Tag: Colleen Oakley

2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference

Registration for the 2nd Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference Opens March 31st!

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The time is almost at hand! In just nine days, registration for the 2nd Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference opens! We’re lining up another all-star cast of talented writers, agents and editors to offer you all you need to refine and improve your craft, and get you on the road to publication!

Join us September 23-24, 2017, at the Decatur Library in downtown Decatur, Georgia for two days of educational sessions, packed with expertise and insight to address the questions you have about the craft of writing! Attending a writing conference is an opportunity to invest in yourself as a writer, to learn from experts, and to become a part of a community of writers that inspire, uplift and support one another!

In addition to attending sessions, you will have the opportunity to schedule a five-minute one-on-one session with an agent. We’re in the process of adding our agents, so please check back with us soon for more information!

On Saturday, we will also be presenting a First Pages Critique featuring a panel of literary agents. Once you have registered, be sure to submit your first page and take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to get your manuscript on the right path!

Once again, the talented pool of writers in the state of Georgia moves into our spotlight. Each has earned great praise for their work, and now they are ready to offer you their thoughts and energy over the course of the weekend. Check out our list of this year’s confirmed speakers!

Take the leap. Invest in yourself. Be the writer you long to be. Find new friends, new connections, and be inspired!

BWA Conference

2016 Broadleaf Writers Conference Schedule Now Available!

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The 2016 Schedule for the Broadleaf Writers Conference is now available*! Click the link for a downloadable version, or scroll below to see it now!

Saturday, September 24th

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction

9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Writing With Confidence

Keynote Address, Paul Jenkins

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

The Southern Voice: Writing Southern Fiction

Panelists: Patti Callahan Henry, Joshilyn Jackson, Brian Panowich

Moderator: George Weinstein

 

The Butler Didn’t Do It: Keeping the Mystery in Your Work

Panelists: Shelli Johannes-Wells, Grant Jerkins, Romily Bernard

Moderator: TBD

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

A Panel of Panels: The Comic Book Writer

Panelists: Paul Jenkins, Clay McLeod Chapman, James A. Moore

Moderator: Bill Blume

 

Kill Your Darlings, Over and Again: Editing Your Work

Panelists: Jessica Handler, Joshilyn Jackson, David L. Robbins, Colleen Oakley

Moderator: George Weinstein

2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

You Just Don’t Understand Me!: Writing for Teens and Children

Panelists: Romily Bernard, Shelli Johannes Wells, Clay McLeod Chapman

Moderator: Bill Blume

 

Marketing in a Digital Age: Marketing and Branding on Social Media

Panelists: Clifford Brooks III, Nicki Salcedo, Kate Sweeney

Moderator: TBD

3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

First Pages Critique

Panelists: Kristy Hunter, Kaylee Davis, Kimiko Nakamura, David L. Robbins

Moderator: Zachary Steele

 

Sunday, September 25th

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.

Welcome Back

9:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Life, the Universe, and Everything: The Elements of World Building

Panelists: Paul Jenkins, Patti Callahan Henry, James A. Moore, Brian Panowich

Moderator: Bill Blume

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Driving a Stake Through Clichés: Writing Original Fantasy and Horror

Panelists: James A. Moore, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Clay McLeod Chapman

Moderator: TBD

 

You Could Say That: Choosing the Right Word

Panelists: Clifford Brooks III, David L. Robbins, Kate Sweeney

Moderator: Ed Hall

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Make ‘em Laugh: Injecting Humor In Your Work

Panelists: Patti Callahan Henry, Nicki Salcedo, Jessica Handler

Moderator: TBD

 

Putting Them Through Hell: Pushing Your Characters to the Brink

Panelists: Colleen Oakley, David L. Robbins, Grant Jerkins

Moderator: TBD

1:00p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Lunch

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

You Don’t Say…: Writing Believable Characters and Dialogue

Panelists: Nicki Salcedo, Brian Panowich, Grant Jerkins

Moderator: David L. Robbins

 

Sad Hours Seem Long: Writing Grief and Loss for Everyone

Panelists: Jessica Handler, Kate Sweeney, Colleen Oakley

Moderator: TBD

3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The Elevator Pitch: The 60-second Pitch

Panelists: Kristy Hunter, Kaylee Davis, Kimiko Nakamura,

Moderator: Zachary Steele

4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Clifford Brooks III, The Fifth Movement &

Closing Remarks

*schedule subject to change

BWA Conference

Registration is now open!

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2016 BWA Conference

Registration for the 2016 Broadleaf Writers Conference is now open! To register, visit our event page. You can also include the purchase of an annual membership, which offers you an immediate discount on your registration!

For a current list of this year’s Speakers, click here!

We will be updating our conference page soon, with further details on scheduling one-on-one sessions with Literary Agents! If you haven’t done so yet, sign-up for our newsletter or visit us on Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates and news!

Writer's Night

Writer’s Night 2.0, featuring Colleen Oakley!

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Writer’s Night returns!

Our second installment on the Writer’s Night calendar is quickly approaching! This go around, we’ll be at Book Exchange in Marietta, Saturday April 30th from 5-7 p.m.! As before, there will be food, drinks, socializing and, of course, a featured speaker from this year’s conference! So, take some time away from writing, power down the laptop, steel yourself for some friendly conversation and spend some needed time with fellow writers!

For this Writer’s Night, we are pleased to announce our featured author will be Colleen Oakley!

Colleen Oakley
Colleen Oakley

One of Atlanta’s great new voices in fiction, Colleen Oakley’s debut novel Before I Go was a People Magazine Best New Book Pick in January 2015, an Us Weekly “Must” Pick, and a Publisher’s Lunch Buzz Book. Formerly the senior editor of Marie Claire and editor-in-chief of Women’s Health & Fitness, Colleen’s articles, essays, and interviews have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, Redbook, Parade, and Martha Stewart Weddings. She is hard at work on her second novel, Close Enough to Touch, due out April 2017.

It is our hope to continue hosting Writer’s Night events throughout the year, leading to the First Annual BWA Conference in September. In addition to offering an event designed to create a community–one that encourages writers to join en masse to offer support, discuss ideas, projects, and life in general–we also want to keep solid attention on the many quality independent bookstores in the area. So, come out, have some fun, throw some support to Book Exchange, and help us build a writing community!

We have a great deal in works for this year and beyond. For the latest updates and news, please sign up for our newsletter, ‘like’ us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!