It’s been said that everyone has a great novel just waiting to be written percolating inside their brain. The question, however, is how do you get that great novel published? Join authors Amy E. Casey and Melissa Gorzelanczyk as they discuss various aspects of traditional vs. indie publishing. Topics will include the revision process, querying agents, editors and publishers, and wellness tips for the writer life.

“I still encourage anyone who feels at all compelled to write to do so. I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do---the actual act of writing---turns out to be the best part. It's like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony. The act of writing turns out to be its own reward” (Anne Lamott).

Ages: 16+ 

Cost: $20

Max: 15 participants

Amy E. Casey lives and writes in Wisconsin, near the cold freshwater shore of Lake Michigan. From there, she dreams up stories of quiet monsters and wild landscapes. Her short fiction and poetry have been published in Split Rock Review, Psaltery & Lyre, Club Plum, NonBinary Review, Bramble, and elsewhere. She does a large portion of her writing on a Smith Corona Classic 12 manual typewriter from 1964. The Sturgeon’s Heart is her first novel.

Melissa Gorzelanczyk writes fiction and nonfiction influenced by her belief in creativity, nature, ritual, and self-love. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut novel, Arrows, was published by Penguin Random House. She lives with her husband near a meadow she often wanders in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Instagram: @MelissaGorzela

Pronunciation: [gōr-zĕh-lŏn-chĕk]