Kentucky Writers Conference 

• Room 112 | Ann Gabhart - Fiction Is People | People read fiction for its characters more than any other element, and the stories they love best are the ones with characters who find a place in their hearts. Ann H. Gabhart will share what she’s learned in the process of bringing many characters to life in her thirty-seven published novels.

• Room 113 | Idra Novey - Old Wolf, New Pajamas: A Master Class on Writing in the Present, Subverting Fairytales of the Past |  We’ll discuss how fairy tale elements may recede as a new piece of fiction develops, providing a way in, though not necessarily a way out

Session 2 - 10:00 AM

• Room 112 | Sharon Cameron - Write a Novel…Right Now!  |  Ask the right questions, and anyone can write a novel. It's as simple as that. Come ready to write in this fast-paced, hands-on workshop, and in one hour, leave with your own unique novel or short story skeleton, ready to be developed. And most importantly, ready to be finished.

• Room 113 | CJ Redwine  - 5 Mistakes New Authors Make | Publishing has a steep learning curve. Cut that learning curve in half by learning what mistakes you're currently making and how to easily correct them! New York Times best selling author C.J. Redwine will walk you through the process in this fun, interactive workshop and send you on your way feeling equipped and inspired.

Session 3 - 11:00 AM

• Room 112 | Dana Carpenter - The Art of the Query Letter | When there are lots of folks fishing at the same pond, using the right bait can make the difference between having catfish for supper or going home empty handed. It’s no different when trying to land an agent or hook a reader. Mastering the art of the query is a vital and necessary skill for any writer looking to publish. In this interactive session, learn how to craft an engaging, professional query with a dynamic description of your book.

• Room 113 | Marianne Worthington - The Voice of the Poem: A Generative Workshop  | This generative workshop will explore ways to focus on the voice of a poem—that unique presence that speaks a poem. We will work to claim and speak our memories and give ourselves permission to speak in our own voices. We’ll also study methods to claim the essence of other voices and practice writing poems in persona. This workshop can help us explore how we can use voice to change our perspectives, try out other voices, and discover empathy.  At the end of the workshop, participants will have two or three drafts for new poems. 

Session 4 - 12:00 PM

• Room 112 | Lee Martin - Writing the Riven Heart | William Faulkner, in his 1950 Nobel prize acceptance speech, called attention to the pressures of writing in the Atomic Age, claiming young writers were neglecting “the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat.” Lee will tell the story of his writer’s journey, paying special attention to his discovery of what he likes to call touchstone moments from memory, moments that come from his own riven heart. He’ll give you a writing exercise that will invite you to begin thinking about your own memories and how to use them to create memorable and resonant work.

• Room 113 | Jason Howard - More Than Landscape: Writing A Deeper Sense of Place | In this session, noted essayist and creative nonfiction writer Jason Kyle Howard will explore the necessity of moving beyond setting and geography in capturing place. Through lecture, discussion and written exercises, he will offer insightful tips on how to expand our notion of place to create a more visceral, immersive narrative on the page.