10:00 AM - 10:50 AM

Keynote: Jamie Fiore Higgins: Resonance - The Stories That Stay With Us

In this keynote, Jamie Fiore Higgins explores how resonance has shaped both her life and her writing journey. From her early years on Wall Street, where achievement, ambition, and success resonated most strongly, to her later work as an author, advocate for gender equality, and mental health clinician, she reflects on how the things that matter to us evolve over time. Drawing on her experiences writing Bully Market, Jamie examines how writers are often compelled to tell the stories that won't let them go, the experiences, questions, and truths that continue to resonate long after they occur. She shares how writing became a way to make sense of difficult experiences, transform personal challenges into universal themes, and connect with readers who saw their own stories reflected in her words.

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11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

Choice A: Poetry workshop with Dr. Ann E. Wallace

 

11:00 AM - 11:50 AM

Choice B: The Business and Craft of Children's Books with Alyssa Eisner Henkin

 

11:50 AM - 01:00 PM

Lunch on your own

 

01:10 PM - 02:00 PM

The First 50 Pages: What Makes an Editor Keep Reading (And What Makes Us Stop)

Editor Christina Lopez offers a craft-focused session demystifying what editors look for in the opening chapters, including common pitfalls that lose momentum and practical ways to create stronger hooks, emotional investment, and page-turning tension.

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02:10 PM - 03:00 PM

The Fishbowl Experience

Step inside the circle for an unfiltered look at the industry. Forget the podium. Our signature Fishbowl Session breaks the fourth wall, bringing together authors, editors, agents, and YOU in a live, rotating conversation.

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03:10 AM - 04:00 PM

Workshop with Agent Sera Rivers from Speilburg Literary Agency

 

04:00 PM

Closing Remarks