Last Day to Register for the WU UnConference at the Early-Bird Rate
By Writer Unboxed | June 19, 2016 |
Tickety tock, tockety tick. If you’re going to UnCon, you’d better act quick…
The Early-Bird rate will expire at midnight, EST, and we are now at 90% capacity!
Who will be at UnCon?
In addition to ~115 authors in progress, Lisa Cron and Donald Maass will be there to each deliver an intensive 4-hour workshop. Our Monday-Friday program will also offer sessions led by:
Brunonia Barry
Anne Greenwood Brown
Kathryn Craft
Lisa Cron (more Lisa!)
Keith Cronin
Donald Maass (more Don!)
Juliet Marillier
Barbara O’Neal
Therese Walsh
Heather Webb
Cathy Yardley
AND our latest WU contributor to join UnCon, the ever-delightful Sarah Callender!
What are the sessions?
There will be more than twenty 90-minute sessions offered throughout our M-F program. Though some ideas are still evolving, our program will include the following:
Writing True, I (the natural world/external)
Writing True, II (the internal world/character)
Pushing Through Resistance
Creating Conversation (critique workshop)
Emotional Turning Points
Spotlighting Techniques
The Writing-Life Balance
The Weave of Subplots, Secondary Characters and Flashbacks
The World of the Scene
Tips & Tricks for Plotting the Plot
Level Up: Making the Good Great
The Impact of Language
The Questing Writer
Write Like You Mean It
The Psychology of Writer’s Block (workshop)
Revision Boss
Crafting Your Unique Story
We’ll have at least one panel, possibly more.
Lisa Cron’s 4-hour workshop on Story Genius will very likely blow your mind, and change the way you approach storytelling.
Donald Maass’s 4-hour workshop on Unboxed Craft will teach you tricks you didn’t know existed, and inspire you to consider where they’ll fit into your manuscript then and there.
Not official sessions but notable (and way fun) just the same:
People-Watching Walks
Storytelling Meditations
A Flash Fiction Challenge
Night Writing at The House of the Seven Gables
Evening Book Therapy
Bedtime Stories
Book-signing Event — and a ‘coming out party’ for our book, Author in Progress
Cold Lunch, Hot Topic Lunches
And, put on your red shoes and dance the blues at Friday night’s David Bowie Dance Party.
Again, early registration ends tonight at midnight, EST. Learn more and register at authorinprogress.eventbrite.com.
We hope to see you in Salem! Until then, write on.
Writer Unboxed began as a collaboration between Kathleen Bolton and Therese Walsh in 2006. Since then, the site has grown to include ~50 regular contributors and a variety of guests on rotation throughout a given year.
In 2016, the Writer Unboxed team published a book with Writer’s Digest / Random House. AUTHOR IN PROGRESS: A No-Holds-Barred Guide to What It Really Takes to Get Published is a comprehensive guide focused on helping writers over/around/through hurdles faced at every stage of the novel-writing process. It’s received some ***** reviews; we hope you’ll check it out.
If you’d like to be among the first to know about the next Writer Unboxed UnConference, which will likely tie-in with WU’s 20th Anniversary celebration, please sign up for our mailing list!
Write on!
The classes offered here are important. Necessary. And if you get the chance to go to this worthy retreat, consider yourself blessed. But so many of us are struggling with what to do AFTER the book is written. Many writers have spent a ton of money on dozens of writer conferences and retreats just like this one. I graduated from Don Maass Breakout Novel Intensive in 2005. And yes, we never want to stop learning. My point is this, thousands of writers are now struggling to get their books into the laps of their readers. We need answers to REAL questions regarding this industry.
The writing and publishing industry is in desperate need of a major overhaul. The length of time it takes from finishing the novel to publication is painfully long. Many of us have pulled our heads out of the clouds and looked at the writing world for what it truly is. And yet, we still want to write and publish. We want to do it with our eyes wide open, realizing it takes no less than ten years of writing, rewriting, and learning our craft before we are actually ready to publish, all while struggling to stay ahead of the social media curve.
Instead of fancy/schmancy writing conferences that charge an arm and a leg, and teach you the same worn-out topics they taught you last year and the year before, let’s stop the madness of empty promises. We need a Writer’s Convention where round table discussions consisting of publishers, editors, writers, AND readers result in finding real solutions to the serious issues at hand.
The problem is that writing is a solitary business. We all work alone. And we like it that way. But until we confront the current issues and make strides to change them, thousands of writers will continue to struggle to find readers.
Create a class for that. Do that. Find caring folks who are ready, willing, and able to turn the industry inside out. You’ll have applicants knocking your door down for that conference.
Hi Pamela, I feel your frustration. I think the problem is that we don’t know the answers — certainly I do not — to the important industry questions we face as authors of this age. That’s why I’ve focused the UnConference on what I think we can control, our art and fortitude, and in a way that I believe pushes beyond what you’ll find at other craft-focused events, in part because of its inclusive approach during the sessions themselves.
I have thought about putting on an industry event, but I have yet to imagine what I might bring to the table that would be unique, valuable, and, most importantly, actionable. As far as I can tell, we the people have little sway over “the industry, industry.”
I think you possess a great deal of knowledge to bring to the table. The problem is, it’s going to take time, and a lot of dedicated industry people (all of us) to come to that table.
It’s always easier to keep things status-quo, isn’t it? But for the writer who spends years of blood, sweat, and tears over their work, status quo isn’t working anymore.
I’m looking forward to the UnCon again, not only for the invaluable sessions on craft (and just look at them for a minute, as well as the excellent session leaders) but also because it specifically steers clear of the ever-changing “industry.”
I echo what Therese said above: we really don’t have any sway over that side of things. We can’t march into an agency or publishing house and demand they read, fall in love with, publish, market, and then sell millions of our books. Even if we write the life-changing, Great American Novel, there’s no guarantee of anything. And the thing is, there’s never been that guarantee.
I’ve bookmarked the following page for inspiration when all seems for naught (when my head comes out of the clouds). It’s a list of famous authors and the plethora of rejections to what later became their best sellers:
https://www.litrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/
I attended the last UnCon and eagerly await this year’s because, for me, it’s never been about the money. Sure, ‘twould be nice, as would critical acclaim, but I simply need to get some stories out of my head. And yeah, I want to do it right so that others might read and maybe even relate.
But to do this, I need strength for the journey. That’s what the UnCon and the community at WU give me. Strength. Camaraderie. Kinsmanship. The Tribe that many of us speak about. Oh, and all the craft (and believe it or not, road to publishing) tidbits I’ll ever need.
I’ve gone to conferences that leaned toward the industry side of things. They didn’t seem to have any answers, either, nor did I feel like I made a personal connection with anybody. Everybody was too busy trying to impress…whomever…they seemed stilted, wooden. And the sessions on craft were, quite frankly, elementary. I didn’t find that at the UnCon. The sessions were mind-bending and the people, genuine, not plastic (pardon the mixed metaphor). I made true connections that I know will last a lifetime. It actually felt like Hemingway’s moveable feast. Plus, I paid more in both conference and hotel expenses for two-and-a-half days of “industry” conventions than I did for an entire week (even longer because I arrived early and stayed late) at the UnCon.
Pamela, I hear your frustration, too, and it sounds to me like the UnCon might be right up your alley.
We will never have any sway over that side of things unless a brave few begin a grassroots effort. I am not advocating in the least that we march into an agency or publishing house and demand they read, fall in love with, publish, market, and then sell millions of our books. Even if we think we’ve produced the great American novel. Agreed, there’s no guarantee and having worked in this business most of my adult career life, I am quite aware of that fact.
This isn’t about rejections. The frustrations of authors the world over is more than just about rejections.
We all want to write the stories languishing in our heads. But if somebody tells you they’re not writing to make money, they’re lying. We all want paid for our work. If a painter gets paid for his masterpieces, if a landscaper pockets cash for the curb appeal he adds to his client’s homes, and if a caterer makes a living on the weddings and parties she slaves over, then a writer should get paid for her books that took years to complete and publish.
We all know, however, that unless you are one of the blessed few in this business, you’re not going to get rich writing books. But until we confront the current issues and make strides to change them, the same issues will continue to plague the publishing world. For example: The old, worn-out process of retailers returning your unsold books. It’s still the most ridiculous part of this business. Total nonsense. If the Gap can’t return its unsold blue jeans to the Levi Company, why should a bookstore be allowed to return its unsold books to the publisher? This is an antiquated process that needs to stop.
That issue is one of many, besides the rejections, that hit us square in the jaw with every new book release.
Until writers speak up, these problems will keep us right where they want us. Over a barrel. I also understand the frustrations of the publishers. But again, until we come together, we will never find the solutions.
I agree the UnCon is one of the best, if not THE best writing conference in the country. Don Maass is worth the price of admission, in my humble opinion. If you can make this conference, by all means, GO! But there isn’t a conference anywhere that can give you all the tidbits you’ll ever need. We never stop learning, and we learn best by doing it. Writing, sticking our necks out, and supporting other authors.
Nobody has all the answers. Not one person or group. But we have to start somewhere. I have spent thousands and worn out two cars, traveling from one writing conference and book festival to another. From New York to Florida and all states in between. I’ve also presented at a few conferences, all while listening to the frustrations of writers everywhere. But it’s not like I sit at home and complain. Having spoken at over 250 venues and selling my books at the back of the room, including four International Book Expos, I’ve seen and experienced the highs and lows up close and personal.
Writing frustrations. We’ve all got them. Go to UnCon to get your craft questions answered. As for the rest, it takes a lot to step out and advocate for change in the industry. Most believe these frustrations won’t happen to them. Until they do.
The living, beating heart of WU is how we approach the craft of writing fiction. For me, WU fills me up with the fuel I require to live my life as an artist. It’s never been about how I might find my way to filling my purse as an author. And even if I felt this unique gathering was going to be a rehashing of lessons I already get here (I don’t), I would still go. It’s a personal opportunity for a unique version of the fuel I mention–one that changed my life as an artist for the better last time. The UnCon was like creativity rocket fuel, launching me further than I would’ve flown without it. I consider it a rare opportunity and an extremely good value.
I can imagine some might find value in a roundtable on the industry. But having been in business in another longstanding industry (like publishing) before I started writing, I understand how slowly these industries respond and adapt to a fast-changing marketplace. It can be crazy-making. Elements will have to change or disappear. And they do, eventually. But, for me, at this point of my life and my journey as an artist, I’d consider railing against the marketplace a waste of my energy–energy I’d much rather devote to fueling my creativity and artistry.
So thank you, WU and Therese, for the steady fuel source, and the upcoming unique opportunity for another dose of creativity rocket fuel.
My wish for you is the best at UnCon and afterward. But it is never a waste of energy to stand for your convictions. Right now, this is mine. It may kill me, as well as my opportunities with other publishing companies in the future. But at this point in my career, I feel I must stand up and say–things need to change. I’m not the only one who feels this way, and I may be the only one saying it out loud at the moment, but that’s okay, too.
So yes, thank you, WU and Therese, for all you do for the starving artists in this business. May you continue to shine that precious light on us all.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” ~ Helen Keller