Please note: Week 1 times are all Eastern, for the convenience of our Charlotte attendees; Week 2 times are all Central, for the convenience of our Minnesota attendees – end times are approximate
All sessions can be viewed at the times indicated below, or for 3 months following the conference
All times and sessions are subject to change
For presentation details see this page. To learn more about each speaker click here. Group discussions with each speaker are an opportunity for you to ask the speaker questions. Book discussions with each author are an opportunity for you to learn more about our speakers’ books, to learn how they talk about their own books, and to ask them questions.
Monday June 22 – Eastern time
- 9:00 – 9:30 Eastern: Worship
- 9:30 – 10:15 Eastern: Barbara Brown Taylor keynote: Writing in Quarantine: The Sacrament of the Right Word
- 10:30 – 12:00 Eastern: Barbara Brown Taylor Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Eastern: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Dana Trent presentation: What Every Writer Needs to Know
- 2:00 – 2:15 Eastern: Dana Trent Q&R
- 2:15 – 2:30 Eastern: Break
- 2:30 – 3:15 Eastern: Dana Trent presentation: Pulling Back the Curtain on Creative Nonfiction: A Reader’s Insider View
- 3:30 – 3:45 Eastern: Dana Trent Q&R
- 3:45 – 4:15 Eastern: Dana Trent group discussion
- 4:15 – 5:15 Eastern: Jessica Miller Kelley (Westminster John Knox Press) book discussion and group discussion
- 5:15 – 8:00 Eastern: Break
- 8:00 – 9:00 Eastern: Tony Jones book discussion and group discussion
Tuesday June 23 – Eastern time
- 8:30 – 9:15 Eastern: Kathryn Helmers (literary agent) presentation: YOU AND YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS: Five steps to a more satisfying relationship
- 9:30 – 9:45 Eastern: Kathryn Helmers (literary agent) Q&R
- 9:45 – 10:00 Eastern: Break
- 10:00 – 10:45 Eastern: Kathryn Helmers (literary agent) presentation: YOU’RE A WRITER, NOW WHAT? Strategizing your author platform
- 11:00 – 11:45 Eastern: Kathryn Helmers (literary agent) Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Eastern: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Lisa Crayton presentation: Discovering Your Gifts for Writing
- 2:00 – 2:15 Eastern: Lisa Crayton Q&R
- 2:15 – 2:30 Eastern: Break
- 2:30 – 3:15 Eastern: Lisa Crayton presentation: Tell the Truth: Write Nonfiction for Children
- 3:30 – 4:15 Eastern: Lisa Crayton Q&R and group discussion
- 4:15 – 5:15 Eastern: Kate Rademacher book discussion and group discussion
- 5:15 – 6:15 Eastern: Kari van Wakeren book discussion and group discussion
Wednesday June 24 – Eastern time
- 8:30 – 9:15 Eastern: Jennifer Grant presentation: So…You Wanna Write a Picture Book!
- 9:30 – 9:45 Eastern: Jennifer Grant Q&R
- 9:45 – 10:00 Eastern: Break
- 10:00 – 10:45 Eastern: Jennifer Grant presentation: I’m Nobody? Who Are You? Battling Impostor Syndrome So You Can Move Forward and Do Your Good Work
- 11:00 – 11:45 Eastern: Jennifer Grant Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Eastern: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) presentation: Literary Agent: An Author’s Best Friend – Part 1: Acquiring an Agent
- 2:00 – 2:15 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) Q&R
- 2:15 – 2:30 Eastern: Break
- 2:30 – 3:15 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) presentation: Literary Agent: An Author’s Best Friend – Part 2: The Pitching Process
- 3:30 – 4:15 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) Q&R and group discussion
- 4:15 – 5:00 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) presentation: Literary Agent: An Author’s Best Friend – Building Relationship with Publisher and Reader
- 5:15 – 5:30 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) Q&R
- 5:30 – 6:00 Eastern: Brian Allain group discussion
Thursday June 25 – Eastern time
- 8:30 – 9:15 Eastern: Kathy Izard presentation: Dream it. Write it. Publish it.
- 9:30 – 9:45 Eastern: Kathy Izard Q&R
- 9:45 – 10:00 Eastern: Break
- 10:00 – 10:45 Eastern: Kathy Izard presentation: Living on Purpose: Never Too Late for Next Chapters
- 11:00 – 11:45 Eastern: Kathy Izard Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Eastern: Break
- 1:00 – 1:30 Eastern: Leighton Ford interview
- 1:30 – 2:30 Eastern: Open mic
- 2:30 – 3:30 Eastern: Jevon Bolden (literary agent) book discussion and group discussion
- 3:30 – 4:00 Eastern: Kathryn Helmers (literary agent) group discussion
- 4:00 – 5:00 Eastern: Niki Hardy book discussion and group discussion
- 5:00 – 6:00 Eastern: Stephanie Williams O’Brien book discussion and group discussion
Friday June 26 – Eastern time
- 8:30 – 9:30 Eastern: Dana Trent book discussion and group discussion
- 9:30 – 10:30 Eastern: Kathy Izard book discussion and group discussion
- 10:30 – 10:45 Eastern: Break
- 10:45 – 11:45 Eastern: Barbara Brown Taylor book discussion and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Eastern: Break
- 1:00 – 2:00 Eastern: Jennifer Grant book discussion and group discussion
- 2:00 – 3:00 Eastern: Lisa Crayton book discussion and group discussion
- 3:00 – 3:15 Eastern: Break
- 3:15 – 3:45 Eastern: WordPlay presentation: Writing with Heart, Mind, Body, and Soul
- 3:45 – 4:15 Eastern: WordPlay group discussion
- 4:15 – 5:15 Eastern: Erin Hall book discussion and group discussion
Monday June 29 – Central time
- 9:00 – 9:30 Central: Worship
- 9:30 – 10:15 Central: Barbara Brown Taylor keynote: Writing in Quarantine: The Ministry of the Given Word
- 10:30 – 12:00 Central: Barbara Brown Taylor Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Central: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Central: Tony Jones presentation: Two Things Your Book NEEDS (And a Few More Things It Should Have)
- 2:00 – 2:15 Central: Tony Jones Q&R
- 2:15 – 2:30 Central: Break
- 2:30 – 3:15 Central: Tony Jones presentation: How the Publishing Industry REALLY Works
- 3:30 – 4:15 Central: Tony Jones Q&R and group discussion
- 4:15 – 5:00 Central: Lori Erickson presentation: Finding A Niche
- 5:15 – 5:30 Central: Lori Erickson Q&R
- 5:30 – 7:00 Central: Break
- 7:00 – 8:00 Central: Lori Erickson book discussion and group discussion
Tuesday June 30 – Central time
- 8:30 – 9:15 Central: Patricia Raybon presentation: Race, Grace & Forgiveness: Writing Our Way to Racial Healing
- 9:30 – 9:45 Central: Patricia Raybon Q&R
- 9:45 – 10:00 Central: Break
- 10:00 – 10:45 Central: Patricia Raybon presentation: Hallelujah, It’s a Book – What Famous Authors and Creatives Can Teach Writers About Life, Love, Work & Success
- 11:00 – 11:45 Central: Patricia Raybon Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Central: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Central: Lisa Kloskin (Broadleaf Books / Fortress Press) presentation: What Your Publisher Should Do for You, and What They Won’t
- 2:00 – 2:15 Central: Lisa Kloskin (Broadleaf Books / Fortress Press) Q&R
- 2:15 – 2:30 Central: Break
- 2:30 – 3:15 Central: Lisa Kloskin (Broadleaf Books / Fortress Press) presentation: Not Another Memoir: How to Use Your Personal Story in More Compelling Ways
- 3:30 – 4:15 Central: Lisa Kloskin (Broadleaf Books / Fortress Press) Q&R and group discussion
- 4:15 – 5:00 Central: Jeff Munroe presentation: Reading Frederick Buechner
- 5:15 – 6:00 Central: Jeff Munroe Q&R and group discussion
Wednesday July 1 – Central time
- 7:30 – 8:15 Central: Jeff Munroe presentation: Precise and Concise
- 8:15 – 8:30 Central: Jeff Munroe Q&R
- 8:30 – 9:15 Central: Lori Erickson presentation: Building a Platform
- 9:30 – 9:45 Central: Lori Erickson Q&R
- 9:45 – 10:00 Central: Break
- 10:00 – 10:45 Central: Lori Erickson presentation: Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper
- 11:00 – 11:45 Central: Lori Erickson Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Central: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Central: Jessica Miller Kelley (Westminster John Knox Press) presentation: Five Things NOT to Say in a Book Proposal
- 2:00 – 2:45 Central: Jessica Miller Kelley (Westminster John Knox Press) Q&R and group discussion
- 2:45 – 3:00 Central: Break
- 3:00 – 4:00 Central: Lisa Kloskin (Broadleaf Books / Fortress Press) book discussion and group discussion
- 4:00 – 4:45 Central: Roger Freet (literary agent) presentation: TBD
- 5:00 – 5:45 Central: Roger Freet (literary agent) Q&R and group discussion
Thursday July 2 – Central time
- 8:30 – 9:15 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew presentation: Living Revision
- 9:30 – 9:45 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Q&R
- 9:45 – 10:00 Central: Break
- 10:00 – 10:45 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew presentation: Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art & Practice of Spiritual Memoir
- 11:00 – 11:45 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Q&R and group discussion
- 12:00 – 1:00 Central: Break
- 1:00 – 1:45 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew presentation: A Life on Fire: Reading Spiritual Memoir
- 2:00 – 2:15 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Q&R
- 2:15 – 2:30 Central: Break
- 2:30 – 3:15 Central: Susan Salley (Abingdon Press) presentation: Writing with Purpose: Three Questions
- 3:30 – 4:45 Central: Susan Salley (Abingdon Press) Q&R, book discussion, and group discussion
- 4:45 – 5:45 Central: Brian Allain presentation: Many Paths to Publishing
- 6:00 – 6:30 Central: Brian Allain Q&R
- 6:30 – 7:00 Central: Break
- 7:00 – 8:00 Central: Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew book discussion and group discussion
Friday July 3 – Central time
- 8:30 – 9:30 Central: Jennifer Ohman-Rodriguez book discussion and group discussion
- 9:30 – 10:30 Central: Patricia Raybon book discussion and group discussion
- 10:30 – 10:45 Central: Break
- 10:45 – 11:45 Central: Advice on writing and elevator pitches from Barbara Brown Taylor and Brian Allain
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