Friday 19th
ADD-ON 9:30 - 11:30 am Intensives
- Novels with Mark Podesta TBA
- PB with Sylvie Frank TBA
- Building a Career in Writing with Ronald L. Smith – Ron will dissect his journey into authorship, encouraging attendees to explore and analyze their own career path. Topics include: Why write for kids? Your journey as an author, dealing with internal barriers (self-doubt, motivation, permission to create, practical methods of time management, etc), Marketability vs. creativity, Cultural considerations (who should write which stories, with regards to underrepresented characters), Processes for a writing career: do you follow a regular schedule? How do you balance creative practice with the sometimes arduous work of writing? What resources/mentor texts do you use regularly? Attendees will have the opportunity to set an informed intention for their path forward. Prerequisite: For any writers looking for encouragement and advice for building and maintaining a career in publishing.
ADD-ON 3 pm – 6:15 pm Manuscript Critiques
- Sylvie Frank: TBA
- Mark Podesta: TBA
- Kelly Dyksterhouse: Novels of any genre
- Leslie Zampetti: PB manuscripts, PB non-fiction, YA manuscripts
- Ronald L. Smith: MG manuscripts
7:30 – 9 pm Ignite the Dragon Flame bonfire and story-off – Carolinas favorite meet-up, Ignite the Spark, gets a magical makeover in our fireside story battle! Join forces with the other members of your Archetypal Society to create a micro-fiction piece that will cast a spell of wonder over the crowd. Details coming soon.
Saturday 20th
9 am – 10:30 am Sessions
- The Practice of Making Picture Books with Leslie Zampetti – In this session, agent Leslie Zampetti will review tips and techniques for brainstorming new stories, discuss how to evaluate ideas and story premises for marketability, and demonstrate how to evaluate your own ideas and their fitness for picture books as opposed to other formats. The session includes exercise and group work to establish best practices for finding, honing, and querying your best options. Prerequisite: For established PB authors as well as beginning writers
- Scene Workshop for Novelists with Ronald L. Smith – In this hands-on workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to give and receive feedback on a scene from their work-in-progress. Scenes will be submitted ahead of time. During the session, Ron will offer input on what works, and what could be stronger, followed by group input as time allows. Prerequisite: attendees will be required to sign critique etiquette agreements.
1 pm – 2:30 pm Sessions
- PB with Mark Podesta TBA
- MG vs. YA vs. Adult with Leslie Zampetti – What makes a book with a young protagonist a middle grade, young adult, or adult novel? Determining your audience is much more nuanced than the age of your main character. In this session, Leslie will address the differences between categories, their audiences, and how to determine your audience of readers, including how to work with voice and how to position your work to agents and editors. Prerequisite: Please bring short samples of your work for exercises. A short suggested reading list will be provided.
2:30 – 4 pm Lab Hours – choose your work-along location and engage with faculty while enjoying some creative time
4 pm – 5:30 pm Sessions
- PB with Sylvie Frank TBA
- Novels with Mark Podesta TBA
7:30 pm – 9 pm Portfolio Showcase + Pitch Auction – enjoy the party as we view portfolios and “auction” pitches anonymously for chances to submit (included with retreat)
Sunday 21st
9 am – 9:45 am Sessions
- Anxiety vs. Productivity with Leslie Zampetti – Picture book authors often experience anxiety around their chosen category. What if you’re not an illustrator? When will my agent submit more of my work? Why are editors buying less of X and more of Y? Leslie will discuss managing your career as a picture book author, navigating the agent relationship, and understanding the picture book market and its effect on your work. The focus will be on practical strategies for achieving equilibrium in your career.
- Landing an Agent with Ronald L. Smith – Ron will share the steps he took to landing his agent and offer insights on pitches and queries that hook agents. Attendees will have the opportunity to workshop their query materials as time allows.
10 am – 10:45 am Sessions
- PB with Mark Podesta TBA
- Leveling Up Your Voice for Novelists with Leslie Zampetti – Voice has many nuances, including commercial vs. literary appeal, authenticity, individuality, and other qualities. While an author's voice is partly innate, it can be adapted to appeal to different audiences. In this session, Leslie will discuss the nuances of voice and how to craft your voice to best suit your various projects. Please bring the first five pages of a current project to use with exercises.
