2015 Willamette Writers Conference

Learn how to market your books and optimize your online presence. William Hertling, previously a social media strategist for a Fortune 50 company, has sold more than 50,000 copies of his self-published novels. He'll provide a framework for holding a successful launch, getting initial sales and reviews, and increasing your credibility and social network.

For the first time at WWC, join Danny Manus for a hands-on rewrite workshop where he will go through the keys to approaching rewrites and polishes and what to look for when tightening your script. Then Danny will rewrite/polish submitted pages of attendees' script LIVE in class. Writers will be able to see how their own projects can be tweaked and rewritten. 

All writers submitting work must be willing to have their pages reviewed in class and must submit their pages before the conference.

This class will give writers direct insight into the development process from the executive perspective. They’ll learn what to expect from the development process, how to deal with executives, their most common notes given, what they REALLY mean, how to address them, options and attachment agreements and working for free, and how development has changed since in the last decade. Writers will be better prepared for the next step in their screenwriting career.

Whip your writing career into high gear with these secrets of the trade.  A lively and interactive discussion of productivity apps, software and time management processes. We’ll cover every aspect of your career: writing, editing, business, accounting and marketing. You’ll be surprised how taking time initially to streamline one or more of your work processes will maximize your work time and help you produce more with less hassle.

Looking to get some writing done?  Drop in for an informal writing session with your conference mates.  Work out trouble spots with other writers or our facilitators on hand, or just bask in the collective creativity, and pound out that next chapter/scene.  

Up for some late-night fun?  Bring your original slam poetry, song, flash-fiction story, or comedy routine (and your friends to cheer you on) to our first-ever Open Mic Nite!  Cash prizes (and bragging rights) to the winners- but this event is all in the spirit of fun!  Don't like microphones?  No worries!  "Rent-a-Voice" actor talent will be available to step in and do it for you!  

Sometimes the conventional wisdom of storytelling - the core competencies and elements and skills and story physics that conspire to shape our stories -can feel like a generic pile of theory and standards. It's like reading about how to do something few others can do... nothing clarifies those principles quite like being alone on the wire without a net, applying those theories and standards to your own work, using tools and parameters that allow you to assess how closely you are truly abiding by the principles (narrative forces that result in reader response)... or not. This workshop will offer an interactive experience that uses your story as an unflinching window into craft, as its own case study, exposing strengths and weaknesses through an enlightened understanding of what resulted in either, and where to go from there using your newly empowered understanding. 

NOTE:  There is no additional fee for this class, but class size is limited, and the workshop is intended and designed for experienced writers, who have published (either self or traditionally) their work, or failing that, to at least have finished manuscripts which have been submitted to publishing houses previously.  Familiarity with Larry's "StoryFix" books/seminars/methods is also preferred.  

Sign up at the door on Sunday morning prior to class, and bring a copy of your previously published book or manuscript- if there are more attendees than seats, preference will be given to published authors, and then those with finished manuscripts (seriously, bring the book/manuscript-  our poor volunteer is not allowed to take your word for it).  

Want to take your online marketing to the next level? Want to understand why certain techniques aren't working for you? Want to understand what makes a website tick? In this advanced marketing class, William Hertling will go beyond the basics to explain how marketing works and how to diagnose and fix marketing and online presence problems.

Do you wonder what goes through editors' minds as they read new material? 
Do you ponder how to avoid being tossed into the dreaded "slush pile"?  

Meet out our newest experiment:   In the vein of TV's classic "Gong Show," this fun
game-show-styled session turns YOU into a competitor and puts your opening page
to the test!

Be prepared with 5 printed copies of your project's first page. 

Our moderator will dramatically read your anonymous masterpiece aloud to our panel
of publishing editors.  When our panelists are no longer riveted, they
will indicate (LOUDLY) that their interest has begun to wane.  

After each entry is presented, our panel will offer their experienced insights for the benefit of everyone in attendance – all in good fun, of course.  

Prizes for best “First Pages” and entertainment and learning for all!