Rochester Writers Presents ‘The Concise Writer’ on April 21 at Oakland University

Rochester Writers’ Spring Writing Conference

“The Concise Writer” is the theme for Rochester Writers’ annual spring event held on Saturday, April 21, at Oakland University. Keeping writing concise and getting to the point is the focus this time. Short stories, poems, and memoirs, as well as powerful first paragraphs, winning contests, and effective marketing will be featured at this event for writers of all levels and ages.

Lev Raphael, presenter and Keynote Speaker, will be focusing on writing short stories and the value of writing across multiple genres with his “Writing Without Borders” presentation. Author of twenty-five books, Raphael currently teaches creative writing at Michigan State University. His most recent book, Writer’s Block is Bunk, is for writers at all stages in their careers.

Breakout sessions will offer writers workshops and lectures on focused topics such as acing agent appointments, crafting submission emails, and marketing a message to grow an author platform. In addition, Cyle Young and Bethany Morehead from the Hartline Literary Agency will be setting appointments with authors seeking representation.

For most people, the adage “don’t sweat the small stuff” is actually good advice, but there comes a time for writers when meticulous attention to detail is necessary. “Knowing how to create a concise and effective message is important,” said Michael Dwyer, organizer and founder of the event, “Many forms of writing require the attention to brevity, and all writers can benefit from learning to choose the best words to tell a story.”

Christine Rhein, from Brighton, is the author of Wild Flight, a prize-winning collection of poems from Texas Tech University Press. Her poems have appeared widely in literary journals, including The Gettysburg Review and The Southern Review, and have won awards from Michigan Quarterly Review and Green Mountains Review. Rhein will present a workshop on writing short poems.

Leading a discussion on marketing the author platform is Maria Dismondy. She is an award-winning author from Novi who inspires lives through her poignant stories about topics challenging today’s modern child. Maria’s background in early education and commitment to teach the importance of character building enables her to touch lives the world over while touring as a public speaker in schools, community forums, and at national conferences.

Cyle Young is a multiple-genre award-winning author and literary agent with Hartline Literary Agency. His book Belly Buttons and Broken Hearts was released with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas in 2013. Cyle finds great joy in writing and loves to bounce between crafting epic high fantasy tales, helpful non-fiction parenting books, and getting lost in the melodic rhythm of children’s poetry. Besides meeting with authors, Cyle will be presenting on powerful first paragraphs and winning contests.

Junior Agent for Cyle Young, Bethany Morehead, is also an award-winning author. She enjoys both writing and reading fiction books, especially romance. Bethany, a child at heart who enjoys working with children, also has a heart for children’s literature and a soft spot for fairy tales. Bethany will lead workshops on email submissions and acing your author appointments, as well as meeting with authors.

Presentations Include:

• Acing your Agent Appointments
• Crafting a Submission Email that Sparkles
• Short Stories, Short & Sweet
• Writing Without Borders
• Powerful First Paragraphs
• Writing the Short Poem
• Winning at Winning Contests
• Marketing through Various Channels

The conference begins at 9:00 a.m. in the Oakland Center at Oakland University. Registration includes refreshments, lunch, and all the presentations, which offer a variety of workshops, lectures, and discussions. Attendees may select the presentations most interesting to them.

Registration is going on now. The advance rate is $125, with an at the door rate of $150. A full list of speaker biographies and their presentations are posted at www.RochesterWriters.com.

About Rochester Writers

Rochester Writers serves local authors and freelance writers by hosting groups, contests, and conferences. Currently, Rochester Writers holds two writing conferences annually – at Oakland University – one in the spring and their signature event in the fall. The spring event has a fine-tuned focus, while the fall conference is more general with fiction, non-fiction, and business presentations for the writer. Their events are family-friendly, available to all ages, and open to new writers, working journalists, and published authors. Rochester Writers will hold its eleventh annual fall conference in October of 2018.