THE TORTURED WRITERS WORKSHOP
Sunday, July 14, 2024
Join us for a full-day writing event where you will learn from experienced writers, hear from agents and publicists, and have your questions answered.
This one-day event is designed to help you improve your writing and publish. Writers of any genre and stage are welcome.
About
TORTURED WRITERS WORKSHOP
"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
--Toni Morrison
At the end of the day, participants will have a toolbox of skills and information that will help them move their writing career ahead. They will have made useful connections by networking with other writers and will have engaged in useful conversations with seasoned authors and publishing professionals.
Who is this for?
This workshop is perfect for writers who are just beginning, have a manuscript in the works, or notebooks full of ideas. It is also for writers who have been querying for years or those still learning how to query. We believe this workshop is appropriate for mature and serious writers who are 16 years old and up. If a teen writer wants to attend and a parent would like to attend with them, the parent would need to register as a participant as well.
Value For Writers
LEARN FROM EXPERIENCED AUTHORS
Practical advice from authors who have been where you once were! Plus, an opportunity to meet publishing professionals working in the field today.
NETWORKING
Meet other area writers and creatives. Finding a like-minded community is invaluable in this industry.
Opportunity for feedback
If you have a query or at least 10 pages of a manuscript ready, now is a great opportunity to have it reviewed by a respected professional.
Sessions
Below is a schedule of the day’s events. The sessions below are mostly set; however, are subject to change.
There will be 1 presentation and private readings going throughout the day. Participants will not have to worry about missing an important session. We have worked hard to fit all of the sessions into one awesome day that will meet every writers’ needs!
Check-in & Registration 8-9:00 am
Session 1: 9:00-9:50
Authentic voice: people are not a monolith
Attendees will hear from experienced authors and academics about current issues that exist in writing regarding authenticity of voice. They will discuss how to avoid cliches and understanding that identity is not a monolith. The goal of the panel will be to help attendees improve their craft by providing practical tips and a deeper understanding of people and the human experience.
Session 2 10:00-10:50
Children’s Book Publishing: It’s not all child’s play
Some people like to think that a 32-page picture book or a young adult novel or graphic novel is a quick and easy road to their publishing dreams; but, the children’s book market is a tough one. Attendees will hear from experienced authors and illustrators about their paths from concept to production. The group will discuss the do’s and don’ts and allow for an open Q&A from attendees.
Session 3: 11:00-11:30
Genre fiction & Nonfiction: Romance, thriller, Memoir, historical...what does the industry want and should you care?
When deciding which books to publish, publishers consider a variety of factors, including genre trends, potential sales, and whether the book will appeal to their target audience. Some genres that are expected to be popular are romance, fantasy and young adult. Does that mean we should drop what we are doing and write to the demand?
Session 4: 11:30-12:25
Marketing Yourself: Building a platform through social media
The industry is changing rapidly and whether you are traditionally or self-published, marketing yourself and your book is key! TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads, and Blogs are important for even querying authors to be familiar. This panel will provide some helpful guidance from seasoned professionals and authors who use their social media presence to sell books!
Lunch: 12:30-1:15
We will break bread together. Authors will join us for lunch. Lunch is included for all attendees. There will be a few options available and you will be sent a form 1 week before the event. Unfortunately, we may not be able to accommodate every dietary restriction and we encourage you to pack lunch and supplement as you see fit.
During lunch, guided questions will be provided to small groups and attendees and authors will discuss character development, craft moves, revising and research.
Session 5: 1:30-2:25
The basics: how to write a query letter
Learn from an experienced author and professor about crafting a query. They will share with you tips from drafting to book proposals.
Session 6: 2:30-3:00
Money matters: understanding contracts, hidden consests and the business of being an author
Whether you are a traditional author or independently published, there is business behind the art. Listen to professionals explain publishing contracts, the cost of self-publishing and other costs that may take you by surprise when it comes to being a writer. Is it time for you to be self-employed and form an LLC?
Session 7: 3:00- 3:50 (Close)
The Publishing Industry: Hybrid/Vanity, Traditional, Self-Publishing, and everything in between
In this workshop, attendees will hear from industry professionals and authors who have navigated the industry in various ways. They will speak honestly about the pros and cons of different paths to publishing because an informed writer is the best writer!
Optional add ons
OPTIONAL ADD-ONS- limited opportunity and will sell out
Option 1: Query review & feedback. Attendees who select this option must send query letter to event organizers by the requested deadline (July 1st) and they will be assigned to a reader providing reviews. A printed copy of feedback from the reviewer will be provided at the end of the workshop. ($29) NOTE: Query will be matched with the reviewer that aligns best: ie. nonfiction and children’s to reviewer in that genre, etc.
Option 2: Query/10-page feedback. Attendees who select this option must send a query and up to 10 pages of manuscript OR book proposal to event organizers by the requested deadline (July 1st) and they will be assigned to an author/agent providing reviews. Written feedback will be provided at the end of the event. ($69)
Option 3: Pitch an agent (limited): Currently Laura Strachan will hear a limited number of pitches for narrative nonfiction, nonfiction, quirky single-topic nonfiction, literary, and upmarket fiction. ($69)
Registration
Sign up today!
Space is limited to 125 participants to sign up sooner rather than later! Do not wait.
This is an in-person event. If demand grows quickly, we may offer a virtual registration; however, we do believe that the best experience is had when participants are able to attend in-person.
We will announce on this page with the event is full. Until then, there is space!
How to register
Complete the Google form HERE
REFUNDS:
If you need to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive a 50% refund of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal]. The other 50% is nonrefundable due to the cost of the event and talent we must ensure. Payments made for query and manuscript/proposal feedback appointments are completely non-refundable if the professional has already read your work.
Payment
After your registration has been received, you will receive a link for payment. Once payment has been made, you will receive a final email confirming your registration is complete with instructions to send your query/proposal if you signed up for review.
Pricing
- $229 -EARLY BIRD pricing for the full-day event is open NOW!
- $249 -REGULAR PRICING (after May 30th)
Optional Add-ons
- $29 - Query review & 10 min feedback session
- $69 - Query & 10 page review & 20 min feedback session
- $39 - Writer workshop swag (Tote & Writing Journal)
ATTENDING AUTHORS AND PROFESSIONALS
LIV (VALERIE) CONSTANTINE
BRIGID KEMMERER
Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Lynne and Valerie are Wall Street Journal and USA Today international bestselling authors with over one and a half million copies sold worldwide.
New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen dark and alluring novels like Defy the Night, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, and Letters to the Lost. Her stories always feature complex characters facing the challenges of life, both in realistic settings and rich fantasy worlds, making her a beloved author among young adult readers.
KATE MYERS
Kate studied archaeology at Penn and Excavations is her first novel. She’s lived in New York, LA, and DC and worked for CBS in TV development, CollegeHumor and BuzzFeed.
GREG MELVILLE
MICHELLE COLES
STEPHANIE VERNI
Author, adventure journalist, US Navy veteran, and tombstone tourist whose writing has appeared in many of the country's top print publications including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Slate, and The New York Times. His newest release Over My Dead Body was featured in the NYT Book Review.
Michelle is an award-winning young adult novelist, former civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, and public speaker. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a first of its kind in the United States. Her debut young adult historical fiction novel, Black Was the Ink, received numerous awards.
Stephanie Verni is the author of 8 works of fiction, an adjunct professor of communication, and a part-time travel writer. She is an avid blogger and has published in the academic space as well.
SARAH BLUE
REBECCA EVANS
JUNG YUN
Sarah Blue writes contemporary sweet omegaverse, erotic, paranormal, why choose romances. She loves romance in nearly any genre. She loves the sweeter side of romance and creating interesting characters while adding adventure and spice.
Rebecca has authored and/or illustrated nineteen picture books and nine middle-grade readers, spoke at schools, and taught illustration at the Local Performing and Visual Arts magnet school and Chesapeake Center for the Creative Arts. She’s also the Co-Regional Advisor for the SCBWI Maryland/Delaware/West Virginia region. Rebecca has mentored with EB Lewis.
Jung Yun studied at Vassar, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing. She has received numerous writing awards and has also received residential fellowships from MacDowell, the Ucross Foundation, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the National Humanities Center. Currently, Jung is an associate professor of English at the George Washington University. She serves on the board of directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation.
ALAN KING
ALAN KING
Alan King is a husband, father, and artist, who lives with his family in Bowie, MD. He is the author of Crooked Smiling Light (Plan B Press, 2021); Point Blank (Silver Birch Press, 2016), a Washington Post bestseller; and Drift (Aquarius Press/Willow Books, 2012). He’s also an award-winning documentary filmmaker and poet.
KAMI GARCIA
Kami Garcia a #1 New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author and comic book writer. As an award-winning, Bram Stoker Award-nominated young adult author of 12 novels and graphic novels, she has been published in 51 countries and 38 languages and her books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
Diana Rodriguez Wallach is a multi-published author of young adult novels, most recently YA horror novels. Her next book, THE SILENCED, comes out in Fall 2025 through Random House/Delacorte. She released HATCHET GIRLS and published SMALL TOWN MONSTERS, named one of the “13 Scariest Books of 2021” by Kirkus Reviews (both through Random House). Diana is the author of the Anastasia Phoenix Trilogy; first book in the series, Proof of Lies, was a finalist for the 2018 International Thriller Awards for Best Young Adult Novel. Additionally, Bustle listed Diana as one of the “Top Nine Latinx Authors to Read for Women’s History Month.” She lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband, two children, and two cats.
Lauren Burke Meyer is an award-winning writer, a two-time columnist, and the children’s book author of Charlie STEPs UP to LACROSSE. She's the founder of the Lauren's Law blog and a regular contributor of The Naptown Scoop, Chesapeake Family magazine, and The Severna Park Voice. Lauren’s work has also appeared on Buzzfeed, as well as in The Capital, Jack & Jill magazine, edCircuit, among other outlets. She’s a senior-level communications professional with a proven track record of generating thousands of press clippings for clients, global design software provider Vectorworks, Inc., and herself.
AGENTS & AUTHORS
FOR CRITIQUE/QUERY REVIEW
SOPHIA RAMOS (NEW LEAF LITERARY)
Sophia M. Ramos is a Cuban-American literary associate based in South Florida. She represents commercial to upmarket genre-blending fiction for adult, YA and select middle-grade projects. Sophia loves intentional, lush prose combined with propulsive plots and thoughtfully complex family dynamics. She gravitates toward speculative books rooted in history or culture that have elements of romance, mystery, and horror. She strives to build a list that speaks to traditionally underrepresented voices and intersectional identities.
BRIGID KEMMERER
New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen dark and alluring novels like Defy the Night, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, and Letters to the Lost. Her stories always feature complex characters facing the challenges of life, both in realistic settings and rich fantasy worlds, making her a beloved author among young adult readers.
KATE MYERS
Kate studied archaeology at Penn and Excavations is her first novel. She’s lived in New York, LA, and DC and worked for CBS in TV development, CollegeHumor and BuzzFeed.
REBECCA EVANS
LIV (VALERIE) CONSTANTINE
Rebecca has authored and/or illustrated nineteen picture books and nine middle-grade readers, spoke at schools, and taught illustration at the Local Performing and Visual Arts magnet school and Chesapeake Center for the Creative Arts. She’s also the Co-Regional Advisor for the SCBWI Maryland/Delaware/West Virginia region. Rebecca has mentored with EB Lewis.
Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine. Lynne and Valerie are Wall Street Journal and USA Today international bestselling authors with over one and a half million copies sold worldwide.
GREG MELVILLE
Author, adventure journalist, US Navy veteran, and tombstone tourist whose writing has appeared in many of the country's top print publications including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Slate, and The New York Times. His newest release Over My Dead Body was featured in the NYT Book Review.
LAURA STRACHAN (STRACHAN LITERARY)
Laura Strachan primarily seeks to represent literary fiction and upmarket commercial. She also seeks narrative nonfiction, including memoirs and travel writing. Will consider other nonfiction projects if quirky or interesting. Particularly interested in "single subject" books. Laura will be reviewing queries and is pitches.
Get In Touch
Phone
(410)449-3100
Email
Melody@parkbooksmd.com
Social
Please contact us with any questions or concerns.
This writing workshop is being hosted by Park Books in partnership with authors and industry professionals.
Where?
The TORTURED WRITERS WORKSHOP will be held in the COMMUNITY SPACE at Park Books.
579 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. Severna Park MD 21146
