Writing Conference

64 South 100 East,American Fork UT 84003

25 September, 2021

Description

Love to write? Come learn more about your craft and interact with other authors at the American Fork Library writing conference! SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:10:30-11:30 AM -- Welcome and Keynote: Kathryn Elizabeth Jones and Douglas Jones "What COVID Taught Us About Creating a Great Book" 11:30 AM-12:30 PM -- Workshops: "Interviewing 101" by Jared Quan OR "Marvel Saves the Cat" by Daniel M. Quilter 12:30 PM-1:15 PM -- LUNCH BREAK 1:15-2:15 PM -- Workshops: "Zen and the Art of Writing" by Johnny Worthen OR "Making Monsters" by Elizabeth Suggs 2:15-3:30 PM -- Q&A Author Panel and Book Signings PARTICIPATING AUTHORS: Sara Fitzgerald, Robin Glassey, Douglas Jones, Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, Jared Quan, Daniel M. Quilter, Jo Schneider, Elizabeth Suggs, and Johnny Worthen AUTHOR BIOS:SARA FITZGERALD was named Writer of the Year by The League of Utah Writers in 2006, and she is the author of the LDS novel of Shattered Within. She is also the beloved author of the Christmas stories, Saving Savanna and A Miracle for Ann, along with six other published fiction titles. Sara Fitzgerald is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She holds a Master of Social Work with a special emphasis on Mental Illnesses. She lives with her husband and daughter in the Rocky Mountains. She loves writing, watercolor painting and spending time with her family and loved ones. ------ ROBIN GLASSEY grew up in a small Canadian town with a leaky nuclear power plant. While radioactivity hasn’t given Robin superpowers, it has turned her into a human EMP who might just usher in the apocalypse. In 1995, she moved to Utah and graduated from BYU with a BA in Psychology soon after. These days, Robin spends her time analyzing her teenage boys, teaching at writing conferences, and writing clean YA fantasy. In Robin’s epic fantasy series, The Azetha Series, she transports readers to a world of sorcery, secrets, and strange creatures. Although Robin writes about epic journeys, if she ever went on one, she’d most likely die within the first mile. ------ KATHRYN ELIZABETH JONES has been a published writer since 1987. She started as a newspaper reporter, published her first novel in 2002, attended college in her 40s, and (along with her husband, Douglas) opened the doors to Idea Creations Press in 2012. Kathryn offers opportunities for authors to get their books out into the world and loves speaking to authors about writing, publishing, and marketing. She has published 20 books to date in the genres of Christian fiction, nonfiction (including Christian and business) mystery, YA, and LDS middle reader. Her most recent book, “I Walked with Jesus: New Testament Stories of Faith & Healing from the Least of These” debuted in September of 2021. Her husband, DOUGLAS JONES, is an experienced book guru. Since Kathryn’s first book, he has assisted in marketing, editing, and publishing – from Christian fiction to YA mystery. Doug is an expert in book cover design, layout, web design, and social media. He enjoys helping clients as part of Ideas Creations Press to create his/her own book masterpiece. ------ JARED QUAN is a video game addict and writer published in genres from Spy-Thriller to Horror/Supernatural, to Fantasy-Comedy. His work includes Ezekial’s Gun, Changing Wax, Classified, Pathological Passion, (Futuristic/Romance/Steampunk, which he co-wrote with his wife), Unclassified, and Prepped (a story in the Apocalypse Utah anthology). He has extensively served the community in roles from the President for the League of Utah Writers, Board Member of the Cultural Arts Society of West Jordan, Grants Director of the Eagle Mountain Arts Alliance, Executive Director of Big World Network, Chair of the West Jordan Arts Council, serving on the Utah Poet Laureate Selection Committee, Recruiting Chair of the Association of IT Professional Utah Chapter, as well as serving as a general volunteer for countless events and organizations. Jared was given the Gold Volunteer Service Award by the President of the United States for his over 1,500 hours of service to the writing community from 2015 to 2017. He has also received recognition and awards from the Governor and Lt. Governor of Utah for his volunteering. He lives in Eagle Mountain with his supportive wife and five children. ------ DANIEL M QUILTER grew up in Orem, Utah right at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. He spent his time hiking, camping, rock climbing, and anything else outdoors. He currently lives in Utah with his wife and daughter. He attended Utah Valley University and spent two years in Portugal as a missionary for the LDS church. He has now released three books, A Soul Divided, and The Key to the Demon's Gate with its sequel The Outer West, along with a short story, The Darwin Protocol. All of his books are available on Amazon. ------ ELIZABETH SUGGS is a writer, an editor, and a leader in the writing community. She obsessively writes each morning, lunch, and evening. When she's not writing, she's leading a group of writers through bi-weekly workshops on feedback and focused writing. She believes these meetings help writers understand themselves in the world and better prepare them for major publishers. She is published in a podcast, a poetry journal, with news agencies, several anthologies, and headed an anthology project. She also helped an author publish his children's book. Outside of writing, Elizabeth devours literature through reading or listening. She tries any genre once, but she especially loves classics, horror, sci-fi, and psychology texts. Sometimes she even listens to audiobooks while playing games because she can stay productive that way. She used to be a journalist, so many of her publications are nonfiction hard news and events, but she hopes to break the pattern and publish works of art in fiction and poetry, just like the authors she loves reading. ------ JOHNNY WORTHEN is an award-winning, multi-genre, hybrid, tie-dye-wearing author, voyager, and damn fine human being! Trained in literary criticism and cultural studies he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Utah. Beyond English on a good day, he speaks Danish and reads Latin. He is a Utah Writer of the Year. An avowed Deconstructionist, Johnny writes up-market stories from the inside out, beginning with theme and pursuing an idea through whatever genre will best serve it. So far he has published fiction novels as mystery, young adult, comedy, urban fantasy, horror and science fiction, both traditionally and independently. A frequent presenter and panelist at writing conferences and fan conventions, he is active in local communities of artists and writers. A long-time volunteer for the League of Utah Writers, the state’s oldest and largest writing organization, he has served several high positions of leadership there, including President from 2018-2020. When not writing his own stuff, Johnny edits professionally for a small dark fiction press in Los Angeles and teaches Creative Writing at the University of Utah as an Associate Instructor. He lives in Sandy, Utah with his wife, sons and cats. There’s also a lawn.