For the first time, we will be producing a writers conference specifically for those wishing to move from creative writer to published author.

Writers in the Grove Authors Conference
Saturday, January 27, 2018
9AM-4PM
Forest Grove Senior and Community Center
Forest Grove, Oregon (map)
$60
Proceeds benefit the FGSCC

The day-long conference will feature a variety of classes, individual and small group sessions to help you move from writer to published author.

The keynote speaker is Deborah Reed, author of the novels The Days When Birds Come Back, Olivay, Things We Set on Fire, Carry Yourself Back to Me, A Small Fortune, and its sequel, Fortune’s Deadly Descent. She is also frequently featured in Poets & Writers, and holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing (fiction) from Pacific University. She is also the co-director of the Black Forest Writing Seminars at the University of Freiburg in Germany. She lives in Manzanita, Oregon.

The faculty of presenters features:

Paulann Petersen is an award-winning poet and former Oregon State Poet Laureate. She is a former Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and author of several books of poetry including The Wild Awake, Blood-Silk, A Bride of Narrow Escape, Kindle, The Voluptuary, and Understory. She has also published five chapbooks and her work has been published in many anthologies, magazines, and websites. She teaches poetry workshops for colleges, libraries, and writer’s conferences, and serves on the National Advisory Board for Friends of William Stafford. She will be presenting an afternoon poetry workshop.

Holly Lorincz is an author of fiction and non-fiction and owner of Lorincz Literary Services, a literary editing agency. She worked for many years as a collaborative literary agent for MacGregor Literary. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and on the faculty for the Profitable Authors Institute and The Blackbird Studio for writers in Portland, Oregon. Her specialty is in developmental editing, fiction and non-fiction, as well as collaborative writing. Holly will be speaking about the publishing industry and preparing a manuscript for submission.

Chip MacGregor is the founder of MacGregor Literary, an author agency, helping authors in the memoir, spirituality, self-help, Christian, true crime, romance, and literary fiction publish their books and negotiate movie and television projects. He will be speaking on how to find, query, and pitch your story to agents and publishers.

Jessica Morrell is a long-time favorite speaker and teacher on writing fiction, and an accomplished author. Her books, Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us, A (sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected, Between the Lines, Bullies, Bastards, and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction, and Writing Out the Storm continue to be textbooks for writers determined to improve their writing and get published. She will be speaking about developing a character arc.

As a full-time professional writer and editor for fourteen years, Kristin Thiel works with writers, publishers, and other businesses to improve their professional writing skills with a goal toward publishing. She’s also an avid hiker, backpacker, and “yes-sayer” to Northwest fun and exploration. Kristin will be talking about the pitfalls of common writing errors and how to avoid them.

MaryJane Nordgren is a published author of novels, plays, and memoirs, and publisher of the Seeds of… anthologies. Her books, Early: Logging Tales Too Human to be Fiction, Quiet Courage, and Frail the Bridge. She will be presenting a practice session on writing open paragraphs and hooks.

Optional Sessions

The morning of the event, you will have the opportunity to register for optional private and small group sessions with our faculty. Sessions include:

• 15 minute professional consultations:
  • Jessica Morrell on a single sample of a memoir or fiction piece.
  • Holly Lorincz to talk through a story idea, plot points, and non-fiction scope and sequence.
• Cost: $10 paid in advance.

There is also an optional paid small group session for practicing pitching (45 min) with Kristin Thiel. Cost: $5 paid in advance.

About Writers in the Grove 2018 Authors Conference

This is a fundraiser for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center, a non-profit community center and the host of Writers in the Grove weekly meetings. The Center provides free and low cost meals through their dining services and Meals On Wheels outreach program, as well as a wide range of educational, recreational, wellness, and community events and educational opportunities.

Writers in the Grove is a free weekly workshop for those wishing to develop their creative writing skills. The group meets Mondays at the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center on Mondays from 9-11am, and on the second Saturday of the month at the Forest Grove Public Library from 10:30-noon. Writers in the Grove supports the freedom of expression and creative writing spirit in Forest Grove, Oregon, and around the world.