Member and Students	Non Member
Thursday:	$30	$45
Friday:	$30	$45
Saturday:	$70	$90
All 3 Days:	$99	$135

Register Here

Registration closes Mar 5, 2022.

After Mar 5
to contact copy and paste this email into your mail app:
glvwg.vebmeister@gmail.com
to register on space available basis.

Go to the Registration Page and choose Member, Non-Member or Student registration.
Then choose Full Conference Registration or which day(s) you would like to register.

To submit an entry to our Flash Lit contest: Write Stuff Flash Contest

Read the Registration Policies page for refund information.

Problem? Question?
to contact copy and paste this email into your mail app:
glvwgvebmeister@aol.com

http://glvwgwritestuffblog.wordpress.com/

Expanded Saturday Course Descriptions:

Maria V. Snyder

Behind the Curtains:

The workshop will take a “behind-the-scenes” dive into the operation of an independent bookstore. You’ll learn how they order books, set up events, and hand-sell titles. Also included is how authors can approach and work well with indie stores and how to avoid various faux pas like giving away an Amazon gift card during your signing.

 Serial Writing:

Maria is the author of New York Times best-selling Study Series. Her other series include The Chronicles of Ixia, Poison Study, Healer, Glass, Soulfinders, Sentinels of the Galaxy, and Archives of the Invisible Sword.

Learn the ins and outs serial writing, how it works, and where it can take you.

 

Michael Ventrella

How the Law Really Works:

If you're going to have someone arrested for murder, you should at least know how the system works! Criminal defense attorney Michael A. Ventrella explains the process by which people may be charged and how a trial really works. Bring questions!

 The Biggest Mistakes Made by New Authors:

Author and editor Michael A. Ventrella goes quickly through a number of mistakes new authors make, and he knows because he made some of them himself. Some of this you may already know, but there's bound to be some advice in there that may hit you, because it's not all obvious.

 What Themed Anthology Editors Look For:

There are many themed anthologies these days looking for great stories. How can you impress the editor and make your story stick out? Michael A. Ventrella gives some advice and examples from his own experience as both an editor and writer.

 

Jon Gibbs

Double Session: The Three Cs of Conflict

When it comes to fiction, the right type of conflict makes the difference between a great read and a dull one, but what is the right type of conflict? How do you create it? When (and where) should you apply it? And can you ever have too much?

Join New Jersey author, Jon Gibbs, for a fun, interactive, workshop on how to create all the story conflict you need to keep those readers turning the pages.

Also, there may be candy.

Please note: This is a hands-on session. Attendees should bring a notepad.

The Funny Pages

No matter the genre, a little humor in a story goes a long way. But where do you apply it? What’s the best way? And how do you make something funny anyway?   

Join New Jersey author, Jon Gibbs, for a fun, interactive, workshop on using humor to do more than just making your reader smile.

Also, there may be candy.

 

Michelle Lazurek

The Agent/Client Relationship: What You Need to Know

Premise: Every author dreams of being published. That's why working with an agent is so vital to your career. What do you need to know before working with one? 

Content: In this workshop, we will discuss:

Three things agents are (and three they are not)

Five common misconceptions about the agent/client relationship

What you need to before contacting an agent

Bonus: Five things you need to create a stellar proposal that catches an agent's attention

Writing for Children

Purpose: To help writers who want to reach the next generation create compelling and engaging content while staying true to God’s Word

Premise: Many people want to write for children. But how do you write engaging content that not only tells a story but also keeps a young audience engaged despite the instant gratification world in which we live? In this workshop, Michelle will address the following aspects of children’s writing:

Audience: Beginning or intermediate writers who want to wriye for children studies but don’t know how to start; intermediate writers who write for children but find their material is not resonating with their audiences

Content:

• Why is writing children’s book so important?
• Five tips to help you if you have a desire to write but don’t know where to start
• Four ways to keep children engaged in the story
• How to structure your book

How to Be a Voracious Self-Editor

So, you’ve written that stellar masterpiece (or so you think). Before you research potential places to submit your work, it is important to polish your work so it can shine brightly among the other submissions in your genre.

In this workshop, you will learn:

1. Why the red pen is your friend in the editing stage
   
2. Why self-editing is essential for any writer
   
3. Who are editors you should hire to review your work (and who you shouldn't)

We will edit a piece of work in class. Feel free to bring your project for possible review.

 

Curtis Smith

Writing Flash Fiction

Is flash fiction (and nonfiction) defined by just a word count? What does flash owe to poetry—and what does it owe to prose? What are the forms it utilizes? And amid all the possibilities of the genre, are there any solid connectors that exemplary pieces have in common? In this workshop, we look at what makes flash fiction work through examination, discussion, and writing.

 Process and Understanding How One's Brain Works

How can we use our natural rhythms and inclinations as an asset to our creative work? How can we harness our unique lenses and use them to draw a deeper focus upon our stories? In this session we’ll examine how to discover your individual creative process and work with your natural currents and inclinations.

We will also look into submitting to lit journals and small presses as part two this presentation. (That’s the Process part.)

 Elements of a Short Story.

This session will cover the basics of writing the literary short story—openings, setting, structure, characterization, and dialogue. By the end of this session, Curtis will have you ready to tackle your next story.

 

Problem? Question?

to contact copy and paste this email into your mail app:
glvwgvebmeister@aol.com

Presenter Bios:

Kathryn Craft

Kathryn Craft is the award-winning author of two novels, The Art of Falling and The Far End of Happy, and the author of chapters in Author in Progress and The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing from Writers Digest Books. Her fifteen years as a freelance developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com follows a nineteen-year career as a dance critic. After decades of leadership positions with the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group and the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, she was honored to serve as the 2020 Guiding Scribe for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Kathryn leads writing workshops and retreats, mentors novelists through her Your Novel Year program, has taught for Drexel University’s MFA program, and is a regular contributor to top writing blog WriterUnboxed.

Jon Gibbs

Born in England, Jon Gibbs now lives in New Jersey, where he was Author-in-Residence. at Georgian Court University from 2012 - 2017. Jon is the founder of The New Jersey Authors’ Network (www.njauthorsnetwork.com), NJ Writing Groups.com (www.njwritinggroups.com), and The "I are a writer!" (and more) Store (www.iareawriter.net). His middle grade fantasy, Fur-Face, was nominated for a Crystal Kite Award. Originally published by Echelon Press in 2010, the second edition came out in November 2022. The sequel, Barnum’s Revenge, was published by Echelon Press in 2013. The second edition is due out in 2023 along with Jon's latest book, Abraham Lincoln Stole my Homework. When he's not chasing around after his children, Jon can usually be found hunched over the computer in his basement office. One day he hopes to figure out how to switch it on. Contact: admin@jongibbs.org

Michelle Lazurek

Michelle S. Lazurek is an Associate Literary Agent at WordWise Media Services. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling and Human Relations from Liberty University. As the author of nine books and a frequent speaker for writers’ conferences, Michelle has long enjoyed a passion for the written word. When not occupied with literary pursuits, you can find her sipping a hot latte at Starbucks, reading a good book, or collecting records from the 1980s and 90s. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children and a crazy dog.

Dianna Sinovic

Dianna Sinovic has been a writer all her life, an editor just about her entire career, and a certified book coach more recently. She loves book coaching because it combines several activities that are dear to her: the opportunity to help writers grow and realize their goals, to share the love of writing with others, and the skill of fine-tuning a work through thoughtful editing. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Horror Writers Association, and the Bethlehem Writers Group. When she is not writing, editing, or coaching writers, she is likely reading or running/hiking or listening to music. 

Curtis Smith

Curtis Smith has published over one hundred stories and essays. His work has been cited by or included in The Best American Short Stories, The Best American Mystery Stories, The Best American Spiritual Writing, The Best Small Fictions, and in the Norton anthology New Microfictions. His three full-length story collections, The Species Crown, Bad Monkey, and Beasts and Men, have all been published by Press 53. He is also the author of two chapbooks of flash fiction, two essay collections, four novels, and a book of creative nonfiction.

Michael Ventrella

Michael A. Ventrella’s most recent novel is BIG STICK, a Teddy Roosevelt-steampunk adventure. This follows his previous novel BLOODSUCKERS: A VAMPIRE RUNS FOR PRESIDENT, and his young adult fantasy series TERIN OSTLER AND THE ARCH ENEMIES, TERIN OSTLER AND THE WAR OF THE WORDS, TERIN OSTLER AND THE AXES OF EVIL, and TERIN OSTLER AND THE ZOMBIE KING. With New York Times Bestselling Author Jonathan Maberry, he edited the BAKER STREET IRREGULARS anthologies. With Randee Dawn, he edited the anthology ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, and by himself, he has edited RELEASE THE VIRGINS!, THREE TIME TRAVELERS WALK INTO…, five anthologies in the “Tales of Fortannis” series, and the Fortannis novel IT’S A WONDERFUL DEATH by Derek Beebe, which features characters from Michael’s fantasy novels. His short stories have appeared in a number of other anthologies, including DREAMERS IN HELL, THE MINISTRY OF PECULIAR OCCURRENCES ARCHIVES, and RUM AND RUNESTONES

Register Here

Registration closes Mar 5, 2023

After Mar 5
contact glvwg.vebmeister@gmail.com
to register on space available basis.

Problem? Question?

to contact copy and paste this email into your mail app:
glvwgvebmeister@aol.com