The 2023 Annual Conference
April 20-22, 2023
Comfort Inn and Suites, 7007 Grover Street, Omaha Nebraska
Hotel Block Information: Please call Comfort Inn and Suites and ask to be added to the Nebraska Writers Guild block. 402-934-4900
Hotel block expires April 5th!! Be sure to get lodging reserved before then!
*** Registration Closed ***
Keynote Speaker: Children's Middle-Grade Author Shelly Brown
Shelly Brown is the author of the thought-provoking children's middle-grade books, Mustaches for Maddie, Squint, Willa and the Whale, and Virtually Me. She also writes scary books for young readers like her book Ghostsitter. When she's not writing you can find her parenting her five awesome kids, and wife-ing her husband and co-author, Chad Morris. She loves to discover the world, both close to her home in the mountains and far across the sea. She loves people, cultures, and food. She adores Austen, Dickens, and Hardy. Her patronus is an otter. She also writes romance on the side but by using a pseudonym she keeps her youthful readers from finding her kissing books. Though she has no shame about it, kissing books are the best, chances of her telling you said pseudonym are slim.
Emcee: Dennis Gaunt
Dennis Gaunt has always enjoyed making people laugh. He has previously emceed at the Storymakers and ANWA writing conferences. He is a frequent teacher at those and other writing conferences around the country. In addition, he is a published author with both Deseret Book and Covenant Communications, as well as being a teacher and motivational speaker for youth and young adults. When he's not writing, he enjoys photography, playing the guitar, going to Disneyland, and Godzilla movies. He also hates onions.
Literary Agents
We will have virtual literary agent pitches on Thursday, April 20th starting at 2:00 PM. Here are the agents we will have:
Nicole Cunningham, Agent - The Book Group
Nicole represents a range of fiction, nonfiction, and illustrators. She works with writers and artists who share a sense of wonder, curiosity, and tenderness about the world.
Nicole is looking to acquire literary and upmarket women’s fiction, historical fiction, and novels with a magical or speculative bent. She’s drawn to fiction that’s gorgeously written, immersive, smart, and sensitive to the complexities of being a human. She believes great fiction makes readers feel seen, so she wants to read about complicated relationships, identity and belonging, grief and regret, home and community. Nicole gravitates towards work with a strong sense of place and vivid natural settings.
In the nonfiction space, Nicole wants to read fresh, surprising essay collections, and well-researched, entertaining narrative nonfiction that has the binge-able quality of her favorite podcasts. She particularly enjoys work that explores topics like reproductive health, motherhood, feminism, family, and the natural world.
Michele Mortimer, Agent - Darhansoff & Verrill
Michele started with the agency as a freelance reader and joined full-time in 2003. She handles serial rights, permissions, and the editorial desk.
Agent-wise, she currently considers: literary fiction; historical fiction; sophisticated crime, mystery, thrillers, and horror; upmarket character-rich women’s fiction and smart romance; realism-based young adult fiction; and narrative nonfiction.
Nonfiction interests include music, sports, wellness, animal welfare, feminism, true crime, sociology, and culture both pop and serious.
*** Registration Closed ***
Click here to download class descriptions.
Click here to download class handouts.
Conference Schedule
Thursday
8:00 am – Registration
8:30 am – Opening Remarks
9:00 am – Writing Sprints - Bring your laptop or other writing device and get ready to get words on the page. We'll do 20-minute sprints with breaks in between where you can socialize.
12:00 pm – Lunch (included)
1:30 pm Classes:
Ballroom D: The Prepared Panster by Michelle Pennington
Ballroom A: TikTok: Use the Fastest Growing App to Market – 2-hour Intensive by Dee Ann Williamson
Ballroom B: Writing a Book Summary by Jaye Viner
2:30 pm Classes:
Ballroom D: Dissecting the Frog: How and Why to Use Humor in Writing by Dennis Gaunt
Ballroom A: TikTok: Use the Fastest Growing App to Market – 2-hour Intensive by Dee Ann Williamson
Ballroom B: Developmental Editing: Why You Shouldn’t Skip This Crucial Step by Julie Haase
3:30 pm Classes:
Ballroom D: So, You’re Thinking About Quitting by Shelly Brown
Ballroom A: How to Nail Pacing by Chad Morris
Ballroom B: Writing Rich and Revealing Dialogue by Margaret Lukas
4:30 pm – Closing Remarks
7:00 pm – Game Night! We'll have fun games available, or bring one of your own. We'll have some Jackbox games on the big screen, plus lots of card and board games. Come join in the fun and get to know other writers.
Friday
8:00 am – Registration
8:30 am – Opening Comments
9:00 am Classes:
Ballroom D: Self-Edit Like an Indie Pro by Michelle Pennington
Ballroom A: Making Money with Audiobooks on YouTube by Victorine Lieske
Ballroom B: Canning the Comparisons and Blazing Your Own Path by Katharine E. Hamilton
10:00 am Classes:
Ballroom D: True Stories Make the Best Stories: Bringing Your Non-Fiction to Life by Dennis Gaunt
Ballroom A: The Four Element Ensemble and Cast Calculus by Don Carey
Ballroom B: Back Matter, Matters by Sandra Schehl
11:00 am Classes:
Ballroom D: Mistakes Not to Make by Janette Rallison
Ballroom A: To Plot or Not by Amy White
Ballroom B: Expanding Your Brand by The And I Thought Ladies
12:00 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm Classes:
Ballroom D: Pixar's Rules of Storytelling by Dennis Gaunt
Ballroom A: How to Be a Healthy Author by Lisa Swinton
Ballroom B: Come Sit By Me: A Celebration of Courage, Community & Confidence for Writers of Color by Mari Beck
2:30 pm Classes:
Ballroom D: Creating Engaging Characters Instead of Cardboard Cutouts by Heather Justesen
Ballroom A: Eating the Elephant: Breaking Down Big Goals into Small Steps by Jess Elliott
Ballroom B: Peeking at the Monster by AE Stueve
Conference Room: Yes! You Can Write a Poem by Charlene Pierce
3:30 pm Classes:
Ballroom D: Finding Your Voice by Shelly Brown
Ballroom A: Does Your Perspective Change Your Point of View? The Difference Between POV and Perspective in Writing by Julie Haase
Ballroom B: Author’s Instagram—How to Build a Network and Get Readers by Tara Cummins
Conference Room: Building Daily Habits to Ensure Better Writing by Brandy Prettyman
4:30 pm – Closing Remarks
7:00 pm – Boot Camp - Sign up for our free Boot Camp and we'll divide into small critique groups. Read the first chapter of your work in progress and get feedback from your group!
Saturday
8:00 am – Registration
8:30 am – Opening Comments
9:00 am Classes:
Ballroom D: Using Internal Thought to Create Characterization and Voice by Janette Rallison
Ballroom A: Writing Voices of Color: Respect, Research, and Relevant Issues by Mari Beck
Ballroom B: Creating Believable Dialogue by Brandy Prettyman
Conference Room: Comic Book Basics & Superhero Starting Points – 2-hour Intensive by AE Stueve
10:00 am Classes:
Ballroom D: How-To: Vendor Tables by Katherine Wielechowski
Ballroom A: First Steps into Hollywood by The And I Thought Ladies
Ballroom B: You Can Do it All—Just Not All at Once by Tara Grace Ericson
Conference Room: Comic Book Basics & Superhero Starting Points – 2-hour Intensive by AE Stueve
11:00 am Classes:
Ballroom D: Taking the Emotional Journey by Kristin Ganoung
Ballroom A: Library Appearances and How to Get Them by Tammy Marshall
Ballroom B: Receiving Feedback Without Breaking by Lisa Swinton
Conference Room: You Want to Write Your Life’s Story—Now What? By Tara Cummins
12:00 pm – Lunch Break and Business Meeting
2:00 pm Classes
Ballroom D: The Ballad of the Hero’s Journey by Don Carey
Ballroom A: I Spy for Writers by Julia Kay
Ballroom B: Characters Who Take Up Space – 2-hour Intensive by Jaye Viner
Conference Room: Romancing the Cone by Amy White
3:00 pm Classes
Ballroom D: Kickstarter for Authors by Heather Justesen
Ballroom A: Writing to Market to Sell More Books by Victorine E. Lieske
Ballroom B: Characters Who Take Up Space – 2-hour Intensive by Jaye Viner
Conference Room: Do You Need a Y Chromosome to be a Hero by Cambria Engstrom
4:00 pm – Keynote with Shelly Brown
5:00 pm – Raffle Drawing and Closing Remarks
*** Registration Closed ***
NWG Member Registration Prices:
Saturday Only: $149
Friday and Saturday: $199
Best Price: All Three Days: $239
Early Bird Non-Member Prices:
All Three Days: $299
Early bird prices ended on March 15th.
Anyone is welcome to join the NWG to get the member price of the conference. Click Here to Join.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations on or before March 15th - $25 Cancellation Fee. Cancellations after March 15th - No Refunds Given
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