July to December 2024 Writing Workshops

Whether a one day session, one week conference, or a month-long writing workshop, writing related events are a good way to commune with other writers. They are opportunities to network and get your name out there. In some instances, you can meet and mingle with editors and agents. Some offer critiques or pitching sessions. Nowhere will you find a higher concentration of introverts enjoying each other's company. Local conferences are a good place to meet potential critique groups or recruit members. Note that information for this list is accurate as to what was available in December 2023. Dates and formats may change. Some events continue to be virtual, which allows for a wider audience and lower costs. Others also offer online resources that were presented at conferences past.

Some are free. Some require a fee. Some are more social than others. Many are for new writers, but a few dig deep into craft. You should choose an event that speaks to your needs and desires.

Also keep in mind that some of these organizations offer year-round events, critique opportunities, groups to join, etc. You may find your tribe.

July 7 – 13, 2024 Kenyon Review Fiction Workshop, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio offers online programs for adults and young writers. https://kenyonreview.org/writers/fiction/

July 8 – 15, 2024 Squaw Valley Writer's Conference, Olympic Valley, California. https://communityofwriters.org/workshops/writers-workshops

July 8 – 14, 2024 Fishtrap Summer Weekend, Wallowa Lake Lodge, Joseph. https://fishtrap.org/summer-fishtrap/

July 10 – 14. 2024 Southampton Writers Conference, Southampton, New York to be announced. https://www.stonybrook.edu/writers/

July 11 - 13, 2024 Midwest Writers Workshop, Muncie, Indiana, https://www.midwestwriters.org/

July 14 – 21, 2024 Tin House Summer Workshop, Portland, Oregon, https://tinhouse.com/workshop/summer-workshop-2/

July 16 – 28, 2024 Sewanee Writers’ Conference, University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. http://www.sewaneewriters.org/

July 14 - 20, 2024 Port Townsend Writers Conference in Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA https://centrum.org/the-port-townsend-writers-conference/

July 16 – 18, 2024 Sewanee Writers Conference, Sewanee, Tennessee, http://www.sewaneewriters.org/conference/index.html

July 19 – 21, 2024 Book Passage Mystery Writer’s Conference at Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera, CA 94925 https://www.bookpassage.com/mystery

July 19 – 20, 2024 Writing Heights Writers Conference Our conference sessions will take place both in-person and online. https://www.writingheights.com/page/conference

July 20 - 22, 2024 Sun Valley Writers Conference in Ketchum, Idaho. https://svwc.com/

July 31 – August 3, 2024 Romance Writers of America Conference in Austin, Texas https://www.rwa.org/

August 1 - 3, 2024 Mendocino Coast Writers Conference in Mendocino, Calfornia http://mcwc.org

August 16 0 18, 2024 When Worlds Collide Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Calgary South,135 Southland Drive SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2J 5X5 https://www.whenwordscollide.org/

August 22 - 25, 2024 Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference Franklin, Tennessee, https://killernashville.com/

August 28 to September 1, 2024 Boucheron in Nashville, Tennessee https://www.bouchercon2024.com/

August 29 – September 2, 2024 Bear River Writers' Conference. Boyne City, Michigan. https://lsa.umich.edu/bearriver

September 4 – 7, 2024 GayRomLit Retreat Renaissance Portsmouth-Norfolk Waterfront Hotel  Virginia https://www.gayromlit.com/ 

September 13 – 18, 2024 Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Doubletree Hilton Hotel Columbia MD https://creaturescrimesandcreativity.com/

September 26 – 29, 2024 Sleuthfest at the Hilton Bayfront, St. Petersburg, Florida https://sleuthfest.com/

September 27 – 29, 2024 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Colorado Gold Workshop will be held at the Hyatt -Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center. https://rmfw.org/

October 5 – 6, 2024 DFW Writers Conference (DFWCon), Dallas- Fort Worth Texas. Check site for registration dates. https://dfwcon.org/

October 24 – 26, 2024 Annual James River Writers Annual Conference. Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia with a Master Class on the 23^rd. https://jamesriverwriters.org/

October 25 – 27, 2024 Surry International Writers Conference, Surry, British Columbia, Canada will be a virtual event. https://www.siwc.ca

November 11 – 17, 2024 Kauai Writers Conference Kauai There are also year-round online events. http://www.kauaiwritersconference.com

Writing events are a wonderful way to commune with other book lovers and probably the largest number of introverts in one area at one time. Don't be afraid to try them. I promise no one bites. I think, gives side-eye to Horror Writers.

 

2024 04 04 Situation Is Not Story

I've heard a lot of great ideas for stories from people over the years. The problem? They describe a situation, not a viable plot. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Inspiration from dreams ditto. They can be a seed that grows into a story, but not without a lot of work. The conversation usually goes like this:

Writer: "This girl is in this really unhappy relationship. I mean the guy is an obvious psycho, but she just can't leave him."

Me: "So it's a woman in peril story. " Could be Thriller & Suspense or Literary Drama depending on the way it is told. "She has to escape the psycho boyfriend?"

Writer: "No. It isn't that kind of story."

Me: "So what kind of story is it?"

Writer: "It's about abusive relationships."

Me: "So what does your character do about it? What makes her realize the danger? How does she get away?"

Writer: "She can't leave. That's the point. Women get trapped in these things and they can't get out. There's no one that really helps them." Okay, so Literary Drama with a down ending.

Me: "True. So what happens in this story?"

Writer: "This woman lives with his horrible guy. And he does (fill in list of awful things)."

Me: "And she learns to fight back?"

Writer: "No, no. She can't fight back or he'll kill her."

Me: "So she escapes." Women in danger Thriller then. 

Writer: "She can never leave. That's the point."

Me: "So, she dies?" This could work as a Literary tragedy with a strong thematic message.

Writer: "No. She's not murdered."

Me: "So what actually happens between Chapter 1 and the End?"

Writer: "That's it. She lives in an abusive situation. So many women do. Readers will relate, right?" 

Me: "Yes, too many women are in that situation. But what kind of story do you wish to relate? You have to pick a genre."

Writer: "Oh, I'd never write genre fiction."

Me: Sigh. "Changing the topic ..."

However you wish to tell a story, you must pick a story form unless you are keeping a journal. Even an epistolary novel has a form.

The author could highlight this plight in a nonfiction article, this isn't a story with structure. This is a character with a problem but not a plot. Until the character does something, even if she fails, this is just a horrible situation.

For it to become a story, the main character trapped in a hellish situation becomes the hero by finding a way out. A catalyst comes along that makes the situation untenable enough that she is forced to take action. It could be a literary story. It could be a thriller, or even a police procedural.

But, until the character defines a goal, makes a decision or takes action, and faces obstacles, it's just a situation. The story could have a down ending. The woman could try and fail and try again and end up dead. Not too many readers would love the ending, but it would be a realistic cautionary tale. The struggle for safety is the story.

A situation is Dick being in an unhappy marriage. The story begins when something comes along to make him want to leave it or fix it.

A situation is Sally hating her job. The story begins when she is fired, competing for a promotion, or finds the courage to start her own company.

A situation is Jane being betrayed by a friend. The story begins when Jane decides to do something about it: get revenge, confront and heal, or make her friend see the error of her ways in a misguided fashion.

A story goal with obstacles and responses are the gears that power narrative. You can write pages and pages of anecdotes that, while entertaining, do nothing to propel the story forward.

If you can't identify a central conflict and resolution of your plot, you could be illustrating a situation and that is how you lose readers.

Every chapter should include conflict represented by obstacles and responses. Every chapter should show characters moving toward or away from the goal until they reach the final outcome.

There's nothing worse than turning pages and wondering what the whole point of a chapter was. If I have to go back and reread it looking for a point, the book goes in the "to be burned" pile.

As you go through your first draft, make sure each scene pulls its weight. Don't waste the reader's precious time, or you might find your book in ashes, your name blackened in the process.

To learn more about obstacles and responses, check out Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict and the free tools on dianahurwitz.com/theory.html.