Annie Marhefka of Yellow Arrow Publishing and longtime professional writer and Viking novelist Katie Aiken Ritter discuss genre types—novel, memoir, chapbook, etc.—along with pros and cons of various publishing options for each genre.

How do bookshops interact with the publishing industry? What do these relationships look like, and how does self-publication fit into the mix? Manor Mill is delighted to present a unique perspective from Emma Snyder, the owner of Baltimore’s Ivy Bookshop.

Writing is a treasured skill—but editing, querying, book layout, cover design, publishing, and marketing are also required to take a manuscript from dream to done. What if you don’t know anything about all that daunting stuff? Join Ally Machate—a former Simon & Schuster editor who founded the writer-services team at The Writer’s Ally—for a lively “Ask Me Anything” Q&A about hurdles that challenge hopeful authors, and quality resources that offer help.

Author and award-winning educator Suzanne Supplee discusses the nuts and bolts of writing for this voracious reader demographic, including tips for appealing to publishers—as well as remarks on writing for children.

Popular workshop leader and writing teacher Kris Faatz leads a series of prompts that explore some of the delicate balances of writing: how sharing personal experiences can make us vulnerable, how praise and/or rejection affect us, how to take our work seriously—with strategies to anchor our work and ourselves.

Do you dream of seeing your poems and/or prose in literary magazines? Matt Hohner of The Loch Raven Review describes finding great outlets for your work, along with best practices on submitting—and red flags to avoid.

Let’s talk about a story’s shape! Betsy Boyd, Program Director, MFA in Creative Writing for the University of Baltimore, leads an exercise in moving from point A to point B to point C in a short narrative’s first draft.

In this lively exercise, participants will write poetry or prose based on the Golden Shovel tribute invented by Terrance Hayes. Led by Tara Elliott, the Executive Director of East Shore Writer’s Associationand multi-award-winning poet and educator, the session promises to be fun and fulfilling. Bring a handful of words from a favorite author!

Facts matter, but working them into your narrative can prove challenging. Popular historical novelist David Healey discusses how to use dates and details to support your writing without weighing it down.

Connecting with the human experience is central to connecting with readers—especially the vulnerable parts of being human. But how to write about anxiety, trauma, and troubles without overwhelming your work? Join Kerry Graham, Baltimore Banner Creative in Residence, to discuss best practices in communicating difficult experiences that deepen your writing.

Loyola University writing professor Marian Crotty discusses using narrative details to make your work vividly compelling, whether you write fiction (short stories, flash fiction, or novel-length works) or creative non-fiction.

In this session we’ll discuss the tight weave between characterization, a foundational fiction technique, and setting and dialogue. You’ll learn to use this trifecta to breathe life into your characters. Led by novelist Michelle Brafman, who has taught fiction writing at The George Washington University and the Johns Hopkins MA in Writing program.