WLT Craft + Business of Writing Workshop
September 11, 2022 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM CDT
$49.00
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This Event is for Members only.
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Registration: $49 (includes all three presentations)
NOTE: Online registration for this special event will close at 5:00 PM CDT on Saturday, 9/10. Walk-up registrations will be accepted, as space allows. If you’d like to join us and register on site, we’ll be in the Wolfcamp Room on the first floor of the Marriott Odessa at 1:45 PM on Sunday, 9/11.
If you have any questions about this event, please reach out to our Executive Director, Becka Oliver, at becka@writersleague.org. We hope to see you there!
Hello, Permian Basin! We’re so excited to be headed your way for a special in-person writing workshop that covers craft and business and everything in-between.
In partnership with Odessa Arts, the WLT Craft + Business of Writing Workshop will take place on Sunday, September 11, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Marriott Odessa Hotel and Convention Center (305 East 5th Street, Odessa, Texas 79761).
The event will include three one-hour presentations (details below), including writing exercises and plenty of time for questions. PLUS, all registrants are invited to stick around after the workshop for a Happy Hour Meet-up at the hotel’s cash bar – a chance to mix & mingle and connect with fellow writers (and your friendly WLT instructors).
Details on the three presentations can be found below.
Seating is limited, register today!
“Take the First Step: Jumpstarting Your Writing Project” with Stacey Swann
Do you have a great idea for a novel or a memoir, or for a short story or an essay, but you aren’t sure how to take that first step? Perhaps you’ve already begun, but you’ve hit an early wall and see no clear path over it. So often, these initial steps can truly be the hardest!
In this talk, we’ll explore multiple paths that can help get you moving. From freewriting to pre-writing, from outlines to flying without a net, there’s no one right way to start your work-in-progress. Together, we will quell worries and stoke fun so you can find your own route to your best work.
“Finding Your ‘Why'” with James Wade
The reasons why writers write can run the gamut from “I love prose,” to “I’m so full of stories,” to “writing is cheaper than therapy.” There is no wrong answer.
In this talk, we’ll dig into success, failure, and what keeps us going, page after page. We’ll work together to uncover your ‘why’ and give you the tools to take that ‘why’ into your own writing sessions so that you feel motivated every time you sit down to work.
“The Path to Publication: The Agent Search” with Becka Oliver
Join a former literary agent for an informative, candid, no-holds-barred look at publishing today, with a focus on finding the ideal literary agent for you and your work.
In this talk, we’ll cover everything from identifying the most promising agents to approach for representation, crafting a compelling query letter, asking the right questions, and most everything in between.
Thank you to WLT Community Member Odessa Arts for their support of this program.
Instructors
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Stacey Swann’s debut novel Olympus, Texas (Doubleday) was a Good Morning America Book Club selection, an Indie Next Pick, and was longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Swann holds an M.F.A. from Texas State University and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Her writing has appeared in LitHub, Electric Literature, Texas Highways, Epoch, and other journals. She splits her time between Austin and Lampasas, Texas. -
James Wade is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, and the recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. His debut novel, All Things Left Wild, was listed as one of the most influential westerns of the 21st century by True West Magazine and included in the Los Angeles Times's 1,001 Novels: A Library of America. His Southern Gothic mystery, Beasts of the Earth, was named a Best Book of 2022 by both Deep South Magazine and The Southern Review of Books. His new novel, Narrow the Road, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. James is a four-time finalist for the Austin Chronicle's Best Writer in Austin award, and his work has appeared in Texas Highways, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children. -
Becka Oliver is the Director of Talent, VP, at Kevin Anderson & Associates (KAA), a ghostwriting and editorial services firm. She began her career licensing foreign and domestic rights, first at St. Martin’s Press (Macmillan) and later at Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner Books, now Hachette) where she served as Associate Director of Subsidiary Rights before making the move to agenting. She helped to launch the Endeavor book department, continuing as a literary agent at William Morris Endeavor (WME) after the two powerhouse talent agencies merged. Most recently, Becka has served as Executive Director at the Writers’ League of Texas, the largest literary arts organization in Texas, overseeing a full-slate of year round programs and services to support writers not only in Texas but across the US and beyond. She joined KAA in 2024 and oversees the staffing of all ghostwriting projects.
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Class & Event Registration Policy
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Anti-Harassment Policy
The Writers’ League of Texas is dedicated to providing harassment-free spaces for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Violating these rules may result in expulsion from WLT programs without a refund at the discretion of the WLT staff.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Comments that reinforce social structures of domination (related to gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion);
- Sexual images not appropriate for the specific subject of the public discussion;
- Deliberate intimidation or stalking;
- Harassing photography or recording;
- Sustained disruption of discussions or other events;
- Unwelcome sexual attention;
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Enforcement
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, event organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no refund. Event organizers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants. We expect participants to follow these rules during all events and event-related social activities.
Reporting
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Reports can also be made via email at wlt@writersleague.org. We’ll handle any and all reports as respectfully as possible. You won’t be asked to confront anyone, and we won’t tell anyone who you are.
Accessibility Policy
Closed captioning is available for all online classes and special events.
The WLT is committed to making its programs & services accessible to all writers. Please contact us at wlt@writersleague.org or at 512-499-8914 for more information or to discuss accommodations you may need.
Credit Card Transaction Handling Fee Policy
All credit card transactions will incur a 4% handling fee. If you’d prefer to pay by check for membership, a class, or an event, you can use the provided forms on the membership or event pages and mail to: WLT, P.O. Box 14355, Austin, TX, 78704.
Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.