Preview my can’t-miss session recommendations at WDNWC! | | As the editorial director for Writer’s Digest Books, I collaborate with some of the most respected names in novel writing instructors. From James Scott Bell and Larry Brooks to Paula Munier and Therese Walsh, the brand-new Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Conference features a roster of celebrated, best-selling teachers. The conference is a terrific way to congregate with other writers and gain much-needed inspiration and motivation, too!
I hope you’ll join me this October 28–30 in Los Angeles to apply valuable advice and crucial techniques to your work-in-progress. And make sure to check out these can’t-miss sessions from my favorite instructors:
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| | | FRIDAY
9:00–10:00 a.m.
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Beginnings: How to Craft Story Openings that Sell, Paula Munier
The opening of your story is the most important part of your work—because if the beginning doesn’t work, editors, agents, and readers stop reading, and the rest of your story doesn’t matter. In this one-of-a-kind session, agent and author Paula Munier reveals the secrets of a great opening, from word one to plot point one. | | | | 10:15–11:15 a.m.
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The Topography of Character, Therese Walsh
To develop memorable, leap-off-the-page characters, throw out the questionnaires and think instead about personality maps. What is your character’s terrain? How does he or she respond to that terrain? With insights into human nature and psychology, this session gives you a fresh perspective on character creation and evolution. | | | | 3:00–4:00 p.m.
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The Character of Crime: Creating the Character Web in Crime, Mystery/Detective, and Thriller Fiction, David Corbett
Award-winning crime novelist David Corbett serves as your guide for exploring the key roles that make crime fiction work, with specific focus on the demands of the three major subgenres of crime fiction—mystery/detective, crime and thriller—and an emphasis on maintaining dramatic tension, creating moral complexity and avoiding clichés. | | | | SATURDAY
9:00–10:00 a.m.
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The Most Important Moment in Your Story, Larry Brooks
Dive into the structural storytelling model to focus on the First Plot Point. It's more than a story twist—it's the transition between the story's setup and the launch of the hero's core dramatic journey, and it has a specific mission regarding how it changes the story. Mess it up, and your book will suffer in a potentially drastic way. In this session, you will learn the criteria and benchmarks for handling this critical story moment. | | | | 10:15–11:15 a.m.
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The Secrets of Page-Turning Scenes, James Scott Bell
Scenes are the building blocks of fiction. Weak scenes tempt a reader to set the book aside. Strong scenes keep them reading. In this session, you will learn how to properly structure scenes that hook readers at the beginning and prompt them to read on to the end. You'll also be introduced to a key element that can transform a boring scene into one brimming with conflict. | | | | 1:15-2:15 p.m.
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Getting Intimate with Your Characters: Master Point of View for Dazzling Character Development, Jordan Rosenfeld
Scenes are the building blocks of fiction. Weak scenes tempt a reader to set the book aside. Strong scenes keep them reading. In this session, you will learn how to properly structure scenes that hook readers at the beginning and prompt them to read on to the end. You'll also be introduced to a key element that can transform a boring scene into one brimming with conflict. | | | | SUNDAY
10:15–11:15 a.m.
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Prepping Yourself and Your Book Idea for Success, Nina Amir
Learn how to determine if your book is not only a great creative idea but also a marketable product—a viable business venture. Go through the Author Training Process, the foundation for creating books that sell. This nine-step evaluation tool helps you determine if your book is ready to go to market and if you are ready to become an author. | |
| | | Register now to work on your craft with the best fiction instructors in the business. I hope to see you there.
Rachel Randall
Editorial Director
Writer’s Digest Books |
| | | | GET TALKING: #WDNWC16 |   |
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