Hone your craft with industry pros!

Novel Writing Conference | October 27-29, 2017

Develop critical skills and keep your writing fresh with our Craft Track.

Well-practiced craft is the backbone of a great novel, and whether you want to brush up on the basics or explore more advanced techniques, you’ll get the chance this October at the Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Conference in Pasadena, Calif.

Our carefully curated lineup of Craft Track sessions covers the creative process, point of view, story structure, dialogue, tone and all the other essentials you need to fine-tune your skills.

Grab a seat in these craft-centric sessions!

Make Your First Chapter Matter with Sophie Littlefield

In this session, you’ll discover how to consider (or reconsider) your premise, backstory and character arcs to find the best launching point for your novel—the one that will grab readers and refuse to let go.

Plotting for Pantsers with Rachael Herron

Some people who write by the seat of their pants regularly produce good novels. For others, the pantsing method means a lot of wasted time. Learn how to harness a hybrid method using just enough plotting to get you to the end while still allowing your creativity and spontaneity on the page to shine.

Scene Stealers: How to Master the Scene to Build a Page-Turning Plot with Jordan Rosenfeld

A plot is only as strong as the scenes upon which it’s built. In this workshop, you’ll brush up on the architecture and elements of a scene, explore the essential scenes every plot needs, and learn to make every scene relevant.

Concept: Analyzing Your Story’s DNA with Ara Grigorian

It all starts with the concept, the big idea ... but is it a good one? Learn what it takes to develop a solid story concept (similar to a logline) that will serve as the vision for your novel. Study and analyze core story types (apart from genre), and break down the essential elements to help you use your preferred storytelling style to transform that concept into a viable novel.

The Art of Subtext: Writing the Unspeakable with Deb Norton

To hide and suppress is human, so subtext is alive and well in our everyday interactions—but is it alive in your story? This workshop demystifies subtext: What it is, what it does for your story, how to write it effectively, and how to use it as a character-discovery tool.

Interested in improving more than your craft? Mix and match sessions from other tracks—Character, Genre and Beyond—to get the most from your conference experience.

Foster your career as a novel writer and save some cash when you register by August 29!

GET TALKING: #NWC17