Schedule - Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference

The Writer’s Digest Novel Writing Conference offers a balanced program covering the fundamentals of craft—delving into specific genres and techniques—along with the business of being a writer, from traditional and self-publishing paths, promotion and marketing strategies, and managing a sustainable career.

We’re in the process of selecting speakers for what should be our best program yet so check back often, and be sure to sign up for our email newsletter to receive session and speaker updates as they’re announced!

Featured Events

Pre-Conference Workshops (10/20)

How to Succeed in Publishing Once You are Done Writing (even if you hate the business side of publishing)| Amy Collins

Unforgettable: Threading Conflict Into Every Aspect of Storytelling to Create Stories They’ll Remember Forever| Sonali Dev

Sessions Schedule

FRIDAY, October 21, 2022

	General Craft	Crafting Characters	Publishing Business
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM	Get Your Story Moving Past Middle-of-the-Book Sag Tiffany Yates Martin	How to Evoke Emotion in Every Scene Jordan Rosenfeld	How Authors Go From Fingers on Their Keyboard to Dollars in Their Bank Accounts: Four Ways Book Authors Make Money From Publishers Paul S. Levine
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM	Editing: What to Worry About (and What to Let Slide) Nathan Makaryk	Character Through Backstory: Why Backstory Is the Spine of Your Story and How to Use It to Make Your Story Stand Tall Sonali Dev	Step One: Writing a Pitch vs. Step Two: Writing a Synopsis (the Differences and the Rules) Amy Collins
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM	How to Write an Opening That Pulls the Reader in Wanda Morris	Writing Fearless Characters Vanessa Riley	The Five Ways to Publish Your Book and Find Your Audience Jennifer S. Wilkov
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM	Lunch on your own
	General Craft	Creativity/Inspiration	Publishing Business
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM	Pointers on Point of View Laura DiSilverio	Everyone Has What It Takes: Writing Fearlessly and Ending Self-Doubt William Kenower	Demystifying Scrivener: Make Your Writing Software Work for You April Dávila
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM	The Art of Opposing Forces: Writing with Tension Jordan Rosenfeld	Failure To Launch William Kenower	What to Expect When Working With a Literary Agent Amy Collins, Dana Newman, Paul Levine, and Amy Jones (moderator)
4:15 – 5:15 PM	Opening Keynote: Attica Locke

SATURDAY, October 22, 2022

	General Craft	Genre	Publishing Business
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM	A Crash Course in Planning Your NaNoWriMo Novel—or Any Novel! Grant Faulkner	Facing Your Fears: Writing Scary Stories for Younger Readers K.R. Alexander	Query Review Workshop Nathan Makaryk
10:15 – 11:15 AM	World Building – Building a Series One Story at a Time John Peragine	Stepping Into Research for Writing Historical Novels Vanessa Riley	Mirror, Mirror: “How Beautiful Is a Writer’s Life?” Laura DiSilverio
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM	Five Foolproof Steps to an Airtight Plot Tiffany Yates Martin	Demystifying the Adaptation Process Jeanne Veillette Bowerman	The Dreaded Comp Titles: A Necessary Evil That Can Launch Your Career Amy Collins
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM	Lunch on your own / Exhibits
	General Craft	Genre	Publishing Business
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM	What It Takes to Finish a Book Grant Faulkner	How To Write a Thriller That Delivers Wanda Morris	You Finished Book One – Now What? John Peragine
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM	What’s it Like to Traditionally Publish? Wanda Morris, Vanessa Riley, K.R. Alexander, and Amy Jones (Moderator)	Romance Genre Structure and Learning to Dance Within Its Boundaries Sonali Dev	The Legal Side of Authorship: What You Need to Know About Copyright, Contracts, and Avoiding Claims Dana Newman
4:15 – 5:15 PM	Central Keynote: Taylor Jenkins Reid
5:15 – 6:45 PM	Networking, costume party

Sunday, October 23, 2022

8:45 – 9:30 AM	Breakfast
9:30 – 11:30 AM	Improv for Writers Jorjeana Marie