Networking for writers: "What I can do for you and
what you can do for me" -- Sophronia Scott
You can attend tons of writer's conferences and networking events, but how do you turn these events into fruitful gatherings where you've made great and lasting contacts? How do you come away with something more substantial than a stack of business cards? Sophronia will show you:
* How to effectively communicate who you are and what you want
* The makings of an effective two-way conversation
* What is productive networking
* The three best ways to maintain your new connections
* When to ask for what you want--and how to get it
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
How to take your humor writing from amusing to amazing:
fine-tuning, tweaking, and rewriting -- Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant
What do you do when it’s funny, but it’s not funny enough? Pray to the humor gods? Play computer games until inspiration hits? Go to the pharmacy in search of a medication that has “Funny Spells” as one of the side effects? You could, but you don’t need to – not when you can use some tried and true techniques such as Mood Swings, That’s Illogical, and Tabloid Teasers to take your comedy writing from head-nodding to thigh-slapping. This session is guaranteed to help you think funny, AND you can operate heavy machinery afterward. Just in case you hear a forklift calling your name.
This session is also offered Sat., April 5, 2008 -- 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Raising your humor writing IQ -- Mark Shatz
Complete the following sentence: “The Rose Bowl is the only bowl…” Your answer reflects your humor writing IQ – the ability to find the funniest conclusion to a set-up or premise. Many factors, such as self-censorship and limited brainstorm techniques, impair humor writing. During this session, you will learn cognitive strategies and writing techniques to raise your humor IQ and maximize the funny in your writing. By the way, a humor savant, Erma Bombeck, completed the sentence with “I've ever seen that I didn't have to clean.”
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Freelance writing for the greeting card industry -- Matt Schneider
There are more than 2,000 greeting card companies in this country, from basement publishers to major corporations. Many of these companies purchase humorous editorial from freelance writers. Matt will discuss the anatomy of a greeting card, how to get started, what the most productive captions focus on, tips of the trade and the million-dollar question, "Where do you get your ideas?"
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
Using online video to market your books and yourself -- Steve O'Keefe
After this session, you'll finally have a reason for spending so many hours watching YouTube! You're doing research -- that's right, RESEARCH -- on what makes a good online video. For the last four years, veteran book publicist Steve O'Keefe has criss-crossed North America filming authors in their native habitats and posting the results at web sites such as AuthorViews, YouTube and iTunes. In this workshop, he shares behind-the-scenes stories of the making and distribution of book-related videos. You'll learn a little about how to make your own videos and a lot about what to do with them after you make them.
This session is also offered Sat., April 5, 2008 -- 9 to 10:30 a.m.
How to touch readers’ hearts with your words -- Mary McCarty & Laura Pulfer
Mary McCarty (metro columnist for the Dayton Daily News) and Laura Pulfer (author and former
columnist for the Cincinnati Enquirer) have mastered the art of human-interest writing. Hear their tips on
interviewing and writing that will add life to your words. They’ll explain how they find great human-interest stories and the techniques they use to write them.
This session is also offered Fri., April 4, 2008 -- 2:15 to 3:45 p.m.
