Are such short forms viable for publication? What is going on in the proliferating market for shorter Mystery, Thriller, Horror, and Suspense?

This workshop will focus on writing a narrative book with elements of a memoir. Joe Hight addresses the steps he took to write Unnecessary Sorrow: A Journalist Investigates the Life and Death of His Older Brother Ordained, Discarded, Slain by Police. Hight will provide tips on what you can do to write the narrative stories most personal to you, ones that will have an impact on your readers, too.

Choosing, creating, and utilizing appropriate antagonists for Mystery, Thriller, Horror, and Suspense

Our lives are interconnected webs, and everything in them seems essential. Choosing which events warrant inclusion is the first step in creating powerful, engaging narrative. When writing memoir or narrative non-fiction, the choice of where to start, what to include, and when to stop is often more difficult than in fiction. Through the use of literary examples and writing exercises you will learn how to sort through a myriad of events to find the ones that expand on the theme of your memoir.

“Page-turner” books don’t write themselves. Bestselling authors know how to weave suspenseful elements into their stories, whether a Thriller, Romance or Commercial Literary. The best books layer thrilling moments to create a roller-coaster ride for their readers, tossing in twists and turns to keep readers engaged to the very last page. Learn the craftsmanship of great story-telling by using shocks and surprises, the pacing of tension, loaded language, inserting secrets and lies, and so much more. In this workshop, you’ll come away with the tools needed to add suspense to any type of story whether it’s Contemporary Romance, Sci-Fi or Thriller. Suspense is the essential element to drive every story forward.

How can authors create realistic multicultural characters? Author Eliana West will explain the basic tools needed to write characters from different racial backgrounds without falling into many of the common pitfalls that create characters who are stereotypes instead of real people. Tap into this growing new market and reach new readers by adding diversity to your story.

Spotlight on Wild Rose Press

Join local horror and mystery writer Scotti Andrews for this informative and fun panel, in which investigators and agents from several police agencies discuss actual training, and investigation techniques.

Talk isn’t cheap. Powerful conversations can make or break a story and help your characters pop off the page. In this hour, we’ll unpack an arsenal of tricks you can use to cut the flab in your gab and unleash unforgettable communication. Join screenwriter and novelist Damon Suede for an arsenal of nitty-gritty techniques to turn that chatter into conversations that matter.

Meet a group of passionate high school readers and writers from Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma, Washington, who have advice on pitfalls to avoid when writing YA characters. These are teenagers who have attended the PNWA conference, participated in NaNoWriMo multiple times, written novels, and have a lot to say about YA literature and the modern teenage experience. Presentation followed by Q&A. They are also available to act as beta readers for your YA novel.