WHEN: November 16th, 2019 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
WHERE: Queen Anne Baptist Church 2011 1st Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98109
COST: $160
The Hate U Give! The Hunger Games! A certain boy wizard! In 20 years, YA has gone from “neither here nor there” to a large part of the bookstore, and some of the biggest deals in publishing. Come learn about writing and publishing YA fiction from authors Julia Ember and Rachel Lynn Solomon and Kidlit agent Stacey Kondla in a cozy one-day workshop in the heart of Seattle.
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED
Stacey has been in the book business for 16 years. Her experience includes working as a Field Representative for Scholastic Book Fairs, managing the IndigoKids department at two different Chapters/Indigo (Canada’s largest book retailer) stores, freelance editing, and serving on the organizing committee of When Words Collide (A Festival for Readers and Writers). Stacey is an associate agent with The Rights Factory and specializes in children’s books – picture books through to young adult and graphic novels, fiction and non-fiction.
Rachel Lynn Solomon writes, tap dances, and collects red lipstick in Seattle, Washington. She is the author of the YA novels You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone, Our Year of Maybe, and the forthcoming Today Tonight Tomorrow, all from Simon & Schuster. You can find her online at rachelsolomonbooks.com and on Twitter @rlynn_solomon.
Julia Ember lives with her wife and their menagerie of pets with literary names in Seattle. She is the author of The Seafarer’s Kiss duology, a Norse-myth inspired YA retelling of The Little Mermaid, published by Interlude Press. Her upcoming standalone YA fantasy, Ruinsong, will be published by Macmillan (FSG) in November 2020. She can be found online at julia-ember.com or on twitter as @jules_chronicle.
Schedule
9:30-10 Check-in, coffee and tea
10-11 Welcome from Cascade Writers and introductions: Seattle YA Authors Julia Ember and Rachel Lynn Solomon, and Kidlit Agent Stacey Kondla with The Rights Factory – Our authors will share a little about themselves and their current projects, and our agent will share about what she is currently representing and books coming out!
11-12 Creating Realistic Stakes in Any Genre with Julia Ember and Rachel Lynn Solomon – Stakes are a crucial part of any book, and yet they can be tricky to define — and often even trickier to implement. We’ll talk about why they’re important and how to heighten stakes in both realistic and speculative fiction.
12-1 Lunch On Your Own (see reverse side of schedule for list of local restaurants and grocery stores. You may bring your lunch with you and eat at our workshop)
1-2 Crafting Your Pitch with Julia Ember, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and Stacey Kondla – “So, what’s your book about?” Maybe it’s an agent, or maybe it’s an overeager family member — regardless of who’s asking the question, we’ll talk about how to answer it without panicking while also drawing out the most unique elements of your book.
2-3:30 Writing Lived Experiences with Julia Ember and Rachel Lynn Solomon – What does it mean to write #ownvoices? What does it mean to tell your story from your own lived experience? We’ll also discuss the nuances between writing a diverse world and diverse characters.
2-3:30 Pitch Sessions with Stacey Kondla (sign up during check-in)
3:30-4 Book Buying Break! – University Bookstore will be here with our author’s titles plus other local authors. Purchase books and have them signed!
4-5 What An Agent Is Looking For: Stacey Kondla, Rachel Lynn Solomon and Julia Ember – Stacey will share from her experience as an agent of what she is looking for, and Rachel and Julia will share their experiences of finding their agent.
5-6 Q&A: Stacey Kondla, Rachel Lynn Solomon and Julia Ember – What questions do you have about writing YA, craft, publishing, etc?
