JH Writers
P.O. Box 3871
Jackson, WY 83001
307-200-5858
Thursday, October 31
PRE-CONFERENCE ARRIVALS & OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES AT THE VIRGINIAN LODGE
4:00 – 5:30 pm
Registration: The Virginian Lodge
5:30 – 5:45
Welcoming remarks and orientation at The Virginian Lodge
5:45 – 6:45
“How to Write a Synopsis without Shrieking in Terror” with agent Mira Landry
A special opportunity to learn synopsis-writing skills with agent Mira Landry. Polish your book synopsis before talking about it all weekend.
6:45 – 8:00
Dinner and evening on your own
8:30 – 9:30
“Old Ghosts: Unpublished Writing that Haunts Us” with poet Matt Daly and guest faculty
Hear from a few faculty members about the projects that just wont let them go.
9:00 – ?
The Virginian Saloon’s Public Halloween Party
$20 cover. Costumes encouraged. This one isn’t a conference event, but it should be fun.
Friday, November 1
A FULL DAY OF EVENTS AND AN EVENING KEYNOTE ALL AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS
9:00 – 10:00 am
Registration: Theater Lobby
9:15 – 9:25
Welcoming remarks with Matt Daly
9:25 – 9:50
“Breathwork for Writers” with Matteo Pistono
10:00 – 10:50
Keynote with Elana K. Arnold
“Shadows, Brambles, and Deep Dark Wells: Or, Making Friends with the Back of Your Brain”
11:00 – 11:50
Panel with Kevin Grange, Jane Dystel, Austin Ross
“The Publication Story of a Book”
12:00 – 1:15
Lunch and meet-and-greet
1:15-2:45
Craft Classes include:
“Uniquely Familiar Using the 7 Basic Plots to Write Stories that Get Published” with nonfiction author Kevin Grange
Getting from 0 to 1: Habit-Hacks and Mindset Shifts to Provide Stamina for Completing a Long Project” with poet and fiction author Maria Kelson
“Bring It In: On Position and Point of View” with fiction author Téa Obreht
“Think Like an Editor” with editor and fiction author Austin Ross
“Working Together: Ways for Writers to Collaborate” with poet Maw Shein Win
“Grounding and Micro-Tension” with children’s lit author Nanci Turner Steveson
2:50 – 3:10
“Breathwork for Writers” with Matteo Pistono
3:15 – 4:45
Manuscript Critiques
Extended Manuscript Critiques
Craft Class (for those without manuscripts) with Jennifer Kocher
4:45 – 5:30
Pre-keynote social hour
5:30 – 7:00
Keynote Address: Jericho Brown (with an opening reading by Maw Shein Win)
7:00 –
Dinner on your own
Extended Manuscript Critiques
9:00 –
Live musin at The Virginian Saloon: Inland Isle & Christian Wallowing Bull
Again, not a conference event, but a fun one anyway.
Saturday, November 2
A LIVELY DAY AT THE CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND A FUN EVENING AT THE VIRGINIAN LODGE
9:00 – 9:10
Welcoming remarks with Matt Daly
9:10 – 10:00
Keynote Address: Téa Obreht
“The Click – On Finding the Right Track and Learning to Let Go”
10:10 – 11:00
Agent Panel with Jane Dystel, Mira Landry and Nikki Terpilowski
11:10 – 12:00
Editor Panel with Mark Hummel, Claudia Mauro, Austin Ross and Emily Temple
12:00 – 1:15
Lunch on your own
Extended Manuscript Critiques
1:15 – 2:45
Craft Classes:
“Jumpstarting Your Engines” with poet Jericho Brown
“Motive, Decision, Action: The Engine of Film Storytelling” with fiction author and screenwriter Nathaniel Teal Minton
“Crafting a Compelling Non-Fiction Book Proposal” with creative nonfiction author Matteo Pistono
“A Hell of a First Impression: How to Introduce Your Characters to the Reader” with fiction author Dan Sheehan
“Structuring Your Memoir: Wisdom from the Process of Revising Lightning Flowers” with creative nonfiction author Katherine Standefer
“Writing Young Protagonists: Finding the right Voice and Audience for your Story” with children’s lit author Shana Youngdah
3:00 – 3:50
Panel:
“The Buddy System: How to Share a Writing Life with Other Writers” with fiction authors Téa Obreht, Parini Schroff, and Dan Sheehan; screenwriter and fiction author Nathaniel Teal Minton; and children’s lit author Shana Youngdahl.
Presentation:
“Scenes, Pseudo Scenes & Summary: How to Manage Time and Layer Meaning into Your Narrative Prose” with creative nonfiction writer Katherine Standefer
4:00 – 5:30
Manuscript Critiques
Extended Manuscript Critiques
Craft Class (for those without manuscripts): “Misbelief” with children’s lit author Joanna Cooke
TRANSITION TO THE VIRGINIAN
6:00 – 7:15
Reading:
Wyoming Arts Council 2024 Nonfiction Fellow Jennifer Kocher
Conference attendees (sign-up required)
7:15 – 8:00
Book Sale at The Virginian Lodge
8:00 – 10:00
Banquet dinner and celebration
Sunday, November 3
8:30 – 9:00
Wellness practice for writers with Matteo Pistono
9:00 – 11:00
Craft Class:
“Create, Return, Craft: How to Find Hidden Patterns & Leverage Them in Revision” with children’s lit author Elana K. Arnold
In creating our stories, we are often smarter than we know. By grace and feel, we plant seeds. In revision, our challenge is to revisit those seeds and help them grow, while weeding out those that won’t bear fruit. But how is this done—both the creating and the crafting? Join award winning and bestselling author Elana K. Arnold as she explores the connection between the back of the brain and the front of the brain to model how to plant, recognize, and grow your own best stories.
11:15 – 11:30
Farewell