A Word from Jackson Hole

It’s still winter for a few more weeks but soon it will writer’s conference season. I will be in Jackson Hole again for the writer’s conference, this year the dates are June 25 to 27. For more info on the conference and to read about the great writers who will be critiquing manuscripts — like Tobias Wolff and Nina McConigley — hop over to the website.

The day before the conference starts (Wednesday, June 24) Debby Atkinson and I get in a huddle with twelve to fifteen writers who are working on their novels. One thing that’s difficult at writers conferences is getting an overall view of your long fiction. It takes too long for someone to read it and you aren’t sure where to start with discussing problems. So Debby and I hold hands, answer questions, and help you delve below the surface to fix structural and thematic issues, as well as character and plot. The workshop is called Passion To Plot: How To Mine The Gold In Your Novel. (We renamed it this year and we’ll be doing some new exercises but it’s similar to past years’ workshops, all day, 9 to 3, lunch included. Love to see you again!)

You can attend the workshop as a stand alone, or add it to your weekend conference. Debby and I are dedicated to helping you find your best novel, however hard it seems. Attendees have often helped and encouraged each other, and continue to connect long after the workshop. We’ll figure it out together. Join us! Click here for more info.