10am – 11am Session #12.1, Seminar

Guest Speaker, Holly Rhiannon

“Redefining Author Communities in Modern Publishing”

This seminar focuses on a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of authorship: community. At The Stygian Society, we prioritize genuine support and collaboration over the fixation on social media metrics, aiming to redefine the author-publisher relationship for the modern era.

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Key takeaways:

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• Value of Genuine Connections: Understanding why real relationships trump online metrics and how to cultivate them.

• Success Beyond Social Stats: Strategies to thrive without relying solely on social media numbers, focusing on craft and community building.

• Creating Sustainable Support: Practical steps to foster a robust author community that encourages growth and collaboration.

Our seminar is more than just a talk; it’s an opportunity to inspire change in the industry. We’re here to reshape the publishing landscape by emphasizing support and creativity instead of just numbers and algorithms.

Join us in redefining authorship and fostering a community-driven approach to publishing!

10am – 11am Session #12.2, Seminar

Guest Speaker, Morgan Lee

“Self-Publish Well for Under 100 Dollars”

One of the biggest barriers to self-publishing is money. Many of us have full-time jobs that don’t pay us nearly enough, children to buy Christmas gifts for, mountains of bills and student loan debt, or other responsibilities that don’t allow us to throw thousands of dollars into a book that might not sell. This conundrum has me thinking...can you self-publish a book for under 100 dollars and do it WELL? No cutting corners? No glaring typos haunting your dreams? In this seminar, I will take you through my experiment of doing just that—publishing a book for under 100 dollars and share with you the tools used, steps taken, and skills required to get from an idea to a successfully published book.

10am – 11am Session #12.3, Seminar

Guest Speaker, D.L. Tillery

“Understanding ‘The Self’ in Poetry Writing”

Embark on a profound exploration of personal identity and poetic expression in the immersive Seminar, “Understanding ‘The Self’ in Poetry Writing.” This unique session is designed to empower participants to navigate the intricate landscapes of self-discovery through the art of poetry.

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Guided by seasoned poet Author D.L. Tillery, attendees will be guided through a series of dynamic exercises and reflective prompts, followed by a Q&A. Participants will uncover the nuanced interplay between selfhood and poetic voice. This seminar is not merely a lesson; it’s a curated experience that encourages individuals to delve into the core of their being and translate those revelations into evocative verses.

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Whether you're a seasoned poet or a novice explorer of words, this seminar promises to be a catalyst for personal and creative growth. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of themselves, newfound poetic skills, and a portfolio of inner thoughts that authentically captures the essence of their unique narratives.

***RESCHEDULED TO 12-1pm***
10am – 11am Session #12.4, Seminar

Guest Speaker, Samantha L Nasset

“Genre Expectations and When to Bend Them”

With “Genre Expectations and When to Bend Them,” I will discuss the expectations readers place on stories based on their genre and why this is important for writers to learn about and understand.

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I will discuss the difference between a genre defining expectation—such as happily ever after & Romance—as well as more flexible expectations—such as Fantasy taking place on Earth or elsewhere.

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With these differences in mind, I will also discuss examples of stories that actually utilize genre conventions against the readers, which leads to foreshadowed surprises readers still don’t see coming because well that’s just not done in X genre.

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Transitioning from these examples, the presentation will then focus on how writers are not trapped in creative boxes because of genre expectations. Writers will walk away with more confidence in their understanding of how to work with genre expectations and feel less overwhelmed by genre as a whole.

10am – 11am Session #12.4, Workshop

Guest Speaker, Michael Evans with Emilia Rose

“How to Create a Subscription the Simple and Profitable Way”

The goal: for authors to learn about the opportunity in starting a subscription and walk away with everything they need to know to create one themselves and start generating an income from this new revenue stream.

3 parts to presentation:

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1. What are subscriptions and why do they matter? Are they right for you?

2. The foundations of a subscription, the different models, and how to set one up.

3. How to market a subscription in a way that is sustainable for you

11am – 12pm Session #13, Seminar

AWC Publicity Chair, Devon Gambrell-Clark

“How to Write and Market Your Book for Free—Before You Send it to the Editor”

What is a Plottr, how does Scrivener work, and what exactly is a Grammarly? While some of these programs can be nice to have, when you’re on a budget they can be crippling. And do you really need any of them? The act of writing and publishing is free. It’s everything else in between that can bleed you dry. I’ll show you all avenues to keep the costs down, from learning to write creatively, finding a word processor, and self-editing, to marketing your story before it heads to the editor and cover designer. Yes, this is possible!

12pm – 1pm Session #14.1, Seminar

Guest Speaker, JD Estrada

“Collaborating for the Perfect Cover”

Getting the right cover for your book is an art in and of itself. This seminar will discuss the value of creative briefs and how to find the right artist for your book. What information to include, how to guide them in their creative process, and anything you can touch upon to make sure that once you get your cover, and everyone is in love with it.

12pm – 1pm Session #14.2, Workshop

Guest Speaker, Laura Nettles

“Descriptive Prose Workshop”

Attendees will have the chance to submit snippets (up to 150 words) of their work in a form found in the description box. In the form, attendees will include their emails and have a chance to join on screen while I go over their work. A maximum of 15 minutes per person will be allotted so at least three people will be able to have feedback. I will stop the workshop at the 45-minute mark and have 10 minutes for questions from the audience.

12pm – 1pm Session #14.3, Seminar

Guest Speaker, Natalie Forslind

“I Wrote Every Day for a Year—This is What I Learned”

I took a year off from work to focus on writing. To make sure I got the most out of the experience, I decided to start writing every day. At the time of this conference, I will have written every day for almost 1.5 years. During this time, I have tried different famous authors’ writing routines, read a lot of books on productivity, and written a book about writing and productivity.

This seminar will share my key findings when it comes to habits, writing, and productivity. Most people don’t realise how easy it can be to start writing every day. Most people also don’t realise the importance of relaxation and rebooting when working on big projects like books.

12pm – 1pm Session #14.4, Seminar

Guest Speaker, Laura Humm

“Five Editing Mistakes (and How to Fix them)”

As authors, we tend to focus on writing and leave the editing to someone else. Or, when we try to edit ourselves, we don’t know what to look for or how to fix it. This seminar will define five of the most common mistakes (i.e., low impact, muddy voices, unbalanced dialogue, reader burden, and minimal change) authors make when self-editing. Then, we'll talk about how to find the mistakes (e.g., what to look for, where to look) and practical actions that will fix the problem areas to create more compelling stories.

12pm – 1pm Session #14.5, Seminar

Guest Speaker, Samantha L Nasset

“Genre Expectations and When to Bend Them”

With “Genre Expectations and When to Bend Them,” I will discuss the expectations readers place on stories based on their genre and why this is important for writers to learn about and understand.

​

I will discuss the difference between a genre defining expectation—such as happily ever after & Romance—as well as more flexible expectations—such as Fantasy taking place on Earth or elsewhere.

​

With these differences in mind, I will also discuss examples of stories that actually utilize genre conventions against the readers, which leads to foreshadowed surprises readers still don’t see coming because well that’s just not done in X genre.

​

Transitioning from these examples, the presentation will then focus on how writers are not trapped in creative boxes because of genre expectations. Writers will walk away with more confidence in their understanding of how to work with genre expectations and feel less overwhelmed by genre as a whole.

1pm – 1:20pm Session #15.1, Seminar

Speaker, Ariadne Macquarie

“Understanding Poetry: On Craft, Discipline, and Discovering the Poet Within”

Current and future poets will be given a crash-course in understanding and interpreting poetic craft. They will walk through a close-read of a poem to understand how it functions; they will be given pointers on how best to break into the discipline of reading and writing poetry consistently; they will be given a list of texts to do further research on poetic craft on their own; and at the end they will be given a brief walkthrough of different resources they can use to submit their own poetry to various literary magazines.

1pm – 1:20pm Session #15.2, Workshop

Speaker, T. Helen Price

“Practical Steps to Tackling Your Messy First Draft!”

The first draft serves as a writer’s raw exploration of a story. Yet, transitioning from this chaotic first draft to a polished manuscript is a very overwhelming task. Therefore, I present an empowering and enlightening guide designed to relieve pressure from many beginning writers (like myself) during this essential stage of the writing process.

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This presentation is tailored to address the concerns of aspiring authors grappling with the mammoth task of rewriting and refining their first drafts. The purpose is not to impart a magic formula for instant solutions - rather, it is to arm writers with practical, systematic, and sustainable strategies to transform their first drafts into engaging and coherent manuscripts.

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At the end of the session, attendees will walk away with:

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• An understanding of the importance and purpose of a first draft and the rewriting process.

• A step-by-step, practical approach to dissect their first drafts and identify areas for improvement.

• Techniques and exercises to help improve elements such as plot, setting, dialogue, and character development.

• Strategies for self-editing.

• A renewed sense of confidence and motivation to continue their writing journey.

• A writer friend (me!)

1pm – 1:20pm Session #15.3, Seminar

Speaker, Martin Lejeune

“Outlining without a Subscription: The Spreadsheeter's Guide to Plotting”

In a world where every piece of writing software wants a subscription from authors just trying to get by, there must be a way to outline a novel without breaking the bank. This is where the StorySheets method of story outlining can revolutionise how your story business does business.

Like many authors, Spreadsheets are not pretty but they get the job done. We will look at how techniques developed in the fast-moving television landscape allow writers to quickly break story beats to write with maximum efficiency. 

This unique way of working also offers abilities to track project management for the book through various stages of development and can be scaled up to be used to outline an entire series. 

Spreadsheets can allow you to break, rebreak and track a story from inception through publication and the author who masters them, can master all.

1:20pm – 1:40pm Session #15.4, Seminar

Speaker, Sam Wicker

“Tools to Get Unstuck in Your Writing”

We've all had that moment. You've followed your outline, but there's just something not right. You've written that epic scene you were excited about, but now you can't get from that point to the next. You're at a standstill. You know where you need to go, or have an idea, but what do you write between this scene and that? Or maybe you are a discovery writer and you've found yourself stuck on a scene because nothing you picture really works. You need an idea. You need something to kickstart the next scene or a plot twist. The brain just isn't coming up with anything. It's been hours, days, weeks, months....

There are tools to help you out with that. From dice to plot workbooks, cards to D&D builds, there are ways to help you get unstuck, to make your story exciting, or to get those words to flow again. I'll show you the tools I have in my arsenal that help me out, and hopefully they will help you, too.

1:20pm – 1:40pm Session #15.5, Seminar

Speaker, Adrian Santiago

“The Emotional Rollercoaster that is Publishing a Novel”

I'll lead a discussion on the emotional hurdles, peaks and canyons, and how we navigate them. How we've failed to in the past, steps we've taken to prevent succumbing to the emotional rollercoaster ride, triumphs and stumbles along the way. I'll have prepared topics, questions, anecdotes and more. We'll take questions from the chat as well.

1:20pm – 1:40pm Session #15.6, Workshop

Speaker, D.L. Tillery

“Mastering the Art of Short Story Writing”

Ready yourself for a captivating journey into the realm of storytelling mastery with this workshop. In this dynamic and immersive session, participants will unravel the secrets of crafting compelling short stories that captivate readers from the opening line to the final word.

As the facilitator, I bring a wealth of experience in the world of storytelling, offering practical insights and hands-on guidance. Through a carefully curated blend of theory, interactive exercises, and personalized feedback, attendees will learn the essential elements of storytelling, from character development to narrative structure. This workshop is not just about writing; it’s about honing the skills to create narratives that linger in the minds of readers long after they turn the last page.

Whether you're a budding writer seeking to enhance your storytelling prowess or a seasoned author looking to refine your craft, this workshop promises to elevate your short story writing to new heights.

1:40pm – 2pm Session #15.7, Seminar

Speaker, Skye (S.D. Hegyes)

“Creating a Notion Mastermind to Track All Things Writing”

Are you like me, having trouble keeping up with everything dealing with all your stories and ideas? Do you have Post-its with scraps of ideas in various locations? Random notebooks partially filled with tidbits of notes? Multiple documents saved to your computer all talking about the same thing but saved to different folders on your hard drive? Do you want everything in one location where you can find it with a simple search?

Maybe it's time to create a mastermind for yourself, a one-stop-shop where you can track all of your writing, ideas, publications, etc.

I will show viewers and audience members how I use Notion to create a mastermind that allows tracking all of the following:

• multiple pen names

• multiple writing projects in various formats

• writing updates (word counts and or progress)

• publication information

• social media content tracking

• social media KPIs

• publication KPIs and finances

• project planning for future months/quarters/years

• and more!

1:40pm – 2pm Session #15.8, Seminar

Speaker, Heather Dewey Pettet

“Sensitivity Readers: What They Really Do”

In this presentation, I will be discussing what a sensitivity reader does, some important questions they should ask you, and some important questions you should ask them. Also, there will be a few tips for working with this specialized type of editing.

1:40pm – 2pm Session #15.9, Panel

Speaker, JD Estrada with Heidi Angell & Joe Compton

“Healthy Writing Habits”

Burnout, impostor syndrome, mental chatter, work-life balance, posture, hydration. There are MANY things we have to take care of to ensure we can keep doing and being our best. This panel is meant to give you tips and tricks and also show you that you're not alone.

2pm – 3pm Closing Session

AWC Chairs: Shanon (S.D. Huston), Margaret Pinard, & Devon Gambrell-Clark with Pae Veo, Laura Humm, Eloise Bahr, Lauren Wheatley, Samantha L Nasset, & Sam Wicker

During this last hour of the writing conference, we’ll explore our favorite parts and how we feel moving forward in our writing lives. Giveaway winners will also be announced.