at https://www.randy-henderson.com/. Schedule

  • 4 – 5PM Saturday Belmont A: Panel: Agents and Editors in Conversation

    Curious about how the publishing industry works behind the scenes? What really happens after an agent submits a manuscript to an editor? Join a panel of literary agents and editors as they discuss the process of bringing books to market, what influences publishing decisions, and how you can position your work for success.

    Faculty

    • CoCo Freeman
      CoCo is a graduate of Bard College with a B.A. in Written Arts. Before joining Linda Chester, she worked for Tom Yoon Productions developing projects and editing existing material. She is very happy to have entered the world of her first love, books. Find out more at https://lindachester.com. Schedule
    • T.S. Ferguson
      Before joining Azantian Literary Agency, T.S. Ferguson worked for 16 years as an editor for some of the top children’s and teen book publishers in the business, including Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Harlequin Teen/Inkyard Press, and JIMMY Patterson Books. He has worked with New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors such as Sherman… Read more: T.S. Ferguson

  • 3:30 – 4PM Saturday Belmont A/B & Zoom One: Break

    Refill your coffee and head to the courtyard. It’s the perfect time to meet with friends or make new ones before our last round of workshops for the day.

  • 2 – 3:30PM Saturday Zoom 2: Dirtying Up Your Character: Finding their Flaws

    Why is “dirtying up” your character so important? It makes them more complex and memorable. Many writers focus too much on making their protagonist likable, but real people are flawed and your characters should be too. In this workshop with Marilyn Atlas, you’ll explore the difference between likability and relatability, learning why relatability matters more. You’ll analyze well-known characters, bring your own original character, and dive deep into their psyche through interactive exercises. We’ll also watch movie scenes and discuss how writers make characters relatable even when they’re unlikable.

    Faculty

    • Marilyn R Atlas
      Marilyn R Atlas is a literary talent manager, award-winning producer and the co-author of Dating Your Character. Among her credits as a film producer are Real Women Have Curves (winner audience award Sundance Film Festival 2002) for HBO; A Certain Desire, starring Sam Waterston; and Echoes, which won the Gold Award at the Texas International… Read more: Marilyn R Atlas

  • 2 – 3:30PM Saturday Zoom 1: The Pocket Guide to Pantsing: How to write a novel without an outline, with confidence

    Pantsers: want to ditch outlining forever but don’t know how? Writing a novel without one is like solving a puzzle blind—daunting, but not impossible, and mastering it means writing stories you never dreamed of, stories readers will pay for. In this no-BS presentation, prolific author Michael La Ronn shares the process he’s used to write 30+ novels without an outline: a reliable structure to follow, how to beat self-doubt, exactly what to write when you’re stuck, and how to edit as you go for a clean first-and-final draft.

    • Michael La Ronn
      Michael La Ronn has published many science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He built a writing career publishing 10-12 books per year while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings. Visit his fiction website at www.michaellaronn.com and his resources for writers at… Read more: Michael La Ronn

  • 3 – 4PM Saturday Windsor C: Pitch for Film and TV

    Screenwriters! Come practice your pitch! We’ll help you refine and shine your film or TV pitch and talk you through your next steps to the screen.

    Faculty

    • Randall Jahnson
      Randall Jahnson has been a professional screenwriter since 1985. He’s worked with such amazing filmmaking talent as Stephen Spielberg, Penelope Spheeris, Spike Lee, and the late Jonathan Demme. His credits include the punk rock Western Dudes, The Doors, The Mask of Zorro, Sunset Strip, and episodes of the classic HBO comedy-horror series, Tales from the… Read more: Randall Jahnson

  • 2 – 2:45PM Saturday Windsor C: Short Film, Big Impact: A Case Study of The Lunch Date

    Working on your script? Join us for a deep dive to learn more about the art of screenwriting through the Oscar-winning short The Lunch Date. Watch the film before you arrive – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty_hn7l1zKE&t=118s We will explore the film’s structural genius by examining how it leverages social assumptions and a powerful narrative pivot to subvert audience expectations. Using this classic work as a catalyst, we will discuss the unique hurdles of writing in the short film format. You will leave with practical insight into how to overcome those challenges and create stories that have a lasting impact.

    Faculty

    • Dustin Morrow
      Dustin Morrow bridges the worlds of creative practice and scholarly inquiry as an Emmy-winning filmmaker, bestselling author, film festival programmer, optioned screenwriter, podcaster and educator. He is a tenured Professor in the School of Film at Portland State University. More here: https://dustinmorrow.com/biography/. Schedule

  • 2 – 3:30PM Saturday Windsor B: The Art of the Query Letter: How to Thrill Editors and Agents with a Single Page

    What makes an agent or editor stop and read your query? In this workshop, you will learn to craft a concise and compelling query letter that captures your story’s promise, conflict, and surprise. You will also receive a curated bibliography of professional examples to guide your approach and help you create a letter that stands out.

    Faculty

    • Melissa Hart
      Melissa Hart is the author of several nonfiction books and novels; her latest is Find Your Nature: 40 Ways to Deepen the Connection to Your Flora, Fauna & Community. Her short-form writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian, CNN, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Nat Geo Kids, Orion, and numerous… Read more: Melissa Hart

  • 2 – 3:30PM Saturday Belmont C: Q&A with New York Times Bestselling Author Rosanne Parry

    Join New York Times Bestselling Author Rosanne Parry for a focused Q&A about her work, publishing life, and how she made it to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list…multiple times!

    Faculty

    • Rosanne Parry
      Rosanne Parry grew up in Oregon loving its rainy days, wild places, and many libraries.  She is the author of eight novels for young readers, including the NY Times best sellers A Wolf Called Wander and A Whale of the Wild which have been translated into more than 14 languages. Her next novel will be A Horse Named Sky–another Voice… Read more: Rosanne Parry