Muse & the Marketplace 2018

It's a truism by now that it's harder than ever to get books published. But if you're writing narrative nonfiction, self-help, or memoir, do you really have to be Bruce Springsteen or the Dalai Lama to beat the odds? No—truth is, agents and editors are eager for great nonfiction stories because they sell. In this session, we'll address seven key questions that will improve your likelihood of finding success. In so doing, we'll look at what understanding your readers (and how to reach them) really entails. We'll see why it's important to have one main conflict or theme, and what that means in terms of developing an entire book. We'll ask ourselves: "So what?," and discover what tricks to employ to make your story more compelling. There will be have plenty of time for Q&A and some on-the-spot exercises that will help you avoid common pitfalls.

*Please note that due to a scheduling constriction, this presenter will have to leave 15 minutes early. You will have the opportunity to complete exercises during this time.

If you're the rare writer who hasn't ever wrestled with motivation, confidence, and time-management skills, then stop reading right now. But if you've had trouble sitting down at the desk, or staying there, or concentrating on your own words, or if you've been struck by a bad case of imposter syndrome, then this session is for you. You'll learn how to push yourself into more productive and challenging work, through motivation-boosting techniques borrowed from sports. No matter what your experience with exercise, you'll learn how to use an athlete's tools like interval training, periodization, and the concept of training zones to help you embark on and complete your writing project. You'll leave the session with a plan for how to accomplish your short-term and long-term goals.

Continue the conversation about cultural appropriation with keynote speaker Peter Ho Davies and author Celeste Ng in a smaller, more intimate setting. Bring your thoughts, ideas, and questions, and a curious and open mind. Bring books for signing too; part of this session will include a book-signing after the morning's keynote talk!

Writing with an awareness of multiple languages allows writers to use language in powerful ways. Craft issues around dialogue, orality, hybridity, and specific cultural experiences often involve a multilingual consciousness. For example, sometimes we need to stretch English so as to recognize or embody the languages in which we or our characters live, think and speak. During this session we’ll look at work by writers who may include Monica de la Torre, Grace Paley, Junot Díaz, and Patrick Chamoiseau; and we’ll talk about code switching, experiment with separating form from meaning, and play with translation. Expect to walk away with a richer understanding of how to deliberately manipulate language(s) to develop voice, dialogue, texture and meaning in your prose.

Important: Please read this description carefully before signing up, and bring all necessary materials to the session. 

Most agencies receive at least a hundred query letters each week, yet respond positively to a very select few. Do you know the secrets to writing a winning query? Do you want to know the most common reasons for rejection? In this session, agents Sorche Fairbank and Ayesha Pande will give direct feedback on audience query letters and use them as examples to discuss both effective and ineffective strategies for getting an agent or editor interested in your work. The goal will be to make your query letters as powerful as possible. If you want your query letter considered, please bring a ONE-PAGE hard copy to the session. Query letters will be chosen at random by a volunteer and put on an overhead projector. After your query letter is read by the agents and the audience, the agents will discuss it, troubleshoot, and offer advice that is both specific to your project and general enough for the rest of the audience to benefit. Given the volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee that your query letter will be read. The point is not to get through as many queries as possible, but to thoughtfully evaluate your ideas and offer concrete suggestions from which all will benefit.

"Taking care of ourselves, we give ourselves the energy and clarity to take care of our children." ~Julia Cameron
It can be hard to balance book babies with *actual* babies. How do creatives find the time and mental energy to continue artistic pursuits when parenting demands so much of both? How do we hold space in our lives for these dual identities of "writer" and "parent"? One way is to use tools from each identity to inform the other. We will explore how other writers and artists have dealt with this issue and talk about our own challenges as parenting writers/writing parents. Through writing exercises and discussion, we'll brainstorm fresh approaches to time management, staying inspired, re-aligning expectations, and being artistic role models for our kids.