Linda Aksomitis: Writing from the Public Domain: Educator, award-winning author, blogger, and photographer, Linda Aksomitis, talks about ways to use public domain books and images to enhance or jump-start your creative work. She’ll share a quick-start guide on copyright and the public domain, providing resources you can use in your classroom, library, or creative works.

Sandra Davis: The Singing Teacher – Writing Ditties for Little Learners: Primary School Teacher/Early Childhood Specialist, Sandra Davis, will share a selection of learning songs that help children to learn concepts, aid in transitions, and remind them of safety rules and mindfulness. She will give hints for composing these selections and discuss the benefit of using them in Early Childhood and Elementary School settings.

Myrna Guymer: Writing Childhood Memories: Writing childhood memories might seem impossible to the very young, or busy middle-agers, or the elderly … Well, that’s where Myrna Guymer can help. She is an award-winning author, former freelance writer, reporter, photographer, and mother. Her natural curiosity led her to captivating stories of people and places. She will share some of her suggestions for gathering memories and how to apply them.

Alison Lohans: Developing Dynamic Characters: How do we create convincing characters (both the “good guys” and the “bad guys”) who live the story events in ways that resonate with readers? While reading fiction, we escape into other worlds by vicariously stepping into the lives of our characters. Award-winning author of over 30 books and former teacher Alison Lohans will share some of her methods for developing dynamic characters.

Pat Miller-Shroeder: Writing Prehistoric Fiction: There’s contemporary fiction, and historical, and early historical, but what if you want to write about things that happened long before humans knew how to write or record anything about themselves? Award-winning author Pat Miller-Schroeder will take us on a deep dive into pre-history and tell us how she researched what it was like to live in that time period and how she brought the characters to life.

Anne Patton: Researching Historical Fiction: If Google doesn’t know, how can you find out? Writing historical fiction requires weaving in specific details that make your character’s world come alive. Often such details are obscure trivia until suddenly you need them as you develop a scene. Award-winning author, Anne Patton, will share the diverse resources she has explored to create the Barr Colony trilogy and her work-in-progress about the Scottish Highland clearances. 

Sharon Plumb: Creating Believable Fantasy Settings: By definition, speculative fiction stories take place in worlds unlike our own. How do you make them strange enough to support your story and yet familiar enough that readers can relate to them and understand what is going on? Award-winning author of three speculative fiction novels, Sharon Plumb, talks about what to change and what to keep the same, and how to make the changes believable.

Paula Jane Remlinger: Improving Your Poetry: Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been writing for a long time, there are simple things you can do to self-edit your poetry.  Paula Jane Remlinger, award-winning poet, will offer practical tips and techniques to help improve your work.

Gillian Richardson: Short Stories: Do you like to write tight, well-structured fiction? Or do you have ideas for short stories based on facts? Narrative nonfiction (aka Creative Nonfiction or Literary Nonfiction) marries these two concepts into entertaining and descriptive stories using techniques from fiction with text that is factual and informative. Award-winning multi-genre writer Gillian Richardson will talk about what’s needed to create a true but engaging story.

Judith Silverthorne: Time Travel: Creating realistic time-travel provides a fun challenge in keeping your story logical with no plot holes. Which time-travel modes, methods and mechanics work best to keep a story flowing? Award-winning time-shift novelist Judith Silverthorne shares tips on ways to seamlessly merge time periods to suspend disbelief and engage readers.

Dianne Young: Rhyming and Timing: Rhyming and Timing: Which is more important when writing poetry for children – perfect rhyming or perfect timing? Award-winning author Dianne Young will explain and provide other useful tips for those interested in writing in rhyme. Don’t be late! It’ll be great!