(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next MWW is an in-person event happening in St. Paul on April 6, 2024. See you there.)
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THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS (APRIL 6, 2024):
Agent pitches and critique consultations overlap with the sessions below. The schedule of presentation topics below is subject to change and updates. There will be 2-3 classes happening at all time, and you can pick which class you attend.
9:30 – 10:30: Session 1
1. Getting Published in Today’s World: 10 Tips to Make You the Writer Agents and Publishers Want in 2024. This workshop discusses the challenges writers face in publishing today and offers up 10 practical tips to help you break through the barriers and find success.
2. Writing Other Worlds — a Guide to Blending Setting, Plot, and Character in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Writers will learn how to build vibrant worlds, and how the details of setting can be used to add depth to characters and plots.
10:45 – 11:50: Session 2
1. 15 Tips on How to Write Like the Pros. This workshop is a thorough crash course concerning craft, style and voice.
2. Pitch, Please: An Agent’s Guide to Pitches & Queries. Inspired by submissions she received, literary agent Caroline George hosts a discussion-based workshop focused on the dos and don’ts of pitching/querying agents.
11:50 – 1:15: Lunch on Your Own
You have 85 minutes on your own to break and eat.
1:15 – 2:30: Session 3
1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest (State Suite), with participating literary agents and editors. In the vein of “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent,” this is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission. Get expert feedback on your incredibly important first page, and know if your writing has what it needs to keep readers’ attention. (All attendees are welcome to bring pages to the event for this session, and we will choose pages at random for the workshop for as long as time lasts. All submissions should be novels or memoir—no prescriptive nonfiction or picture books, please. Do not send your pages in advance. You will bring printed copies with you, and instructions will be sent out approximately one week before the event.)
2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal. This session is completely devoted to nonfiction book proposals.
2:45 – 3:45: Session 4
1. Open Agent and Editor Q&A Panel (State Suite). Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from MWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.
2. The Fiendish Art of Crafting Suspense for Thrillers, Mysteries and Crime (& Any Novel, Really). The presentation will show you how to keep your readers flying through the pages, desperate to know what’s going to happen next.
4:00 – 5:00: Session 5
1. 18 Frequently Asked Questions About Publishing All Writers Should Know. Before you publish your work or query an agent (and after), there are plenty of things you need to know. This session covers the important topics all writers should understand.
2. How to Make Your YA or MG Book Un-Put-Down-Able. What makes a young adult or middle grade book un-put-down-able? Learn how to write compelling YA & MG that readers don’t want to put down.
5:00: The Day is Over
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FREE ADDITIONAL RECORDED CLASSES:
We will actually send attendees extra FREE pre-recorded classes as part of their attendance. In addition to getting the weekend’s classes to enjoy live and in person, we will also send you 5 more free recorded classes on the side, from amazing instructors. In the week leading up to your in-person conference, we will send all confirmed attendees these classes below, some of which will aid in your pitching efforts:
- “Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an In-Person Event,” taught by literary agent Carlie Webber
- “Tips on Pitching Literary Agents & Editors at an Online Event,” taught by literary agent Carlie Webber
- “Talking Dollars and Cents — How Authors Make Money,” from our Tennessee Writing Workshop
- “Publishing Options: Pros and Cons of Both Traditional and Indie Publishing,” from our Atlanta Writing Workshop
- “Overcoming Failure: How to Strive for ‘Yes’ in the Face of a Hundred Nos,” from our Florida Writing Workshop