Express Yourself. Authors' Conference
Writers' Day Workshop for Fiction and Non-Fiction Writers

An important part of marketing and promoting your book is based on having confidence that your book is as good as it can possibly be. Writer's Day features seminars focused on jump-starting and maintaining your creative process and improving your writing skills.

Sheraton Park Ridge, Valley Forge, PA
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tentative Schedule as of August 13, 2007

Writers’ Day Seminars

Conquering Writers’ Block
Bonnie Neubauer

• The best antidote for writer's block is to write.
• The best block-beating writing is in the form of exercises.
• The best exercises are ones without judgments or expectations.
• The best part about these exercises is that they are very fun to do.
• The best way to ward off a block is to have an arsenal of exercises at hand.             

Thinking Like an Editor (and using one) to Write it Right!
Lauren Hidden

No matter how good a writer you are, you need an editor. There is simply no way you can possibly catch all of your own mistakes in flow, grammar and spelling. Unfortunately, many [self-published and author-originated] authors skip this crucial step.

Professional editors know what to look for when they review your work. By learning their secrets, you can improve your writing. Self-editing is not a substitute for the professional editing of your book, but it will turn you into a better writer. It may also reduce your professional editing costs because your editor will need to spend less time on your project.

10 Commonly Made Writing Mistakes
Caryn Search and Emily Lawless

“To err is human,” said poet Alexander Pope. “To forgive, divine.” One wonders if Pope ever read a book that contained errors. Would he have been as magnanimous?!

Writers have many expectations to meet and creating an error-free product is one of them. Spelling mistakes and incorrect punctuation can ruin an otherwise quality book. But “error-free” does not just apply to the mechanics of the English language. Consistency blunders and factual inaccuracies can be just as distracting for the reader.

Make your book the best it can be by avoiding these commonly-made mistakes and allow both you, the writer and your readers to focus on what really matters.

Learning to Write a Good Read
Constructive critique of your work by friendly experts and peers
Bonnie Neubauer, Melanie Rigney, LinDee Rochelle, Judith Trustone

In this workshop friendly writing experts will read your piece to the group, comment on its positive qualities and offer constructive critique. Members of the Writers’ Day audience will also have a chance to share their suggestions.  Don’t be shy! Sharing your work is optional, but do consider taking advantage of this great opportunity to have your work evaluated in a dynamic setting. Submit your one-page, typed, double-spaced piece to Jane Martin jmartin@macatawa.org by no later than September 17, 2007.