Schedule of Events
The 2012 Silken Sands Conference will offer attendees a variety of educational, craft, and networking opportunities. Workshops will be presented each day of the conference, and the workshops will focus on three main areas: craft, research, and industry topics.
Back by popular demand, we will hold our editor and agent panel on Friday night so that attendees will have a chance to get an inside look at the book publishing business.
Attendees can also schedule private pitch sessions with attending editors and agents.
Current Workshop Schedule for the 2012 Conference:
Friday, March 16, 2012
12:00-2:00 Registration in the lobby
2:00-2:50 Casey Crow: Pitch Perfect
2:00-2:50 Sandy Sullivan: Working with the Small E-Publisher from Pitching to Contract to Promoting
3:00- 5:00 P.M. Angela James, Building your Brand
4:00- 4:50 Joyce Elson Moore: I’ve Finished the First Draft, Now What?
5:00-:6:30 Break Time…enjoy the beach! (Or unpack!)
6:30pm Costume party; editor and agent panel; and dessert bar
9:00pm-9:50 Susan May: Collaging Your Way to a Great Story
9:00pm-11:00 Critique round table
Saturday, March 17, 2012
8:00 am-10:00 Registration
9:00-12:00: Pitches
9:00-9:50 Sayde Grace and Randi Alexander: Using Emotion and Sensual Description to Make Your Love Scenes Glow
9:00-9:50 Fran McNabb: Get it Together
10:00-10:50 Loretta Rogers: Everything You Thought You Knew about Story Plots and Didn’t
10:00-10:50 Sherry Lewis: Why, Why, Why: Creating Believable Motivation
11:00- 11:50 Cynthia Eden: The Novella: A Hundred Pages Can Pack a Punch
11:00- 11:50 Sia Huff: Color Your Characters
12:00- 1:30 Lunch (Lunch will be provided for conference attendees.)
1:30-2:20 Lisa Stone Hardt: Five Reasons Writers Quit and Ten Reasons Why You Shouldn’t
1:30-2:20- Runere McLain: Of a Paranormal Persuasion: Using Fact to Create a Believable Paranormal World
2:00-3:20 Angela James: Publishing in the Digital Age; Q and A…Conversation with Authors
2:30-3:20 Beverly Kendall and Lori Brighton: Traditional Publishing vs Self Publishing-The Pros and Cons
2:30-3:20 Manda Collins and Holly Blanck: People Skills: Building Your High Concept Trilogy From the Characters Up
3:30-5:00 Book Signing
5:00-6:30 Free Time
6:30 Banquet
Sunday March 18, 2012
8:30am Meet in lobby for those that want to attend church
9:00-9:50 Cynthia Eden: Crafting Killers: Making Villains to Thrill and Chill
9:00-9:50 Jeffe Kennedy: The Erotic Story Arc: Not a Contradiction in Terms
10:00- 10:50 Kelly Stone: Meet Your Muse: How to Capitalize on Your Subconscious Creativity
10:00- 10:50 Rita Van Fleet: Keys to Successful Blogging
New in 2012
A costume ball will be held in the evening of Friday, March 16th. Guests are invited to dress as their favorite literary characters as they mix with fellow writers and sample a delicious dessert reception.
At the dessert reception, attendees can wear fun period costumes, dress as fearsome paranormal creatures, or even explore the new steampunk scene with stylish costumes. The costume ball will be a great chance for you to enjoy yourself as you form friendships with other writers at the conference.
Pitch sessions will be scheduled for early Saturday morning. Individuals can also choose from a variety of workshops that will be offered throughout the event. Lunch will be provided on Saturday, and, Saturday night, attendees will enjoy a banquet dinner.