STUFF TO KNOW FOR #MWW15 July 23

STUFF TO KNOW FOR #MWW15
Thursday through Saturday
July 23-25, 2015 >> Muncie, Indiana
Ball State University Alumni Center, 2800 West Bethel Avenue
Thank you for joining us for our 42nd Midwest Writers Workshop. We take pride in our MWW tradition of offering
instruction, fellowship, and encouragement to writers at every stage in their careers. Your investment of time
and money for this year’s experience may take your writing to new levels!
All MWW programs and sessions are hosted at the Ball State University Alumni Center, 2800 Bethel Avenue,
Muncie, IN.
The Alumni Center is on the north side of Ball State’s campus, immediately west of Scheumann Football Stadium,
at the corner of Tillotson and Bethel. Parking is free at the Alumni Center. Parking lots are just north of the Center
adjacent to the stadium. The Alumni Center is handicapped-accessible and all sessions for the workshop are on
one floor.
What should I wear to workshop?
Since you’ll be in workshop sessions most of the day, you’ll want to wear something comfortable. However,
because we have agents and editors in attendance, you may want to adopt a "business casual" policy. Dressing
professionally for your agent appointment will help you present yourself at your best. You may also want to bring
a sweater as some of the classrooms may be cool (sometimes cold!). The building's air conditioning system is
located off-site so we are UNABLE to adjust the temperature for individual rooms. (We also have a selection of
MWW sweatshirts for sale at our merchandise table!) You may dress up for the banquet if you like but it isn’t
required.
What should I bring?
An important advantage to attending a workshop, besides all the knowledge that is available, is an opportunity to
meet people who can help further your career. MWW community encourages networking and building
friendships with other writers. If you have business cards, bring some for The Hub table and to exchange with
individuals with whom you have made a special connection. You will receive a list of all participants and their
contact information in your welcome packet.
To help manage the quantity of information presented in the sessions, we provide a wire-bound book of notes to
each participant registered for Part II. You’ll need pen/pencil and perhaps an extra notebook. While it’s not
required, you may bring a laptop/notebook/ipad computer if you wish. (Ball State is a wireless campus.)
Of course, if you signed up for help with Scrivener or the tutorial sessions for social media, you will for sure want
to have your laptop with you.
If you bring your cell phone, be sure that you put it on vibrate mode or turn it off during ALL sessions. But keep
tweeting!
What should I do when I arrive?
If you are in Part I, plan to arrive on Thursday, July 24, between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. to pick up your welcome
packet and nametag. Our Welcome Center and Registration Table are located in the Conservatory as you enter
the Alumni Center. Look for Midwest Writers committee members wearing green shirts with the MWW logo.
We’ll have coffee available and you can begin meeting other participants. An introductory welcome session
begins at 8:30 a.m. and the Intensive Sessions start at 9:00 a.m.
If you are in Part II, arrive and pick up your materials at 3:45 or after. We have three special sessions from 3:455:00 pm: Pitching 101 (to help you practice your pitch to agents) and Query Letters 101. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m,
we will introduce our Part II faculty, listen to a welcome presentation by Michael Shelden, mingle and enjoy a
nice spread of finger foods and a cash bar, and then have a networking time where you can “find your tribe.”
If you are attending both Part I and II, you only need to sign in at the Registration Table once.
What if I have my own books to sell?
MWW offers the opportunity for participants who have published books to sell them on consignment through
the MWW bookstore. There is a commission rate of 10%. Books may be delivered to the bookstore after you
register.
Our bookstore opens Thursday morning at 10:00. Please have your books priced. You must pick up any remaining
books before the workshop ends. Books left after the workshop ends will not be returned.
Consignment Bookstore Hours:
Thursday, 10 am-1 pm, 4-5 pm
Friday, 8-10 am, 12-2 pm
Saturday, 8-11 am, 1:30-3 pm
The MWW Bookstore accepts VISA and MasterCard payments. We will also have our MWW merchandise table
with sweatshirts, portfolios, totes, and mugs.
How can I get the most help with my writing?
Getting feedback from other writers can be very helpful and we have various opportunities for you to share your
work. We’re promoting the Two-Page Share (manuscript form: double space, 12 point).
1) Find Your Tribe – Thursday evening
2) During your free time or when you decide to skip a session. “Show me your two-pages and I’ll show you
mine.” ☺
3) Message in a Bottle – Friday evening. Look for the Message in a Bottle display, put your name on a ticket,
and wah lah, you’re in the drawing for a chance to read your Two-Page Share!
What is the “Find Your Tribe” on Thursday evening?
Welcome / Introduction of faculty
Keynote: Michael Shelden
Fellowship/Networking
Plan to stay after the formalities and introductions to renew friendships, create new ones and have the chance to
read and hear something from the labors of the past year.
Find Your Tribe
After the opening festivities, we invite you to linger to meet and read with your “tribe.” From 8:00 until 9:00 (or
thereabouts), participants will have the opportunity to gather with their fellow fiction writers, nonfiction writers
or poets for a get-acquainted activity.
Tribe locations: (depending on size of group)
Assembly Hall – B
Assembly Hall - A
Meeting Room 1
Meeting Room 2
Conference Room 1
Conference Room 2
Conservatory/Atrium
Boardroom
Library
Your Tribal Leader welcomes group; introduces himself; identifies the “tribe” [1) Mystery /suspense/thriller; 2)
General adult fiction; 3) Young Adult/New Adult; 4) Inspirational/fiction & nonfiction; 5) Nonfiction;
Memoir/Poetry; 6) Children; 7) Undecided/Unsure].
You will all then decide what you want to do next. Here are some options: introduce yourselves to one another
and share as a group, split off into smaller groups or sub-genres, and/or read your “Two-page Share” (the first
two pages of your work -- double spaced, 12 pt type ONLY, please). So bring your work!
More options: Perhaps discuss your hopes for the weekend and which sessions everyone plans to attend and why
. . . arrange to share notes with someone who is going to something you can't attend. So bring your work if you
want to, but depending on the numbers, not everyone will have a chance to read. This is your time to make
connections that will last who knows how long? Just Thursday night? For the MWW or even beyond.
We fully believe that part of the benefit of MWW is the relationships we form. We can't wait to see what
connections are made this year. So we really hope you'll join us for Find Your Tribe.
At the end of an hour, the facilitator thanks everyone and reminds them that tomorrow’s workshops begin with
coffee at 8:15 and the agent panel at 9 a.m.
What about meals?
We provide coffee and pastries in the mornings, and light refreshments (cookies/chips) during the afternoons. If
you need something more substantial to begin your morning, many of the local motels include breakfast. Part I
participants receive a box lunch with their registration fee. Participation in Part II includes Friday buffet lunch and
evening meal, and Saturday evening awards dinner. Those with dietary needs should see one of the catering staff
as they have your food set aside in the kitchen.
What if I paid for a Manuscript Evaluation?
If you paid the $35 fee for your manuscript to be evaluated by one of our Manuscript Evaluation Team, you are
entitled to a 15-minute one-on-one discussion of your work with the Team Member you selected. All discussion
sessions between participants and the Manuscript Evaluation Team Member are Friday and Saturday during
workshop hours. The Manuscript Team Members will schedule their one-on-one discussions and you can check
the list for your name/time at the Registration Table when you arrive.
How do I prepare for my Agent Pitch Session?
If you signed up for a 3-minute pitch session on your registration form, please check the posted schedule in the
Conservatory by the Registration Table. Each agent will meet with individuals who pre-registered. Please come
prepared.
Before the conference, it helps to do a little homework. Agents are impressed when a writer knows something
about their agency and the writers it represents. At minimum, know whether the agent represents your kind of
book. Don’t pitch your adult thriller to an agent who handles only children’s books. Know where your project falls
in the marketplace. If it’s fiction, is it a romance, a mystery, mainstream? Can you compare it to another
published author’s work? If it’s nonfiction, who is the audience? What types of publishers are likely to buy it?
Authors must know about similar books that have been published and why theirs will be different. What category
does it fall into, who are the readers and how will it fit into the market?
Prepare a three-minute pitch where you boil your project down to three to five sentences. Practice that pitch
until you can deliver it smoothly. The whole point of the pitch session is to get your writing read. You’re not there
to chat, make a new friend or list the problems you’re having with your writing but to convince the agent to give
it a look.
For fiction, divide the pitch into three points: the setup, hook and resolution. For nonfiction, the title should
convey the main concept of the book. Explain what the book is about, why you are qualified to write it, who will
read it and what you can do to promote it.
Agents and editors are not usually willing or able to carry your manuscript home with them, but if they are
interested, they may take a brief written summary. Don’t expect an agent or editor to read your synopsis while
you wait. Sell the agent on you as a writer and then the book you’re doing. It is much more helpful to convince
the agent of your talent, vision, commitment and ability and then hopefully about the book itself. In a short
meeting, if the agents are interested, they will usually follow up on the phone later and get into the book stuff.
Five interns will be working as assistants to the agents. Before the conference, they will communicate with you to
schedule pitches, and during the conference, they’ll keep time and make sure things run smoothly. If you sign up
to pitch, you will receive an email from one of these interns.
How do I prepare for my Query Letter Critique?
We have a Query Critique Team, similar to our Manuscript Evaluation Team. If you paid the additional fee of $35
for a 10-minute one-on-one consultation, check the list for your time at the Registration Table.
What will the Social Media Tutors offer?
Because MWW is committed to helping you become a published writer, we talk a lot about social media. That’s
because changes in the publishing industry have forced writers to become “author-preneurs”—marketers,
promoters, social media experts, and much more. At MWW, we know how time-consuming and confusing these
tasks can be, and so we offer a free, tutoring center called the Social Media Lab, staffed by Ball State students
working as tutors.
Those who registered for a session (on Friday or Saturday) will learn both the “how” and “why” of social media:
for example, how to start a blog, or for the more advanced, how to increase the readership of your blog, as well
as why you should use social media as a writer.
Using Twitter to Share Your “Notes” at MWW15
If one of us says something quotable, share it on Twitter. Use the hashtag #mww15 and your tweet will appear
on the TV screen in the Atrium for others to see. Use tags and hashtags so that others on Twitter can find it! Also,
subscribe to this list and start following the MWW faculty and staff:
https://twitter.com/MidwestWriters/lists/midwest-writers-2015
Faculty--The Writers
#mystery #thriller #YA #fiction
Julie Hyzy @JulieHyzy
DE Johnson @DEJohnsonAuthor
Martha Brockenbrough @mbrockenbrough
Cathy Day @daycathy
Christa Desir @ChristaDesir
Ashley Ford @iSmashFizzle
Lori Rader-Day @LoriRaderDay
Heidi Schulz @HeidiSchulz
Faculty--The Agents
Elise Capron @EliseCapron
Christa Heschke @ChristaHeschke
Janet Reid @Janet_Reid
Michelle Richter @Michrichter1
Alec Shane @alecdshane
Brooks Sherman @byobrooks
#AskAgent #pubtip #query
Faculty--The Editors/ Publishing Professionals #pubtip #query #amediting #amwriting
Annie Berger @EditorALB
Nicole Sohl @nicolesohl
Jane Friedman @JaneFriedman
Gary A Hensley, EA @GaryAHensley
Dee Romito @writeforapples
✿
MWW Committee and Staff
#mww15
MidwestWriters@MidwestWriters
Jama Kehoe Bigger @jamabigger
KelseyTimmerman @KelseyTimmerman
Summer Heacock @Fizzygrrl
Cathy Duling Shouse @cathyshouse
Maye Ralston @MayeRalston
Linda Karen Taylor @LindaEdits
Sandra L. Baron @sandibaron
Jeffrey O Pearson @JeffreyOPearson
Kelly O'Dell Stanley @kellyostanley
Janis Thornton @JanisThornton
Gail Werner @gailwerner
MWW Agent Assistants
Sarah Hollowell @sarahhollowell
Brittany Means @BrittanyMeansIt
Kendra Roberts @writer_kendra
Daniel Brount @danielbrount
Taylor Wicker @taynwick
Jeff Owens @Shmeff_Shmowens
MWW Social Media Consultants
Jackson Eflin @JacksonEflin
Caroline Delk @carolinemdelk
Levi Todd @levicitodd
What is “Buttonhole the Experts”?
Buttonhole the Experts is our fun Saturday morning activity. We have 30 tables in the banquet hall with an
“expert” (our faculty members and others!) at each one. Folks get their coffee, muffins/bagels, etc. and then six
participants sit at each table and chat informally with the expert for about 20 minutes. Then at the ring of a bell
and it’s like musical chairs, the six at each table rise and head to another table of interest for another 20-minute
chat. This process is repeated four times. In other words, everyone drinks way too much coffee but learns much
about the various genres/topics from our experts.
What is the R. Karl Largent Writing Award?
Midwest Writers Workshop established the R. Karl Largent Memorial Fund and renamed its top writing award in
honor of long-time and popular committee member R. Karl Largent, who died in 2003. The Manny Writing
Contest’s top winner will receive a $200 cash award, made possible through Robin Vincent Publishers and MWW.
The Manny Awards have become a tradition at Midwest Writers Workshop. The contest offers cash awards and is
designed to recognize works in progress in four categories: short fiction, novel, poetry and nonfiction. You may
enter one category only. Awards are presented at Saturday’s banquet.
How do I use Guidebook mobile app?
Carry our conference guide with you in your smartphone or tablet so you have less to keep track of!
Midwest Writers Workshop has created a mobile Guidebook app for use on Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
/Android 2.1+ smart phones and tablets, Kindle Fire tablets, Windows & Blackberry smartphones, Blackberry
Playbook tablet, any web-enabled phone and laptop/desktop computer. Our goal is to make your conference
experience easier and more pleasant.
This mobile Guidebook will enable you to:
See our entire conference schedule complete with room assignments
Create your own personalized schedule for the conference
Easily engage with and talk about the conference via Twitter (@MidwestWriters and the hashtag #mww15)
and Facebook
Access a map of the Alumni Center showing room number/names
Rate the sessions you attend as well as the facility itself.
Create a packing or travel to-do list within the app and take notes at the conference
NOTE: For web enabled tablets, iPads, or laptops: Our Guidebook 2015 may be accessed online at:
http://guidebook.com/guide/37082.
TO DOWNLOAD AND SET UP OUR Mobile Guidebook:
1. Download the Guidebook “MWW15” to your device from your app store or from the following link:
http://guidebook.com/g/mww15.
2. Once you have downloaded the app, search for it by typing “mww” into the search bar at the top of the
guide categories screen.
3. Full instructions on using our guidebook is listed in the “About MWW15 & Guidebook” section of our mobile
guidebook.
What if I still have questions?
If you have questions, contact MWW Director,
Jama Bigger, at 765-282-1055 or email at midwestwriters@yahoo.com.
BE A PART OF MWW FAMILY!
FACEBOOK: Midwest Writers Workshop FAN page
or Facebook Group
TWITTER: follow MWW
@MidwestWriters
MWW Director
Twitter@jamabigger
Use hashtag #mmw15
Connect with other writers, authors, previous faculty, MWW alumni, and many participants. Maybe you have a
question about pitching to agents, or manuscript submissions, or the facility. Maybe you’re looking to share a
motel room or a ride to Muncie. Post a question on our Discussion Board or write a comment on our Wall. (To
join: type “Midwest Writers Workshop” into the search line.)
MWW15 schedule + rooms
Thursday, 7/24:
PART I
8:15-8:30 am
Registration packets for Part I (coffee & pastries available) [Conservatory]
8:30-9:00 am
AH:
Welcome & Announcements
9:00-11:30 am
MR1:
MR2:
BR:
CR1:
CR2:
Library:
INTENSIVE SESSIONS:
Your Novel and How to Write It -- Julie Hyzy
The Writer’s Survival Kit – Martha Brockenbrough
Writing the Crime Novel -- D.E. (Dan) Johnson
Between Fact and Fiction: Using Real Life as a Foundation for Your YA Novel -- Christa Desir
Short Story Fellows Workshop – Cathy Day
Writing the Biography -- Michael Shelden
11:45 am-1 pm
AH:
Boxed Networking Lunch
1:00-3:30 pm
Intensive Sessions (continued)
PART II begins
3:45 pm
Registration packets for Part II available
3:45-5:00 pm
SESSION 1
AH: [1] Pitching 101 [Kelsey Timmerman, Summer Heacock] Tips for the 3-minute pitch to agents and
“pitch practice”
MR1: [2] Query Letters 101 [Elise Capron, Amy Reichart] Tips for improving your query letter.
6:30-8:30 pm
AH: Faculty Introductions / Speaker: Michael Shelden: “Getting Serious About Success”
[Cash bar/ refreshments / ice breaker: networking: “Find Your Tribe”]
After the opening festivities, we invite you to linger to meet and read with your “tribe.” From 8:00 until 9:00 (or
thereabouts), participants will have the opportunity to gather with their fellow fiction writers, nonfiction writers
or poets for a get-acquainted activity.
Three purposes of the “Find Your Tribe” activity:
1) Get to know other workshop participants who are interested in the same genre
2) Give volunteers the opportunity to read aloud brief samples of their writing: Two-Page Share
3) Allow group members to hear and react to their peers’ works in progress
Friday, 7/24:
Evaluations / Agent Pitch / Consultation Sessions:
[one-on-one 15-minute conferences throughout the day/& Sat. with Manuscript Evaluation Team members and
consultants, and/or 10-minute Query Letter Critiques – various Alumni Center available rooms, Conservatory –
check reg. table. 3-minute agent pitch sessions in CR1]
8:15-9:00 am
Coffee & Fellowship [155] [AH]
9:00-10:15 am
SESSION 2
AH: Agent Panel Q&A: Elise Capron, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency; Christa Heschke, McIntosh & Otis; Janet
Reid, FinePrint Literary Management; Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary; Alec Shane, Writer’s House; Brooks
Sherman, The Bent Agency. Topics: The 3-minute pitch, query letters, etc.
10:30-11:45 am
SESSION 3
Aha
#AmEditing: Revision Techniques for Busy People Already Tired of Their Books / Lori Rader-Day
AHb
Ten Tips for More Effective Queries / Janet Reid
BR
Writing the Linked Short Story Collection / Lucrecia Guerrero
11:45-1:00 pm Buffet Networking Lunch
AH
Jane Friedman: The Competitive Creative: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love (While Everyone
Else Is Trying to Do the Same)
1:15-2:15 pm
SESSION 4
AHa: When Bad Grammar Makes for Good Writing / Martha Brockenbrough
AHb:
Settings You Can’t Escape / D.E. (Dan) Johnson
MR1: Clearing the Air: Writing Middle Grade Humor that Goes Beyond Fart Jokes / Heidi Schulz
MR2: How to Write an Essay for an Online Audience and How to Get it Published / Ashley Ford
BR:
When Writing for Free Pays Off / Dana Kaye
2:30-3:30 pm
SESSION 5
AHa: Ask the Editor Panel / Nicole Sohl, Annie Berger, Christa Desir
AHb: The Voices in Your Head / Julie Hyzy
MR1: Technical Session on Using Scrivener / Dee Romito
BR:
Finding Subjects for Nonfiction / Michael Shelden
3:45-4:45 pm
SESSION 6
AH:
Path to Publishing Panel / Jane Friedman, Michael Shelden, Michelle Richter, Dee Romito
MR1: One-Hour Mystery Bootcamp / Lori Rader-Day
BR:
Basic Taxation for Writers / Gary Hensley
5:00-6:30 pm Dinner and networking
AH:
Taco Buffet/Cash Bar
5:00-8:00 pm
Pre-Event:
Photo Booth!
7:00-9:00 pm
AH:
Message in a Bottle (2-minute/Two-Page Share Participant Readings)
Saturday, 7/25:
8:30-10:30 am
SESSION 7
AH:
"Buttonhole the Expert" (participants visit 4 tables) Informal Q&A with 7 participants to a table, switching
to a new table after 20-minute conversation with the “Expert” (ALL authors/presenters) Continental
breakfast/Coffee
10:45-11:45 am
SESSION 8
AHa: Friends Indeed / Julie Hyzy
AHb: How to Be a Better Online Writer: Understanding the Art of SEO, Headlines, and Images / Jane Friedman
MR1: Sex in YA / Christa Desir
BR:
Are You a Professional Writer? Don’t Wait for an IRS Audit to Find Out / Gary Hensley
11:45 am-1:00 pm Lunch (on your own) [Boxed lunch available; $12 - MUST be pre-paid with registration]
1:15- 2:15 pm
SESSION 9
AHa:
There Are No Heroes or Villains: How to Write the Truth and Keep Your Characters Human / Ashley Ford
MR1: The Art of Research / Michael Shelden
MR2: Percy Jackson or Katniss Everdeen: Key Differences between Middle Grade and Young Adult
Heidi Schulz
BR:
Everything You Want to Know About the World of Gay Romance But Were Afraid to Ask / Christa Desir
2:30-3:30 pm
SESSION 10
AHa: Agent & Author Relationships: Christa Heschke & Annie Sullivan; Brooks Sherman & Heidi Schulz
AHb: Secrets of the Synopsis – How to Make This Dreaded Thing Work for You / Martha Brockenbrough
MR1: The Hows and Whys of POV / Dan Johnson
BR:
Writing the Short-Short Story / Lucrecia Guerrero
3:45-5:00 pm
SESSION 11
AHa: Writerly Resources Panel: Jane Friedman, Janet Reid, Dana Kaye
AHb: Liars and Thieves, and These are the Good Guys: How to Create Unreliable and Unlikeable Characters
People Still Want to Read / Lori Rader-Day
5:00-5:45 pm
Cash Bar, Happy Hour
5:45-7:30 pm
AH:
Closing Banquet / Manny Awards
Keynote Speaker: Literary Agent Janet Reid
Forget Kindergarten, Everything I Know About Publishing, I Learned From Jack Hanna: ["I'm bringing
props. Where I'm going to store a 10 foot stuffed snake autographed by Lee Child I do not know."]
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