Special Program / The 2018 Creative Nonfiction Writers’ Conference

2018 Conference Schedule

Take your writing to the next level. 

The 2018 Creative Nonfiction Writers’ Conference offers almost twenty distinct 75-minute sessions led by professional journalists, authors, editors, and down-to-earth teachers. Wherever you are in your writing project or career, there are sessions that can help you learn new skills, think about challenges in a new way, re-energize your craft, and tell your story, better.

Customize your schedule, meet one-on-one with an agent, and/or have your manuscript reviewed by one of our professional writing instructors, while spending two+ days surrounded by 150+ other highly motivated memoirists, lyrical essayists, longform journalists, and others.

Register today »


See the full schedule for:
ThursdayFriday | Saturday


 

Thursday, May 24th

5:30 pm
CHECK-IN

6:15 pm
OPENING REMARKS

6:30 pm
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION 

The Power of Story  
Why creative nonfiction matters now more than ever
LEE GUTKIND

8 pm 
RECEPTION

Meet & Greet Mixer (& Reading)
Enjoy light fare & cocktails and mingle with other conference attendees.


 

Friday, May 25th

8 am
CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST

9:15 am
MORNING SESSION #1 

Foundations of Creative Nonfiction
ANJALI SACHDEVA
-or-

Learning Longform
STEVEN KURUTZ

10:45 am
MORNING SESSION #2 

Finding Your Voice
MIKE ROSENWALD
-or-
Science & Narrative 
VIRGINIA MORELL

12 pm 
LUNCH BREAK

1:30 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION #1 

Character Development
CHRIS GIRMAN
-or-
The Lyric Essay
DAISY HERNÁNDEZ
-or-
Writing for Online & Digital Outlets
JENN BAKER

2:45 pm
COFFEE BREAK & NETWORKING

3:15 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION #2 

Building Scenes
MEGHAN O'GIEBLYN
-or-

Book Proposals
LESLIE MEREDITH

4:45 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION #3 

Beyond the "Me" in Memoir
LISE FUNDERBURG
-or-
Perfect Your Pitch 
HEATHER BOERNER

6:30 pm
RECEPTION

Party in the Park 
A literary cocktail hour.


 

Saturday, May 26th

8 am
CHECK-IN & BREAKFAST

9:15 am 
MORNING SESSION #1
Flash Nonfiction
DINTY W. MOORE
-or-
Interviewing
ANDREW CONTE
-or-
Writing the Tough Stuff
JESSICA HANDLER

10:45 am
MORNING SESSION #2

The Ethical Boundaries 
PETER TRACHTENBERG
-or-
Experimental Forms
BARRETT SWANSON
-or-
Transforming Essays into a Book
PATRICE GOPO

12 pm
LUNCH BREAK 

1:30 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION #1
Literary Magazines 101
BECKY TUCH
-or-
Fact-checking
ROBYN COGGINS & CHAD VOGLER

2:45 pm
COFFEE BREAK & NETWORKING

3:15 pm
AFTERNOON SESSION #2

Working with an Editor
HATTIE FLETCHER
-or-
Platform Building & Self-promotion
STEPHEN KNEZOVICH & AADAM SOORMA
-or-
Using History & Research to Tell a Better Story
BRYANT SIMON

4:45 pm
FAREWELL
Advice & Inspiration
Presenters from CNFWC18 close with uplifting messages and their best advice for writers



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