Keynote and Workshops
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9 — 10 am
Keynote — PJ Tracy
PJ Tracy is the pseudonym of the mother-daughter writing duo P.J. and Traci Lambrecht, winners of the Anthony, Barry, Gumshoe, and Minnesota Book Awards. Their cyberthriller “Monkeewrench” series were national and international bestsellers. After PJ’s passing in 2016, Traci wrote two more books in the Monkeewrench series and began the Margaret Nolan Detective series, set in Los Angeles, where she lived for many years. She now resides in Minnesota and continues to write about murder and mayhem. pjtracy.com
10:30 —11:30a
Flash in a Flash (Prose)
Nancy Cook
Flash narratives generally consist of complete stories in 500-1000 words. In this session, writers will learn first about five basic structural elements of flash and five essential ingredients that make a story memorable. Quick and easy-to-read examples will be used to illustrate techniques. Step-by-step guidelines will lead writers through the construction of a work of flash with a goal of completing a 300 – 500 word draft to take home.
Nancy Cook is a social practice writer and teaching artist who only recently joined the ranks of full-time writers after twenty years of single-handedly raising an adopted daughter and serving the legal needs of low-income communities. Her work, which often focuses on justice themes, can be found in numerous journals, anthologies, websites, and public places. She’s also the founder of the “Witness Project,” a series of free community writing workshops in Minneapolis. nancylcook.com
Breaking Into Libraries and Bookstores:
Your Complete Guide to Untapped Reader Markets
Josie Robinson
Ready to expand your readership by thousands? Discover the insider secrets to getting your books into libraries and bookstores in this comprehensive workshop. You'll learn the exact steps acquisition teams use to evaluate books, along with crucial insights about distributor networks, institutional buying cycles, professional reviews, and metadata optimization. This practical, action-focused session will give you a clear roadmap for breaking into these valuable but often overlooked markets, helping you reach readers you never thought possible.
Josie Robinson brings over a decade of experience as an author of several bestselling books and is a cofounder of Evergreen Authors, a website dedicated to helping indie authors promote and sell their creative works. Currently, she serves as an advertising executive at Foreword Reviews, where she specializes in helping independent authors get their books into libraries and bookstores. Josie’s unique combination of personal publishing success and industry insider experience allows her to provide authors with practical, proven strategies for expanding their reach into institutional markets. evergreenauthors.com josierobinson.com
Memories: How to Get Them Out of Your Head and Onto Paper
Connie Anderson
You’ll learn ways to remember things from all times during your life: youth, school, after graduation, first job, marriage and children—and growing old. It’s your life so write it for you—others will enjoy reminiscing with you. Write about your family’s early history, like immigrating to the U.S. Several handouts will nudge you to remember extra things like: trips, interesting people, family pets, and favorites in food, movies and music. Your children will value your writing—and your grandchildren will be thrilled to know so much about you. Learn what to do with your stories when they are written.
Connie Anderson has been editing book manuscripts for many years—in a wide variety of genres. Her author clients appreciate the insights and honesty she brings to her editing, and agree that the right editor can help make your book the best possible…so find one you can trust. She also makes sure authors write to their intended market, and that they know and avoid costly mistakes in the publishing process. Connie offers FREE sample edit of up to eight manuscript pages. She is also the author of When Polio Came Home, The I of a Woman, Faces of Boys, Hearts of Men.
wordsanddeedsinc.com
12:30 —1:30pm
Paths to Publishing: Which One is for You?
Doug Dorow
This workshop will cover the paths to publishing from Traditional (agent supported) to Hybrid to Indie. We’ll review the pluses and minuses of each—control, flexibility, time to publish, financial, etc. At the end of this workshop, attendees will have a better understanding of the paths, requirements, and which of these fits their future writing and publishing goals.
Doug Dorow's first book was indie published in 2011 and he has since published several others. Doug is certified as a book coach by Author Accelerator and coaches writers in plotting, editing, agent search strategy, and publishing options. He is also a member of Twin Cities Sisters in Crime. douglasdorow.com authorhero.com
Solving the Mystery: Thinking About Marketing Your Book as You Write It
Rob Jung, Chris Norbury, Brian Lutterman
Writing your book is only half the job.
A panel of three published mystery writers, Brian Lutterman, Chris Norbury and Rob Jung, will discuss and answer questions about the importance of thinking in advance about genre selection, cover design, back cover copy, SEO words, blurbs, and query letters as you plan and write your book.
A lawyer, a former political operative and life-long student of history and the human condition, Rob Jung (www.robjungwriter.com) is uniquely qualified to write Judgment Day, the story of the first U.S. Senator ever to be charged with murder, the third and final book of the Chimera Chronicles. Jung is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, and the producer of Minnesota Mystery Night.
Chris Norbury is the award-winning author of the mystery-thrillers Straight River, Castle Danger, and Dangerous Straits. The stories feature a farm-kid-turned-professional-musician whose middle-class life is turned upside down when he uncovers a violent conspiracy headed by a ruthless real-estate magnate. His new middle-grade adventure novel, Little Mountain, Big Trouble, was published in 2023. Chris donates a portion of all his book sales to his local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. chrisnorbury.com
Brian Lutterman is the author of Downfall, which launched the Pen Wilkinson series and is described by Mystery Gazette as “. . .an exhilarating action-packed financial thriller . . .” His other books include Nightfall, Deadfall, and Bound to Die, a Minnesota Book Award runner-up. Nightfall was named 2019 runner-up for Minnesota’s best indie adult novel in the Minnesota Library Association’s annual competition. Lutterman lives with his family in the Twin Cities. brianlutterman.com
Using AI Ethically In Creative Fields
Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz
AI technologies are everywhere, and many writers can't wait to explore their potential to elevate the creative process. But, how can conscientious folks take advantage of these innovative tools without plagiarizing, harming fellow writers or churning out AI slop that turns readers off? Is the ethical use of AI even possible for a writer? Multidisciplinary artist and writer, Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz, will teach folks committed to using their authentic voice how to use AI as a labor-saving collaborator, rather than as a soulless content generator, without infringement or creative laziness.
Based out of Rice, Minnesota, Vas Littlecrow Wojtanowicz is a Puerto Rican-born multidisciplinary artist with a soft spot for poetry and trashiness. A lifelong computer nerd, Vas has created multiple webcomics since the mid-1990s, and is likely the first fine artist in Central Minnesota to openly use neural-style transfer in exhibited works. Vas is an advocate for the ethical use of Large Language Models and other AI tools as creative partners rather than as slop-generating replacements for the humanity of creative self-discovery. vaslittlecrow.com
2 pm — 3 pm
Bring your Fantasy World Alive
Susan Stradiotto
Your job as a writer is to make the world and the characters in your book come alive. How do you do that without telling the reader all the details up front? This workshop focuses on ways to build your world naturally and weave it in with your story so that people don’t even know you’re doing it, and offers ideas on keeping your reader engaged and thinking, “That’s so cool!”
Through examples, tools, and hands-on writing, this session demonstrates worldbuilding techniques to elevate your fantasy and keep your readers loyal to the world you’ve spent so much time creating.
Susan Stradiotto lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, where she works diligently on writing either fantasy, romance, or sometimes both. She runs a worldbuilding blog. She’s been interviewed multiple times, notably in Worldbuilding Magazine for her world: Caetera. When not writing, Susan spends time actively engaging in worldbuilding through games and research or collaborating with other writers. Her stories connect to the human spirit, show people overcoming obstacles, and put a spotlight on strong women. susanstradiotto.com
Self-Editing with AI: Polish Your Prose Without Breaking the Bank
Erin Servais
Ready to upgrade your self-editing skills? In this hands-on presentation, you'll discover how to use two powerful AI tools—ChatGPT and editGPT—to catch expensive mistakes before your manuscript hits your editor's desk. Nothing fancy or too technical here—just practical, proven strategies to revise your work so it has more clarity and fewer errors. You'll leave with a collection of AI editing prompts and the know-how to turn AI into your personal rough-draft cleanup crew. Your editor will notice the difference, and your wallet will thank you.
Erin Servais teaches editors to upskill with artificial intelligence. As the founder of AI for Editors, she's been featured in Jane Friedman's The Hot Sheet newsletter and Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl podcast and AI Sidequest newsletter. She has served on the board of directors for ACES: The Society for Editing, taught copyediting for the University of California, San Diego, and presented about editing, entrepreneurship, and artificial intelligence for the Professional Editors Network, the Editorial Freelancers Association, Editors Canada, the Northwest Editors Guild, ACES, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Media. Since launching AI for Editors training programs in August 2023, she has taught them to editors from over twenty countries. aiforeditors.com
How to Write and Promote an SEO-Optimized Blog for Your Author Website
Ann Schreiber
Learn how to create engaging blog posts that attract readers and support your author journey. This workshop will cover crafting content tailored to your audience, incorporating SEO keywords naturally, and using strategies to help your blog appear in Google search results. Attendees will also learn simple ways to share their blog on social media and through email marketing. Whether you’re new to blogging or want to refine your skills, this session offers practical advice to elevate your online presence and connect with more readers. Bring your questions and get ready to grow your website’s impact!
Ann Schreiber owns Copywriting For You, a copywriting and content writing services for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Each day, she writes SEO-optimized content for businesses to share out on their online blogs to help grow brand awareness about the products and services they sell. She is also an author. Her first book, Perseverance. Reinvention. was released in June 2024 and will be rereleased by the end of 2024 by Fox Pointe Publishing. Her second book, The Top 10 Mistakes I Made My First Year as a Copywriter, will be released in the spring of 2025.
copywritingforyou.net copywritingforyou.net foxpointepublishing.com/author-ann-schreiber
3:30 pm — 4:30pm
AI Plotting Mastermind: Supercharge Your Story Ideas
Susan Stradiotto
Transform your storytelling process in this hour-long workshop designed to harness the power of AI for writers. Learn how to brainstorm compelling ideas, craft engaging plot lines, and overcome writer’s block with AI as your co-creator. Discover tools and techniques to streamline plot structuring, develop characters, and enhance your unique voice while solving narrative challenges. Perfect for writers of all levels and genres, this interactive session offers actionable strategies to turn ideas into cohesive stories. Bring your creativity and explore how AI can revolutionize your writing process, helping you write smarter and unleash your full creative potential.
NOTE: Attendees are invited to bring their Iaptops for hands-on activities.
With a professional background in rolling out hyperautomation strategies and extensive experience training large language modes (Ms), Susan Stradiotto brings a unique perspective to the creative process. By appIying cutting-edge AI techniques to storyteIIing, she’s deveIoped innovative methods for brainstorming, structuring pIots, and overcoming creative bIocks. This workshop Ieverages her expertise to guide writers in harnessing the power of AI tooIs, making the creative process more efficient, intuitive, and inspiring. Whether you’re new to AI or an experienced writers, Susan wiII show you how to bIend technoIogy and creativity to eIevate your storyteIIing. susanstradiotto.com
Creating Vivid Characters
Annette Gagliardi
This workshop will discuss how to give your characters depth by providing a back story, finding their motivation, injecting feeling, tapping your inner villain, and creating dynamic dialog. Annette will offer ideas and facilitate a discussion about what makes characters vivid.
Annette Gagliardi is an award-winning author who presents her two children's books to early elementary grades around the city and reads at libraries. In addition, she presents poetry workshops at the metro area Mississippi Valley Poets & Writers chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets as well as at the state-wide convention of LOMP about poetry. annette-gagliardi.com
We All Have a Story to Tell
Mary Seifert
Stories come in many forms—sensory, verbal, visual, auditory. Writing is just one form, and this workshop will narrow the scope to writing and my publishing journey specifically—how it began, resources along the way, and where it ended up. There will be an opportunity for interaction, question and answer time.
Mary Seifert is a traditionally published author of nine cozy mysteries and is a member of Mysteries Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, American Cryptogram Association, Dog Writers of America, and PEO. She has presented this workshop topic at more than a dozen libraries throughout Minnesota and Des Moines, Iowa. maryseifertauthor.com