Thursday
TBD – Early Bird Check-In – Beat the morning rush by confirming this evening.
Friday
8:30-9:30 am. Check-in outside of Conference Room (Hotel 1st floor)
9:30 am. Kickoff and Announcements (Conference Room)
10 am – 12pm. Critique Session #1 (all 5 groups in various locations in hotel)
12pm – 1:50pm. Break for lunch (explore local spots, and shop at Ballast Book Company)
2-2:50 pm. Writer Career and Workshop Tips – Shiv, Cat, Arley, Nancy (Conference Room)
A quick, high-level survey of what to know about the writing industry. We’ll define common writerly terms: “agency,” developmental edit, line edit, pantsing, plotting, blurbs, comps, literary, commercial, and more. Also, how to ask questions and attend events to get the most out of this workshop and your next.
3 – 5pm. Critique Session #2 (all groups in various locations)
5 – 6:50pm. Break for Dinner
7 – 8 pm. Small Press – Lisa, Jessie, Cat (Conference Room)
How do you know if Small Press is good for you? Just what are you getting yourself into? How to prepare and how to keep going.
7 – 8 pm. All About Character – Ken, Nancy, Shiv, Jack (Breakfast Area)
Many publishers say they’re looking for character driven stories. What does that mean? What drives a character and makes them stand out from the crowd? Tips and tricks for diving into characters that feel real, sound real, and hook readers.
9:30 – 11 pm. Open Mic with Ballast Book Co. at Remedy
Join authors and your local bookstore! Prepare your best flash fiction tale and enjoy delicious cocktails and food at Remedy. Sign up early!
(Location: Remedy Speakeasy, 602 4th Street Bremerton)
Saturday
9:30 am. Check-in, announcements, etc. (Conference Room)
10am – 12 pm. Critique Session #3 (all groups in various locations)
12 – 1:50 pm. Break for lunch
12:45-1:50pm. Brown Bag Lecture: How to be a Happy Writer (Updated Version) –
Randy Henderson (Breakfast Area)
Bring your lunch to the breakfast area for a casual brown bag talk (with handouts). Randy will share tips on how to identify your writer self (and what advice or methods might help or hurt you as a writer), and how to be a healthy and happy writer in the face of rejections, imposter syndrome, critical comments, writer envy, isolation, and an AI apocalypse.
2 – 2:50 pm. Traditional Publishing – Claire, Arley, Nancy, Jack (Conference Room)
What does it take to get published by the big 5 (or 4?) publishing houses? How should you prepare and what are the best steps for success? Just what are you getting yourself into?
2 – 2:50 pm. A.I. Overlords or Overhype? – Randy, Cat, Shiv (Breakfast Area)
Artificial Intelligence. Where is it today and what’s coming? Can someone just click a button and produce a novel? How good is AI writing? What is the current state of AI in publishing? What are the ethical and other concerns? What are the different ways writers are using AI other than generating the prose itself? Will AI destroy the market for human-written works?
3 – 3:50pm. Self-Publishing 101 – Jessie, Cat, Lisa, (Conference Room)
A quick intro to Self-publishing. Should you self-pub your old stories or are there important considerations to make before you start that draft? How does Amazon Kindle Unlimited work, KDP, and book shops?
3 – 3:50pm. All About Revising – Randy, Jack, Nancy, (Breakfast Area)
How do you know when your draft is ready for: beta readers, critiques, agents, publication? What common mistakes do the pros look for? What about pitfalls, things to avoid, but also signs your MS is ahead of the competition?
Pitch sessions will be offered during this time
4 – 4:50pm. Advanced Track 1 – Cat, Arley, Randy (Conference Room)
Part 1 of 2. You already have published works, how can you take it to the next level? Learn from mistakes by pros that they wished they knew earlier in their careers.
4 – 4:50pm. Worldbuilding – Jessie, Ken, Jack, Nancy (Breakfast Area)
Worldbuilding, it’s not just for high fantasy. Whether you write stories set on distant worlds or here on Earth, microfiction to epic tomes, learn from our industry pros on how to craft lived-in settings that feel real (or even fantastical).
Pitch sessions during this time
5 – 6:50pm. Break for dinner
7 – 8pm. Advanced Track 2 – Cat, Arley, Randy (Conference Room)
Part 2 of 2. You already have published works, how can you take it to the next level? Learn from mistakes by pros that they wished they knew earlier in their careers.
7 – 8pm. Social Media and Your Platform – Shiv, Lisa, Jessie, Ken (Breakfast Area)
Should a platform be 9 and ¾? How do you make an online platform? What is it, and why should you care? Is social media required? What sites and services do writing pros use? Is it different for editors, agents, and others? Our pros will level up your understanding of these topics whether you’re starting at 1 or 9 and ¾ .
8-10 pm. Optional Public Karaoke. South Pacific Sports Bar. TBD
Sunday
10 – 11 am. Critique Group One-on-Ones (Group leaders will assign short time slots to each participant).
11:15 – 12:15 pm. Final Takeaways, Making the Most of Your Workshop – All Pros (Conference Room)
You’ve spent the last three days cramming your brain full of great information and inspiration. Before we close the book on another fabulous Cascade Writers workshop, hear some final advice from our pros on how to process everything you’ve learned and maintain a happy, healthy writer’s headspace. Come with your final burning questions.
12:20 – 1 pm. Break for Lunch
1 – 2pm. Optional Feedback session. All are welcome to share feedback during this time. Cascade Writers Board Meeting in the Conference Room (open to all participants)
