By Allison Wallace
The 2024 Willamette Writers Conference begins soon, and the big question is–what to do? What to attend?
In the last Conference Guide, we went through the early days of #wilwrite24, July 27th through August 1st. Saturday, August 3rd is the biggest day of the conference! There are workshops, readings, talks, socials and events of all kinds, both in-person and online. It’s packed with more than anyone could attend–unless you had a time machine. But since we haven’t invented time travel (yet?), you can always trade notes with new friends and colleagues. Remember to leave time for making new connections or re-forging old friendships during the coffee breaks and lunch times.
Saturday, August 3rd:
Bright and early 9AM Saturday morning, author Jessie Kwak will educate participants on operating your own publishing house and about working with all kinds of publishers, and she will answer questions about the best publication method for all kinds of books. Learn it all in, Along the Indie Path: What Does it Take to be Your Own Publisher. To get books to readers, information is key (Jessie will also be exploring more up-to-the-minute topics later in the morning).
If you’re a memoirist, attend Family Lore at 9AM, where award-winning author and teacher Teresa H. Janssen will teach you how to spin family yarns into engaging short stories, essays or chapters. Come away with work generated from interesting prompts and a new angle for your creative nonfiction.
That’s not all. Picture this: you have a project (or maybe many) that you want to share with the world, but something about it isn’t working—it might need a bit of Manuscript CPR at 9AM. Taught by Kat Falls, she will introduce techniques to expand and deepen your story’s premise. Learn to see the big picture and correct what might be holding your manuscript back.
Artificial Intelligence
At 11AM, Listen to a compelling discussion on one of the most prescient topics of our time, Artificial Intelligence. Award-winning author Ted Chiang will be in-conversation with Jessie Kwak and Brian W. Parker in a panel moderated by Curtis C. Chen. The speakers? Well-versed and astute. The subject? Topical and compelling. Make sure to check out Ted Chiang’s workshop later in the afternoon.
What About Non-Fiction?
Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start with non-fiction manuscripts, but if you’re into essays, Hermit Crabs and Braided Essays: Exploring Hybrid Forms workshop at 11 AM might have just the information you need. Taught by author Hillary Leftwich, this online workshop will help participants write about their personal experiences and research from new and surprising angles; all while maintaining a healthy balance between the writer, their experiences, and their words—with exercises and examples.
Writing for the Screen?
If you’re writing for any screen: big or small, indie or IMAX, listen to a great conversation between film professionals like Randall Jahnson, Martin Vavra, Grant Rosenberg, and Randy Kornfield in Film Roundtables at 1:15PM. They’ll share their extensive industry experience and answer any questions (P.S. if you miss it, there’s another at 3:30PM).
Also at 1:15PM, award-winning author Ted Chiang will present Two Ways of Thinking About The Fantastic, a workshop featuring an analysis exercise geared to foster coherence and depth in your worldbuilding and stories. Ask better questions of your story, and master its potential!
Meet the Young Writers!
There’s even more going on at 3PM, with a reading and benefit sale for the Young Writers Journal and program. Come grab a coffee and celebrate the launch of the YWW journal with the contributors! Cheer on the next generation at Young Willamette Writers On Stage, get their signature in the Young Writers journal, and get inspired. These writers have been working hard all year to be reader to share their work with you.
More Workshops!
Join author David Ciminiello in, Creating Colorful Characters, a generative workshop at 3:30PM, teaching how to consistently make complex and vivid characters and sustain them over a manuscript.
For our Zoom attendees at #wilwrite24, author Tiffany Yates Martin is going to teach The Final Polish: Making Your Prose Serve Your Story. At 3:30PM, it’s all about the nitty-gritty of editing your prose. That moment when you want to throw your manuscript out into the world regardless of its actual readiness–or out the window–these tools can help push the manuscript over the last mile it needs.
Sometimes internet searching is not enough! In science, in history, and especially in the law! Forum posts or youtube videos can only get you so far, and real-life examples can inspire great twists in a story. That’s when it is time to ask a professional—attend Ask a Lawyer, an online talk with author and attorney Matthew Swihart at 5PM.
You can also learn what editors need from writers when refining manuscripts for publication. Discover what an editor can bring to elevate your craft and your career with editors and authorsMonte Lin and Wendy N. Wagner. Editors in Conversation, at 5PM, will be moderated by editor and author Frances Pai Ippolito. Come prepared with your questions and your camaraderie.
Time for the Keynote!
It’s no mystery! Our Saturday evening keynote speaker is multi-award-winning cozy mystery writer Mia P. Manansala. She’s the author of the award-winning Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series, exploring the experiences of the Filipino diaspora. She will get us thinking about murder, mystery, and writing, of course!
After the keynote, end your Saturday night with a visit to a live script reading with FilmLab at 8PM. SAG-AFTRA actors will perform the script written by participants in the FilmLab educational workshop. Or if you want something a little darker, join the Skeleton Crew at 8PM and talk about writing and submitting horror with authors Elle Mitchell, J.B. Kish, and Wendy N. Wagner.
The night is still young, and the mic is ready for you! Join us to wrap up the evening at karaoke. We can’t wait to sing with you!
What’s Coming Next:
That’s day two of the conference. Stay tuned for another guide to the next day, Sunday, August 4th!