5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference

The Schedule for the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is Now Available!

The time is here and open registration for the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is upon us. Though the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed our event online, we still plan to offer the same great lineup, complete with plenty of informative and inspirational panels and workshops, one-on-one pitch sessions with agents, as well as our brand new one-on-one mentoring sessions with authors and agents, and a one-on-one first page critique with New York Times bestselling author David L. Robbins! All for a lower price! We’re confident you will get all you expect from us, and as much more as we can possibly offer!

The 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference Schedule is now available for you to review! From open Q&A sessions, to storytelling, to getting your outline and story structure in place, we’ve put together a schedule of sessions we know will give you the tools and inspiration you need to grow as an artist, and to pursue your dreams of publication.

On Saturday, October 17th, we’ll kick things off with an open Q&A session with a legend of the comic book and gaming industries (You can’t say Wolverine without mentioning him!), Paul Jenkins! We can think of no greater source of encouragement and information to get your weekend started than Paul, and this is your opportunity to hear his story, pick his brain, and learn from one of the best around.

Consisting of 7 more panels and 1 workshop, our Saturday schedule digs its heels into the hard work of creating a dynamic story, memorable characters, and, of course, nailing that first page. An annual favorite, the First Page Critique returns to close out the day, giving you the opportunity to have the first page of your manuscript critiqued by our panel of literary agents. The submissions are anonymous and highly recommended. Not ready to submit? No problem! You can still attend and gain invaluable tips from agents to assist you in perfecting your first page!

We return on Sunday with a brand-new session! Our literary agents will sit once more, this time to listen to your query letters! A daunting undertaking for any writer, this will be your chance to hear what agents have to say about the query letters our attendees have submitted! Much like First Pages, if you are not up for submitting, no worries! You can still gain from their insights and use all you learn to get yours right! But we do recommend you submit! After all, your submissions remain anonymous!

With 6 additional panels and 2 more workshops, Sunday is another busy day full of opportunities to learn! And it includes another new session we’re beyond excited to present. Hosted by the dynamic duo of YATL, Kimberly Jones and Vania Stoyanova, the YATL Pitch Match is your chance to present your story to an agent in a whole new way! Covering four categories—Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, and Nonfiction—we will select four attendees for each (you will submit your name on Saturday) and Kimberly and Vania will lead our contestants through a series of fun and entertaining questions and scenarios for a literary agent that represents that category. At the end, our agent will select a winner and meet with them in a private breakout room for 15 minutes to discuss the story further! Not only will it be fun, but you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about pitching your work and give an agent even more reason to consider reading your manuscript!

We’re working hard to add more elements to this quite different way of presenting a conference. From social rooms to chat with other attendees and our speakers, to a storytelling reception to celebrate our fifth year of existence, we plan on giving you all the elements of our conference from the cozy confines of your home. Additionally, you no longer have to decide between which session to attend. Every attendee of the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will receive access to the recordings of every session! Watch it all again or catch the ones you missed!

Register early to ensure your place in our one-on-one sessions! With your registration you receive one pitch and one mentoring session, but for an extra $25 for each you can add more if you wish! With a lower cost, yet as much or more of what we normally offer, this is an incredible opportunity to attend a conference and grow as a writer! We hope to see you there!

BWA Conference

Announcing the 2019 Broadleaf Writers Sweepstakes!

We’re nearing one month until the 4th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is here, and we’re adding a new wrinkle! In addition to New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors, representatives from literary agencies and publishing houses, sessions and workshops packed with information to help improve your writing, and a growing community of writers like you, there’s one more reason to register!

We’re pleased to announce that every attendee for our 4th Annual conference will be entered into a drawing to win a free (FREE IS GOOD!) copy of either Scrivener or Final Draft 11! SIX lucky winners will be chosen during this year’s conference and will receive one of three copies of Scrivener or one of three copies of Final Draft 11! Both are excellent programs designed to simplify and assist in the writing process, whether you’re writing a manuscript or a screenplay! And with your registration, you could have one for free!

That’s right! Not only can you chat with our speakers, hobnob with agents, learn from professional writers, and make new friends who absolutely understand your struggle, but you could leave with a free writing program!

So, register today for your chance to win!

To read through our rules and regulations, Click here.

Programming, Self-Publishing Seminar, Zach's Corner

Ramblings From Zach’s Corner: Who Knew?

This is new. I have a corner.

I just thought you should know.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Recently, I encountered a writer who informed me that, before finally coming to one our programs, they thought we were a scam. Not a malicious, out-to-ruin-all-things, kind of scam, but rather one of those nonprofits that seek to prey on people in need. It stumped me, to be honest. I’d never even considered that perception a possibility, as my brain doesn’t work that way. I’m more “free the spider to the outside world” than the “crush it into a thousand pieces and embrace the darkness of pain” type.

Yet, in review, I get it. The world can be a nasty, spiteful, self-absorbed place and one must be vigilant. There are nonprofits taking advantage of people trying to find their way. Offer a hand for help and people might pull you up so they can better pick your pocket. But that’s not who I am. That’s not what Broadleaf is.

Broadleaf is, and ever will be, a dream. An opportunity. An idea of community, education, inspiration, and connection. I’m a writer myself, after all. I have needs. I long to talk writing, to share work, to be J.K. Rowling or Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett (wait, why do I not live in the U.K. again?). I want to spin a web of writers and proclaim them Terrific and Radiant. And it would be absolutely good and well if I found others who could do the same for me.

Being a writer is a lonely, solitary, profession. We need to remember there’s a world outside our head, even if we don’t like it nearly as much.

Hence, Broadleaf.

Hence, programs like Write Now or the annual conference.

Or, coming very soon to a Ballroom (B) near you (specifically at the Cobb Galleria, whether near or far from you I’d rather not guess), our Self-Publishing Seminar. I don’t personally want to self-publish, nor is it “learning the craft of writing” per se, but it’s important to a large segment of writers and I want to make sure they have the tools to do it right. After all, we can all do this no problem. What we can’t all do, is do it right. So, if you’re in the camp of “should I self-publish”, keeping warm by the fire of indecision and doubt (with every single one of us crowded around), then invest in yourself and your work, register today, and come learn with us. Our speakers have done it, had success, made mistakes they can’t wait to share, and want—as I do as well—to ensure you do this right.

Like every program we put together, this one is for you. For the community of writers we seek to build. And if you want to find me and let me know what you need as a writer, what you’d like to see us as an organization do to better serve your needs, I promise we will take your hand, lift you up, and do our best to pad your pockets rather than pick them.

2018 Writer's High Retreat, Partners, Uncategorized

The 2018 Writer’s High Retreat is March 9-11!

Family. That’s what you will find, first and foremost, at the The Writer’s High Retreat 2018. As a writer, you’re looking for your tribe, for a community that will not only accept you, but embrace your dreams, encourage you forward. You want to learn, to grow as a writer, to achieve on the page that which fills the scope of your imagination.

At the Writer’s High, it all begins with the Mari Ann Stefanelli Perusek, the creative mind behind this retreat. You will not meet a more genuine, enthusiastic, and supportive person, and her energy and drive to offer writers the best haven for creativity is truly unparalleled. The connections you make over a weekend of writing, learning, and fun, will carry on beyond the retreat. You will leave a better writer than you arrived.

We are thrilled to be a sponsor of this amazing retreat. Be there. You won’t regret it.

Patti Callahan Henry, the New York Times best-selling author of 12 novels, is the keynote speaker for the fourth annual Writer’s High Retreat® March 9–11 at Amicalola Falls Lodge in Dawsonville, Georgia. Ms. Henry’s latest book is The Bookshop at Water’s End, which was released in July. Her work has received numerous awards, including a Townsend Prize for Fiction finalist, an Indie Next Pick, an OKRA pick, and a multiple nominee for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Novel of the Year.

Joining Ms. Henry is Nick Chiles, a New York Times bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize-winning former journalist, and literary agent. Mr. Chiles’ extensive body of work includes the New York Times bestselling memoir Every Little Step: My Story, which he co-authored with Bobby Brown in 2016, and Justice While Black: Helping African-American Families Navigate and Survive the Criminal Justice System, which he co-authored with attorney Robbin Shipp in 2014. The book was an NAACP Image Awards finalist in 2015. Mr. Chiles is also a literary agent with Aevitas Creative Management.

The featured speakers are accomplished authors, well versed in fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir––and recognized for their warm, engaging personalities and willingness to share their wisdom with others.

The Writer’s High Retreat® at Amicalola Falls Lodge package includes two nights’ accommodations, all retreat presentations, workshops, and events; meals included are Friday and Saturday dinner buffet, lunch buffet Saturday, and breakfast buffet Saturday and Sunday (cost includes coffee, tea, and iced tea). Rates are $733/single and $579/double (per person). Prices include all tips, taxes, and gratuities. This is a small, intimate retreat, and space is very limited. To register or for more information, visit the retreat website at www.thewritershighretreat.com.

2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference, BWA Conference

Registration for BWC17 opens in two days!

We’re almost there!

In two days, registration for the 2nd Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will open! Join us for two days of panels, discussions, and community, September 23rd and 24th, 2017 at the Decatur Library in downtown Decatur, Georgia! Invest in your writing and become the best writer you can be!

At the Broadleaf Writers Conference you can:

  • Attend craft-focused panels featuring bestselling authors!
  • Learn the art of Page One at the First Pages critique!
  • Pitch your story during five-minute sessions with Literary Agents!
  • Join our growing community of writers, connect and learn!

Purchase an annual membership with Broadleaf Writers and save $25 off your registration!

The registration page will launch Friday, March 31st at 9:00 a.m. Sign up and reserve your spot!

 

2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference

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

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!

2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference, 2017 Writer's High Retreat

The 2017 Writer’s High Retreat

As a writing organization, it’s a thrill to have the opportunity to work closely with another organization, group, or individual seeking to assist other writers in their efforts to work toward publication. We’re excited to be a sponsor for Mari Ann Stefanelli’s fabulous writer’s retreat, The Writer’s High.

Now in its third year, The Writer’s High Retreat will take place March 17–19 at Amicalola Falls Lodge in Dawsonville, Georgia.

Author, speaker, writing coach, and former journalist twice-nominated for the Pulitzer Prize Jedwin Smith headlines this weekend-long writing retreat. Smith will be joined by Megan Sexton, award-winning poet and co-editor of Five Points; novelist Susan Crawford, author of the thrillers The Pocket Wife and The Other Widow; multi-genre author and founder of the Atlanta Writers Conference, George Weinstein; and professional speaker, storyteller, and instructor Jeanne Hewell-Chambers, founder of the 70,273 Project, which commemorates each of the disabled people murdered by Nazis between January 1940 and August 1941.

The Writer’s High Retreat at Amicalola Falls Lodge package includes two nights’ accommodations, all retreat presentations, workshops, and events; meals included are Friday and Saturday dinner buffet, lunch buffet Saturday, and breakfast buffet Saturday and Sunday (beverages included for all meals are coffee, tea, and iced tea). Space is very limited. To register or for more information, visit www.thewritershighretreat.com.

Members of Broadleaf Writers receive a discount toward registration! Additionally, if you have, or plan to, register for The Writer’s High, we will extend to you a discounted rate on the 2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference! Don’t miss out on this fantastic retreat, which offers you both the opportunity to improve who you are as a writer and to connect with an incredible community of writers!

Fundraiser

The 2017 Fundraiser has begun!

Hello friends! Fundraiser time is upon us again and we need your assistance to help us grow in 2017!

Now entering our second year, Broadleaf Writers is looking for the resources to secure office space, technology and supplies that will aid in our educational efforts, and the resources to fund our operation as we build toward future goals. With every dollar pledged, we gain a greater opportunity to teach the craft of writing to those looking to improve a skill they may use in both their personal and professional lives!

Any amount helps! Whether $10, $20 or more, every dollar will help us accomplish our goals of assisting individuals in their attempts to learn the craft!

We want to offer what we can in return for your generosity, and have therefore created the following levels:

With any donation of $50 or more, you will instantly receive an annual membership into Broadleaf Writers (a $40 value), and be listed as a donor on our website and in our Annual Conference Program! For a list of membership benefits, please visit our membership page.

With any donation of $100 or more, you will receive a membership, donation listing, and a critique on the first ten pages of your manuscript by one of our Conference speakers!

With any donation of $250 or more, you will receive a membership into Broadleaf Writers, you will be listed as a Sponsor of our organization or conference (your choice!), receive a ten page critique on your manuscript, AND you will be invited to all 2017 conference functions as our guest!

With any donation of $500 or more, you will receive a lifetime membership into Broadleaf Writers, invitations to future private and public functions and the opportunity to join us in an advisory capacity, as well as everything else in the above groups!

In addition to helping our educational organization grow, all donations are tax-deductible!

Thank you and we appreciate your time and attention!

2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference

The Pre-Registration Special Returns for December!

The holidays are upon us, 2016 is winding to a close, and NaNoWriMo has completed its annual torture of writers around the world. With December now full and present, you’ve turned your attention to plans for the New Year, shopping lists for friends and family, and placing that darling pinnacle of holiday décor somewhere in a highly visible place.

chalie-brown-christmas-tree

Not to be outdone by Black Friday, crowded malls, and Christmas sweaters and family portraits ripe for future parody, Broadleaf is proud to announce we are bringing back our pre-registration special for the 2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference! Now through December 31st, you can register for our annual conference, to be held September 23-24, 2017 at the Decatur Library in Decatur, Georgia! For $150 (a $50 savings over early registration and a $100 over late registration!), you will be registered for our conference and earn these important benefits:

  • First in line for agent sessions
  • An invitation to our pre-conference reception, featuring authors and agents from our guest list
  • The opportunity to offer input on panel topics
  • The opportunity to have the first ten pages of your manuscript critiqued by a panel of writers

Take advantage of this great special and register for the 2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference! Or, register a friend or loved one as a gift! Let us know your registration is a gift for a writer and we will send you a certificate of registration you can wrap or place in a stocking!

Attending a writers conference is a great opportunity for every writer to learn more about their craft, to gain and build friendships, to present their work to agents or for critique, and to become a part of a growing community of writers! Don’t miss out on this great deal!

For more information, or to register yourself or another for the 2017 Broadleaf Writers Conference, please email our Executive Director, Zachary Steele, at broadleafwriters@gmail.com!

Partners

Featured Partner: The Atlanta Writers Club

One of the fundamental tenets of the Broadleaf Writers Association is that through community, writers gain not only in talent but in strength and confidence. As a unit, we can achieve more, we can assist one another in the dreams birthed the first day we created worlds. Our region is deep in organizations dedicated to writers, and we believe it is necessary to partner with and promote them all. The broader the community, the greater we can assist our writers. So, today we launch a feature promoting each of our partners. Please, follow the links, see what these groups are doing. Perhaps they speak to you. Perhaps they speak to a writer you know. Perhaps you will share the word, help us in our efforts to build the biggest, most diverse community of writers in existence.

Atlanta Writers ClubToday, we spotlight the Atlanta Writers Club. Founded in 1914, AWC is dedicated to teaching its members about the craft and business of writing through monthly meetings, two annual Atlanta Writers Conferences, workshops, dozens of critique groups, and other opportunities. The mission of the Atlanta Writers Club is to assist and encourage upcoming new writers; to unite for mutual benefit, promote and sponsor creative educational activities for writers, lecturers, artists, and composers; to train members to write and develop their aesthetic creative talents; to present open forums for discussion on topics of importance to those interested in the advancement of the arts; and to promote advancement of literary art throughout the region and provide an atmosphere for more intimate acquaintance among the members with the work of established Southern writers.

On November 4-5 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel, the Atlanta Writers Club will host its 15th Atlanta Writers Conference. Twice each year, this conference brings to Atlanta well-respected acquisition editors from the large publishers and highly recommended literary agents, along with other industry experts, to give participants two days of education about the craft and business of writing as well as opportunities to advance their writing careers. Nearly two dozen past participants have received publishing deals and/or agent representation contracts following these conferences. Full details–including testimonials by past participants and guest editors and agents–and registration instructions are at AtlantaWritersConference.com.