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Wednesday, July 28 |
| 1:00-1:30 p.m. |
Registration |
1:30-3:00 p.m. |
Opening Panel: We are all Anhingas Here, Hear Us! (Mary Anna Evans, Diana Tonnessen, and Bev Browning)
Welcome to an ongoing community of writers learning from and helping each other. Learn how to have the best conference experience of your life, then learn how to take that knowledge and the connections you make here, come home with you. Once an Anhinga, always an Anhinga!
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| 3:15-4:45 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions
NONFICTION – Self-Publishing Demystified: Taking the Reins of Your Own Publishing Journey, with Peter Bowerman
Landing a publisher has never been harder. Even when you do, count on anemic royalty rates, 18 to 24 months to publication, and giving up the rights to your book. And you’ll still be expected to do most of the marketing yourself! Yet, thanks to the Internet, self-publishing has become easier, more viable and more potentially lucrative than ever before. Join Peter Bowerman, successful self-publisher of the Well-Fed titles as he shares his proven strategies for production, promotion and publicity that yielded 60,000+ copies of his books in print and a full-time living for eight-plus years.
POETRY – The Values & Pleasures of Formal Poetry (Whether You Write It or Not), with Peter Meinke
This workshop will provide definitions & examples of a variety of formal poetry, including innovative variations of forms, and formal aspects of free verse. Student examples welcome.
FICTION – Developing Characters that Live and Engage - Part 1, with Claire Hamner Matturro
Whether your novel is literary or genre, humorous or serious, whether is it character- or plot-driven, your fictional characters must seem real and vivid and must carry the story-line and engage the readers. So, how hard is that to do? And how do you avoid the cliches and one-dimensional characters? Where do you get ideas, and how do you develop character traits that work with the plot and reveal personality? Homework will be to work on a character description which we will refine in the second class.
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5:00-6:00 p.m. |
Welcome Reception with George Hirsch
Meet and greet fellow conference participants and faculty, including honored guest George Hirsch, publisher of periodicals including Runner's World and La Cucina Italiana.
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7:30-9:00 p.m. |
Keynote Address
Hear veteran publisher, George Hirsch, as he addresses the changing face of publishing. Mr. Hirsch was the founding publisher of New York magazine in 1968 and New Times magazine, known for its investigative reporting in the 1970s. He is on the board of online magazine Salon, and he founded and published The Runner.
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Thursday, July 29 |
| 8:00-9:00 a.m. |
Continental Breakfast |
| 9:00-10:30 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions
Building Your Own Writing Empire: Strategies for Turning One Book into a Full-Time Living, with Peter Bowerman
Self-publishing a non-fiction book can open the door to multiple spin-off businesses, each with its own revenue stream. And in the process, you can raise your profitability to levels most authors can only dream about. Join Peter Bowerman, self-publishing author of four books in the “Well-Fed” series, as he shares the strategies he used to turn one book into a full-time living. You’ll learn powerful principles that laid the foundation for such success, and then delve into the nuts-‘n-bolts details of parlaying one book into ebooks, teleseminars, coaching, speaking, ezine, blog and more.
POETRY – Writing and Reading Poetry, with a Recorder, with Victor Bockris
This 90 minute class begins with a short speech by the poet Victor (in america/all we/do is work) Bockris, then opens up to a roundtable in which everybody in the group records a poem written in class. Students will gain experience in writing short poems and in reading poetry, alone and in duos, trios and groups.
FICTION – Shimmer, with Bev Browning
Telling a story is one thing. It's another matter to write it, when the written words have to stand alone without the benefit of your gesture, facial expression, tone of voice, volume, eye contact, and feedback. Knowing how to craft a sentence to manipulate response and amplify meaning is a technical amalgamation of art and science. Once mastered, it's the difference between a good piece and a great one. The technique's name, "Shimmer," refers to the transparent layers that create subtle dimension in written work. This class will have some hands-on exercises for some of the most amazing polishing and editing you've ever done, so bring a notebook and pen.
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10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
Concurrent Session
AGENT TALK—Anatomy of a Book Deal, with Anne Hawkins
Just how does a book deal come down? Most first time authors are bewildered by both the process and the unfamiliar terminology. This presentation demystifies the business of selling a book. It gives authors a toolbox for understanding the procedure step by step, from the initial author-agent agreement, through the stages of submissions, offers to purchase, deal agreements, contract negotiations, and the ongoing sale of subsidiary rights.
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| 12:30-1:30 p.m. |
Lunch
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| 1:30-3:00 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions
NONFICTION— Crafting the Non-Fiction Book Proposal, with Bob Morris
Learn the nine key elements of a non-fiction book proposal that will dazzle agents and editors.
POETRY – Beginnings and Endings, with Peter Meinke
A class will begin with a discussion on effective opening and finishing lines. The instructor will provide examples, but students are encouraged to bring their own poems for workshopping, with copies if possible.
FICTION – Developing Characters that Live and Engage - Part 2, with Claire Hamner Matturro
Working in small groups, participants will work on their character sketches - using what they’ve learned in part 1 - to fit differing plot lines. Feedback from the group and instructor will follow. Bring paper, a good writing pen and a sense of humor.
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3:15-4:45 p.m. |
Special Presentation on Publishing in the 21st Century
Staying “Well-Fed” in a Changing Writing World:
Six Strategies for Ongoing and Enduring Business Growth, with Peter Bowerman
It’s a different world today, and writers need to be more flexible, professional, easier to work with, and open to new writing directions. Join Peter Bowerman – seasoned “commercial” freelancer, business coach, and successful self-publisher of the popular Well-Fed titles – as he shares practical, proven and proactive strategies for making a handsome full-time living as a writer, even in a tough economy. Includes an interactive, hands-on sneak peek into the world of “commercial” freelancing.
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6:30-11:00 p.m. |
Downtown Dine-Around, hosted by VisitGainesville
Hop the Anhinga motor coach at the Hilton and ride in cool comfort to the heart of downtown Gainesville for a night on the town with old and new friends. Not only is your transportation on the house, but you'll have a generous selection of coupons for special discounts and deals at any number of eclectic, cozy restaurants and clubs. All are within an easy stroll of your personal bus stop. The Anhinga motor coach runs in a continuous loop from the Hilton to downtown Gainesville from 6:30 until 10:30, so you can leave the hotel at your leisure and have a ride back when you're ready to call it a night.
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Friday, July 30 |
| 8:00-9:00 a.m. |
Continental breakfast |
| 9:00-10:30 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions
NONFICTION - The Well-Fed Writer: Breaking into the Lucrative Field of “Commercial” Freelancing, with Peter Bowerman
What if you could make $60-$100+ an hour writing, and give yourself the time and space to pursue your "passion writing"? In today’s downsized business world, companies of all sizes pay freelancers such rates to handle many of their writing tasks. Join Peter Bowerman, veteran “commercial” writer (with clients such as BellSouth, IBM, UPS, Mercedes-Benz, American Express and Coca-Cola), and author of the award-winning "Well-Fed Writer" titles on the subject, as you learn what commercial writing is, why the field makes sense now, how to build a portfolio, where the work is, what to charge, how good you have to be, and more. A GOOD writing income is closer than you think!
POETRY – Southern Exposure: How to Revise, with Lola Haskins
Ms. Haskins will present three poems of her own and demonstrate the stages of revision. Students will glean principles to take home, and this experience should reassure anyone who doubts it that even committed writers can and do write awful stuff.
FICTION – Heroes and Villains, with Bob Morris
How to create heroes your readers will love in book after book, and how to create villains for them who are worthy adversaries.
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10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
Breakout Sessions
NONFICTION – Six Steps to a Killer Query, with Diana Tonnessen
From that crucial first sentence to the sources that must be include at the end, learn the art and craft of writing a successful query letter to sell your magazine article and book ideas.
POETRY–Walking Through Clouds, with Rosemary Daniell
Rosemary Daniell began her writing life as a poet 35 years ago and she still considers poetry to the creme de la creme of literature. In this workshop, Rosemary will take beginning poets through the journey of learning to write finished poems, as well as help more advanced poets to tighten and heighten their work, with the goal of publication in literary magazines and collections.
FICTION – Explaining What It Means To Be Human: What is a Story? with Jeanne Leiby and Mary Anna Evans
People have been telling stories since we crawled out of our caves and lit our campfires under the open stars. We tell stories because they remind us who we are. We tell stories because they are true. Stories have interpreted our faith, taught our children about their history, and preserved the inspiring accomplishments of our heroes and heroines. Join two professional storycrafters—one of them an editor of short fiction-- as they discuss the role of story in all our lives…and learn exactly what kind of stories that editor hopes will never cross her desk again…
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| 12:30-1:30 p.m. |
Lunch |
1:30-3:00 p.m. |
NONFICTION – Writing Humor, with Bev Browning
Humor is actually serious business. Entering the dark side to create light moments, we’ll explore the complex psychological genesis of laughter and how to trigger it. Material in class draws from the wisdom of successful screenwriters, essayists, and scientists who have tapped the secret wellspring of humor that is universal … or is it? You’ll learn specific techniques for twisting phrases and words to shock, surprise, and delight the unwary reader. You’ll be introduced to nuance, timing, metaphor, simile, irony, dialect, and creative spelling and punctuation to give written expression to phrasing. There will be some limited hands-on work in the class.
POETRY - The Three-Minute Drill, with Rick Campbell
This workshop will consist of using a number of mindboggling, ultra-fantastic, sure-fire exercises to get the poet and the poem off to a quick start. These tricks are also good for defeating Writer's Block.
FICTION – Killing People in Exotic Places, with Bob Morris
Setting a mystery in a foreign country offers the chance to infuse your novel with all sorts of intriguing elements--everything from a lively culture and geographical wonders to the local patois, politics and food. But it also creates some significant hurdles. How do you avoid lapsing into mere travelog? To what extent can you fictionalize the setting? And what essential things must you know about a foreign destination before setting your story there?
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3:15-4:45 p.m. |
Afternoon Salon
Join other Anhinga faculty and students in the salon for networking, read-and-critique sessions with fellow students, and fellowship. One-on-one meetings with faculty members and manuscript reviews may be scheduled prior to the beginning of the conference for this time period. Use this time to practice new skills or prepare for upcoming classes. Or simply relax and enjoy some of the area attractions, such as the Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art across the street from the Hilton.
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7:00-9:00 p.m. |
Special Evening Session I: Go, Eat, Write, with Bob Morris
A veteran travel writer, magazine editor and novelist shares stories from a life of creating stories that combine a sense of place and plate.
Special Evening Session II: Poetry at Sunset, with Peter Meinke, Rick Campbell, Lola Haskins, and Victor Bockris
Join Anhinga’s illustrious poetry faculty for a private reading of their favorite works.
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Saturday, July 31 |
| 8:00-9:00 a.m. |
Continental breakfast |
| 9:00-10:30 a.m. |
Breakout Sessions
NONFICTION – What Geniuses Know, with Rosemary Daniell
Rosemary Daniell loves memoir and it shows: her two memoirs, FATAL FLOWERS and SLEEPING WITH SOLDIERS, were published to great acclaim and were the forerunners of the current memoir trend; she is currently at work on a new memoir, MY ANARCHIST'S HEART. In this workshop, she will help you sort and organize theevents of your life and find the arc in your story. She will also help you learn to add that dynamic wallop that makes a memoir exceptional.
POETRY- Shape Shifting, with Rick Campbell
This workshop experiments with using formal structures to shift the shape and meaning of an already written poem. We will look at how placing a poem (usually free verse) into a form (say the sonnet or terza rima) makes not only the form of the poem change but changes what we thought the poem had to say as well. This is much more than just a revision technique. For this workshop the participant should bring a short (10-16 line) free verse poem to the session.
FICTION – Story Structure: Building Your Fiction from the Ground Up, with Jeanne Leiby
Do you have an intuitive grasp of your characters and their motivations and the world in which they live—but do you find it challenging to give shape to the stories that they want you to tell? Learn some universal concepts that apply to stories of all kinds, and experiment with applying them to the tales that you want to tell.
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10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
Special Presentation on Publishing in the 21st Century
Editors’ Roundtable, with Jeanne Leiby, Rick Campbell, and Diana Tonnessen
Join three seasoned editors and get their insights on changes in publishing. Learn what kind of stories and poems get their attention and keep it.
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| 12:30-1:30 p.m. |
Lunch |
1:30-3:00 p.m. |
Special Presentation on The Business of Writing
Choosing A Career Partner: The Author-Agent Relationship, with Anne Hawkins and Mary Anna Evans
The New Realities of Publishing That Authors and Agents Face, Anne Hawkins and Mary Anna Evans: This long-time agent-author team--12 years, seven book contracts, and counting--will discuss how the rapidly evolving publishing industry affects writers now, in 2010. Get the latest scoop on ebooks, the fallout from corporate mergers and downsizing, the changing roles of editors, the need for authors to become their own chief publicists, new opportunities for small and mid-sized publishing houses, and learn what this means for your own career.
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3:15-4:45 p.m. |
CLOSING PANEL – The Writing Life, with Beverly Browning, Diana Tonnessen, and Mary Anna Evans
Have some snacks and coffee for the road and spend some time with the Anhinga. Learn about the business realities and the spiritual blessings of this peculiar thing that we all love to do. Cement new relationships and make plans to take the things you’ve learned into your writing life. Let your work take wing!
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