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~Stephen Fraser, senior literary agent, Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency
“WIFYR turns more writers into authors than any other conference of its kind."
~Christian McKay Heidicker, author of Newbery Honor-winning Scary Stories for Young Foxes
"One of the wonderful things about WIFYR is that it brings writers in from the darkness. WIFYR did that for me."
~Kristyn Crow, author of picture books All Aboard the Moonlight Train and the Zombelina series
“I am published today because I attended Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers. That's where I learned to craft a picture book and it's how I met my agent.”
Morning Faculty
J. Scott Savage | Full Novel Class
In this class, you will turn in a 65,000-word manuscript. Scott will give you full feedback on your story, discuss suggested edits, and create a plan to either shop your story to agents and editors or prepare it for indy publishing. We will also talk with publishing professionals Scott has worked with about your stories, the author/editor relationship, and the current state of the market. The deadline to get your manuscript in is March 28.
Prerequisite for registering for this workshop: Having previously attended three 5-day WIFYR workshops. This requirement may be waived with WIFYR’s permission. Click the Contact Us link to consult with us.
J. Scott Savage is the author of 20 published novels, including Farworld, Case File 13, Mysteries of Cove, The Lost Wonderland Diaries, Graysen Foxx Treasure Hunter, and an upcoming middle-grade graphic novel series. His books have received many awards and recognitions including Amazon Book of the Month, Barnes and Noble Select Book, Jr. Library Guild, and others. To learn more about J. Scott Savage at www.jscottsavage.com
Michael Carr | Getting Ready for the Full Novel Class
In this class you will turn in 25,000 to 30,000 words of your manuscript. Michael will workshop these specific parts of your novel including the beginning, the inciting incident that leads to the middle, part of the middle, the inciting incident leading up to and including the climax, and the last chapter of your novel. Having been an agent for several years, Michael will pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of your work.
The deadline to get your manuscript in is March 28.
Prerequisite for registering for this workshop: Having previously attended three 5-day WIFYR workshops. This requirement may be waived with WIFYR’s permission. Click the Contact Us link to consult with us.
With a strong background in editing and writing, Michael enjoys teaching at workshops and conferences to help develop emerging writers. He is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French. Before joining Veritas, Michael had professions as diverse as programming simulators for nuclear submarines and owning an inn in Vermont.Learn more about Michael at www.veritasliterary.com
Heather B. Moore | Boot Camp
Author Heather B. Moore has run multiple boot camps over the years, with the aim of workshopping manuscripts from the early stages to digging into the layers in order to prepare them for publication. In this hands-on boot camp, we’ll deep-dive into the first 55 pages of your manuscript by pre-reading before the workshop so that we can engage in a round table discussion in person. Each submission will be given equal time for discussion, and all class participants will be expected to share feedback as well. We’ll focus on the inciting incident, creation of conflict, pacing of story, overall structure, development of characters, and nitty gritty things like point of view, dialog, action beats, and word choice. From the resulting layered development of your 55 pages, you’ll be able to apply all concepts to the remainder of your manuscript.
Prerequisite for registering for this workshop: Having previously attended two 5-day WIFYR workshops. This requirement may be waived with WIFYR’s permission. Click the Contact Us link to consult with us.
Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications. Heather writes primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. Publishing in a breadth of genres, Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling.
Carol Lynch Williams and Kyra Leigh | Speciality Novel Class
Are you doing what needs to be done at the opening of your novel? Do you grab the reader? Move the story forward? Waste words or make every word work?
In this Specialty Class "Down to the Word: Making Sure Each Word Works," we'll dive into the first 8,000 words of your manuscript. You'll have two sets of eyes on your writing--plus the expertise of your classmates. Are you wondering if you've set up your mystery correctly? Do you wonder if you're using too many words at the opening of your fantasy novel--and losing the reader? Are you writing a picture book or a novel?
Carol and Kyra will lead discussions on strong writing and on the chapter-by-chapter outline for your novel/picture books as well discussing the structure of your story. There will be homework, revisions, and prep to meet with an agent.
Carol Lynch Williams, who grew up in Florida and now lives in Utah, is an award-winning novelist with five daughters of her own.
She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College.
Her books have been featured on numerous lists of recommended YA fiction. Carol’s other novels include The Chosen One, Glimpse, Miles From Ordinary, Waiting, and several other titles for young readers.
Kyra Leigh lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. When she isn’t writing, Kyra spends her free time in the mountains hiking with her dog. She is the author of It Will End Like This and Reaper.
Rosalyn Eves | Novel Class
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In this workshop, geared toward emerging writers, we will critique the first 2,500 to 3,000 words of your novel (any genre welcome). We'll talk about setting your story up for success, including creating dynamic characters, building a solid story structure, developing scenes, establishing an immersive setting through world-building, and more. We will workshop your opening pages in class and discuss techniques for revision.
Rosalyn Eves is an English professor and author, who has spent more than two decades working with student writers to polish their prose. She teaches English at Southern Utah University and has written four young adult novels (both fantasy and historical), including the award-winning Beyond the Mapped Stars.
Mickey George | Graphic Novel Class
In recent years, graphic novels have taken publishing by storm: they’ve grown a whopping 65% this last year alone! In this workshop, we’ll break down the pillars of sequential storytelling and the nuances of collaborating with an artist or art team to bring a story to life in a way only graphic novels can. We’ll explore the nearly endless limits of the versatile format while also learning about current trends and standards in the industry. Students will also come away with a basic understanding of what self-publishing, working with a small press, or working with a traditional publisher is like for graphic novel authors. This workshop is aimed for beginners and intermediates of all backgrounds who want to explore the graphic novel as a medium – whether writers, illustrators, storytellers, or all of the above.
Mickey George has always been surrounded by books. Her debut graphic novel, The Heart Hunter, is out from Legendary Comics. She also wrote the comic sequel of the film Enola Holmes, starring Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill: Enola Holmes: Mycroft's Dangerous Game, and the upcoming Skull Island comic. In addition to comics and graphic novels, she wrote a YA historical book called Speak Easy, Speak Love, and writes visual-novel scripts for multiple studios. She lives in Salt Lake City with two adorable troublemaking dogs and a lot of plants.
Annie Bailey | Picture Book Class
During class, we'll critique two picture book manuscripts (totaling 2,000 words) and learn how we can improve our craft and transform our stories into engaging books that readers will love. We'll study beginnings and endings, pacing, story arc, poetic techniques and more. We'll also study mentor texts and how we can use those stories to improve and troubleshoot our own work. I'll share the tips and tricks that made the biggest difference in my own writing and publishing journey. During our time together, our goal will be to take your craft and your manuscripts to the next level.
Annie Bailey is a children’s author, songwriter, and mom to four boys. She is the author of the board books 10 Little Tractors and 10 Little Excavators (Doubleday Books for Young Readers), the upcoming board book Hush, Little Hero (Little Simon) as well as the picture book Mud! (Abrams Appleseed). She has also released a children’s album titled There is Joy. Annie lives in rural Idaho in a renovated farmhouse complete with her very own train car. (Which, of course, has time traveling capabilities.)