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The Muse and the Marketplace begins this Friday, May 10! Attendee schedules are now frozen for printing; if you did not sign up for sessions in advance or wish to make a change, never fear: you’ll be able to join sessions on the fly as well by checking in with the Session Manager at the door. For completely full sessions, the Session Manager will use their discretion on whether additional seating and/or standing room will be available per fire code. We cannot wait to host you at the Boston Park Plaza for an incredible weekend ahead!
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Friday, May 10
 

7:30am EDT

Registration Opens & Breakfast
Registration opens at 7:30am, but you can arrive anytime and check in at our Registration desk!

Join us for a buffet breakfast before the morning's keynote in the ballroom.
Friday May 10, 2024 7:30am - 9:00am EDT
Mezzanine

9:00am EDT

Friday Keynote with Jonathan Escoffery
Presenters
avatar for Desmond Hall

Desmond Hall

Desmond Hall was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved to Jamaica, Queens. He’s the author of YOUR CORNER DARK, a YA novel that was one of Bank Street’s Best YA novels of 2022, a finalist for the New England Book Award, A Nominee for the Yalsa audio book award, Essence Magazine’s... Read More →
avatar for Jonathan Escoffery

Jonathan Escoffery

Jonathan Escoffery is the author of If I Survive You, a New York Times and Booklist Editor’s Choice, an IndieNext Pick, and an International Bestseller. If I Survive You was nominated for more than a dozen prizes and awards internationally, including the National Book Award, the... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom
  Keynote

10:30am EDT

Introducing Characters: How to Get (And Keep) Your Reader's Attention
One of the most exciting experiences in reading fiction is meeting an intriguing new character—a figure who instantly enchants us. All too often, though, we open books to find generic, dull characters or—even worse—a slew of indistinguishable people, none of whom stand out as individuals. How can writers ensure that their characters are both distinct and fascinating, from the first moment when they arrive on the scene?

This session will answer that question through a detailed exploration of how to shape and distinguish characters, how to present them effectively, and how to make sure that their appearances, desires, and personalities leap off the page. We will look at brief samples from published authors and also discuss useful methods for developing fully formed characters in the planning stage. By the end of the session, participants will feel greater confidence in their ability to create and introduce unforgettable figures in their fiction.
Presenters
avatar for Ursula DeYoung

Ursula DeYoung

Author, SHORECLIFF
Ursula DeYoung is a writer and editor living in Cambridge, Mass. Her first novel, SHORECLIFF, about a family spending a summer in Maine in the 1920s, was published by Little, Brown in 2013. She has also published a nonfiction book called A VISION OF MODERN SCIENCE (Palgrave Macmillan... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Beacon Hill
  Fiction

10:30am EDT

On Tension: How to build suspense in literary fiction
Stephen King has said, "Nothing is so frightening as what's behind the closed door." For genre writers, suspense is bread and butter. But for writers of "literary" fiction, how do we build the tension that makes readers turn the pages? How do we engage readers without withholding or being coy?

In this craft talk and generative workshop, we'll discuss the techniques of writers who create suspense that pulses under the prose, always close to boiling without ever spilling over. With reference to Katie Kitamura, Antoine Wilson, Roberto Bolaño, and others, we will look at how "literary" writers can use the tools of voice to create suspense that will make your writing un-put-downable.

Presenters
avatar for Courtney Sender

Courtney Sender

Courtney Sender's essays have appeared in The New York Times' Modern Love, The Atlantic, and Slate, and her short stories have appeared in Ploughshares, AGNI, American Short Fiction, and others. Her debut book, In Other Lifetimes All I've Lost Comes Back to Me (2023, WVU Press), was... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
White Hill
  Fiction

10:30am EDT

The Power of Place in Coming-of-Age Narratives: Global Readings and Craft Tips
What is the effect of place on childhood and adolescence? This craft session focuses on using place and setting to craft a social portrait about young people growing up too fast, too hard, too weird, too tenderly around the globe. We'll explore what makes for a rich coming-of-age narrative rooted in the socioeconomic, political, natural, and personal layers of place. We'll sample readings with a global focus, from working class towns of volcanic northern Tenerife to squatter apartments in Beijing, from a desolate eastern French town corroded by alcohol to the rooftops and cafés of Mexico City, from 1990s Burundi to the tundra of the Canadian arctic. We will discuss the craft elements of making place not only a believable setting, but a rich, compelling driving force in a narrative, and at times a unique character in and of itself—using tools of social realism, surrealism, historical research, linguistic vernacular, and much more.
Presenters
avatar for Aube Rey Lescure

Aube Rey Lescure

Aube Rey Lescure is a French-Chinese-American writer who grew up between Shanghai, northern China, and the south of France. After receiving her B.A. from Yale University, she worked in foreign policy and has co-authored and translated two books on Chinese politics and economics. Her... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Cabot
  Fiction

10:30am EDT

Finding Your Memoir: Tips and Strategies to Get Started
Committing to writing a memoir can be a daunting thought. But what if the process could be narrowed down to a few concrete approaches? In this session, we'll look at three key aspects of developing a book-length memoir: identifying your central question--What is driving you to write this, and what are you trying to figure out by doing so?; locating key turning points that move the story along; and considering a possible takeaway for your reader--which will enable you to clarify the theme or through-line that runs through your story. In addition to a brief craft talk, you will complete two short writing exercises designed to help you move forward with your memoir projects.
Presenters
avatar for Judah Leblang

Judah Leblang

Judah Leblang is a Boston-based writer, teacher, and storyteller. He is the author of two memoirs, Finding My Place, (Lake Effect Press, 2012), and Echoes of Jerry (Red Giant Books, 2019). His essays and commentaries have been broadcast on 200 NPR and ABC radio stations. He teaches... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Charles River
  Nonfiction

10:30am EDT

Researching the Personal Narrative
The best memoirs tell stories that–no matter how distant or different from our own experience–we can connect with or relate to. Figuring out how to do this as a writer, however, can be very difficult. In this session, co-lead by writers whose editors requested that their books be researched, we will discuss how to effectively connect our personal stories to a larger theme. We will examine tips and techniques for doing research, including how to conduct interviews, comb effectively through the past, and mesh what we uncover with our personal story without losing narrative power. You can expect to leave with some concrete approaches to turn what is intimately yours into a larger, more relatable memoir.
Presenters
avatar for Shalene Gupta

Shalene Gupta

Shalene Gupta is a writer and journalist. She’s the author of The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD, and co-author of The Power of Trust. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, ESPN, Fast Company, Fortune and Harvard Business Review among other places. She was awarded... Read More →
avatar for Michelle Bowdler

Michelle Bowdler

Michelle Bowdler is the author of Is Rape a Crime? A Memoir, an Investigation and a Manifesto, longlisted for the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction. She is a recipient of the Barbara Deming Memorial Award and has been a Fellow at MacDowell and Ragdale. Her writing appears in... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Cambridge
  Nonfiction

10:30am EDT

What No One Talks About in Publishing… But Everyone Should Know
The “traditional” publishing industry can seem opaque and formidable. The lifecycle of a book– from manuscript acquisition to launch and sale–is governed by entrenched systems and processes that are often a mystery to the author even as they dictate when, where, and how that book will be sold, and how much (or little) money will trickle down to the author. In this session, the co-founders of the brand new Galiot Press, who are endeavoring to re-envision the entire publishing process, will discuss what they have learned about the inner workings of the industry, and share what all authors should know as they consider their publishing options. From costs and timelines to retailer discounts to how bookstores make their decisions and how direct sales work, attendees will come away with valuable insights and practical tips for making informed decisions. (Note: this session will not directly address self-publishing or hybrid publishing.)
Presenters
avatar for Anjali Mitter Duva

Anjali Mitter Duva

Co-Founder, Galiot Press
Anjali Mitter Duva is an Indian American writer, planner, and publisher who was raised in France. She is the author of FAINT PROMISE OF RAIN. Anjali is a co-founder of Galiot Press, an instructor at Grub Street Writers, and a former fiction Co-Editor at Solstice Literary Magazine... Read More →
avatar for Henriette Lazaridis

Henriette Lazaridis

Henriette Lazaridis’s second novel Terra Nova was called “ingenious” and “provocative” by The New York Times and her debut The Clover House was a Boston Globe bestseller. Her short work has appeared in Elle, The New York Times, New England Review, and more. She runs the... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Whittier
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Fiction

10:30am EDT

Writing Ourselves Home: Prompts and Exercises for Building An Immigrant Writing Community
Want to start a writing community, but not sure where to begin? Or maybe you already have a writing group, but are looking for fresh inspiration, or simply an opportunity to get to know each other better! In this session, you will learn and participate in exercises that can help you build a deeper and more connected writing community. Through a series of free-writes, sharing prompts, and conversation starters, you will discover launching points for inspiring new work, elevating each other's stories, and finding common ground. With a specific focus on experiences of migration, diaspora, and finding/leaving home, this is a session that is open to everyone, but will be specifically helpful for those seeking to build a community of immigrant and diasporic writers. Finally, this is a collaborative session, so please be prepared to write, share your thoughts, and interact with others in the space!
Presenters
avatar for Frankie Concepcion

Frankie Concepcion

Frankie Concepcion is a writer from the Philippines and Massachusetts. She is an M.F.A. Candidate in Fiction at Arizona State University, and is the current Managing Editor for Hayden's Ferry Review. She has received fellowships from Tin House, Sibling Rivalry Press and the Virginia... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Winthrop
  The Writer's Life

10:30am EDT

Bring Order to Creative Chaos: Project Management for Writers
Writing a book is a massive, complex undertaking. It is easy to get bogged down in the many different tasks and elements and miss something or get frustrated. Applying project management techniques can help writers get and stay organized, set and meet writing goals, and be motivated and accountable to themselves throughout the process, from planning to pitching.

Writing a book is a massive, complex undertaking. It is easy to get bogged down in the many different tasks and elements and miss something or get frustrated. Applying project management techniques can help writers get and stay organized, set and meet writing goals, and be motivated and accountable to themselves throughout the process, from planning to pitching.

In this session, we will walk through how to plan a book project from start to finish. We’ll cover SMART goals, creating a project roadmap to track progress, and how building a plan helps keep your creative energies focused. We’ll normalize the rollercoaster of the creative process. You’ll leave with worksheets to help you plan and schedule your project.
Presenters
avatar for Kerry Savage

Kerry Savage

Kerry Savage is a writer, certified book coach, and project manager who has been wrangling editorial and digital projects for almost 20 years. When not herding her personal cats to get her current WIP draft complete and helping other writers do the same, she manages large educational... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Franklin
  The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Fiction

10:30am EDT

Where the Speculative and the Literary Meet: Re-defining Genre
Fantasy is a tool of the storyteller,” says Neil Gaiman. Whether it’s a touch of time travel or an interstellar war, “speculative” writing is storytelling that breaks the rules of our world. But it also breaks down genre definitions and builds bestsellers: like N.K. Jemisin using the highly literary second person in her award-winning high fantasy, The Broken Earth trilogy; or Carmen Maria Machado’s In The Dream House incorporating fairytale elements into memoir. Where are these genre lines drawn? And by whom?

Together, we’ll explore definitions and examples of speculative and literary writing, and how they overlap; the perils of genre gatekeeping; and practice blending speculative with literary styles and tropes to give you fresh tools for getting to the heart of your own stories.
Presenters
avatar for Allison Pottern Hoch

Allison Pottern Hoch

Fiction Writer & Marketing Coach
Allison Pottern is a writer and reader of all things speculative, with a background in publishing, event planning, publicity, and bookselling. Allison is currently working on a cli-fi novel, drinking copious cups of tea, and chasing after her two kiddos. Her writing can be found at... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Stuart
  The Writer's Life   Publishing and Promotion   Nonfiction   Fiction

11:45am EDT

Funny Ha-Ha: Bringing Humor to your Fiction
Spoiler alert: You don't have to be a comic genius to get readers to laugh. In this session, we'll look at examples of successful humor in fiction, and explore how to use parody, satire, hyperbole, dialogue, detail, and other elements of craft to add subtle wit or outright hilarity to your work. We'll also talk about how to strike the all-important balance between levity and emotional weight, to engage readers on a deeper level. Whether you're looking to write an all-out farce or simply bring moments of comic relief to otherwise serious fiction, you'll walk away with concrete tips, techniques, and inspiration. Also, you'll have fun. Promise.
Presenters
avatar for Jane Roper

Jane Roper

Jane Roper is the author of two novels, The Society of Shame and Eden Lake, and a memoir, Double Time: How I Survived–and Mostly Thrived–Through the First Three Years of Mothering Twins. Her essays and humor have appeared in Salon, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Millions... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Storytelling to Save the World: the Fiction of Climate Apocalypse
In his book, The Uninhabitable Earth, journalist David Wallace-Wells posits that we suffer from a deep failure of imagination regarding the real-world danger of climate change. Novelist Amitav Ghosh, in his book-length essay, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, points out that the dilemmas and dramas of our global environmental crisis are mismatched with the kinds of stories we tell ourselves. So how can we write stories that are equal to the grave environmental crisis facing humanity at this point in our species' history? Using passages from novels by Margaret Atwood, Cormac McCarthy, Premee Mohammed, Emily St John Mandel, Omar El Akkad, and others, we’ll discuss the role of loss and longing in post-apocalyptic fiction, and illustrate the genre’s potential to illustrate the horror of what may lie ahead for us. Then we’ll turn to a number of other writers, such as James Welch, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Mary Oliver, to explore how literature that celebrates nature and place can serve as a counterpoint to paralyzing despair. The session will illuminate new perspectives for writers wishing to respond to climate and related environmental crises in their creative work. You will emerge with practical insights and ideas for addressing the anxieties and challenges of being alive at this moment in history and for helping point the way to a better future.
Presenters
avatar for Tim Weed

Tim Weed

Author, A FIELD GUIDE TO MURDER & FLY FISHING
Tim Weed is the author of a story collection, A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing, and a novel, Will Poole’s Island. His writing has appeared in Literary Hub, The Millions, The Writer’s Chronicle, Talking Points Memo, and elsewhere, and has won awards or been shortlisted in... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Stuart
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Structural Steps: Building a Novel with Good Bones
Whether writing one's first novel or fifth, writers can get lost while researching and sketching their novels. For those beginning their first story (or those who have started many a book but never finished), this session will provide an approach for building the best framework for your novel, using the "how do you eat an elephant" approach: one bite at a time. We'll look at how to use a step-by-step method, moving from an initial idea to finding your "what if" to drawing up a concept paper, characterization, indexing, and building a spine. Following these steps will lead to a skeleton on which to construct one's novel.
Presenters
avatar for Randy Susan Meyers

Randy Susan Meyers

Author
Randy Susan Meyers is the internationally bestselling author of five novels, one novella, and a co-authored novel. She has also edited a book of essays.The Massachusetts Council of the Book chose three of Meyers' books as Must-Read Books, writing, "The clear and distinctive voice... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Whittier
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

They Toss Bodies at You: How Exciting New Trends in Latina Horror Can Help Improve Your Writing
Latinas are writing some of the most exciting horror on the market today. Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez, Fernanda Melchor, Silvia Moreno-Garcia and others are writing gut-wrenching and spine-tingling works of horror that not only entertain but also highlight horrifying truths of life in Latin America. Whether it's Silvia Moreno Garcia addressing the hideous legacy of Mexican mine operations in Mexican Gothic, or Mariana Enriquez spinning a devilish tale of cruelty and imprisonment set against Argentina's Dirty War in Our Share of Night, these authors are using horror as a vehicle through which to tell true stories of crime and corruption, resistance and resilience in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

In this session, we will discuss several works of horror by Latina authors, how they blend fact and fantasy, and how we might use their approach as a template to educate our own readers through unforgettable tales of ghosts, witches, and demons. We will look at how truth and storytelling often co-mingle in the Latin American literary tradition, and how its influence can enrich our writing. Finally, we will spend some time exploring how horror is used by marginalized voices to tell their truths, as a way to interrogate the position from which we are telling our own.
Presenters
avatar for Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Elizabeth Gonzalez James is the author of the novels Mona at Sea and The Bullet Swallower as well as the chapbook Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Winthrop
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Timeless Narratives: Unearthing Truths through Historical Fiction and Research
Garrard Conley, author of All the World Beside (Riverhead, 2024) and Boy Erased (Riverhead, 2016), invites you to a deep dive into the art of blending archival research with historical fiction. This session will explore the intricacies of unearthing historical truths, focusing on how thorough archival research can enrich the authenticity of a narrative, including the integration of queer perspectives. Conley will discuss the significance of delving into archives and historical sources to capture the essence of past eras, and how these discoveries can shape and inform the crafting of compelling historical fiction. Attendees will gain insights into the methods and challenges of balancing factual accuracy with creative storytelling, especially in portraying nuanced and diverse historical experiences. Ideal for writers who seek to ground their historical fiction in solid research while weaving inclusive and engaging narratives.
Presenters
avatar for Garrard Conley

Garrard Conley

Author, BOY ERASED
Garrard Conley is the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir Boy Erased and the novel All the World Beside. He is the creator and co-producer of the podcast UnErased: The History of Conversion Therapy in America. His work has been published by The New York Times, Oxford American... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Cambridge
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Beyond Innocence: Creating Multi-Dimensional Child Characters
Is there a child in your novel-in-progress? Does a teenager feature in your young adult novel? For some, children are idealized to contrast with a corrupted adult world; others seek to capture an “authentic” child’s voice and experience—but what level of authenticity is truly possible when adult writers have left childhood behind? This session examines the range of child characters in both adult and young adult fiction. We will consider how authors such as Anthony Doerr, Anita Desai, Malinda Lo, and Elizabeth Acevedo write children in different ways to support the respective intentions of their creative projects. Participants will then be invited to engage in a pressure-free guided writing exercise, bringing a child character to life on the page in a genre of their choosing.
Presenters
avatar for Elaine Dimopoulos

Elaine Dimopoulos

Author (Children's & YA)
Elaine Dimopoulos is the author of THE REMARKABLE RESCUE AT MILKWEED MEADOW and the forthcoming PERILOUS PERFORMANCE AT MILKWEED MEADOW, middle-grade animal adventure stories illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Doug Salati. TURN THE TIDE, her middle grade novel-in-verse inspired by... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Tremont
  Fiction   Other

11:45am EDT

The Business of Art: How to Navigate the Market As a Writer
In this nuanced conversation, a group of agents and editors will discuss how leaning into market positioning, comp titles, BookTok trends and more can help or hinder your book’s success, moderated by Taryn Roeder, executive director of publicity at Abrams Books. This discussion will delve into the challenges of commodifying literature and deeply personal projects, as well as how to productively embrace the business side of things to make your work more visible and commercially successful. The last portion of the session will include a brief audience Q&A. 
Presenters
avatar for Sorche Fairbank

Sorche Fairbank

Since establishing Fairbank Literary Representation in 2002, Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank has had the pleasure of working with a dynamic and varied client list, representing bestselling authors, award-winning journalists, artists, and illustrators, television and YouTube stars, and of... Read More →
avatar for Jonah Straus

Jonah Straus

Jonah Straus is the founder of Straus Literary, a boutique literary agency based in San Francisco. He specializes in literary fiction, often with an international or multicultural outlook, as well as journalism, history, narrative nonfiction, and the culinary arts. Jonah got his start... Read More →
avatar for Serene Hakim

Serene Hakim

Serene Hakim is an agent at Ayesha Pande Literary. She represents authors in a variety of genres, from MG fantasy to adult literary fiction to contemporary YA. Serene is particularly interested in both YA and adult fiction that has international themes, highlights a variety of cultures... Read More →
avatar for Taryn Roeder

Taryn Roeder

Taryn Roeder is Executive Director of Publicity at Abrams Books, leading the publicity departments for the Adult and Children’s divisions. Taryn has over twenty years of experience in book publicity and has worked with leading figures in politics, science, music, as well as... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
White Hill
  Publishing and Promotion

11:45am EDT

Polish and Shine: How to Prepare for the Author Interview
You have spent endless hours on your short story, poem or manuscript. Your dream is coming true–it’s being published! Now, get ready for the interviewing tour of duty. Publishing today often means promoting, and that means being ready for podcasts, blogs, radio, and venues where you talk about and sell your work. No one is a natural. It takes hours of practice to master the interview. In this session, you will learn what to practice and how.

Rachel is the creator and host of the popular show, Check This Out, which runs on New Hampshire’s NPR. She has interviewed over 150 authors on air and in print. During this session, she will explain and review the range and types of interviews you will encounter, offer a roadmap for preparing, and share tips on what to do and what not to do. By sharing samples from past interviews, she will show where authors nailed the Q&A, where they needed more practice, and what you need to do so you can rock any question coming your way. Come ready to share your Elevator Pitch and learn to interview like a pro.
Presenters
avatar for Rachel Barenbaum

Rachel Barenbaum

Author
Rachel Barenbaum is the author of the critically-acclaimed novels Atomic Anna and A Bend in the Stars. She is a prolific writer and reviewer. Her work has appeared in the LA Review of Books, Harper’s Bazaar, and more. She is the founder and host of the literary radio show, Check... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Franklin
  Publishing and Promotion   Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry

11:45am EDT

Resiliency (Back) at Square One: How to View Rejection as Redirection
Mindset is one of the few things we can control in publishing. So, let’s have a candid conversation about it! Bestselling author Vanessa Lillie will start this session by sharing the shifts she made after publishing two successful books, yet finding herself back at square one, looking for a new agent and publisher. She will discuss how these lessons were internal—shifting away from the lack/"please please please like me" energy we often develop after (years of) querying. She will then discuss how taking a step back, asking yourself some tough questions, and changing how you view yourself as a writer in the midst of rejection can lead to a much more fulfilling writing career. You can expect to leave this session with a clearer sense of how you can channel rejections and use them to propel you in more productive and successful directions.
Presenters
avatar for Vanessa Lillie

Vanessa Lillie

Vanessa Lillie is the author of the USA Today bestselling novel, Blood Sisters, a Target Book Club pick and GMA Book Club Buzz Pick and named one of the best mystery novels in 2023 by the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Sun Sentinel and Amazon Editors. Her other bestselling thrillers... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Charles River
  The Writer's Life

11:45am EDT

Universal Paradox: How to Write a Florida Story That Would Get Banned in Florida (or How to Write a Story That Debunks Stereotypes and Is Universal.)
Most of the writing about Florida politically, focuses on how Florida is currently banning books that stray from a conservative/puritanical narrative. But most of the books that have been about Florida the last few years, that have won awards, have come from disenfranchised bases, the same bases that are being targeted by book bans. In this craft talk, I’ll talk about how to write about Florida, or your own home/truth, in a way that debunks stereotypes, and speaks to a truth about your own world. In this session, I will show works from award-winning Florida authors like Jonathan Escoffery, Ariel Francisco, Patricia Engel, Edwidge Danticat, Kristen Arnett and others, to show how they write about Florida in specific ways (that could get them potentially banned in the future), but have also spoken to Florida in a more true and sincere way, both for their own versions of Florida, but also for Florida as a whole. While I’ll focus on Florida, the idea is that writing about any home or truth in a true and specific way, can help flesh out your story. And how writing about any one’s home, culture, identity, can do the same.
Presenters
avatar for Christopher Louis Romaguera

Christopher Louis Romaguera

Christopher Louis Romaguera is a Cuban-American writer who lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was born in Hialeah, Florida and graduated from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. He has an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans. Romaguera has been... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Cabot
  The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry

12:45pm EDT

Community Space
If you're looking for an opportunity to chat and make connections with other conference goers in a relaxed environment, come to the community space! Facilitated by a GrubStreet writer and community member, this space is for folks looking to unwind, take a break from conference sessions, and meet fellow attendees. 
Presenters
avatar for Shirley Jones Luke

Shirley Jones Luke

Fiction Writer
Shirley Jones Luke is an educator, poet, public speaker and writer. Ms Luke lives in Dorchester. She is the author of Traumaland, her first poetry collection.  Shirley has an MFA from Emerson College. Ms Luke is currently working on a collection of essays about the poems in Traumaland... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT
Newbury
  Add-on Gathering

12:45pm EDT

Break
Use this free time between sessions to pick up lunch at a local eatery, make connections among attendees in our Community Space room, or take a moment to yourself to reset after all that learning. Be sure to browse our pop up bookstore, Porter Square Books: Muse Edition on the mezzanine level - presenters Camille Cabrera, Lisa Braxton, and K.W. Onley will be on hand to sign their books!
Friday May 10, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
N/A
  Breaks

2:00pm EDT

Break Every Rule: Trusting Your Instincts in Process and Craft
Being a writer in 2024 means daily bombardment with guidelines for how, exactly, one should live one’s life: from productivity optimization (write a thousand words a day!) to highly specific rules about craft (avoid backstory! Write in the present tense!) to imperatives concerning social media (you can’t be published without a platform) and networking (spend lots of money on conferences and classes) to, of course, the prevailing idea that a book can’t be completed, much less published, without input from a hired editor or reader book coach. While the advice above can prove genuinely useful, collectively they can cause us to doubt ourselves, seek answers in so-called experts, and view our work as a commodity rather than what it is: a piece of art.

Through concrete and personal examples, we will discuss the ways that some rules and strict advice can lead you astray, then delve into how you can trust your instincts and optimize both your process and your work as a piece of art. We’ll begin with a deeply honest craft talk then delve into a discussion of how to slough off outside voices and tap into your intrinsic knowledge about your own process and work. Attendees can come to this session with only one rule in mind: BREAK EVERY RULE.

Presenters
avatar for Joanna Rakoff

Joanna Rakoff

Author, MY SALINGER YEAR
Joanna Rakoff is the author of the novel A Fortunate Age, winner of the Goldberg Prize for Fiction and the Elle Readers Prize, and the bestselling memoir My Salinger Year. She’s written for Oprah Daily, The Atlantic, the New York Times, and many other publications. Her new memoir... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Stuart
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

Everybody Wants Something: Desire as the Path to More Compelling Characters
Desire is what brings characters to life in fiction, and yet many of us, in an effort to honestly portray the confusions of contemporary life, write stagnant characters who lack desire. Desire is essential, and it’s not mutually exclusive with cosmic confusion. In this session, we will explore specific tactics through examples from writers such as Etgar Keret, Marie-Helene Bertino, Danielle Evans, and Robert Lopez. You will leave the session with concrete tools and strategies to ensure your characters are driven by desire that’s palpable to readers.
Presenters
avatar for Ron MacLean

Ron MacLean

Author, WE MIGHT AS WELL LIGHT SOMETHING ON FIRE
Ron MacLean is author of the story collections We Might as Well Light Something On Fire and Why the Long Face? and the novels Blue Winnetka Skies and Headlong, winner of the 2014 Indie Book Award for Best Mystery. MacLean’s fiction has appeared widely in magazines including GQ... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Franklin
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

Making Ancient Texts Your Own
Retellings are riding a cultural wave in which myths and legends are being recontextualized, bringing once muted voices to the fore. Think Hadestown, Circe, The Book of V, The Lincoln Highway, and The Lightning Thief. Alluding to mythological or biblical themes in literature is as old as, well, the bible. But there is something about contemporary attempts that do more than flex one’s literary chops–they give voice to the voiceless and historically overlooked.

Are you interested in making ancient plots your own? Reimagining and filling in the blank spaces? Whether from mythology, the bible, or other foundational texts, ancient launching points evoke something recognizable and familiar in the reader, providing an established structure and opportunity for rich and unique interpretation. In this session, we will look at several published works with an eye toward their varying degrees of “exactness.’ What are the pros and cons of a light touch versus a heavier one? When should a writer take liberties? This session will be useful for writers of “retellings” as well as for those motivated to write narratives that are “in conversation” with great literature.
Presenters
avatar for Jeanne Blasberg

Jeanne Blasberg

Author, EDEN: A NOVEL
Jeanne Blasberg is an award-winning and bestselling author and essayist. Her novel THE NINE (SWP 2019) was honored with the 2019 Foreword Indies Gold Award in Thriller & Suspense and the Gold Medal and Juror’s Choice in the 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards. EDEN (SWP 2017... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Cambridge
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

The Ultimate Craft Class: Solving the Mysteries of Character, Chronology and Plot.
In this fast-paced lecture, we will focus on how to step back from your sentences so that you can find your story. That only happens when you start thinking about the larger issues of Character, Plot, and Chronology. Discovering your character’s desires, and their inhibitions, is a direct link to plot. Finding the chain of consequence that drives the plot is the key to figuring out how to tell the story. Too often, classes focus on just one aspect of craft, without realizing that these elements are intimately linked, and can only be solved by thinking about them in relation to one another. This would be the ultimate cheat code to story, and we will aim to explore it in our time together.
Presenters
avatar for Steve Almond

Steve Almond

Author, BAD STORIES
Steve Almond is the author of a dozen books, including the NYT bestsellers "Candyfreak" and "Against Football." His new book, "Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow," is about craft, inspiration, and how to overcome the anxieties and inhibitions that keep us from doing our deepest... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Whittier
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

Elements of Autofiction: Memory, Time, Place, and Process
What is autofiction? While the term may suggest a literature built from autobiography, we might more deeply engage with work called autofiction by considering it narrative of process—an interrogation of memory, time, place, and the self as a way to grapple with mystery. We will look at work by Annie Ernaux, Semezdin Mehmedinović, Teju Cole, Sigrid Nunez, and others, examining qualities of autofiction that may include associative structure, shifts in point of view, attention to place, the integration of found sources, and essayistic reflection. We will also do guided, generative writing exercises to discover how we might use the moves, features, and preoccupations of autofiction—these elements of process—in our own work.
Presenters
avatar for Stacy Mattingly

Stacy Mattingly

Stacy Mattingly is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller Unlikely Angel, an Atlanta hostage story now a feature film, Captive. Stacy’s work has appeared in Guernica, Literary Hub, Off Assignment, EuropeNow, and elsewhere. She launched the Sarajevo Writers’ Workshop in Bosnia... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Winthrop
  Fiction   Nonfiction

2:00pm EDT

Get Published Anywhere: How to (Successfully) Pitch Essays and Start Building a Larger Platform
Pitching essays to newspapers and print and online magazines is a skill that comes with its own rules and guidelines. This class will teach you how to pitch essays and adapt your work to appeal to mainstream publications. We will examine and break down published work as a way to identify the elements and structure of what makes an essay appealing to mainstream places and examine successful pitches to see what made them work. Toward the end of the session, we'll spend some time on how to leverage successful pitches to build a platform for bigger projects.
Presenters
avatar for Frankie de la Cretaz

Frankie de la Cretaz

Frankie de la Cretaz is the co-author of Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League. They are a journalist and essayist whose work sits at the intersection of sports and gender, and their writing has been featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Rolling... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Publishing and Promotion   Nonfiction

2:00pm EDT

Rise to Resilience: Writing Through Fear with Ritual and Mantra
All writers, at some stage of their journey, must write through fear. However, not all of us have intimate knowledge of the roots of our fear, while some of us have difficulty finding compassion and empathy for our writer selves in the face of it. Fear, at its core, is resistance that leads us to believe that what we have to say is not worth saying. What if we could move beyond our anxieties about the value of our writing? What would be possible on the page? What if we could rise beyond resistance to resilience? In this session, we will explore some of the pervasive sources of fear. Writers such as Prince Shakur, Kyo Maclear, Rebecca Solnit, and Ingrid Rojas Contreras will be wayfinders towards creating our own brave spaces for our words to live. We will explore tools, such as a literary mantra, inspired by poet Amanda Gorman, to help us understand who we are and why we write and leave with your own. You will also receive guidance on news ways to measure your resilience, a touch of magic to rise out of the rut.
Presenters
avatar for Simone Dalton

Simone Dalton

Simone Dalton is an author, teaching artist, and playwright. Her work is anthologized in books such as Watch Your Head and Black Writers Matter. She is one of GrubStreet’s inaugural Black Teaching Fellows. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, she curates writing retreats in the... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Charles River
  The Writer's Life

2:00pm EDT

Writing Queer and Trans Joy
Joy is a radical act for the marginalized. Informed by Billy-Ray Belcourt’s writing on queer BIPOC joy, this generative workshop is all about joy and its revolutionary potential. We will discuss contemporary writing in different genres centered on queer and trans joy, from authors such as Brandon Taylor, Chen Chen, and H. Melt. We will write two to three pieces of our own and talk about the problems with compulsory joy and what to do when writing joy feels impossible. Attendees will walk away with at least two rough drafts in any genre, questions for further reflection, and your own theory of queer and trans joy.
Presenters
avatar for SG Huerta

SG Huerta

SG Huerta is a queer Xicanx poet, writer, and editor from Dallas. They are the poetry editor of Abode Press and marketing co-director for Split Lip Magazine. They are the author of two chapbooks, The Things We Bring with Us (Headmistress Press 2021) and Last Stop (Defunkt Magazine... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Cabot
  The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Poetry   Fiction

3:30pm EDT

How to Write Sex Scenes that Sizzle
For many of us, sex is something left behind a locked door. How do you kick in the door to welcome your readers into the private lives of your characters, especially when your characters have sex that is considered different or other?

In this session, we will discuss how to write scenes that will make readers sweat, while also revealing character, moving the story forward, and heightening tension. We will look at excerpts from romance (historical, contemporary and erotic), dystopian fiction, and nonfiction centering queer, POC, and disabled characters to highlight how dialogue, pacing and character work to create unique sex scenes. At the end of the session, you will walk away with actionable writing exercises to help you create successful and compelling sex scenes.
Presenters
avatar for Megan Hennessey

Megan Hennessey

Megan is a freelance developmental editor and instructor specializing in romance. She shares her love for romance by leading workshops and courses for writers’ groups, the Women in Publishing Summit, and the Editorial Freelancers’ Association. She loves romance novels that break... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Stuart
  Fiction

3:30pm EDT

The Dynamics of Opposition: Getting the Best Plot Out of Your Protagonists
When working on our stories, we need to create meaningful challenges for our protagonists. Many times, however, we don’t create enough of them. Or those challenges lack the complexity needed to bring out your protagonist’s real character. Good news is: this issue can be solved by digging into the negative side of our stories as well as the protagonist’s perspective. In this hands-on workshop, we will explore how to generate obstacles that challenge our protagonist in effective and engaging ways. Come with a one- to two-sentence description of your story. Be ready to work on an exercise where you will create obstacles that can be employed throughout your manuscript. We will discuss the results of the exercise and review the tools we’ve employed to create the type of opposition necessary to make a compelling plot.
Presenters
avatar for Desmond Hall

Desmond Hall

Desmond Hall was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved to Jamaica, Queens. He’s the author of YOUR CORNER DARK, a YA novel that was one of Bank Street’s Best YA novels of 2022, a finalist for the New England Book Award, A Nominee for the Yalsa audio book award, Essence Magazine’s... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
White Hill
  Fiction

3:30pm EDT

What Are You Afraid Of? Turning Fear into Fiction
What keeps you up at night? Are you afraid of growing old, not finishing your book, being alone, being irrelevant, or embarrassing yourself in public? Are you afraid of the dark, thunderstorms, snakes, or your mother? This session will start by digging into examples from fiction writers who mine their fear for literary effect. We will tackle our own fears with a series of writing exercises designed to dig into the powerful emotions undergirding our phobias. We will dig into those scary feelings and harness them into doing some heavy lifting on the page. You will leave this session with a better understanding of how writing about things that scare us can be powerful and therapeutic. And, if we're brave enough, it can lead to terrifyingly sharp prose!
Presenters
avatar for Julie Carrick Dalton

Julie Carrick Dalton

Author, WAITING FOR THE NIGHT SONG
Julie Carrick Dalton is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, a CNN, USA Today, Parade, and Newsweek Most Anticipated novel. Her writing has appeared in BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Orion, Chicago Review of Books, Lit Hub, Electric... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Franklin
  Fiction

3:30pm EDT

Media Training for the Post-Pandemic World: Be your best when promoting your work in both virtual & in-person events
Covid had us all glued to our screens, now authors are back in person. In this new, anxious literary scene, how can you play to your strengths as a writer so you’ll connect with readers–whether on the screen or in real life–and actually sell books? It's never too early or too late to prepare for your time in the spotlight, especially as you're building a long career as a professional writer. This session will teach you the most important elements to focus on when publicizing your work and representing yourself on TV and radio interviews, and at readings, in-person or virtual. As part of a lively critique session, we will show clips of authors in a variety of situations and invite participation in a discussion on what works to engage an audience and make sales.

Topics include: What to avoid at all costs (behaviors, language, gestures, appearance); how to shine when staring at a blank screen instead of eager readers; how to get your message across while plugging your work graciously; how to hide nerves and find the right mind-set; how to connect with an interviewer; and how to handle tricky questions/situations.
Presenters
avatar for Lynne Reeves Griffin

Lynne Reeves Griffin

Author, THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT
Lynne Reeves Griffin is a writer, editor, and family counselor. Her recent novels include Dark Rivers to Cross and The Dangers of an Ordinary Night, published by Crooked Lane Books. Lynne regularly appears as a media guest expert to discuss contemporary family life and preventive... Read More →
avatar for Katrin Schumann

Katrin Schumann

Author, THE FORGOTTEN HOURS
Katrin Schumann is the bestselling author of the novels The Forgotten Hours and This Terrible Beauty (Lake Union), as well as multiple collaborative nonfiction titles. Her work has been featured on TODAY, NPR, and in The London Times, among others. She co-developed The Launch Lab... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Tremont
  Fiction   Nonfiction   Poetry   Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life

3:30pm EDT

How Your Characters’ Fantasy Lives Can Supercharge Your Stories
As writers, we know how it feels to move through one reality while our minds are somewhere else–but how do you narrate such a scenario for your characters? We’ll take a look at a wide range of literary characters with active fantasy lives to answer this question. Walter Mitty is the classic example, but we’ll also look at additional historic and contemporary examples of characters whose reality is deeply affected by their fantasy lives. We’ll discuss examples of non-fiction–like Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House and Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s A Ghost In The Throat– in which the narrative is propelled partly by the tension between the fantasy upheld by the author’s family and her experiences in the “real” world.

Along the way, we’ll discuss how illuminating characters’ fantasy lives is a kind of hack. Why? Because accessing their fantasies allows you to convey your characters’ deepest fears and desires, urges and inhibitions, through the stories they dream up. Whether it’s Sylvia Plath imagining herself as a fig tree or George Saunders’ lonely barber crafting elaborate erotic daydreams that fall apart even in his imagination, giving your characters active fantasy lives is a great way to reveal interiority, create tension between characters with competing fantasies, and propel your plot forward.

Presenters
avatar for Erin Almond

Erin Almond

Erin Almond is the author of the novel Witches’ Dance and her fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Sun, Colorado Review, Literary Mama, Normal School, and WBUR’s cognoscenti column. Her short story “The Unbearable Weight of My Heart” was selected... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Cabot
  Nonfiction   Fiction

3:30pm EDT

Agents and Editors of Color Roundtable
Join a lively and vital discussion among prominent literary agents and editors of color as we share experiences of issues we've uniquely encountered in our projects and our careers. Get advice on what you might expect in your own career and how to navigate it. Though this conversation will center on information and experiences particularly relevant for BIPOC writers, all attendees are welcome!
Presenters
avatar for Eric Smith

Eric Smith

Eric Smith is a literary agent and author of Young Adult novels. As an agent at P.S. Literary, he's worked on New York Times bestselling and award-winning books.
avatar for Aemilia Phillips

Aemilia Phillips

Aemilia Phillips is an agent at Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. She works with a range of fiction and non-fiction writers, including poet and National Book Award nominee José Olivarez, Founder of Latina Rebels Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, speculative short story author Ruben... Read More →
avatar for Cherise Fisher

Cherise Fisher

Cherise Fisher began her career in publishing more than twenty-five years ago, spending many years editing and publishing several national bestselling and award winning authors at Simon & Schuster and Plume (an imprint of Penguin Random House), where she was Editor-in-Chief.She represents... Read More →
avatar for Foyinsi Adegbonmire

Foyinsi Adegbonmire

Foyinsi Adegbonmire is an Editor at Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. She acquires Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, from contemporary to mystery to grounded science-fiction, and enjoys lighthearted stories with conversational narrative voices... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Cambridge
  Publishing and Promotion

3:30pm EDT

There's More Than One Path to Publication: Publishing With Small, Indie, and University Presses
In this session, you will learn about the exciting publication pathways that small, indie, and university presses provide for writers. We will discuss the benefits and possible drawbacks of exploring these publishing alternatives, look at examples of query letters and proposals targeted at these presses, familiarize ourselves with the Poets & Writers small press database, and create a short list of presses that could be a good fit for you. You will leave this session with a better understanding of the various options at your disposal when seeking a home for your manuscript.
Presenters
avatar for Neema Avashia

Neema Avashia

Neema Avashia is the daughter of Indian immigrants, and was born and raised in southern West Virginia. She has been an educator and activist in the Boston Public Schools since 2003. Her first book, Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place, was published by... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Whittier
  Publishing and Promotion

3:30pm EDT

On the Agent-Writer Relationship
Co-led by a GrubStreet-bred writer and a literary agent at a leading boutique agency, this session offers fiction and nonfiction writers an inside look at the agent-writer relationship. First, we will give an overview of a day in the life of an agent -- what exactly do they do? Armed with an understanding of their day-to-day work, what can writers do to build a strong partnership of communication and trust? As with any kind of relationship, what the dynamics look in practice can vary widely...and this session, through discussion and Q&A, will offer some general principles and specific tips on how to build the best team you can to advocate for yourself and your career, from signing with the right agent through to the submission and deal process.
Presenters
avatar for Victor Yang

Victor Yang

Victor Yang (he/him) is a queer writer and organizer based in Cambridge, MA. His writing has been published or forthcoming in Longreads, The Rumpus, The Southern Review, The Boston Globe, Best Small Fictions 2021, and the Chicago Tribune, the lattermost as a 2020 Algren Award finalist... Read More →
avatar for Noah Grey Rosenzweig

Noah Grey Rosenzweig

Noah Grey Rosenzweig is an agent at Triangle House Literary. He was previously the editorial fellow for Roxane Gay Books and his work has been published in Columbia Journal.

Friday May 10, 2024 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Fiction

5:00pm EDT

Straight Talk Over Drinks: How to Conquer Writer’s Block, Anxiety, Envy and the Other Evil Voices Inside You
 Join us for a Muse Bonus Session! This special Q&A session is a chance to kick back, have a drink, and get real about the emotional struggles that we bring to our writing, but that don’t usually get discussed. We’ll explore everything from the anxiety of exposure to the crippling doubts that drive us into writer’s block—without judgment or platitudes. The best part? No question is off limits: Can I tell the truth about my abusive parent? Is it wrong to be jealous of a famous friend? What if I’m just not good enough? At the center of our discussion is radical question: Is it possible to view moments, and even eras, of creative doubt as necessary and even essential to our artistic growth? How can we move from anxiety and self-loathing to a posture or forgiveness and curiosity. This is a session for anyone who’s ever struggled to get going—and keep going—at the keyboard.

Submit a question for Steve and Laura to discuss here!

Presenters
avatar for Steve Almond

Steve Almond

Author, BAD STORIES
Steve Almond is the author of a dozen books, including the NYT bestsellers "Candyfreak" and "Against Football." His new book, "Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow," is about craft, inspiration, and how to overcome the anxieties and inhibitions that keep us from doing our deepest... Read More →
avatar for Laura Warrell

Laura Warrell

Laura Warrell is the author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the New York... Read More →

Friday May 10, 2024 5:00pm - 6:00pm EDT
Terrace Room (Lower Lobby)
  The Writer's Life

5:30pm EDT

Shop Talk Happy Hour
Please note that this is an add on session - you can purchase a seat at your preferred table on our registration page.

Network and socialize with invited literary agents and editors at the Shop Talk Happy Hour! Tables are groups of 2 agents/editors and up to 4 attendees. Partway through the hour, we will break so that more informal connections can be made; the goal is to maximize the number of personal connections you can make with agents and editors. To reserve your spot at this event, request your table and pay the additional fee ($125) as you register for the conference. Find the table options and more details here.
Friday May 10, 2024 5:30pm - 6:30pm EDT
Davio's Steakhouse
  Add-on Gathering
 
Saturday, May 11
 

7:30am EDT

Registration Opens & Breakfast
Registration opens at 7:30am, but you can arrive anytime and check in at our Registration desk!

Join us for a buffet breakfast before the morning's keynote in the ballroom.
Saturday May 11, 2024 7:30am - 9:00am EDT
Mezzanine

9:00am EDT

Saturday Keynote with Emily St. John Mandel
Presenters
avatar for Courtney Denelle

Courtney Denelle

Courtney Denelle is the author of IT’S NOT NOTHING (SFWP, 2022), a novel-in-fragments drawn from her experience of homelessness and recovery. Winner of the 2021 Poets & Writers Maureen Egen award, Courtney has been granted a Hawthornden Fellowship and a MacColl Johnson Fellowship... Read More →
avatar for Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel is the author of six novels, most recently Sea of Tranquility, which has been translated into 25 languages and was selected by President Barack Obama as one of his favourite books of 2022. Her previous novels include The Glass Hotel, which was also on Obama’s... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom
  Keynote

10:30am EDT

A Writer’s Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels
Comic books have taken over Hollywood, and Manga is booming in popularity. If you’re a writer who’s ever wanted to create a comic or graphic novel, now is the time! During this session and Q&A, we will explore how Western 3 Act structure compares with the Eastern kishotenketsu structure. We’ll delve into understanding and combining different genres, and how to transcend target demographics to find your passionate readership. Finally, we’ll explore making a creator-owned comic that stands out from the pack, writing to your Artist's strengths, and pitching your work to publishers such as Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse. By the end of the session, you will have a better grasp of what the comics industry looks like in 2024 and your place in comics.
Presenters
avatar for Tito W. James

Tito W. James

Tito W. James is a cosmopolitan comic creator who incorporates aesthetic traditions from across the globe. His work draws inspiration from Manga artists like Osamu Tesuka, Rumiko Takahashi, Go Nagai, and Shotaro Ishinomori and Auteur filmmakers like Genndy Tartakovsky, Jodorowsky... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Tremont
  Fiction

10:30am EDT

How To Stop Worrying And Embrace Genre Tropes
Do you think you've created something original with your story or novel? Well...you haven't! And that's the good news! Once you are able to articulate the genre you are in and the character archetypes you're using, you will be able to use and ultimately master genre tropes, generate creative ideas and hone your creative vision. Imitation most often happens when we are *unaware* of how our work is similar to the work of others. The most original works are those which are variations on what is already out there. In this session, we will discuss how to use genre tropes to strengthen your work, fill in gaps, and even defeat writers block. Whether you're writing romance, sci fi, fantasy, thriller, or cozy mystery, you will leave with the confidence that tropes can be your friend, and the knowledge of how best to use them.
Presenters
avatar for Mark Cecil

Mark Cecil

Author
Mark Cecil is an author, journalist and host of The Thoughtful Bro show, for which he conducts author interviews with an eclectic roster of award winning and bestselling writers. He has written for The Millions, Reuters and Embark Literary Journal, among other publications. He is... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Franklin
  Fiction

10:30am EDT

Writing Historical Fiction: The Essentials
Reading historical fiction can be a wonderfully immersive experience, giving us not only gripping stories and characters but also windows into unfamiliar worlds from the past. Writing historical fiction, however, offers a host of genre-specific pitfalls: How do we capture the language and customs of an era without alienating modern readers? How do we incorporate fact with fiction, research with invention? How do we balance the necessities of story-telling with the requirements of world-building? In this session, we will focus on the essentials of writing historical fiction, from the challenges of creating approachable dialogue to the best strategies for weaving real-life figures into a fictional story. Participants will gain a thorough grasp on how to write historical fiction that both brings to life past eras and creates brand-new stories for the future.
Presenters
avatar for Ursula DeYoung

Ursula DeYoung

Author, SHORECLIFF
Ursula DeYoung is a writer and editor living in Cambridge, Mass. Her first novel, SHORECLIFF, about a family spending a summer in Maine in the 1920s, was published by Little, Brown in 2013. She has also published a nonfiction book called A VISION OF MODERN SCIENCE (Palgrave Macmillan... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Cambridge
  Fiction

10:30am EDT

Exploring Writing with Conscience
The current fraught socio-political climate is motivating nonfiction writers to engage with social issues on the page. The personal has become political, and the political has become personal. In truth, the writer has long played a role as a witness, conscience, and predictor of social change. How do we write compellingly yet responsibly about social issues? We'll discuss the relationship between the writer, reader, and subject and think about how to apply the notions of context and narrative to our work. This session will consist of a 40 minute lecture, 10 minute writing exercise, and 10 minute Q & A.
Presenters
avatar for Kavita Das

Kavita Das

Author & Freelance Writer
Nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Kavita’s work has been published in WIRED, CNN, Teen Vogue, Catapult, Fast Company, Tin House, Longreads, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Kenyon Review, NBC News Asian America, Guernica, Electric Literature, Colorlines... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Winthrop
  Nonfiction

10:30am EDT

The Art of Beginning Again
A promising draft is of little use to us as writers if we have no idea what to do next, of how to begin again. At the same time, embarking on a major revision can feel unapproachable and overwhelming. Together we will build a practical “revision toolkit” and explore how revision can be every bit as creative and playful as getting the first draft down—and how the time spent re-imagining our early drafts is the ultimate show of faith in our work.
Presenters
avatar for Laura van den Berg

Laura van den Berg

Author, THE THIRD HOTEL
Laura van den Berg is the author of five works of fiction, including THE THIRD HOTEL, a finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award. She is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, & a literature... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Beacon Hill
  Nonfiction   Fiction

10:30am EDT

Book Bans: An Agent Panel Discussion
With various states banning books in schools and libraries, the conversation about the importance of storytelling, gatekeeping, and who gets to share their stories feels crucial in this moment. What has the impact of book bans been for both writers and the publishing industry? What conversations are taking place behind the scenes in the publishing world? How are industry professionals engaging with and combating these bans? Come hear from a group of literary agents who are passionate about this topic and who can offer illuminating information on the publishing world’s reaction to and handling of this threat toward free expression.
Presenters
avatar for Natalie Edwards

Natalie Edwards

Natalie Edwards joined Trellis Literary in November 2021. Prior to that, she was at Janklow & Nesbit and Curtis Brown, Ltd. In terms of fiction, she is looking for commercial, upmarket, and literary titles: stories of queerness and diaspora, speculative novels infused with folklore... Read More →
avatar for Leslie Zampetti

Leslie Zampetti

Leslie launched Open Book Literary after prior experiences at Odom Media Management,  Dunham Literary, and The Bent Agency. A former librarian with over 20 years’ experience in special, public, and school libraries, Leslie’s focus was on the reader, giving them the right book... Read More →
avatar for Sharon Pelletier

Sharon Pelletier

Sharon Pelletier joined Dystel, Goderich & Bourret in 2013 after working in editorial at small presses and as a B&N bookseller, and was named senior agent in 2021. Sharon’s list includes upmarket fiction of all sorts, from smart, complex women’s fiction; to unexpected suspense... Read More →
avatar for Barbara Jones

Barbara Jones

Barbara Jones is a literary agent with Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency, a leading, independent New York literary agency representing a distinguished list of bestselling and award-winning authors. Jones represents writers of fiction and nonfiction, from highly literary works to more... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Charles River
  Publishing and Promotion

10:30am EDT

Writing Your Book Jacket Copy To Nail Down Your Story
As writers we often get caught up in the big picture. When you’re writing a memoir or novel, the narrative arc can get lost in the ocean of your story. In this workshop we will craft the imaginary book jacket copy for your manuscript. Pretend you’re a customer at a bookstore and stumble upon your future book. What are the important details of your story? How do these help to shape your manuscript as a whole? We will identify your key themes, highlight your narrative arc, build suspense, and find your audience. Bonus, you will walk away with a clear path for the dreaded elevator pitch and the ability to discuss your project with clarity and confidence. Although your actual book jacket copy may be a far off dream, sometimes getting ahead of yourself is just what is needed.
Presenters
avatar for Megan Margulies

Megan Margulies

Megan Margulies is the co-founder of The Witches of Pitches, an editing and consulting service for writers, a journalist, and finalist for a 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Award for her memoir My Captain America: A Granddaughter's Memoir of a Legendary Comic Book Artist. Her essays... Read More →
avatar for Aileen Weintraub

Aileen Weintraub

Aileen Weintraub is the co-founder of Witches of Pitches, an editing and consulting service for writers. She is a journalist, content writer, marketing expert, and the author of Knocked Down: A High-Risk Memoir, a University of Nebraska Press Bestseller and Literary Mama Book of the... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Cabot
  Publishing and Promotion

10:30am EDT

Literary Agents 101
What does an agent do? Do you need one? If so, how do you get one? In this session, we'll cover each of these questions, with an eye toward demystifying the querying process and exploring the many paths from a finished manuscript to a published book. We'll consider real life examples of how authors and agents work together throughout the publishing process—including at least one example of a highly successful author who doesn't have an agent—and end the session with an informative Q&A.
Presenters
avatar for Maggie Cooper

Maggie Cooper

Literary Agent, Aevitas Creative Management
Based in Boston, Maggie Cooper is an agent with Aevitas Creative Management, representing adult fiction and nonfiction. She holds a degree in English from Yale University, attended the Clarion Writers Workshop, and earned her MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina at... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
White Hill
  Publishing and Promotion   Fiction   Nonfiction

10:30am EDT

Tarot Reading for Writers
Reading tarot can be a wonderful way to not just gain self-knowledge and look at your own life, but to delve into your characters’ lives from an entirely different perspective. In this session, we’ll explore why tarot cards–usually a deck of 78 Major and Minor arcana–are increasingly being used by writers to work through narrative roadblocks and to deepen characters, as well as to approach writing projects from a more intuitive and open state of mind. We’ll do some writing prompts based on specific tarot cards, and have fun drawing cards to answer participants’ questions about their current writing projects. We’ll use the standard Rider-Waite deck for this class, but participants who already have a tarot practice should feel free to bring any deck they’re comfortable using. (Owning your own tarot deck is not a requirement for this class; having an open mind is!)
Presenters
avatar for Jenna Blum

Jenna Blum

Author, Harper Collins/ A Mighty Blaze
JENNA BLUM is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of novels Those Who Save Us, The Stormchasers, and The Lost Family; the novella “The Lucky One” in the collection Grand Central; and memoir Woodrow on the Bench, about her senior black Lab and what his last... Read More →
avatar for Erin Almond

Erin Almond

Erin Almond is the author of the novel Witches’ Dance and her fiction, essays, and reviews have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Sun, Colorado Review, Literary Mama, Normal School, and WBUR’s cognoscenti column. Her short story “The Unbearable Weight of My Heart” was selected... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
Stuart
  The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Fiction   Other

11:45am EDT

Ask Me Anything: Transgender Characters
Transgender and/or nonbinary representation in literature is on the rise. As cisgender writers continue to learn about the trans community, many are eager to present accurate depictions of trans characters in their stories. But many are also nervous about making a mistake. In this session, we will go over the do’s and don’ts for writing trans characters, while the remainder of the session will be dedicated to questions from attendees. Don’t be shy! If your questions come from a genuine willingness to listen and learn, they (and you) are welcome.
Presenters
avatar for Milo Todd

Milo Todd

Author
Milo Todd (he/him) instructs the 9-month Novel Immersive for LGBTQ+ Writers at GrubStreet, is Managing Editor of Fiction for the award-winning LGBTQ+ literary journal, Foglifter Journal, and is Program Manager for the GrubStreet LGBTQ+ Writers' Weekend in Boston. He’s been selected... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Winthrop
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Conquering the Muddle in the Middle
Your fingers are poised over the keyboard. You have a rocking first act to your novel, and you even have an idea of how to end your story with a twist and a bang and a shot at certain bestsellerdom. But now what? How are you going to get from that great beginning to the kickass ending? You've hit the muddle in the middle. Raymond Chandler once advised: “When in doubt, bring in a man with a gun." What did he really mean by that? And how can it work for you?

USA Today best-selling author Hank Phillippi Ryan will show you how these central pages can be crafted to intrigue, surprise, and delight your readers–and have them turning the pages as fast as they can. In addition to practical advice and specific tips, you will leave this session with a clear and exciting path toward the magic in the middle.



Presenters
avatar for Hank Phillippi Ryan

Hank Phillippi Ryan

Author, SAY NO MORE
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is the USA Today bestselling author of 15 thrillers, winning five Agathas, the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award, and 37 EMMYs for her television investigative reporting. Her newest novel is the page-turning standalone ONE WRONG WORD.  She is the host of CRIME... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Cambridge
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Making Yourself Heard: Writing Strong Narrative Voice in Fiction
Voice is the intelligence behind the narration. It is the attitude and the emotion. It gives subtle clues about who’s speaking and what’s going on. Over time, voice forms a distinctive pattern that makes your work recognizable and unique to you. For anyone planning on publishing their work, voice is vital. Agents and editors frequently cite voice as the most important element that makes a manuscript stand out from the slush pile.

In this session, we will discuss six elements of voice in fiction - Inflection, Dialect / Jargon, Saying exactly what you mean, Sentence length and rhythm, Characterization, and Access with examples of each pulled from works by Deesha Phillyaw, Albert Camus, Denise Chavez, and John Kennedy Toole.

Through a combination of lecture and Q&A we will explore how we can strengthen our narrative voice. You can expect to also have some take-home exercises at the conclusion of the session.


Presenters
avatar for Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Elizabeth Gonzalez James is the author of the novels Mona at Sea and The Bullet Swallower as well as the chapbook Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
White Hill
  Fiction

11:45am EDT

Your Personal Stories Matter: How Our Voices Can Harness Socio-Cultural Change
Personal stories matter because our voices can be engines for social, political, and cultural change toward a more just and equitable society where we, as artists and people, have a seat at the table. In this session, we will discuss how to turn our memories and experiences into transformational stories. We’ll look at the ways in which the personal can be a vehicle to broader societal issues through our writing, and how this can expand and enrich what we have to say. We will conclude the session with a writing exercise so that we can begin to connect our individual voice to something larger.
Presenters
avatar for Leslie-Ann Murray

Leslie-Ann Murray

Brown Girl Book Lover
Leslie-Ann Murray is a fiction writer from Trinidad & Tobago. She created Brown Girl Book Lover, a social media platform where she interviews diverse writers and reviews books that should be at the forefront of our imagination. She also produces a monthly newsletter, Come Get Your... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Tremont
  Fiction   Nonfiction

11:45am EDT

Out of Order: Crafting Non-Linear Narratives
Moving directly from point A to point B isn’t always the best way to tell a story. Sometimes we find ourselves beginning at the end, hopping back and forth in time, or circling around the same events until our understanding of them changes. Non-linear narratives can make for fascinating and thrilling reading, but writing them poses particular challenges. How do we maintain continuity, clarity, and suspense when our stories don't follow a straight line? How do we decide which episodes of a timeline we want to visit? How do we make forays into the past illuminate, rather than bog down, the present? How do we keep the reader oriented in where and when they are in the story?

Looking at works as disparate as Homer’s The Odyssey, Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five, David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas, Muriel Spark’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and more, we will discuss how authors time-hop successfully and why a non-linear structure serves the stories they tell. We will also dive into how we, as writers, can craft our own “disorderly” narratives. Expect to come away with ideas for finding the right “shape” for your plot, for building suspense when the reader already knows how your story ends, and for keeping the reader oriented in a narrative that doesn’t follow a straight line.

Presenters
avatar for Alanna Schubach

Alanna Schubach

Alanna Schubach is the author of the novel The Nobodies (Blackstone, 2022.) Her short fiction has been published in the Iowa Review, Shenandoah, the Sewanee Review, and more. She lives in New York, where she works as a creative writing teacher and freelance journalist.

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Whittier
  Fiction   The Writer's Life

11:45am EDT

Legacy Letters: How to They Can Be a Springboard for Your Nonfiction Projects
Legacy letters can strengthen the ties between generations. They can be also be great seeds for memoir and other nonfiction projects. In this generative session, we will delve into the history of legacy letters, how they are structured, and the top reasons for writing one. We will do short writing exercises to stimulate ideas, with some high-level guidance on craft elements that make legacy letters not just compelling, but great sources for longer material. You can expect to leave the session inspired to turn your own legacy into concrete ideas for further writing.
Presenters
avatar for Lisa Braxton

Lisa Braxton

Lisa Braxton is the author of the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s 2020 Independently Published Book Award, and winner of a 2020 Outstanding Literary Award from the... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Franklin
  Nonfiction

11:45am EDT

Mini Zines As a Mirror: Create an 8-Page Zine to Reflect on Who You Are Today
In this session, you will create and complete an 8-page mini zine that aims to capture who you are in this present moment. It will involve drawing prompts (draw what you look like today) and meditative writing prompts (what are your current likes? dislikes? Describe your present self to your future self). The finished product should serve as a time capsule of your age, and the workshop will highlight the reflective, introspective power of mini zines.
Presenters
avatar for Malaka Gharib

Malaka Gharib

Malaka Gharib is a journalist, cartoonist and graphic novelist. She is the author of "I Was Their American Dream," a graphic memoir published in 2019 about being first-generation Filipino Egyptian American, which won an Arab American Book Award in 2020. Then in 2022, she published... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Cabot
  Nonfiction

11:45am EDT

It Takes a Village: The Editor-Author Collaboration
Asata Radcliffe (editor) & Margarita Barresi (author) will discuss the importance of the author-editor collaboration–the creative partnership that is the bridge to a published book. Reflecting on their journey together that led to the final outcome of Margarita's first book, A Delicate Marriage, this discussion will address the question: How can the author and editor center the voice in the work together? They will also discuss the importance of how having the right editor-author pairing is vital when addressing themes that have a larger cultural context. This session will have a Q&A, and audience participation is invited.
Presenters
avatar for Margarita Barresi

Margarita Barresi

A native Puerto Rican, Margarita Barresi writes historical fiction and essays about growing up on the island. She studied public relations at Boston University and had a successful 25-year career in marketing communications. Her work has been published in several journals and anthologies... Read More →
avatar for Asata Radcliffe

Asata Radcliffe

Asata is a writer and multimedia artist. She received her MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Antioch University in Los Angeles. Starting out as a copy editor, she went on to review for Kirkus Reviews and served as an editorial director for the 2040 Review. Currently, she is an... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life   Other   Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry

11:45am EDT

Shoot for the Moons: Charting Your Quest in Fantasy and Science Fiction Publishing
“Growing up is highly overrated,” says Neil Gaiman. “Just be an author.” That advice might be especially applicable for sci-fi and fantasy writers, who famously enjoy stretching the limits of imagination to infinity—and beyond. The publishing industry, however, isn’t quite so fanciful. If you want to traditionally publish your SFF novels, you’ll have to temporarily sheath your enchanted sword and buckle down with some pre-adventure groundwork. In this session, we will discuss the ups and downs of the SFF publishing journey and delve into a bubbling beaker of specifics: What advice do editors have for writers hoping to break into the SFF realm? What categorizations have publishers created in the genre? What are the first (and second, and tenth) steps a writer should take when querying SFF agents? How does fantasy and sci-fi publishing differ from the rest of the industry? As with any good quest, there are bound to be a few twists and turns along the way. And riddles from the three-headed zombie who lives under the bridge. So saddle up your dragon, pack your trustiest magic wand, and grab your seat in the Spaceship Muse: We’re getting published, people. Unless the zombie gets us first.
Presenters
avatar for Trisha (T.M.) Blanchet

Trisha (T.M.) Blanchet

Author
T.M. Blanchet is the author of The Neath Trilogy: Herrick's End (2022), Herrick's Lie (2023), and Herrick's Key (2024). She's also the producer and host of A Mighty Blaze Podcast, which features weekly interviews with authors, and the founder of Operation Delta Dog: Service Dogs for... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Charles River
  Publishing and Promotion   Fiction

12:45pm EDT

Break
Use this free time between sessions to pick up lunch at a local eatery, make connections among fellow attendees, or take a moment to yourself to reset after all that learning. Be sure to browse our pop up bookstore, Porter Square Books: Muse Edition on the mezzanine level - presenters Camille Cabrera, Lisa Braxton, and K.W. Onley will be on hand to sign their books!
Saturday May 11, 2024 12:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
N/A
  Breaks

2:00pm EDT

Re-Writing History
In historical fiction, we can rewrite the narrative creating characters who are socially conscious, signal environmental concern, or are empathetic to working conditions. These parallels both inform and create commentary on current issues. Never has there been a better time to trace our root causes back to the source. In this session, you will learn how to look towards the past with research in personal narratives, art, and culture, while creating moral characters modern day readers will stand alongside. Pulling examples from Arthur Flowers, Zora Neale Hurston, and James Baldwin, we will examine how historical fiction can inform our present. The content of this session can translate to poetry, flash fiction, young adult, and novels.
Presenters
avatar for Jennifer Mancuso

Jennifer Mancuso

Jennifer Mancuso received her MA in Writing from the New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2017. Focusing primarily on local BIPOC artists, she is a freelance writer for Art New England with several write ups receiving the distinction of cover article since her start in 2019. In addition... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Tremont
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

Writing and Publishing Journeys: An Author Conversation
Come hear from Elizabeth Gonzalez James, author of The Bullet Swallower, and Anna Hogeland, author of The Long Answer, as they discuss their respective writing and publishing journeys, offer some craft and publishing advice, and let you peek behind the novelist's curtain. You’ll also get some tips and strategies along the way and leave inspired about the possibilities for your own book-length manuscript.
Presenters
avatar for Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Elizabeth Gonzalez James is the author of the novels Mona at Sea and The Bullet Swallower as well as the chapbook Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.
avatar for Anna Hogeland

Anna Hogeland

author, THE LONG ANSWER
Anna Hogeland is the author of The Long Answer (Riverhead Books). She is a psychotherapist in private practice, with an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and an MFA from UC Irvine. Her essays have appeared in Literary Hub, Big Issue, iNews, Gloss Magazine, Romper, and... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Winthrop
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

You're Not Too Young For This: Queering Middle Grade
LGBTQIA+ stories have often been reserved for adult and, more recently, young adult audiences. Younger readers have too often been warned, "You're too young for that topic." But more and more, middle grade and even picture book audiences are beginning to see more queer stories told. At the same time, certain considerations need to be made for middle grade audiences. In this session, we will engage with a variety of texts from different queer middle grade authors and explore the ways early identity development–including questioning identities– can drive plot, character development, and emotional arcs. We will also consider how secondary queer characters may positively influence and de-stigmatize young readers' identity experiences in a variety of ways. We will be looking at excerpts from authors such as Leah Johnson (she/her), Caroline Huntoon (they/them), Kyle Lukoff (he/him), and Ronnie Riley (they/them).

Presenters
avatar for Kate Fussner

Kate Fussner

English Teacher, Fenway High school
Kate Fussner holds her B.A. from Vassar College, her M.Ed. from University of Massachusetts Boston, and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley University. She is the recipient of the W.K. Rose Fellowship from Vassar College (2022). After over a decade of teaching... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Franklin
  Fiction

2:00pm EDT

Writing Place: Working with Where You’re From
How does where we’re from shape us? And how can we bring this into our own writing? “Place is not just what your feet are crossing to get to somewhere,” says Dorothy Allison in her essay “Place.” In this session, we’ll unpack that idea, and discuss the intersection of place and identity in fiction. We will read and analyze short place-based narratives and create one of our own through a series of short exercises. Using our childhood neighborhood as a starting point, we’ll spend time bringing it to life on the page using sensory details to fully immerse the reader in the space, paying special attention to the unique cultural markers of the neighborhood. You will leave with an understanding of the symbiotic relationship between place, identity, and character, and techniques to employ in your own writing long after the session ends.
Presenters
avatar for Lena Valencia

Lena Valencia

Lena Valencia is the recipient of a 2019 Elizabeth George Foundation grant and holds an MFA in fiction from The New School. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she is the managing editor and director of educational programming at One Story and the co-host of the reading series... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Fiction   Nonfiction

2:00pm EDT

What Do You Mean by That?: Receiving feedback and becoming an editor
Everyone, including yourself, has an opinion on your piece, but which opinion matters? What's the difference between criticism and constructive feedback? Knowing how to stand up for yourself and how to give an honest review of a story is essential to being a writer and an editor.

In this session, we will be defining the role and principles of being an editor, such as how to give constructive feedback, ask questions, and frame suggestions. On the writer's side, we will be looking at the feedback, how to break it down into manageable steps, and make executive decisions in order to defend your work and not feel discouraged. At the end of the session, you will leave feeling informed with a clearer understanding of the revision process.

Presenters
avatar for Isabella Kestermann

Isabella Kestermann

Isabella Kestermann is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. She writes speculative fiction, poetry, and personal essays. She received a MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her work has been featured in the Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest and New Orleans Review... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Stuart
  Fiction   Nonfiction   Poetry   Other   Publishing and Promotion

2:00pm EDT

The Prose Chapbook: A New, Fun, and Accessible Form for Emerging Writers
What is a prose chapbook? How can it benefit your career and craft as an emerging writer? We'll answer these questions and more in this session for fiction and nonfiction writers. We'll tackle structure, length, and scope (extending a standalone work or writing into a theme or event). We'll explore the publication process, editing, potential markets, and upsides to the form, with plenty of time to answer questions.
Presenters
avatar for Maria Picone

Maria Picone

Managing Editor, Chestnut Review
Maria S. Picone (mariaspicone.com/@mspicone) is a queer Korean American adoptee with three forthcoming chapbooks: Anti Asian Bias, Adoptee Song (Game Over Books), This Tenuous Atmosphere (Conium). She won Salamander’s Louisa Solano Memorial Emerging Poet Prize, Cream City Review’s... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Cambridge
  Fiction   Nonfiction   Publishing and Promotion

2:00pm EDT

Bleeding on the Page: Writing Through and About the Stigmatized
The hardest and most important stories are often the ones that come from our deepest vulnerabilities. Yet, those are the most terrifying to write. How do you write your deepest fears or secrets? Once you’ve written it, how do you market and publish?

In this session, we will walk through how to dive into stigmatized and taboo topics (think mental health, bodies and so much more) in nonfiction. We’ll cover how to get started when you feel scared on the page, how to interview other people about sensitive topics, and how to talk to other people in your life—whether it’s family, or your agent or editor—about your work while still feeling safe. You will leave feeling empowered to tell your story on your terms.
Presenters
avatar for Shalene Gupta

Shalene Gupta

Shalene Gupta is a writer and journalist. She’s the author of The Cycle: Confronting the Pain of Periods and PMDD, and co-author of The Power of Trust. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, ESPN, Fast Company, Fortune and Harvard Business Review among other places. She was awarded... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Charles River
  Nonfiction   The Writer's Life   Publishing and Promotion

2:00pm EDT

Moving the Needle: A Marketing Primer for Writers
Authors are responsible for a significant portion of book marketing, but promoting yourself and your book doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Do you need a website? Do you need a social media presence? Can you even move the needle? In this session, we will cover several key topics that will help you understand the basics of book marketing & publicity. You will also have access to a free, online resource tool, with dozens of tips and examples, that you can use at your own pace, whenever you’re ready to promote yourself and your book. This will be particularly helpful for those who are pre-published or early in their career, but even seasoned authors will get a different perspective on these topics.
Presenters
avatar for Federico Erebia

Federico Erebia

Author/Illustrator, PEDRO & DANIEL (Levine Querido 2023)
Federico Erebia is a retired physician, woodworker, author, poet, and illustrator. He received a BA from the College of Wooster, and an MD from Brown University. His debut novel, Pedro & Daniel (Levine Querido 2023) is a 2024 Bank Street BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR; Longlisted for the 2024... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Whittier
  Publishing and Promotion

2:00pm EDT

Community & Craft: How Long-Form Workshops Can Transform a Writer’s Life
Workshops are designed to provide writers with community, accountability, feedback and inspiration. Sometimes, though, the workshop ends just as the group begins to gel and hit its stride. But what if your workshop could last 6, 9 or even 12 months? Drawing from the wisdom and experience of the intensive programs in fiction, memoir, short story and essay at GrubStreet, and the Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop Manuscript Program, and elsewhere, this session will discuss the benefits of longer form (months-long) workshops and why they can be great alternatives to multi-year and more expensive programs such as MFAs. These advantages include the ability to work on book-length manuscripts and collections or more advanced material; to engage in a deeper workshopping experience; to have a more robust revision process; to be exposed to publication and networking opportunities; and to experience a transformative community building among your peers and instructor. Come to this session with questions about long form workshops or experiences you like to share.
Presenters
avatar for Ethan Gilsdorf

Ethan Gilsdorf

Author, Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks
Ethan Gilsdorf is a memoirist, essayist, critic, journalist, poet, teacher, performer, and the author of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Wired, Salon, O the Oprah Magazine, National Geographic, Brevity, Electric... Read More →
avatar for Joy Baglio

Joy Baglio

Founder / Director, Pioneer Valley Writers' Workshop
JOY BAGLIO (BAH - lee - oh) is a speculative-literary fiction writer and Founder / Director of Pioneer Valley Writers’ Workshop. Her short stories have appeared widely, in journals such as The Missouri Review, Tin House, American Short Fiction, Conjunctions, Fairy Tale Review, and... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Gloucester
  The Writer's Life

3:00pm EDT

Writers, Agents, and Editors of Color Meet-Up
An opportunity for self-identified BIPOC attendees and Boston Writers of Color Group members to mingle with authors, agents, and editors at the conference. Join us for an hour of community building, networking, and a raffle giveaway!
Saturday May 11, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
Georgian Ballroom (Mezzanine Level)
  Add-on Gathering

3:00pm EDT

Break
Saturday May 11, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm EDT
N/A
  Breaks

4:15pm EDT

Community Space
Need a break from conference sessions? Consider coming to this community space for an opportunity to chat and make connections with other conference goers in a relaxed environment. Facilitated by a GrubStreet writer, this space is for folks looking to unwind and meet fellow attendees.
Presenters
avatar for Shirley Jones Luke

Shirley Jones Luke

Fiction Writer
Shirley Jones Luke is an educator, poet, public speaker and writer. Ms Luke lives in Dorchester. She is the author of Traumaland, her first poetry collection.  Shirley has an MFA from Emerson College. Ms Luke is currently working on a collection of essays about the poems in Traumaland... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Newbury
  Add-on Gathering

4:15pm EDT

The Structure is Sound: How to Effectively Approach Multigenerational Sagas in Fiction
If you're aiming to write a complex, multigenerational saga (and these days who isn’t?) you might benefit from considering the best structure to pull this off in your novel. In this session, we will go over concrete ideas and examples on how to effectively and affectively play with time, construct distinct timelines, and achieve a wide temporal aspect by looking at a range of literary fiction such as The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, On Earth We are Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, and a few others. We will also consider plot-driven and character-driven books, poetic structures, and history-driven structures as a way to expand your narrative options and craft toolbox. You will leave our time together more confident and inspired to take on the larger and multilayered family narrative you’ve been putting off.
Presenters
avatar for Shilpi Suneja

Shilpi Suneja

Shilpi Suneja is the author of the novel, House of Caravans. Born in India, her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and published in Guernica, McSweeney’s, Cognoscenti, Lit Hub, and the Michigan Quarterly Review. Her writing has been supported by a National Endowment for... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
White Hill
  Fiction

4:15pm EDT

Point of View: Tips on Breaking into Commentary Writing
Want to see your byline in a major publication, like possibly The New York Times or The Washington Post? Op-ed writing is a terrific way to get your work published for the first time and help you build a platform as a writer, too. In this interactive, hands-on workshop, you'll get tips on coming up with ideas; how to use your personal story as the driver of your piece; and how to pitch. You'll get to try your hand at the first few paragraphs of a commentary, too. Learn from a veteran journalist and author whose commentaries have been published in USA Today, The Washington Post, WBUR's Cognoscenti and other publications.
Presenters
avatar for Linda Wertheimer

Linda Wertheimer

Author, FAITH ED, TEACHING ABOUT RELIGION IN AN AGE OF INTOLERANCE
Linda K. Wertheimer, a veteran journalist and former Boston Globe education editor, is the award-winning author of Faith Ed, Teaching about Religion in an Age of Intolerance. Her long-form journalism and commentaries have been published in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe Magazine... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Franklin
  Nonfiction

4:15pm EDT

Roadmap to Revision: Make Your Memoir Agent-Ready
Revising a memoir can feel overwhelming, but it’s a crucial process for memoirists to make their story compelling to readers and irresistible to agents. This session will address five approaches for revising memoir, including ramping up the stakes, honing the structure, and sharpening characters. We’ll explore published memoirs to identify what’s working, and then apply those techniques to our own manuscripts using hands-on exercises. We’ll discuss strategies for identifying weak areas in our memoir drafts, and develop action plans for how to address them. Finally, we’ll talk about how to know when your manuscript is “ready,” and what agents look for in your opening pages.

Expect to leave this session with a toolbox of revision strategies and a roadmap for honing your memoir draft!
Presenters
avatar for Katie Bannon

Katie Bannon

Memoirist & Essayist
Katie Bannon is a writer, editor, and educator whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, ELLE, and more. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Memoir Incubator, she holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Emerson College. Her memoir manuscript, which talks about her journey... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Cambridge
  Nonfiction

4:15pm EDT

The Textures and Music of Language: Learning from Poets
Poetry is to prose as dancing is to walking, wrote Paul Valery. In this session, we will explore how prose writers can pick up a few dance moves from poets. By looking closely at the stories and memoirs of poets such as Ross Gay, Beth Ann Fennelly and Cathy Park Hong, we will consider what it means to pay attention to music and imagery, form and figurative language, and how we can apply these tools to the worlds of fiction and non-fiction. Through a mixture of lecture and guided writing exercises, participants can expect to leave this session writing prose that sounds anything but prosaic.
Presenters
avatar for Ben Berman

Ben Berman

Author
Ben Berman is the author of three books of poems and the new collection of essays, Writing While Parenting. He has won the Peace Corps Award for the Best Book of Poetry, has twice been shortlisted twice for the Massachusetts Book Awards and has received awards from the Massachusetts... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Stuart
  Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry

4:15pm EDT

Writing About Addiction
In this session, we will talk about the craft of writing characters who are struggling with addiction, whether the addiction is to drugs, alcohol, emotional, or even to a relationship. We will look at various excerpts, including "Unmanageable" by Lucia Berlin and "The Copenhagen Trilogy" by Tove Ditlevsen. You will also hear about the presenter’s own experience writing about, among other forms of addiction, heroin in her novel I Could Live Here Forever, as well as what the publishing experience was like. The session will conclude with a writing exercise stemming from the conversation about addiction and characters' motivations, desires, wants, and needs.
Presenters
avatar for Hanna Halperin

Hanna Halperin

Hanna Halperin is the author of the novels, Something Wild and I Could Live Here Forever. Something Wild won the 2021 Edward Lewis Wallant Award and was a finalist for the 2021 National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction. Her stories have been published in The Kenyon Review, n+1... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Cabot
  Nonfiction   Fiction   The Writer's Life   Publishing and Promotion

4:15pm EDT

Kissing the Muse: Flirt With Words
Indulge your desire to write without taking it (or yourself) too seriously!

During this 1-hour expressive writing experience, we'll co-create a safe, supportive space to creatively "kiss" our inner muse in a free-flow writing form. Rather than working directly on a laptop or computer, we'll respond to writing prompts in a journal or notebook. Writing by hand allows us to access our innate body wisdom and bypass the internal editor. Working with playful prompts (aka "flirts"), we'll write together in 3- and 5-minute bursts by hand, without stopping, thinking, editing, or scratching out. Forget about creating polished, finished work. Instead, you'll find and free your authentic voice in a raw, free flow of words. We'll then take turns sharing and listening to each other's writing, providing and receiving positive, encouraging feedback only.

So grab a pen, pucker up, and let the magic begin!




Presenters
avatar for Robbyn Layne

Robbyn Layne

Writer | Editor | Creative Collaborator, Kissing the Muse
Robbyn Layne the author/publisher of The Messy Magical Muse: Illuminate Your Creative Path to Happiness, a colorful, creativity-inspiring 65-card deck, and of the hybrid memoir/mentorship course, Kissing the Muse: A Messy, Magical Creative Adventure & Guide. Her boutique consultancy... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Brandeis
  Other

4:15pm EDT

Agent Ask Me Anything
Have you been wanting to ask questions of a literary agent? This is your chance! Come to this panel of experienced agents as they engage, through a Q&A format, with topics such as the book industry, query letters, the writer-agent relationship, trends in the publishing world, and much more! Submit your questions in advance here - some time will be saved for in-the-moment questions, as well.
Presenters
avatar for Jennifer Chen Tran

Jennifer Chen Tran

Jennifer Chen Tran is a literary agent at Glass Literary Management. With over a decade of experience in publishing, Jennifer is passionate about nurturing and championing authors and their creative lives. She represents a wide range of talent, including journalists, physicians, entrepreneurs... Read More →
avatar for Katherine Fausset

Katherine Fausset

Katherine Fausset is an agent and vice president at Curtis Brown, Ltd. where she represents primarily literary and upmarket fiction, genre fiction, and select non-fiction. Her clients include Emily St. John Mandel, Laura van den Berg, Benjamin Percy, Jami Attenberg, Crystal Hana Kim... Read More →
avatar for Kerry D'Agostino

Kerry D'Agostino

Kerry D’Agostino is a literary agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd. She represents literary and upmarket fiction, and her authors include novelists Erin Adams, Andrea Bobotis, Leesa Cross-Smith, Nancy Wayson Dinan, Micah Dean Hicks, Talia Lakshmi Kolluri, Leslie Pietrzyk and Liza Wieland... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Whittier
  Publishing and Promotion

4:15pm EDT

Pulling Back the Curtain: A First Year Editor-in-Chief Reveals How Lit Mags Work
Writers are often discouraged by the publishing process for good reason: Competition is high. Submission fees add up. Submission cycles take an eternity. Rejections are common. Acceptances are few. And oftentimes, our hard work is unpaid.
Like you, I’m a writer who has felt these same frustrations. When I became Editor-in-Chief of a literary magazine, however, I gained a new perspective on the publishing process that I’m excited to share with you. In this session, I will use my personal experience and lessons learned during my first year as EIC to give you an intimate look at the process, challenges, and rewards of running a successful publication and selecting submissions, and discuss strategies for getting your own work published in literary magazines.
Presenters
avatar for Lorena Hernández Leonard

Lorena Hernández Leonard

Lorena Hernández Leonard a Colombian-American writer. Her work has been recognized in The Best American Essays Notable list, was a finalist for the PEN America Emerging Writer Fellowship, and has appeared in KHÔRA, WBUR’s Cognoscenti, Tasteful Rude, Pathfinders Collective, Solstice... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Tremont
  Publishing and Promotion   Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry   The Writer's Life

4:15pm EDT

How to Keep Writing
You have a great idea, a spark of inspiration, the words are flowing until…they aren’t. Writing blocks and creative doubts creep in when you least expect it; writers need tools and strategies for overcoming these barriers.

This interactive session will give you actionable tips and practical tools for working through fallow periods in your writing life. Through in-class guided exercises and discussion, writers will leave feeling prepared for the next time they find themselves stuck.

Presenters
avatar for Louise Miller

Louise Miller

Author, THE CITY BAKER'S GUIDE TO COUNTRY LIVING
Louise Miller is the author of The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living and The Late Bloomers’ Club. A graduate of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator program, Louise teaches workshops on writing practice, novel writing, and consults on query letters, literary agent research, and full-novel... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  The Writer's Life   Fiction

4:15pm EDT

A Trip to the Playground: Making Writing Fun Again!
In his memoir and craft book On Writing, Stephen King says: "When I'm writing, it's all the playground, and the worst three hours I ever spent there were still pretty damned good." But not every (adult) writer feels that way, and many think that the pleasure of writing only comes once you have a finished, polished, project. Too often we forget that the act of creation, the act of pretend, is supposed to be fun. We take it too seriously. We've lost our sense of play. In this session, we'll learn some tips and tricks to make our own writing fun again. We'll gather inspiration from writers who've spoken about enjoying the writing process. We'll discuss the role of routine and the power of community. We'll also learn how to make our self-doubt get the heck out of the way, because we're headed to the swing-sets! Me first!
Presenters
avatar for Annie Hartnett

Annie Hartnett

Author, RABBIT CAKE
Annie Hartnett is the author of novels UNLIKELY ANIMALS (Ballantine/Random House, 2022), RABBIT CAKE (Tin House Books, 2017), and the forthcoming novel The Road to Tender Hearts (Ballantine, 2025). She co-hosts Good Moms on Paper, a podcast about parenting and writing, and co-runs... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Charles River
  The Writer's Life   Fiction   Nonfiction

4:15pm EDT

The Emergence of AI: An Interrogation for Creative Writers
The proliferation of AI has brought with it a range of ethical and legal issues, as well as some fundamental questions about what it means to be a writer, the impact AI will have on jobs and artistic professions, the quality of the art it can help produce, the short- and long-term benefits and harms it can generate as a tool for writers, and much more. An AI expert (to be announced) alongside writer Camille Cabrera will delve into a range of topics: from the legal and ethical to the artistic and pedagogical, to unpack and explore the layers of AI in the world of creative writing. Through an in-conversation model and audience Q&A, you can expect to leave this session with a more nuanced perspective on AI’s impact, its benefits and drawbacks, and its potential place in our artistic culture going forward.
Presenters
avatar for Camille Cabrera

Camille Cabrera

Camille Cabrera is a #1 bestselling American novelist and entrepreneur. Her novels frequently rank within the Amazon top 100. She specializes in mystery and thriller novels. Camille focuses on creating strong and complicated female protagonists in order to craft realistic characters... Read More →
avatar for Bhamati Viswanathan

Bhamati Viswanathan

Faculty Fellow, New England Law | Boston
Dr. Bhamati Viswanathan is a Faculty Fellow at New England Law | Boston, where she teaches copyright, intellectual property, and constitutional law. Bhamati is the author of “Cultivating Copyright: How Creative Industries Can Harness Intellectual Property to Survive the Digital... Read More →

Saturday May 11, 2024 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Winthrop
  The Writer's Life   Fiction   Nonfiction

6:00pm EDT

Saturday All-Conference Party
Enjoy an evening of light-hearted fun with fellow conference-goers after a day packed with of lots of learning! Join us at MJ O'Connor's - located right in the Park Plaza itself - and enjoy a drink on us, plus pub-fare appetizers and treats. This party is open to all conference goers!
Saturday May 11, 2024 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
MJ O'Connor's Irish Pub 27 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA 02116
  Other
 
Sunday, May 12
 

8:30am EDT

Registration Opens
Sunday May 12, 2024 8:30am - 1:30pm EDT
Mezzanine

9:45am EDT

Insider Insights: A Publishing Panel
Enjoy a later start on Sunday morning on your own, then join us for a panel presentation on publishing trends, tips, and tricks. Featuring agents Katherine Fausset and Mariah Stovall, and editor Heidi Pitlor, moderated by writer and journalist Nina MacLaughlin, you'll learn what's top of mind in publishing in 2024 from experts in the field.
Presenters
avatar for Katherine Fausset

Katherine Fausset

Katherine Fausset is an agent and vice president at Curtis Brown, Ltd. where she represents primarily literary and upmarket fiction, genre fiction, and select non-fiction. Her clients include Emily St. John Mandel, Laura van den Berg, Benjamin Percy, Jami Attenberg, Crystal Hana Kim... Read More →
avatar for Mariah Stovall

Mariah Stovall

Mariah Stovall is an agent at Trellis Literary Management, where she represents adult literary and upmarket fiction and narrative nonfiction, all with an emphasis on innovation, voice, and underrepresented perspectives. Prior to joining Trellis, she worked at Howland Literary, Writers... Read More →
avatar for Heidi Pitlor

Heidi Pitlor

Heidi Pitlor has worked in publishing for three decades. Since 2007, she has been the series editor of The Best American Short Stories. She is also the editorial director of the literary studio, Plympton and the director of Heidi Pitlor Editorial. Heidi is the author of the novels... Read More →
avatar for Nina MacLaughlin

Nina MacLaughlin

Nina MacLaughlin is the author of WAKE, SIREN (FSG), a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award and the Massachusetts Book Award; SUMMER SOLSTICE and WINTER SOLSTICE (Black Sparrow); and HAMMER HEAD (W.W. Norton), a finalist for the New England Book Award. Formerly an editor at the Boston... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 9:45am - 10:45am EDT
Grand Ballroom
  Publishing and Promotion

11:00am EDT

Finding Your Ending
Finding the right ending for your story might be the most difficult part of the writing process — we need to thread the needle with theme, magic, metaphor, and character, all without being too preachy or heavy-handed. In this class, we'll look behind the curtain of great story endings and adapt what we learn to our own endings. We'll work on fitting resonant images and powerful character choices into story endings—all while balancing the bitter and the sweet. We will read examples of great story endings and discuss what makes them great (readings may include works by Alice Munro, ZZ Packer, Toni Morrison, Richard Ford, James Joyce, Sandra Cisneros, and others). To end, we will engage in practical exercises to revise our own endings.
Presenters
avatar for Blair Hurley

Blair Hurley

Author, THE DEVOTED
BLAIR HURLEY is the author of THE DEVOTED, which was longlisted for The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize. Her second novel, MINOR PROPHETS, was published in 2023. Her work is published in New England Review, Electric Literature, The Georgia Review, Guernica, Paris Review Daily... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
White Hill
  Fiction

11:00am EDT

The Big Bad: Give Your Protagonist a Worthy Antagonist
If your novel is starting to feel like a slog, the problem might just be your antagonist. A great antagonist challenges the protagonist at every turn and on every level–emotional, physical, psychological–thus creating the tension and conflict that turns a story into a riveting read. But how do you create an opponent (human or inhuman) that will propel your story forward and force your protagonist to change–all while fascinating the reader? In this session, we will discuss how antagonists can drive the plot; the different types of “Big Bads” and the qualities they often share; and overused tropes, motivations and maneuvers you should avoid. We will also do a series of writing exercises that will help you discover and design the best possible antagonist to challenge your protagonist and breathe conflict and narrative energy into your novel.
Presenters
avatar for Kat Falls

Kat Falls

Kat Falls writes scifi thrillers for tweens and teens. In her Dark Life series, Kat takes middle school readers on adventures under the sea. The series was translated into 18 languages and featured on The Today Show. Her YA series, Inhuman, a post-apocalyptic romance, received a starred... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Tremont
  Fiction

11:00am EDT

Imaginative Narratives: Bridging AI Approaches and Storytelling
This session is designed for writers seeking to explore new frontiers in creative expression and incorporate innovative techniques into their craft. We will begin by discussing some of the concerns regarding AI, particularly around ethical use and potential limitations on creativity. We will then explore how AI, when ethically used, can inspire narratives, offer new perspectives, and enhance creativity. You will be introduced to the world of AI-generated visual art and learn how it can serve as a unique catalyst for storytelling. We will do hands-on exercises while engaging with AI-generated images, using them as prompts to craft short narratives or poetry. You can expect to gain insights into the fusion of AI technology and creative writing, have space to discuss concerns related to the technology, and leave inspired to expand your toolkit of innovative approaches.
Presenters
avatar for Allen Redwing

Allen Redwing

Allen J. Redwing, a Memphis-born storyteller and filmmaker, distinguished himself early with international recognition and awards. A former U.S. Forces combat documentation photographer and New England Recruiting Battalion Station Commander, Allen expanded his cinematic skills at... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Charles River
  Fiction   Poetry

11:00am EDT

Exploring the Boundary of Believability in Fiction and Nonfiction
You may be familiar with a quote from Mark Twain: “The difference between nonfiction and fiction is that fiction must be absolutely believable.” What determines this in plot, character, or setting? Does nonfiction and fiction need to have separate levels of ‘believability’ or can they mingle in the same story?

In this session, we’ll be analyzing excerpts of writers who toe the line—such as Helen Fremont, Pam Houstan, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Ta-Nehisi Coates—and opening discussions on what elements of believability are inherent in both fiction and nonfiction writing. All prose writers will find valuable tips and tricks from this session on elements of craft and how they can be blended. You will also get a chance to test the boundary through a guided exercise that uses their own life experience to create a fictional story.


Presenters
avatar for Isabella Kestermann

Isabella Kestermann

Isabella Kestermann is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. She writes speculative fiction, poetry, and personal essays. She received a MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her work has been featured in the Women on Writing Flash Fiction Contest and New Orleans Review... Read More →
avatar for Kelsey Costa

Kelsey Costa

Kelsey Costa is a Rhode Island based writer who loves exploring what makes us human in fiction and nonfiction. She holds a BFA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College. She has been a Muse and the Marketplace volunteer since 2019 and currently serves as the Co-Programs... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Stuart
  Nonfiction   Fiction

11:00am EDT

Social Media for Authors
Join viral BookTok/Bookstagram creator and author @bettysbooklist to learn best practices for video content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. In this session, you will learn how to have an effective and informed approach to social media, how to create posts that go viral, and how to strategically manage your multi-platform social media presence. We will discuss how to leverage social media when querying your book, how to properly promote your upcoming release, and how to do all of it without burning out. You can expect to leave more knowledgeable and confident when using your social media platforms as a promotional tool.
Presenters
avatar for Betty Cayouette

Betty Cayouette

Betty Cayouette is an author of romance novels. Her debut novel One Last Shot releases in May 2024. She also known for her viral videos on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube under her account @bettysbooklist.

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life   Fiction

11:00am EDT

The Query Letter
In this session, we will discuss how to write a query letter that will grab agents’ attention. We will read query letters that were successful and not-so-successful, and share many strategies for the querying process: how to decide who to query, how to follow-up, how to decide who should represent you, and so on. We will break down the components of the query letter and learn the single most important part to include. Participants will leave with a practical guide on how to move from the writing process to the publishing process, and they’lll be more confident in how to navigate the journey of finding an agent and moving their work into the world.
Presenters
avatar for Anna Hogeland

Anna Hogeland

author, THE LONG ANSWER
Anna Hogeland is the author of The Long Answer (Riverhead Books). She is a psychotherapist in private practice, with an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work and an MFA from UC Irvine. Her essays have appeared in Literary Hub, Big Issue, iNews, Gloss Magazine, Romper, and... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Franklin
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life   Fiction

11:00am EDT

The Querying Writer's Playbook: Positioning Yourself for Publication
This session, co-led by literary besties Nancy Johnson, author of The Kindest Lie, and Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, will help querying writers develop a realistic action plan to best position themselves for querying success.

Nancy and Julie, who slogged their way through the query trenches together, will walk you through steps to build your own Querying Writer’s Playbook, an at-the-ready toolbox that includes a variety of polished documents such as query letters, elevator pitches, synopses, and partial manuscripts of varying lengths. You will learn important strategies for preparing to send queries, such as how to get high-quality industry feedback before you start querying, how (and why) to find contests worth entering, finding (or building) a writing community, knowing when you are ready to query, and being a good literary citizen.


Presenters
avatar for Julie Carrick Dalton

Julie Carrick Dalton

Author, WAITING FOR THE NIGHT SONG
Julie Carrick Dalton is the author of The Last Beekeeper and Waiting for the Night Song, a CNN, USA Today, Parade, and Newsweek Most Anticipated novel. Her writing has appeared in BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Orion, Chicago Review of Books, Lit Hub, Electric... Read More →
avatar for Nancy Johnson

Nancy Johnson

Author, THE KINDEST LIE, William Morrow/HarperCollins
A native of Chicago’s South Side, Nancy Johnson published her debut novel, The Kindest Lie, which was a Target Book Club Pick. It has been reviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, and was featured on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List. Booksellers... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Whittier
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life   Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry

11:00am EDT

Writing Like a Parent, Parenting Like a Writer
"Taking care of ourselves, we give ourselves the energy and clarity to take care of our children."
-Julia Cameron

It can be hard to balance book babies with actual babies. How do creatives find the time and mental energy to continue artistic pursuits when parenting demands so much of both? How do we hold space in our lives for these dual identities of “writer” and “parent”? One way is to use tools from each identity to inform the other. Using excerpts from other writer/parents as a springboard, we will talk about the challenges we face as parenting writers/writing parents and discuss fresh approaches to time management, staying inspired, re-aligning expectations, and being artistic role models for our kids. You can expect to leave the session with a clearer understanding of how to effectively balance your writing/parenting worlds, as well as strategies to stay sustainably productive with your projects.

Presenters
avatar for Allison Pottern Hoch

Allison Pottern Hoch

Fiction Writer & Marketing Coach
Allison Pottern is a writer and reader of all things speculative, with a background in publishing, event planning, publicity, and bookselling. Allison is currently working on a cli-fi novel, drinking copious cups of tea, and chasing after her two kiddos. Her writing can be found at... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Cabot
  The Writer's Life

12:15pm EDT

An Introduction to Epistolary Horror
Epistolary Horror is a genre of writing that creates suspense and terror through documents such as letters, diary entries, medical reports, radio transcripts, captain's logs, and social media posts. In this session, we'll bridge the gap between fiction and academic analysis of the genre to synthesize craft takeaways for writers. We'll examine the rise of digital campfires, remediated folklore, voice and perspective, and reader contracts in epistolary horror. All writers are welcome, regardless of if you've written horror before. Attendees will leave this session with notes on multiple craft approaches to the genre of epistolary horror, as well as a resource library with corresponding academic texts, fiction readings, and writing prompts.
Presenters
avatar for Marcella Haddad

Marcella Haddad

Instructor, GrubStreet
Marcella Haddad (she/her) is the author of SIDEWINDER (Gateway Literary Press) and WITCH HOUSE (Ghost City Press). She received her MFA from UMass Amherst and her poetry has been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. She is the editor in chief of Palette Poetry and... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Franklin
  Fiction

12:15pm EDT

Manuscript CPR: Reviving Dead Work
Do you have an old manuscript that's been stuck in a drawer, collecting dust, and haunting you with its unfinished potential? Or maybe you’ve put your work into the world, only to receive a disheartening number of rejections. Whether it's a novel or memoir, it can be endlessly frustrating when you know something isn't working, but you can't quite figure out why. In many cases, what’s needed is a total re-envisioning of your project at a macro level so that it can finally come alive. In this interactive session, we’ll go over how to see your manuscript with fresh eyes, get to the heart of what’s not working, and come up with strategies to fix it. Topics covered include how to maximize your story premise, big picture revision techniques, and reading between the lines on feedback. We’ll also discuss reader expectations, pacing, character arc, set-piece scenes, and image systems to enhance your story’s impact. These tools, combined with your voice and imagination, will transform your story into one that is better told, fresh, and uniquely yours.

Presenters
avatar for Kat Falls

Kat Falls

Kat Falls writes scifi thrillers for tweens and teens. In her Dark Life series, Kat takes middle school readers on adventures under the sea. The series was translated into 18 languages and featured on The Today Show. Her YA series, Inhuman, a post-apocalyptic romance, received a starred... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Tremont
  Fiction

12:15pm EDT

You’re in a Cult! Group Dynamics, Societies, and Character in Stories
Seriously, you’re probably in a cult. Or adjacent to one. We all are! From the Manson Family to the Jedi, cults are a mainstay in modern fiction through themes of groupthink, identity, religion, politics, and more. This session will explore the storytelling fascination with cults and societies: how they manifest in different mediums (television, novels, video games, movies) and how characters interact with them. We’ll discuss well-known fictional societies from both mainstream literary fiction and popular genres such as SciFi, Fantasy, Horror, and Mystery. Prepare to create a cult of your own–or reexamine the ones you’re already in!--and explore how elements of strong characterization apply to writing groups. We will explore the concepts of “cults” and “societies,” and how group dynamics can operate within stories. We will create a society (or a cult!) of our own–and practice techniques of character entry action and description within that context. Finally, with all the above in mind, we will engage in short, generative writing activities that could serve as the start to a new story!
Presenters
avatar for Peter Medeiros

Peter Medeiros

Faculty, Emerson College
Peter Medeiros teaches writing and Kung Fu--though never at the same time. His teaching in and around Boston remains a major inspiration for much of his fiction. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. He been publishing fiction since 2013, and was most recently... Read More →
avatar for K.W. Onley

K.W. Onley

K.W. Onley is an author, mother, entrepreneur, and recovering elected person who writes speculative fiction for adults and children. You can find her short fiction in the Many Worlds anthology edited by Cadwell Turnbull and Josh Eure. Kyra is a graduate of Viable Paradise, GrubStreet's... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
White Hill
  Fiction

12:15pm EDT

Crafting for Audio: What All Writers Can Learn from Original Audio Fiction
Audio is the fastest-growing sector of the publishing industry, with 2023 representing the eleventh straight year of double-digit growth. While many are familiar with the standard audiobook adaptation from print, in this session we will explore different types of original audio fiction–including audio originals, scripted fiction podcasts, and adaptations–and where to find writing opportunities in this medium. We will study how to apply the craft of writing uniquely to audio, including how sound shapes story in tandem with language, and how to develop setting, character, and point of view in a way that optimizes your resources to best engage your audience. We will also consider how this practice can serve to strengthen your skills as a writer in all formats by enhancing how you develop a story’s soundscape and your characters’ unique experiences therein. No background in audio is needed for this session–I can’t wait to listen alongside you!

Presenters
avatar for Shira Schindel

Shira Schindel

Owner, Kinder Kids Media
Shira Schindel is a publishing professional with a background in agenting, audiobooks, and innovation. She was most recently the Head of Content Acquisitions at Blackstone Publishing, and before that, a team lead with Audible’s Content Partnerships Team. Shira is currently a freelance... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Cambridge
  Fiction   The Writer's Life   Other

12:15pm EDT

Reading Aloud: It's Not Just for Bedtime Stories
Too often, writers think about reading as a silent activity. But, if you slow down to think about it, you are probably HEARING these very words “out loud” in your head. That’s because reading isn’t silence based, it's SOUND based. In this session, we will discuss how to use sound as a meaningful sensory consideration in composing your writing, and how this emphasis on sound can improve or even transform your creative approach, regardless of genre. (We will also listen to some Johnny Cash, Naughty by Nature, and Olivia Rodrigo—so hey maybe just come for that!)


Presenters
avatar for Theresa Okokon

Theresa Okokon

Raconteur & Essay Incubee
Theresa Okokon is a Pushcart Prize nominated essayist. A Wisconsinite living in New England, she is a writer, a storyteller, and the co-host of Stories From The Stage. In addition to writing and performing her own stories, Theresa also teaches storytelling and writing, coaches other... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Stuart
  Other
  • about Theresa Okokon is a Pushcart Prize nominated essayist. A Wisconsinite living in New England, she is a writer, a storyteller, and the co-host of Stories From The Stage. In addition to writing and performing her own stories, Theresa also teaches storytelling and writing, coaches other tellers, hosts story slams, and emcees events for nonprofits. An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet, Theresa's memoir of essays about memory, family stories, and the death of her father -- THE OKOKON FAMILY ORCHESTRA -- is slated for publication with Atria Books at Simon & Schuster.

12:15pm EDT

Alternative Paths to Selling Your Book: Contests & Publishing Internationally
GrubStreet Memoir Incubator graduates Rachel Zimmerman and Karen Kirsten didn’t take a traditional path to publication for their upcoming books. Rachel won a contest with a small independent press, which led to the publication of her memoir Us, After: A Memoir of Love And Suicide—no agent involved. Karen’s U.S. agent first sold Irena’s Gift in Australasia and the UK, then North America. Using an in-conversation style, Rachel and Karen will discuss the pros and cons of taking an alternative journey to publishing, how to view unexpected pathways to get your book out, and engage with audience questions. You will leave with a clearer sense of options for sending your book into the world, and how to handle and embrace various paths to publication.
Presenters
avatar for Rachel Zimmerman

Rachel Zimmerman

Rachel Zimmerman is an award-winning journalist and author of the forthcoming book, Us, After: A Memoir of Love and Suicide.  She currently reports on mental health for The Washington Post. Previously, she worked as a staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal and a health reporter... Read More →
avatar for Karen Kirsten

Karen Kirsten

Karen Kirsten is the author of the WWII memoir, Irena's Gift. A former marketing executive, Karen is an Australian-American writer and Holocaust educator who speaks around the world on the topics of hatred and reconciliation. Karen’s work has been published by Narratively and nominated... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Charles River
  Publishing and Promotion

12:15pm EDT

Publish Your Work in Literary Magazines: Tips, Strategies, and Tools to Make Your Writing Habit a Submitting Success
So you've done the hard work and finished a piece of writing. Now what? It can be daunting to navigate literary publishing, with over 7,000 magazines listed on Duotrope and outlets being born and dying each day. In this session, we'll go over submitting basics and best practices, discuss different strategies for submitting your work, and see examples of submission tracking systems and other helpful tools. We'll discuss how to find outlets that fit your work and identity. We'll also talk about the publishing process (what to expect when you get accepted) and how to progress from your first publication to a career arc that fuels your writing practice. There will be ample time for Q&A.
Presenters
avatar for Maria Picone

Maria Picone

Managing Editor, Chestnut Review
Maria S. Picone (mariaspicone.com/@mspicone) is a queer Korean American adoptee with three forthcoming chapbooks: Anti Asian Bias, Adoptee Song (Game Over Books), This Tenuous Atmosphere (Conium). She won Salamander’s Louisa Solano Memorial Emerging Poet Prize, Cream City Review’s... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Whittier
  Publishing and Promotion   Nonfiction   Fiction   Poetry

12:15pm EDT

Contract Red Flags - How to Advocate for Yourself
Whether agented or going it alone, the publishing contract can make or break an author’s career. In this session, literary agent Kaitlyn Katsoupis will cover the clauses and terms authors need to be certain they understand. This topic will provide insight into what is most often seen in contracts, how to interpret the legal jargon, and how one might go about negotiating for fair treatment. Attendees will learn what elements of a contract are industry standard, what are red flags for them to pay attention to, and what has wiggle room for them to expand upon.
Presenters
avatar for Kaitlyn Katsoupis

Kaitlyn Katsoupis

After receiving a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, Kaitlyn refused to leave the concept of nightly homework behind. A literary agent for Belcastro Literary Agency, she is also a freelance editor at her own company, Strictly Textual. Kaitlyn started her... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Beacon Hill
  Publishing and Promotion   The Writer's Life

12:15pm EDT

Moving On: A Community Memorial Service for Manuscripts We Must Abandon (at least for now)
You’ve given your MS everything, for too long. Or maybe it’s your finest work but no one’s biting, and your frustration has become a block. Or, or, or…almost every published writer has a grim tale of abandoned work. In this lighthearted, guided writing session, we will publicly honor the importance and ambitions of our beloved works, privately name (and forgive!) their shortcomings, and propose for ourselves a kind of continuing conversation about what those works have given us emotionally, technically, and professionally. We’ll take cues from Ross Gay in Inciting Joy and write about all we meant to do with our manuscripts, and then share their best seeds in the garden of a receptive audience, at last. Guided by mindfulness practices in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Anger, we will concretize our villains and transform bitterness toward them into care. Art therapist Beth Pickens (Make Your Work No Matter What) will help us quantify what we’ve learned and what we’re happy to leave behind, and poet Chloe Honum (The Lantern Room) will inspire us to memorialize this unforgettable place and time in our lives. By the end, we’ll walk with wisdom into our writing futures separate from our work, but with gratitude for it.
Presenters
avatar for Phoebe Baker Hyde

Phoebe Baker Hyde

Phoebe Baker Hyde has successfully abandoned two beloved novels and is now (joyfully!) working on a collection of short stories and essays. Her memoir, The Beauty Experiment, was published in 2013, and her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, L.A. Times, Salon.com... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 12:15pm - 1:15pm EDT
Cabot
  The Writer's Life

1:30pm EDT

Closing Send-off: Take Your Muse With You
Presenters
avatar for Leila Meglio

Leila Meglio

Muse Conference Director, GrubStreet, Inc
Leila Meglio (she/her) is Muse Conference Director. A born and raised Somervillian, Leila is passionate about stewarding a local (and beyond) literary community that welcomes a multitude of diverse perspectives and uplifts new voices. She began working in the books industry in publicity... Read More →

Sunday May 12, 2024 1:30pm - 2:00pm EDT
Grand Ballroom
  Other
 
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