1:00 - 5:00 PM
Bookstore Prelaunch
Bookstore sellers check-in your inventory during this come-and-go set-up. Please be prepared for the possibility of a wait, as our volunteer staff will be processing everyone's stock to prepare for the store's opening Friday morning.
— Pre-Convene Room
5:00 PM
Registration Opens
Check in at the registration desk to confirm your registration package and receive your conference materials. We’ll have your conference badge, program, BINGO card, and swag ready for you to collect. This is the spot for picking up your pre-ordered t-shirt and dropping off any donations for the Books for Literacy book drive, too.
— Lobby
5:30 pm - 8:30 PM
How I Built the Aeon14 Universe and Made $2 Million — Master Class with Malorie Cooper
The bolts and nuts on how I conceived of, planned, wrote, grew, and marketed the Aeon 14 universe to sell 2 million books and draw in tens of thousands of fans. I'll be talking about what worked, what didn't, where serendipity struck, what I've learned, and what I recommend.
This is a limited seating additional ticketed event, available for purchase until 11:59 April 23, 2024 or until sold out.
— Ballrooms A-B
6:00 PM – 6:30 PM
New Attendee Tour
If you’re joining us for the first time or feel that you might have missed some important features of the annual OWFI conference, join us for a tour of our 2024 offerings. Discover where the pitching magic happens, explore the ballrooms where sessions are held, find the affiliate room, take a peek into the bookstore, and more!
— Meet in the Lobby
8:30 AM
Opening Ceremony
We’re getting things started with a knee-slapping welcome skit directed by Amy Shojai that’s sure to set the mood. Stick around for the Welcome Address by President Vickey Malone Kennedy, who will guide us on our journey through the Writing Universe. There might even be some door prizes so you won’t want to miss out!
— Ballrooms A-D
9:10 AM - 10:00 AM
What Not to Say to an Agent or Editor with Steven Hutson
No how matter how good your story, or how awesome your execution, it might not be enough. You still have to sell this thing. Learn what to say, and—very importantly—what NOT to say, when pitching your book.
— Ballroom A
Sharpen Characterization Using the Elements with Linda Apple
This is an unconventional approach to character development. As writers, we often put a little bit of ourselves into all of our characters which sometimes results in too much blending of personalities. By assigning an element such as earth, fire, air (wind), or water, to a character, the contrast is sharp. It also improves our understanding of how our characters interact with each other. So, what are the characteristics of each element? This interactive session, will demonstrate how.
— Ballroom B
Blogging 101 with Tikiman and the Viking
Is a blog a journal, an extended biography, or a marketing tool? Perhaps a little of all three. H.B. Berlow (The Tikiman Says...) and Brian Johnson (Rumination of Thunder) present the basics of creating a blog, making it entirely personal, and using it as one of the many tools in your platform. After all, you have to sell yourself before you can sell your books.
— Ballroom C
How to Make a Living Writing Genre Fiction with Gary Jonas
What does it take to earn a living as a fiction writer? Many authors are already living that dream. Do you want to be one of them? This will focus primarily on indie publishing because to maximize your chances for success, you need to control your own work. We'll cover the best practices from choosing what to write (hint: write what you love), publishing schedules, branding, promotion, where to find the help you need for editing, covers, and more. There will be time at the end for questions.
— Ballroom D
10:20 AM - 11:10 AM
Polishing Your Manuscript Before You Query with Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong
Avoid a hard pass from agents, editors, and publishers by fixing writing issues, eliminating crutch words, cutting unnecessary words, and tightening sentences before submitting your query.
— Ballroom A
The Heart of Your Story: Bridging the Gap Between Logic and Emotion with Lara Bernhardt
Creatives tend to dwell in messy spaces. But as writers we need to follow prescribed parameters when crafting our books. How do we balance the contributions of both the left and right sides of our brains during the writing process? Come with paper and pencil and an open mind, ready to participate in exercises that will help you tap into creativity and elevate your writing. Whether you’re chaotic good or lawful evil, you’ll find something to help your process in this session.
— Ballroom B
The Art (and Work) or Poetry with Nathan Brown
How do you sell your book, once you have it? Is it possible to make a living as a poet? We'll deal with these questions, and more. In poetry today, to go beyond printing a collection for, let's say, you, your family, and friends, there are some tough considerations to take into account. But that's what we'll try to tackle here.
— Ballroom C
Analyzing Facebook Ads with Malorie Cooper
Facebook and Amazon Attribution provide a lot of data. For many people, it’s too much to easily parse. A lot of authors get overwhelmed, are unable to tell what's working and what's not, and ultimately shut down their ads in frustration. Well, fear not! Malorie is here to help you understand which metrics matter and which don't, giving you simple and clear guidelines for how to assess your ads, weed out the stinkers, and scale the ones that are working.
— Ballroom D
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
Best Foot Forward with Rhonda Penders
We will discuss the beginnings of your manuscript and how to grab an editor’s eye, as well as the reader’s. Bring in the first 2 pages of their manuscript, in printed or digital form, to be read aloud, gently critiqued, and have the audience share their thoughts.
— Ballroom C
Polishing Your Screenplay: The Power of Proper Formatting with Ben Richardson
Learn how industry-standard formatting and techniques can elevate your screenplay’s impact, and discover the optimal software to bring your story to life on screen.
— Ballroom D
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Ask the Agents, Editors, and Publishers: Everything You Should Know Before Submitting Your Manuscript Luncheon
with Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong, Steven Hutson, Rhonda Penders, Ally Robertson, Lisa Skaggs-Willis, and Bonnie Swanson
Come prepared to ask all the questions you ever wanted to ask an agent, editor, or publisher. What do they really want authors to submit? What should you include in your pitch? What is the secret to getting their attention and a contract? What should you never say to an agent, editor, or publisher?
This is a limited seating additional ticketed event, available for purchase until 11:59 April 23, 2024, or until sold out.
— Ballroom A & B
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
Researching and Writing Creative Nonfiction with Jeff Provine
We'll discuss routes for research including interview, survey, and synthesis as well as creative options for finding out more. Then we'll show how to apply what we've found out to our prose to keep it exciting and not just an encyclopedia entry.
— Ballroom A
Build a Newsletter Full of Readers Who Will Buy Your Books with Jami Albright
Want to cultivate a following of super-fans who will buy anything you write and create evangelists for your books? A newsletter is the best way to achieve that goal. In this presentation, you will learn how to: - Build a newsletter before you publish your book. - Build a newsletter if you’ve been publishing forever. - Target the exact right readers for your books. - Methods for growing your newsletter. - How to revitalize a dead or neglected newsletter list.
— Ballroom B
Marketing in 2024 and Beyond with Nick Thacker
You can write, you can run ads, and you can burn out. What’s changed since we started publishing books is the way readers consume our content. Are you taking full advantage of that? Are you reaching them exactly where they are, with exactly the formats they want? Time to think bigger, broader. Here’s how.”
— Ballroom C
The Write Stuff with Andrew E. Kaufman
How to avoid writing stories that irritate the hell out of readers and keep their interest from page one (common mistakes I’ve made along the way and learned from.)
— Ballroom D
3:10 PM – 4:00 PM
Intro to AI Writing with Elizabeth Ann West
How do LLMs work? How can we best use the new "dictionary slot machine?" Learn how these AI models were trained by seeing actual training data sets, learn how they predict the next token, and what the limitations are for the AI-assisted author. The vocabulary might be new, but at the end of the day, these are Large Language Models and it's time for the language experts to take control of the future. We finish up with the basics of prompt engineering for brainstorming, creative writing, and marketing. At the end of the session, you will have full knowledge of the most recent AI tools and how you could harness them for your writing needs.
— Ballroom A
Anthologies and the Power of Collaborations with Lila Holley
There is power in numbers—we've all heard this saying before. Well, it's true—especially relating to collaborative writing projects. Participating in an anthology or partnering with a fellow author on a project can pay off big time. Participating in an anthology automatically connects you to a supportive community of writers and multiplies the marketing efforts for your project allowing your story to reach even more readers than you could alone.
— Ballroom B
Getting your Screenplay Produced with Ben Richardson
Learn key strategies to make sure your screenplay is ready for production and gain effective insights into connecting with producers and directors to bring your vision to life on screen.
— Ballroom C
Songwriting for Playwrights: How (and Why) to Turn Your Script Into a Musical, or Poem Into a Song with Amy Shojai & Frank Steele
Musicals are one of the most popular forms of theatre, and songs offer a unique way to capture characterization, further the plot, and imbue a script with additional emotion. Songs vary from solos or spoken-word (rap or other) performance pieces to full choral arrangements. All have their purpose in the forward-action of a script while playwrights have their own individual styles and creative insights. Amy Shojai has co-written and produced four musicals and one non-musical "dramedy" with her playwright partner-in-crime Frank Steele. Together, they have previously presented at OWFI on writing scripts and collaboration but only briefly touched on the skills of writing songs. Join us for a deeper dive into this transformative art and share experiences on songwriting.
— Ballroom D
4:10 - 5:00 PM
Autograph Party
Stop by the conference bookstore and grab a book or two, then head to OWFI’s autograph party to get them signed!
— Ballrooms A-D
7:00 PM
Sci-Fi Fantasy Tale Gate Costume Contest
You've heard of "fantasy" football. We’re dressing to the 42’s and taking it to the next level with our Sci-Fi Fantasy Tale Gate Costume Competition. So pick a character, add in some team spirit, and show us what you’ve got! Anything in the writing Universe is fair game!
Go - Go - Go - OWFI!
Famous Author’s Banquet
Come celebrate this year’s successes with our Famous Author’s Banquet. Presenter Jennifer McMurrain will showcase authors who have published a book, an active blog, or journalistic contributions since May of 2023.
Keynote Presentation: How to Fail Your Way to Eventual Success With Ines Johnson
Ines Johnson shares how she became an overnight success… after five years of bumbling mistakes. She’ll share the secrets, which are mostly comprised of what not to do, as she details her missteps and failures up the slippery ladder of success from three figure to six figure author.
— Ballroom A – D
9:30 PM
Buzz Sessions
Informal, come & go chats hosted by various attendees & speakers.
— Various Locations to be Announced at the Famous Author’s Banquet
9:10 AM – 10:00 AM
From First Draft to Published Book with Bonnie Swanson
So you finished your manuscript. Now what? Agent Bonnie Swanson from The Purcell Agency outlines the steps that will take you from typing "the end" on your first draft to holding your published book in your hands. She will cover both traditional and self publishing, highlighting the similarities and differences between the two with a bonus discussion of the steps you should take when writing your query letter.
— Ballroom A
Writing Sweet: Tips and Strategies for Outlining & Writing a Sweet Romance Novel with Ines Johnson
In this session, romance novelists will learn how to identify the key BEATS used in made-for-TV movies designed for viewers who love the Hallmark Channel. Using these beats, authors craft their love interests, design obstacles to stand in the way of their love story, and deliver the perfect grand gesture to ensure a happily ever after.
— Ballroom B
Snapshot Memoir with Nathan Brown
Sitting down to "write a memoir" can be overwhelming. It's easy to bite off more than can be chewed. And pursuing it by way of "absolute chronology" is close to impossible, when it comes to the way our memory works. So, we'll take a look at how to write your story in segments and snapshots using timelines and vignettes.
— Ballroom C
Indie Publishing vs Traditional Publishing – Which is Right for You? with Gary Jonas
In the writing world, as in the Led Zeppelin song "Stairway to Heaven" you have two paths to choose from and there's still time to decide which is best for you. I've walked both roads. Each has pros and cons. The path I ultimately chose (indie) is right for me, but it might not be right for you. I have friends who chose to stay on the traditional path, and it was the right choice for them. Let's shatter some myths and break things down so you can make an informed decision about which path is best for YOU. There will be time at the end for questions.
— Ballroom D
10:20 AM – 11:10 AM
Editing for Maximum Impact with Lara Bernhardt
Whether you intend to seek representation and a publisher or to indie-publish your story, you want to guarantee a polished, emotional experience for your readers. “Editing for Maximum Impact” offers guidance and examples to elevate your manuscript to the next level. Bring paper and pencil and come ready to actively work through examples of structural editing and using rhetorical devices to heighten the reader’s experience.
— Ballroom A
How My Military Career Influences My Writing with Lila Holley
As a black woman who served in the US military, I knew right away I had a unique story to share. My time in the military shaped me as a woman, a leader, and now an author. I am grateful for the many ways my military career has impacted my story, so much so that I created a whole platform for other military women to share their stories. It is a place of healing for our words and a place where our service is honored. There is no one better to share these stories than the women who lived them.
— Ballroom B
Podcasting 101 with Tikiman and the Viking
DO NOT FEAR TECHNOLOGY. This is a follow-up session to Blogging 101. With simple tools and free software, you can create a podcast to promote yourself as a writer as well as create meaningful connections with other creatives literally around the world. The story of how we created Tikiman and The Viking will hopefully show you how this can be a natural extension of your writing.
— Ballroom C
Before You Jump Into Self Publishing… with Steven Hutson
In the brave new world of publishing, you have more choices than ever. Are you better off to bypass the "traditional" system? Self-pub offers many advantages, but that (apparent) empowerment is not always a good thing if you don't treat it like a business.
— Ballroom D
11:30 AM – 12:20 PM
The Quintessential Query with Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong
The how-tos of writing a query letter that will get noticed by an agent or publisher.
— Ballroom C
Genre/Tropes and How to Market to Market with Malorie Cooper
Get ready to dive into your book's tropes and its alignment with your genre. This process is foundational to all critical areas of your success: blurbs, ad copy, Facebook ads, ad images, and cover design. Learning the common plot, settings, and tropes present in your target genre is a critical step in ensuring that both your book and your marketing efforts are aligned with what readers are currently looking for. You might think you know your genre and tropes, but if it’s been some time since you studied the market, you'd be surprised how quickly things change!
— Ballroom D
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM
Dining with Death: A True Crime, Mystery, Horror, & Supernatural Luncheon Experience with Andrew E. Kaufman, Jeff Provine, The Sirens, Tikiman & The Viking, Marnie Vinge, Dianne McCartney
Are you afraid of the dark? Do you hide under the covers when things go bump in the night? Are you brave enough to go into the basement alone on a stormy night after a prison break? Are you an amateur sleuth? Can you solve the mystery before the end of the book, or are you always surprised? If you really want to know whodunit, and why, then join us for lunch and a lively discussion about murder, mayhem, suspense, and spooky spirits.
This is a limited seating additional ticketed event, available for purchase until 11:59 April 23, 2024, or until sold out.
— Ballroom A & B
2:00 PM – 2:50 PM
Writing in True Crime with The Sirens
Research, writing, and ethics when writing in true crime (articles, podcast scripts, books, and more).
— Ballroom A
Writing for Today’s Children with Linda Apple
Why write for children? What to write? How to write? This interactive session will address these questions and more on writing for our most important audience, children.
— Ballroom B
The Do’s & Don’ts of Writing Funny with Jami Albright
Tips and tricks to including humor in your stories.
— Ballroom C
Telling Spooky Stories with Jeff Provine
We’ll review techniques for writing horror, especially in the short story form.
— Ballroom D
3:10 PM – 4:00 PM
80,000 Words in a Single Day
You can write faster than you ever thought possible. Here’s how to use dictation and new and emerging tools to produce words faster than you ever imagined.
— Ballroom A
Understanding New Advances in Prompting and Fine-Tuning for AI Writing Models with Elizabeth Ann West
You have the basics of prompting down, what's next? The "megaprompts" and how advances in RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) affect your work with large context models such as those with greater than 100,000 token context windows (GPT 4 Turbo, Claude, and more to come). Can an LLM serve as your literary research assistant, answering any question you have about your back list? Yes, and I will show you how. How can you get an LLM to write in your style and tone? It's tricky, but nothing a fine-tune can't handle!
— Ballroom B
The Business of Writing with Rhonda Penders
The business of writing, the legalities of signing with a publishing house, the self employment aspect of self publishing, etc.
— Ballroom C
Writing Like Cats and Dogs with Amy Shojai
Believable non-human characters in your writing goes beyond sticking a dog or cat in the story as a prop, or (gasp!) a victim for shock value. Animal companions add so much to the story texture and reader engagement. In this session, learn the does and don'ts for making your non-human characters resonate with readers, the (OH MY doG!) mistakes to avoid, and potential hot-button issues to understand before including them in your plot. Whether writing for kids, or adult Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mysteries, Thrillers, Mainstream, Romance, or even nonfiction, learn how to make sure all your characters, including those with four feet, fur, feathers, or scales, offer more than window-dressing.
"Talking" animals works not only for children's books but also for adults. Animal viewpoint? Sure. Character arc and pet story goal? Even better! Today, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes) own a pet. Depending on the genre you write, the percentage of readers who love animals potentially reaches 80%. Some readers expect pet characters in their fiction (cozy mysteries, for example), so including animals in your work makes it realistic and relatable.
The speaker, a certified animal behavior consultant for dogs and cats, has published 35+ nonfiction prescriptive pet care titles, and a pet-centric thriller series featuring animal viewpoint characters. The lively PowerPoint session includes lots of examples and fun (cute-icity!) animal pictures, along with a download handout for attendees to keep.
— Ballroom D
4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
OWFI Board Meeting
Ballrooms A-D
4:40 PM – 5:00 PM
OWFI General Membership Meeting
Ballrooms A-D
7:00 PM
Awards Ceremony Banquet & Announcement of the 2025 Keynote Speaker
Ballrooms A - D
