Schedule for the Yosemite Writers Conference – By Melinda Carroll

In a recent interview with Bonnie Hearn Hill about the Yosemite Writers Conference, she stated:

“We have four workshops an hour geared for everyone at every stage of her/his career; however, we encourage writers to follow their passion. If a beginning writer wants to attend a workshop on how to sell books to film, that’s fine. I should add that we have a talented sound professional from Hawaii recording all of the workshops, so if you miss one you think you might like, you can purchase a CD.”

Wow! That’s a lot of workshops! And there are a lot of great topics being covered! There are a couple of timeslots where I wish I could clone myself and sit in two workshops at the same time. I just might have to purchase a CD of the workshops so I don’t miss anything.

Take a look at the schedule of workshops for next week’s Yosemite Writers Conference:

Friday August 24:

9:15 – 10:15 AM –
Sharpen Your Hooks – Fiction
Writing For Social Change
Writing and Publishing Your Memoir
Writing Anthologies For the Soul

10:45 – 11:45 AM –
Ghosting Where the Money is: A Guide to Co-authoring
How to Stand Out in the Nonfiction Market
Selling to Chronicle Books
Editing Poetry: Entering the process whole and coming out humming

1:45 – 2:45 PM –
All About Platform: If You Build It, They Will Come
Spiritual Writing in the Age of The Secret
Selling to Tor Books
Chick Lit is Dead, and Other Myths About Women's Fiction

3:00 – 4:00 PM –
How to Pitch an Editor
Rates, rights and rules of engagement: What you need to know about magazine freelancing
Selling to Weiser Books
Take Your Book to the Movies

Saturday August 25:

9:15 – 10:15 AM –
He, She and the Dreaded Omniscient: Point of View at Close Range
Confessions of a Contest Judge
Picture Book Manuscript Critique
Beyond the Basics - What Every Author Needs to Know Before, During and After Publication

10:45 – 11: 45 AM –
Sharpen your Hooks – Nonfiction
Blogging Your Way to Fame

1:45 – 2:45 PM –
How to Pitch an Agent
Murder, They Wrote: A Guide to Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers
Writing for Guideposts

3:00 – 4:00 PM –
Tapping the Hot YA Market
Invisible Genius: Ghostwriting for The Penn Group
Twisting the Mystery Plot

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www.noveltown.net
www.yosemitewriters.com

The Yosemite Writers Conference is August 24-26, Noveltown is going. Are you? – By Melinda Carroll

The Yosemite Writers Conference is just around the corner. Quite literally. In fact its next week, August 24-26. My excitement is growing by leaps and bounds. I can’t wait to be among so many great writers that I admire. I can’t wait to attend the workshops and panels and soak up all the knowledge I can about writing and the publishing world. I can’t wait to connect to writers from all over the country. I can’t wait to be inspired!

Noveltown is going. Are you?

Want to meet literary agents, publishers, editors, and authors?

Want to learn about the many facets of writing in today’s literary world?

Whether you’re a published author or just realized that you want to be a writer, the Yosemite Writer’s Conference is for you.

Noveltown’s own N.L. Belardes will be speaking at this year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference, among many others. (Read my previous interview with N.L. about his speaking at the YWC).

I’ve literally been vibrating with anticipation for the Yosemite Writers Conference. I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed a preview. You know, like a movie trailer. A teaser. The coming attractions as it were. I went straight to the source. I tracked down Bonnie Hearn Hill, accomplished novelist, instructor and one of many who work very hard each year to put on the Yosemite Writers Conference and I asked her a few questions about what we could expect at this years conference.

She was kind enough to oblige me, instruct me, and encourage me. Read the interview.

Bonnie Hearn Hill
Volunteer faculty
Novelist and instructor

Noveltown: Who are the ‘big’ agents and editors attending the Yosemite Writers Conference this year?

BHH: Please, honey. Never use orphan quotes, and especially not single orphan quotes. I’m excited about all of our agents. Irene Webb is a top film agent. June Clark specializes in nonfiction and works for a leading New York agency. Katharine Sands is also with a major NY firm, and Jeffery McGraw and Arlene Cardoza are building their lists and actively seeking new writers. This is a great opportunity to learn from the people who are in the best position to know what sells.

Noveltown: Which conference panel or workshop are you most excited about this year?

BHH: I’m really excited about the young adult panel. That’s a great market, and we have Farrin Jacobs from HarperCollins, Susan Chang from Tor, along with Melissa Manlove from Chronicle Books. Melissa is also presenting a two-hour picture book critique workshop, and she’s actually doing free line edits. For those who are ready to test their work, the Sharpen Your Hooks workshops are an almost painless way to get feedback. For the first time this year, we’re offering one for fiction and one for nonfiction. Also for the first time, we’re offering two workshops on the high-paying ghostwriting field with representatives of a New York ghostwriting firm, and a magazine-writing panel for those who want to write articles. So I sound as if I’m excited about everything, right? For me, though, the most intriguing might be the Sunday morning one with our Saturday keynote David Morrell, the author who created Rambo. David is actively involved in the conference this year, and he asked if he could do a bonus workshop on Sunday on marketing for writers. I can’t wait.

Noveltown: As a keynote speaker, what does David Morrell bring to the conference?

BHH: We have two keynote speakers, Steve Yarbrough and David. Both are excellent.

Noveltown: Are you participating or speaking on any panels or workshops?

BHH: I’m moderating a few panels. You can check them out under schedules on the Website. Two of the highest rated panels last year were the point of view panel (which I think you attended) and the Sharpen Your Hooks panels. We’ll be repeating both of those. I’ll also moderate a panel on ghostwriting and serve on the mystery/thriller panel moderated by Sheree Petree. Sheree is a mystery novelist who is on our volunteer faculty, along with Hazel Dixon-Cooper, the Cosmopolitan magazine Bedside Astrologer and a best-selling author in her own right.

Noveltown: Is the Yosemite Writers Conference just for experienced or published writers or will beginners and aspiring writers benefit from the conference too?

BHH: We have four workshops an hour geared for everyone at every stage of her/his career; however, we encourage writers to follow their passion. If a beginning writer wants to attend a workshop on how to sell books to film, that’s fine. I should add that we have a talented sound professional from Hawaii recording all of the workshops, so if you miss one you think you might like, you can purchase a CD.

Noveltown: What do you hope writers will gain from their conference experience?

BHH: Depends on where they are with their writing and what they want. Writers should attend conferences at two places in their careers—when they first start, so that they can get a sampling of opinions from many professionals, and then again, when they have a manuscript to sell. They will also build contacts along the way. Your novel may not be ready to sell for three years, but you will still have that contact you made at the conference. As my friend literary agent Andrea Brown says, “Don’t send it to me Monday. Send it to me right.”

Noveltown: What’s new at this year’s Yosemite Writers Conference compared to past conferences?

BHH: A silent auction where those who attend can bid on anything from a line-edit by me to breakfast with an editor or agent. If I were a first-time attendee, I’d go for the agent breakfast. Just think. You’ll have this person’s undivided time. You might also (hint, hint, Ms. MK) want to bid on the invitation to the Friday night presenter reception. Thanks for the excellent questions.

Noveltown: Thanks Bonnie for taking time out of your busy schedule to give us a sneak peak at next week’s Yosemite Writers Conference.

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2007 Partial List of Presenters

Keynote Speakers: Steve Yarbrough and David Morrell
Literary Agents: Katharine Sands, June Clark, Irene Webb, and Jeffrey McGraw
Magazine Editors From: Sacramento Magazine and Visalia Lifestyle
Editors: Meg Bertini of Dream Time Publishing, Kate Gale of Red Hen Press, Susan Chang of Tar Books, Farrin Jacobs of HarperCollins, Brenda Knight of Weiser Books, Steve Mettee of Quill Driver Books and Word Dancer Press, Melissa Manloe of Chronicle Books
Authors: N.L. Belardes, Hallie Ephron, BJ Taylor and Ginny Rorby
Yosemite Faculty: Rik Bollman, Hazel Dixon-cooper, Bonnie Hearn Hill, and Sheree Petree

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Conference details:

$390 after June 1

Registration fee includes: all workshop sessions Friday and Saturday, continental breakfast, two keynote luncheons and evening reception Friday and Saturday.

The registration fee must be paid in full by check or credit card in order to secure a space for the conference.

Registration fee does not include lodging.

The beautiful Tenaya Lodge is the official conference hotel. When booking your room, be sure to ask for the Yosemite Writers Conference rate of $189 per night. Call (559) 683-6555, 800-635-5807 or log on to tenayalodge.com to reserve your room.

Consultation: Confer with any of the agents or editors at the conference for only $30 per session.

Visit Yosemite Writers online for more details.

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Read Noveltown’s experiences at last year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference:

By N.L. Belardes
A Writer in Yosemite: Part One
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Two
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Three
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Four
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Five
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Six
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Seven
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Eight

By Matildakay
A great literary weekend
What's your type?
How to Approach a Literary Agent...
The Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship
Malcolm Margolin is Posh
Hanging out with the Pirates of Yosemite and setting the record straight
Kill Your Darlings