For a Live Audience
   V.S. Chochezi

This workshop is geared for writers who store their stories and poems in drawers and those who have tucked them away in notebooks or stashed them in hatboxes. It is for people who have published successfully, but have not as yet presented their writing for a live audience. It is for the writer who wants to gain more experience and confidence presenting in public. Be brave; be bold; be prepared to speak up, be heard and applauded in this workshop.

Painting with Words: Creating
atmosphere in settings
   Kerstin Feindart

“The pictorial and the verbal are similar in that they both take place in two dimensions on paper or canvas,” states author John Updike. To draw readers in and to let them feel what we felt, we can paint with words. This workshop focuses on hands-on exercises that highlight techniques to create atmosphere. In addition, discussions of short sample pieces and exercises completed in the workshop will help writers create the mood of a place and time and bring the past to life...

From A Silk Cocoon: Working with Letters, Diaries, Poetry to Tell the Story through Narrative and Film
   Satsuki Ina

Writer, filmmaker, psychotherapist, Dr. Ina will show film clips from her award-winning documentary broadcast on PBS, From A Silk Cocoon and discuss the process of using her parents’ letters, diaries
and poetry to tell their story about their WWII incarceration in American prison camps.

Crafting Your Poems
   Jeff Knorr

Former Poet Laureate of the United States, Billy Collins says that reading a good poem is like an amusement park ride—when you get off, you want to go right back into the line and ride it again. This workshop will explore the building blocks of poetry and we will explore what makes a poem, a poem. Participants will explore finding subject matter and also learn how to use elements of poetry such as metaphor, lines, stanzas and rhyme. As examples, we will read poems from recent contemporary writers. And we’ll also talk about songs and songwriting as a form of poetry and poetic creation. Participants will create their own poems, and they will discuss what makes their poetry enjoyable and interesting—what makes us want to get back on the ride.

Your Three-Legged Stool: Character, Setting and Voice
   Clive Rosengren

The workshop will discuss the elements of character, setting and voice as the three legs of a solid foundation for your story. Participants will be given writing prompts to put into practice these three elements.

And Then...Let Your Scenes Move the Story
   Kakwasi Somadhi

Think back to your favorite short story or novel. What’s the scene in it that you will never forget? Our workshop explores just that-- the elements that make scenes come alive. We will examine scenes created by a few of the pros and write some scenes ourselves.

Publishing panel
   Maryellen Burns and Emmanuel Sigauke

Through this panel session, we will learn about opportunities to publish online and in print. Our knowledgeable panelists have served as editors and promoters as well as authors. They will be sharing resources for publishing locally and internationally. Whether novices or experts, attendees will leave with helpful tips and resources.