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The James River Writers Conference is designed to help you reach your writing goals, whatever they may be. We have included a mix of sessions that cover both the business side of writing, as well as craft. Tailor the conference offerings to your needs. While the conference add-ons (Agent One-on-Ones, Master Classes, and the Consultation Appointments) need to be selected at the time of registration, you can decide which regular sessions to attend up until the day of the conference,when you arrive at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Once you’ve registered, watch this website and your email inbox for more conference fun and details, as well as tools to help you make the most of your experience! Exact times are subject to change, but we will make every effort to keep the offerings the same for each day.
Check out the 2022 Conference Schedule…
Friday, October 7, 2022 Online Pre-Conference Offerings
9:00 am–4:00 pm Master Classes (Premium Add-On)
See schedule and pricing for Pre-Conference Master Classes HERE. Please be prepared to make your Master Class choices when you register. You must register for these ahead of time to secure your spot. This year, you may choose to register for Master Classes as an add-on to your in-person ticket, or a la carte, if you’re unable to attend the in-person offerings on Saturday and Sunday.
*Panels and panelists are subject to change due to occasional unforeseen circumstances.
Saturday, October 8, 2022 – In-Person Schedule
8:15–8:45 am Morning Networking Opportunities
Newcomers Welcome
Room: E10C
Specially designed for those new to the JRW in-person conference and will include a brief overview of what to expect over the conference weekend.
Networking for All
All conference guests are welcome to attend this networking session.
Room: E10D
8:45–9:15 am Welcome & Announcements
Room: E10AB
9:30–10:30 am Breakout Sessions
Successful Self-publishing
There are more tools than ever available to make self-publishing easier and more accessible. What do you need to know to achieve self-publishing success, what experts will be the most helpful, and how do you juggle all the hats you have to wear? Our panel of authors shares their experiences with getting their work out in the world on their own terms and at their own pace.
Panelists: Kathleen Reid, Abby L. Vandiver
Moderator: Rebekah L. Pierce
Track: Business
Room: E10AB
Just Enough About History
When you immerse yourself in historical research, becoming a mini-expert on your topic, how do you work an appropriate amount of factual information into your historical fiction without making it an info dump? Find out how to weave facts and research (including that one really cool thing you learned) into vivid, believable characters and scenes.
Panelists: Anjali Enjeti, Kris Spisak, Michael Zapata
Moderator: Bruce Holsinger
Track: Craft
Room: E10C
Significant Others
How do you develop believable character relationships—with tension, conflict, and connection—so your readers become invested in your story? And how do you avoid the pitfalls that make these connections unbelievable? Get expert advice on writing characters who are in this together—whether they’re best friends, new lovers, or an established couple.
Panelists: Alix Harrow, Sally Kilpatrick, Tracey Livesay
Moderator: Stacy Hawkins Adams
Track: Craft
Room: E10D
10:45–11:45 am Breakout Sessions
Queer Writing in 2022
In this time, where one of the primary focuses of renewed censorship and book banning efforts is decreasing access to LGBTQIA+ books, what does it mean to be a queer writer? How can queer writing provide hope and joy for readers? How do you handle expectations that your writing be centered around trauma? Hear from three queer industry professionals on the importance of queer representation and how readers can support writing that includes a diversity of experiences.
Panelists: M.K. England, Saritza Hernández, TJ Klune
Moderator: Wendy DeGroat
Track: Craft
Room: E10AB
Beyond Your Book: Subsidiary Rights
Your book can be so much more than a single-language, print edition. What do you need to know about your rights for foreign publications, ebooks, audiobooks, merchandising, and films (not to mention your theme park rights)? Three agents share contract dos and don’ts.
Panelists: Susan Velazquez Colmant, Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts, William Roberts
Moderator: Shawna Christos
Track: Business
Room: E10C
Rewriting & Revising
Few writers manage a publishable draft without extensive editing. What weaknesses should you look for when you embark on your second (or twenty-second) revision? These experts will help you identify strategies for streamlining or expanding, proofreading, and incorporating feedback.
Panelists: Vera Kurian, Steve Majors, Bruce Holsinger
Moderator: Derek Kannemeyer
Track: Craft
Room: E10D
11:45–12:15 pm LUNCH BREAK
Take a break, grab your lunch, and feel free to bring it into the Agent Dating Game with you…
12:15–1:45 pm The Agent Dating Game (Plenary Session)
Sometime between check-in Saturday morning and 11:00 a.m. Saturday, you can drop your name in a bowl in the lobby, indicating your willingness to participate in The Agent Dating Game and selecting which category best describes your current work.
For each round of the game, three contests will be selected to come on stage with an agent. The agent, hidden from the contestants, will ask each questions (for instance “What would be your main character’s idea of a perfect date?” or “What does your protagonist want most of all?). After a few follow-up questions, our MC will encourage the agent to select a winner. Winners of each round will meet the agent and have a chance to send them manuscript pages.
The audience will gain insights into the thinking of agents—and who knows? One of our own contestants just might find the perfect partnership.
Agents: Jessica Felleman, Saritza Hernández, Soumeya Bendimerad Roberts, Lori Steel
MC: TBA
Track: Business & Craft
Room: E10AB
2:00–3:00 pm Breakout Sessions
Sell It Before You Write It: The Nonfiction Book Proposal
Unlike selling a novel, selling a nonfiction book doesn’t require you to write the entire project before you pitch. Our panel will walk you through the components of the nonfiction book proposal and give you tips for catching an agent or publisher’s eye.
Panelists: Catherine Baab-Muguira, Dawn M. Hardy, Jessica Felleman
Moderator: Annette Marquis
Track: Business
Room: E10AB
Effective Essays
Short, creative nonfiction can relate globally important issues and universal truths with a smaller, more personal focus. Learn how to write the intricacies of real people, real situations, and real issues in impactful, bite-size pieces from our panel of esteemed journalists and essayists
Panelists: Anjali Enjeti, Jessica Ronky Haddad, Beth Macy
Moderator: Wendy DeGroat
Track: Craft
Room: E10C
Procrastination & Goal Setting
An old joke asks, “What do you get when you cross a writer with a deadline?” Answer: “A clean house.” If you think that’s funny, you might be a procrastinator. This panels tackles the good, the bad, and the ugly of procrastination and offers concrete tips for making progress toward your goals.
Panelists: Stacy Hawkins Adams, Derek Kannemeyer, Sally Kilpatrick
Moderator: Catie-Reagan Palmore
Track: Writer’s Maintenance
Room: E10D
3:15–4:15 pm Breakout Sessions
Writing Your Identity
How does who you are impact your writing and the stories you’re most interested in telling? If you draw from your life experiences to “write what you know,” how do you handle the publication of personal details and emotions? Three writers of memoir, literary fiction, and literary mystery (with hints of science fiction) who know what it means to put themselves on the page, share the advantages and disadvantages of mining your own life for your writing.
Panelists: Steve Majors, Kyle Lucia Wu, Michael Zapata
Moderator: Derek Kannemeyer
Track: Craft
Room: E10AB
Avoiding Clunky Dialogue
If you listen to real-life conversations, you’ll realize pretty quickly that you don’t want to write “realistic” dialogue. You want dialogue that feels real but isn’t boring, repetitive, off-topic, or clunky. Unless it’s supposed to be those things! Hear from our experts on how to write conversations that make eavesdropping a pleasure.
Panelists: Alix Harrow, TJ Klune, Alethea McCollin
Moderator: Julie Valerie
Track: Craft
Room: E10C
Let’s Talk About You
Crafting the “about” or “bio” section of your website may feel like an exercise in boasting, but you still need to connect with readers, interviewers, and conference planners. What information should be easily accessible, what is extraneous, and what’s the best way to grab the right kind of attention?
Panelists: Aran Donovan, Katharine Herndon, Cristina Dominguez Ramirez
Moderator: Kristi Tuck Austin
Track: Business
Room: E10D
4:30 pm–5:30 pm Keynote with Beth Macy
A Writer’s Journey
Virginia journalist and author Beth Macy unpacks how she went from newspaper writer to book author and, more recently, as a cowriter and executive producer on the award-winning Hulu series “Dopesick,” her transition to writing for television. Her talk will also address her research and reporting processes, and how we do our best work when we find the intersection of what moves us personally and what society most needs to understand.
Speaker: Beth Macy
Moderator: Melissa Sinclair
Track: Business & Craft
Room: E10AB
6:30 pm–8:00 pm Poetry Showcase
After spending the day attending inspirational panels and soaking in advice, join us Saturday night for an event spotlighting poets from this year’s conference.
Poets: Nicholas George, Sheree Renée Thomas
MC: Rosa Castellano
Location: Visual Arts Center of Richmond
Sunday, October 9, 2022
8:45–9:00 am Welcome & Announcements
Room: E10AB
Stay here for the First Pages plenary session that follows immediately at 9:00 am.
9:00 am – 10:00 am First Pages (Plenary)
The lively First Pages Critique has become one of the conference’s best-loved sessions. Agents and editors are swamped with submissions. How can your writing get their attention? Pre-selected first pages will be read aloud anonymously, and our experts will give on the spot feedback. Does the action start too early? Can the reader tell what genre or time period they’re in on page one? Find out what a good hook looks like and common errors to avoid.
More on submitting YOUR First Page HERE.
Panelists: Susan Velazquez Colmant, William Roberts, Sheree Renée Thomas
Moderator: Bill Blume
Track: Business & Craft
Room: E10AB
10:15–11:15 am Plenary Session with Stephanie Foo
The Power of Trauma: How to Heal and Harness it in your Work
We all know from its representations in the media that trauma can be debilitating. But what we don’t talk about is that it can also be a superpower. In this talk, we’ll explore how ignoring that fact can build stigma and prevent people from healing. We’ll also explore some tips on managing traumatic experiences and celebrating the ways it can be an asset to our work.
Speaker: Stephanie Foo
Moderator: Chioke I’Anson
Track: Craft
Room: E10AB
11:30 am–12:30 pm Breakout Sessions
Small Press Publishing
Traditional publishing with the Big Five houses can be a slow and grueling process, but many highly reputable small presses exist as alternatives, and authors often find small presses can be more nimble and responsive. Our panelists will share what you can expect when publishing with a smaller or indie press.
Panelists: Steve Majors, Abby L. Vandiver, Kyle Lucia Wu
Moderator: Patty Smith
Track: Business
Room: E10AB
Write Now: Poets on Writing the Current Moment
Sponsored by the 2023 Richmond Poet Laureate Program (more info fall 2022)
Post Pandemic the world still feels tenuous and full of change. In this time of transition, many of us are struggling to maintain a creative writing practice or to write in response to a world that won’t stand still. This panel will explore how these three poets are showing up to work and how they respond to a world in flux.
Panelists: Nicholas George, Sheree Renée Thomas
Moderator: Rosa Castellano
Track: Craft
Room: E10C
Adding Conflict
In this session, we’ll focus on ways to create and control tension, suspense, and conflict. How do you up the ante without resorting to a jump scare? How do you provide characters with the motivation to act despite their fears and put them in situations where they must make less-than-ideal (but believable) decisions? Our panel will help you explore the best ways to keep readers turning the pages.
Panelists: Sally Kilpatrick, Vera Kurian, Katarina Spears
Moderator: Phil Hilliker
Track: Craft
Room: E10D
12:30 pm–1:30 pm Lunch & Networking
1:30–2:30 pm Breakout Sessions
Storytelling in the Modern World
While books are centuries-old vehicles for storytelling, the digital landscape provides opportunities for personal expression and audience reach like never before. Our panelists will share how they’ve explored their storytelling craft via podcasting, newsletters, fanfiction, interactive fiction, virtual and in-person storytelling events, and more.
Panelists: M.K. England, Stephanie Foo, Kris Spisak
Moderator: Terry Menefee Gau
Track: Business & Craft
Room: E10AB
Fantasy Antagonists
In fantasy, your opposing forces must fit your worldbuilding and bring out the best in your story arc. Antagonists can be over-the-top villains, evil corporations, or familiar systemic injustices. How do you pick just the right foil for your heroes when you have so many possibilities available? Three award-winning fantasy authors discuss how to create the perfect adversary.
Panelists: Alix Harrow, TJ Klune, Sheree Renée Thomas
Moderator: Bill Blume
Track: Craft
Room: E10C
It’s Dangerous to Go Alone: Building Community
Well, maybe it’s not dangerous, but it’s certainly much easier to be on this creative journey with a supportive group of people who understand the ups and downs of the writing quest. Our panel shares their personal experiences of being part of a community, including why it’s important, how you find the right fit, what you can gain, and what you can give back.
Panelists: Nicholas George, AD Newman, Michael Zapata
Moderator: DaNika Neblett Robinson
Track: Craft
Room: E10D
2:45–3:45 pm Breakout Sessions
Your Author Brand
If you want to connect with your readers long-term and take an entrepreneurial approach to being an author, you’ll want to hear from these panelists whose business models are all about getting this right. Find out why it’s more important to think of yourself as a business and not just one book and what concrete steps you can take to connect with your readers.
Panelists: Karen A. Chase, Dawn M. Hardy, Sharvette Mitchell
Moderator: Julie Valerie
Track: Business
Room: E10AB
Plot vs. Character
Is your story driven by what happens next or by who makes it happen? Do you map out the plot first or fill out detailed character sheets? Or is it some combination of the two? Three expert storytellers share how they shape their stories and the people who populate them.
Panelists: Alix Harrow, Vera Kurian, Abby L. Vandiver
Moderator: Phil Hilliker
Track: Craft
Room: E10C
Drilling Down: Writing Beautiful Sentences
Some sentences capture a moment or description so perfectly that the reader lingers appreciatively or even returns later to reread. Fans pick their favorite lines, sharing them on social media, t-shirts, and tattoos. In this session, our pros will discuss gorgeous prose—what makes it sing, what makes it sink, and how you can raise your chances of writing memorable sentences.
Panelists: Steve Majors, Kris Spisak, Kyle Lucia Wu
Moderator: Patty Smith
Track: Craft
Room: E10D
4:00–5:00 pm Sunday Send-Off (Plenary)
Honoring Your Creative Self
The unpredictability of the past few years, coupled with even slower than usual response times for pretty much everything, has resulted in a rollercoaster of burnout, stress, anxiety, and lack of productivity. Our panelists send you back to your regular lives with advice for continuing to take time for your writing and tips for rejuvenating your creative process when it lags.
Panelists: Karen A. Chase, Nicholas George, TJ Klune
Moderator: DaNika Neblett Robinson
Track: Writer’s Maintenance
Room: E10AB