Writing Conference

64 South 100 East,American Fork UT 84003

08 October, 2022

Description

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:10:30-11:30 AM -- Welcome and Keynote: Jodi Milner "Imposter Syndrome, How to Beat the Monster" 11:30 AM-12:30 PM -- Workshops: "The Muddled Middle" by Johnny Worthen OR "Character Arcs: They're Not Always Positive" by Daniel M. Quilter 12:30 PM-1:15 PM -- LUNCH BREAK 1:15-2:15 PM -- Workshops: "Six Key Concepts for World Building" by Robin Glassey OR "Getting Your Book to the World--Traditional vs. Digital Publishing & Marketing" by Karl Beckstrand 2:15-3:30 PM -- Q&A Author Panel and Book Signings **Lunch WILL NOT be provided. We will have an array of snacks during the conference and a 45 minute lunch break for you to grab lunch.** PARTICIPATING AUTHORS: Karl Beckstrand, Stanalei Fletcher, Robin Glassey, Mary Martinez/ M.L. Fox, Jodi L. Milner, Daniel M. Quilter, and Johnny Worthen AUTHOR BIOS:Media professor KARL BECKSTRAND is the bestselling and award-winning author/illustrator of 25 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 60 ebook titles. His survival thriller, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award, and his multicultural kids’ books have been lauded by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal. Raised in Silicon Valley, he has lived abroad and worked with people from all continents (except Antarctica). His work reflects cultural diversity—not only in protagonists, but in collaborators (his illustrators hail from Latin America, Europe, and Asia). Beckstrand has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APUS, and a broadcast/film certificate from Film A. Academy. He teaches media at a state college and, since 2004, has run Premio Publishing. Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His Y.A. stories, ebook mysteries, nonfiction, Spanish/bilingual, wordless, career, and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters—and usually end with a twist. His work has appeared via: Amazon, Apple/iBooks, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Costco, Deseret Book, Follett, Ingram, Papercrafts Magazine, Target.com, The U.S. Congressional Record, Walmart.com, FB, Twitter, and https://PremioBooks.com ------ STANALEI FLETCHER is an award-winning author of suspense and speculative romantic fiction. She has over twenty years of training in the martial arts and holds the rank of Sandan, a third-degree black belt, in Aikido. After a taste of life on both U.S. coasts, she now resides near the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with her hero, who just happens to be her best friend and husband. Together they enjoy backcountry dirt trails on a RZR, visiting our National Parks, or exploring museums and ghost towns. You may visit Stanalei at: https://www.stanaleifletcher.com/ ------ 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. ------ JODI L. MILNER is the author of the YA fantasy Shadow Barrier series, which includes Stonebearer’s Betrayal, winner of the LUW Recommended Read award, and Stonebearer’s Apprentice, winner of the LUW Silver Quill. When not chasing daydreams, she enjoys destroying movie plots, making amigurumi, and plotting to take over the world. You can find Jodi pretty much everywhere: Twitter: http://twitter.com/JodiLMilner Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tsuchigari/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JodiMilnerAuthor ------ DANIEL M QUILTER is a sci-fi and fantasy author. He lives in Orem, Utah with his wife and daughters. When he's not writing, he enjoys cooking, eating, and doing pretty much anything outdoors. ------ 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.