Conversations and Connections Pittsburgh 2022

Deepen your writing life by socializing your writing! We'll explore what it means to be a good literary citizen and discuss ways to find both resources and your place in the literary community. Connect with other writers, support your local literary scene, and develop your craft. Leave the session with concrete tips for finding your people.

In any writing genre, the effective art of conversation—dialogue—is essential to creating scenes, characters, and worlds. What people say must sound like how people actually talk, whether you're from Pittsburgh, Pasadena, or Poughkeepsie, or it's just recitation. Getting the dialogue right is a practice that can be learned with as little effort as paying attention in everyday life, with examples. In the same vein, all the little details of characters and scenes are as important as dialogue. Details are the unspoken building blocks of characterization and setting. I'm always asking questions in books: If the man just got into his car, what kind of car is it? That might help illuminate the character. Conversely, too much detail, or at the wrong time, isn't good. I don't have to know the car was a Chevrolet Suburban in Premier trim with Cherry Red Tintcoat and premium wheels. That becomes product placement ... and that will be addressed as well. Finally, direct and indirect characterization is really the details of those who populate a story and reflect their worlds. This also requires a careful balance so as not to seem like exposition. Attending this workshop will provide actionable insights into making writing better with the STEAL Method: Speech, Thoughts, Effects on others, Actions, and Looks.

SORRY EVERYBODY! WENDY CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE CONFERENCE.

First pages are like blind dates -- a good first impression is everything and can be the deciding factor if the relationship goes any further. But don't let that stop you from writing that first page -- honing a great first page is all in the editing. Author and editor Wendy Wimmer will show you what she looks for when selecting work and the kinds of hooks that grab a reader from the first paragraph -- or even the first sentence -- and keep them invested in reading on. She'll give you an easy barometer to "Editor/Agent test" your first page and also reveal some of the opening page moves that novice (and advanced) writers commonly make but are nearly impossible to pull off. She'll share real life examples of first pages from the publishing, classic and literary world, and give time to talk through your own first pages live.