Vintage

WOW. WHAT A GREAT LINE-UP OF CLASSES WE HAD IN 2010. WE HOPE YOU FOUND LOTS OF WONDERFUL INFORMATION TO APPLY TO YOUR EVERYDAY WRITING. 

Workshops are the heart of our conference. Here you'll find the complete list of the one-hour workshops planned for the 2010 Pennwriters Conference. They are loosely organized by the following topics: Perfect Your Craft, Know the Business, Get Specific, and Branch Out. We don't ask you to preregister for classes—just pick and choose whatever types of classes you need the day of the conference. The final schedule will be posted in March.

Registration is now open! Get e-mail updates delivered directly to your inbox by sending a blank e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or follow us on Twitter and Facebook . Still need more info? Contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 2010 conference coordinator. 

Perfect Your Craft

Be Your Own Editor, Part 1, with Lisa D. Kastner
 Discover new ways to look at your fiction and creative non-fiction writing with a fresh eye and get a clear roadmap to the revision process in the first part of this two-part workshop.

Be Your Own Editor, Part 2, with Lisa D. Kastner Continue to unlock the secrets of self-editing with hands-on exercises that will help you to eliminate unneeded sentences and words and to easily analyze characters and plots.

Hooking Your Reader, with Cyn Balog Get your reader’s attention with the very first sentence. A great first sentence is a common challenge even for established writers, and it’s one of the most important parts of your novel.

Showing vs. Telling, with Maria V. Snyder A fine line exists between the perfect amount of “showing” and the overuse of “telling” the reader. Join Maria as she shares five proven techniques to avoid telling about an event or a character’s feelings.

Better Beginnings, with Ramona Long Strengthen the first chapter of your novel to make it appealing and intriguing not only to readers, but also to agents and editors. Ramona shares previously submitted examples in this interactive workshop.

Why They Do What They Do, with Loree Lough Characters in a novel need to be strong and unique. And then they need to be motivated. Find out how to develop characters that will catch your readers’ imagination and keep them involved in the story.

Say What? with Marta Perry Dialog between characters in a book isn’t nearly as freeflowing as it is in real life. Learn how each word your character says has to move your plot along and show something about your characters.

No Rules, Just Write! with CJ Lyons Join CJ as she discusses the "rules" of writing. On her list are head-hopping, genre-mixing, and backstory dump. Get the scoop on why the rules exist and when to ignore them and just write.

Getting Plot on the Page, with Tim Esaias Are your characters characterizing, your dialogue snapping, your word pictures wonderful, but not much else seems to be happening? Perhaps you’ve neglected to put your story on every page. (Bring whatever writing tech you favor and a few pages from the middle of your manuscript. Maltballs provided.)

Getting Conflict on the Page, with Tim Esaias The course of a protagonist’s story should never run smooth. Share ideas for putting speed bumps, puncture strips, hungry lions, and venomous mothers-in-law between your character and his or her goal. (Bring whatever writing tech you favor and a few pages from the middle of your manuscript. Maltballs provided.)

THE END is Only the Beginning: A Step-by-Step Guide to Refining Your Manuscript with Anita Nolan Writing "the end" at the close of a story doesn't really mean that your work is finished. In fact, it's just starting. Get a step-by-step plan that will help you make the next phase -- revisions -- move along a bit more smoothly.

Know the Business

Effective Social Networking, with Agent Janet Reid Facebook, Twitter, blogging... How much of a web presence do you need, what are the benefits, and do you have time if you're supposed to be writing the next great American novel?

Inside Children’s Publishing, with Editor Barbara Lalicky Get to know how publishing for children works with the behind the scenes workshop.

Agent Panel Join agents Alex Glass, Miriam Kriss, Janet Reid, and Jenny Bent as they take your questions on everything and anything (well, just about) that you ever wanted to know about working with agents.

Tossing the Literary Dice: Why Agents Gamble on New Writers, with agent Alex Glass From a writer’s viewpoint, it seems much safer for an agent to select an established author or someone with an amazing platform. What would make an agent take on a new writer/go through the slush pile?

Class, with Agent Miriam Kriss Coming soon.

The Ins and Outs of Contracts, with Jenny Bent Get the inside scoop from an agent who’s been in the business for more than 15 years. Know what to look for in a solid book contract and what to avoid in a deal that’s not so firm.

Editor Panel Join editors Barbara Lalicki and David Pomerico for a Q&A session about the publishing industry in general and editing in particular. 

The Publishing Labyrinth, with Maria V. Snyder New to publishing? Follow Maria as she leads you through what can be a confusing maze of publishing dos and don’ts. Find out how to locate reputable agents and editors, and what to do if you make a wrong turn.

No One Ever Died Writing a Synopsis, with Loree Lough Once your novel is finished, it’s time to boil it all down into the dreaded synopsis. Join Loree as she presents tips and techniques to get you through what often seems like the last task you’ll ever do.

Marketing Made Easy, with Nate Hardy Based on the popular online course that’s now in book form, you’ll discover new proven concepts and tactics to get maximum results from your marketing. Easily identify target markets. Increase your visibility, fans, and website traffic. Save promotion time and money.

Pitch Perfect with CJ Lyons Nervous about your face to face meeting with an agent or editor?  Bring your pitch to this highly interactive workshop and polish it until it's pitch perfect!  Practice your pitch and get feedback here.

Rejection—How to Make It Work for You, with Jack Hillman If you're a writer, you know about rejection.  But do you let rejections drag you down and stop your writing, or do you fight back and persevere? This workshop is more than a pep talk; it’s an action plan.

Lights, Camera, Action, with Nancy Daversa Does the thought of being interviewed for TV make you nervous? Could you talk comfortably on air about your latest book? Put your best foot forward with tips from a Philadelphia area producer.

Branch Out

Size Matters, with Ramona Long Delve into the subgenres of the short story — novella, traditional short shorts, micro, flash, and prose poetry. How do you write them, and just as important, how do you sell them? 

Travel Writing, with Don Helin Travel writing is more than just telling an audience the whys and wherefores of traveling to any given destination. Learn how to capture the unique quality of a place and find a paying outlet for your work.

Writing Graphic Novels and Comics, with Jonathan Maberry The numbers of graphic novels and comics on the bookstore shelves are growing exponentially. Discover the inner workings of the exploding market and find out how to get your foot in the door.

Get Specific

Why YA?, with Cyn Balog Ever thought of writing a novel for teens? Learn the ins and outs of crafting compelling fiction for young adults, as well as what it takes to break into this popular market. 

The Epic Quest, with Jack Hillman From Gone With The Wind to The Wizard Of Oz to Star Wars… The epic quest has been a part of literature since storytelling began. Discover how to get your hero/heroine into and out of big trouble.

Putting History in Historical Fiction, with Pam Jenoff Who says history has to be boring? Find out how to locate, research, and include historically accurate information that will give your novel the credibility it needs—without losing any of its appeal. 

Writing Thrills, with Jonathan Maberry What distinguishes thriller writing from mysteries and suspense? Discover what agents and editors in the field are looking for in this dynamic genre and get tips on sending the thrills in your WIP over the top.

Writing the Romance, with Marta Perry Coming soon.

From Idea to Children’s Book, with Judy Wolfman How does a children’s book go from conception to finished product? Follow the whole process, from the initial query, proposal, and agreements through the editorial process and delivery.

Writing Horror, SciFi, and Fantasy, with Editor David Pomerico Coming soon.