Join us for a special day of inspiration at the 603 Writers’ Conference on June 14, 2025, from 8:00am – 5:00pm at the Banquet Hall located on the Southern NH University campus in Manchester, NH.
We’re excited to announce internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen, as our keynote speaker.
This event is perfect for writers of all levels and anyone passionate about storytelling.
Don’t miss this chance to learn from and connect with one of Maine’s most renowned literary talents.
In addition, you have a chance to compete for a $250 cash prize at our Pitch Party! Submit your your pitch by Friday May 30th to our panel of judges and you could win.
Register today for an unforgettable experience!
Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen took an unconventional path to writing. A Stanford graduate and M.D. from the University of California, San Francisco, she began writing fiction while on maternity leave from her career as a physician. Her first novel, Call After Midnight, was published in 1987—launching a prolific career spanning 36 years and 31 suspense novels.
Her breakout medical thriller, Harvest (1996), debuted on the New York Times bestseller list, and her work has remained a fixture there ever since. Gerritsen’s novels—including Gravity, The Surgeon, Vanish, The Bone Garden, and The Spy Coast—have been translated into 40 languages with over 40 million copies sold worldwide.
She is a recipient of the Nero Wolfe Award (Vanish) and the Rita Award (The Surgeon), and her writing has earned praise for its pulse-pounding suspense and polished prose. Time magazine named The Surgeon one of the best mystery/thrillers ever written.
Her Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series inspired the hit TNT show Rizzoli & Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.
Also a filmmaker, Gerritsen co-produced Island Zero and the PBS-aired documentary Magnificent Beast with her son Josh. She lives in Maine.
To learn more, visit TessGerritsen.com.
With a focus on character development, dialogue, setting, pacing, and action, Margaret Porter reveals the art of fiction through a different artistic lens.
This exploration of acting techniques and staging strategies will help participants enhance their storytelling.
Attendees are encouraged to come to the session with a specific character and setting in mind, in order to utilize Konstantin Stanislavski’s “Magic If” and apply it effectively in fiction writing.
The following aspects of character will be examined:
Additionally, the physical and environmental setting will be examined, focusing on ways the author serves as director, set designer, lighting and technician, and costumer—all of which can be used to build the story background and highlight the theme. Intended for writers of any and all genres of fiction.
ABOUT MARGARET PORTER: Margaret is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of 15 highly acclaimed historical novels in various subgenres and two contemporaries.
Her historical works include The Myrtle Wand, The Limits of Limelight, Beautiful Invention: A Novel of Hedy Lamarr, and a dozen more, plus foreign language editions.
Margaret studied British history in the U.K., completed her theatre training in the U.S., and earned her M.A. in Radio-Television-Film. She was a freelance writer/producer for promotional and information film and video projects and worked on location for three feature films and a television series.
In addition to fiction, Margaret has written newspaper columns, book reviews, and magazine articles on history, travel, writing, and lifestyle.
She lives in the Capital region with her husband and dog, dividing time between a book-filled house in the city and a waterfront cottage on one of the region’s largest lakes.
To learn more, visit: MargaretPorter.com.
Writers and readers of any gender will love this workshop about the power of the goddess—both as subject matter and as crafter of words.
Participants will read and talk about poems of “supernatural” power and learn to harness that force. Be sure to bring a notebook or device, as a series of prompts will be provided during class to help participants power up their own poems.
ABOUT JENNIFER MILITELLO: Jennifer is the Poet Laureate of New Hampshire and the author of Identifying the Pathogen, a forthcoming hybrid collection from Tupelo Press (2026) and finalist for the FC2 Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Prize. She is also the author of Knock Wood, winner of the Dzanc Nonfiction Prize, and five acclaimed poetry collections, including The Pact (Tupelo Press/Shearsman Books, 2021), praised by Publishers Weekly as “emotionally resonant” and described by the Times Literary Supplement as “an incantatory homage to love.”
Jennifer’s work has appeared widely in such publications as Best American Poetry, Best New Poets, American Poetry Review, The Nation, The New Republic, The Paris Review, and Poetry. Her poem “Mansplaining” is performed by high school students nationwide as part of the Poetry Out Loud national arts education program.
She has taught at Brown University, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the Rhode Island School of Design, and currently serves on the faculty of the MFA program at New England College.
To learn more, visit: JenniferMilitello.com.
The personal essay is not only a great way to capture meaningful life stories; it is also especially popular in today’s wide variety of print and online publishing venues. But how do you tap into meaningful story material? How do you turn a memory or life experience into a powerful essay?
In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to structure essays and the key narrative techniques that make readers care, understand, think, laugh, or all of the above.
As part of this workshop we’ll write from a prompt to exemplify core concepts.
Open to writers of all levels. Leave all self doubts at the door.
ABOUT JONI B. COLE: Joni is a writing instructor and the author of seven books, including the recent essay collection Party Like It’s 2044. Scholar and humorist Gina Barreca praised the collection as “fabulously readable and thoroughly engaging,” noting that “Cole takes writing seriously while taking herself lightly, and thereby illuminates the world with these memorable essays.”
Joni is also the author of two acclaimed books for writers: Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier—named one of Poets & Writers magazine’s “Best Books for Writers”—and Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive, which Library Journal “strongly recommends” for students and teachers alike.
For more than 25 years, Joni has taught creative writing to adults both online and in person. She is a contributor to the Jane Friedman blog and other publications, and she hosts the podcast Author, Can I Ask You?
Currently, she is at work on a new collection of essays.
Joni lives in Vermont and is the proud mother of two daughters.
To learn more, visit: TheWritersCenterWRJ.com.
Wondering why readers can’t follow your novel’s plot? When’s the best time to reveal your character backstory? In this workshop we’ll learn how story threads connect novels and memoirs from beginning to end, and how a good outline can help you track what readers need to know and when.
Along the way, we’ll learn why Aristotle’s three-act structure is so important, how to show Chekhov’s gun before it goes off, and different methods for tracking information in a longer work.
Whether you’re knee-deep in revisions or haven’t started page one, come learn how to step back and consider the bigger picture of a novel or memoir.
ABOUT IAN M. ROGERS: Ian is the author of MFA Thesis Novel (Vine Leaves Press, 2022), a satirical novel of academia.
He lived and taught English in Japan for several years, most recently at Kanagawa University in Yokohama.
He holds an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a BA from Bennington College, and he lives in central New Hampshire, where he works as a writer and editor.
Ian’s second novel, Carcrash Parker and the Haven of Larpers, is forthcoming in July 2025.
To learn more, visit: IanMRogersAuthor.com.
In this course, you’ll explore the wide-ranging world of mystery fiction and learn how different styles shape the genre.
You’ll gain a clear understanding of the essential building blocks of a successful mystery, including why voice is crucial, how to craft compelling dialogue, and how to effectively plant clues.
In addition, you’ll also develop a plan for completing your manuscript—and taking it beyond the final page.
Finally, you’ll discover common pitfalls to avoid that could undermine your story, along with a curated list of resources for continued learning.
ABOUT DALE T. PHILLIPS: Dale had Stephen King as his college writing teacher, and since then he’s published novels, over 80 short stories, story collections, poetry, and non-fiction books on publishing and marketing.
He is a frequent panelist and presenter at writer conferences.
To learn more, visit: DaleTPhillips.com.
At first glance, it might not seem like a big deal—trimming wordiness, fixing grammar, varying sentence structure, catching repetition. Isn’t that just a little polish? But line editing—close, sentence-level editing—goes far deeper. It not only enhances the sound and flow of your writing, but also sharpens atmosphere, mood, tension, suspense, movement, and pace.
Many writers discover that this detailed attention to language actually unlocks their creativity, leading to more vivid characters, richer scenes, and more dynamic plots.
In this session, we’ll explore the most common issues that line editors look for, and examine the many ways you can address them in your own work. You’ll engage in hands-on practice, develop a sharper editorial eye, and maybe even debunk a few writing myths along the way.
Takeaways:
The ability to recognize common sentence-level issues in fiction
Confidence in applying a variety of techniques to improve your prose
A clearer understanding of how big-picture elements—plot, pacing, character—are built from small units of word, phrase, and sentence
Insight into how line editing not only strengthens a story, but can also inspire new creative breakthroughs
ABOUT MARTHA CARLSON: Martha is a professional developmental editor and book coach for writers of literary and upmarket fiction, with over 20 years of experience.
She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College and a PhD in 20th Century British and American Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Martha recently shared her passion for supporting writers through developmental editing, as a guest writer on the Women’s Writers, Women’s Books blog.
Martha has expanded her services to include book coaching, which allows her to help writers at any point along their writing process.
To learn more, visit MarthaCarlsonEditor.com.
There are many reasons to write a book—but the reason for writing this book, your book, is deeply personal and entirely unique. Understanding your “why” at its core can be the driving force that propels your project forward and sustains you through the labor-intensive, complex, and sometimes daunting process of writing a book.
This interactive session is designed as a workshop, offering participants the opportunity to explore and articulate the deeper motivations behind their work.
We’ll examine why knowing the “heart” of your “why” is essential—not only for your own creative endurance, but for creating work that resonates with readers. Just as characters need authentic motivations, so do writers. When your story is fueled by your passions, convictions, and lived experience, that energy transfers to the page and invites readers to care.
Through guided reflection, discussion, and (hopefully lively) conversation, we’ll unpack a variety of “whys,” explore how tapping into yours can add power and clarity to your storytelling, and identify ways to apply that insight throughout the writing process.
Depending on group size and participation, we may break into smaller groups to dig even deeper into individual projects.
This workshop offers thoughtful questions, space for reflection, and a supportive environment for discovering the inner force behind your work—the reason only you can write this book.
ABOUT PEGGY ROSEN: Peggy has always been a writer at heart. After a long and fulfilling career in healthcare, healthcare administration, and education, she returned to her first love—words and books—and began writing professionally as a freelancer.
Alongside her own creative work, she discovered a passion for helping others tell their stories and became an Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach.
She now supports writers in developing and completing their books through story development and developmental editing services.
Peggy lives in the White Mountain region of central New Hampshire, where she embraces the outdoors year-round—hiking, skiing, climbing, and biking. A dedicated figure skater, she prefers the smooth, horizontal ice of the rink to the vertical thrill of ice climbing.
In addition to guiding fellow writers, Peggy continues to craft her own fiction, personal essays, and memoir.
To learn more, visit: PeggyRosenWriting.com.
The best stories hook readers from Chapter One to The End—and every page in between. Regardless of genre, the key to keeping readers turning pages is suspense—one of the most powerful tools in a writer’s toolbox.
In this hands-on session, literary agent and USA TODAY bestselling author Paula Munier shares how to build suspense into your narrative, heightening tension and keeping readers on the edge of their seats.
Through practical plotting strategies, character development techniques, and setting tips, Paula demonstrates how suspense fuels story momentum.
She’ll draw on examples from bestselling books and guide participants through simple, effective exercises designed to help you master the craft of writing stories that keep readers up late, eager for just one more chapter.
ABOUT PAULA MUNIER: Paula is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling at Talcott Notch Literary and a USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mystery series from Minotaur Books.
With more than 20 years in publishing and media, Paula has conceived, produced, and marketed exceptional content across all formats and markets.
Her experience spans major media companies including WGBH, Fidelity, Disney, Gannett, Simon & Schuster, Quarto, and Greenspun Media Group. She represents both fiction and nonfiction, working with authors at every stage—from debut writers to New York Times and USA TODAY bestsellers.
Her clients have received or been shortlisted for prestigious awards such as the Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, and Thriller Awards, as well as the Pushcart Prize, AWP, and PEN awards. Many of their works have also been adapted for stage and screen.
Paula is also the author of several acclaimed writing guides, including The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, Writing with Quiet Hands, and Plot Perfect, as well as the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle, and the inspirational book Happier Every Day.
Her award-winning Mercy Carr mystery series has been praised by critics and readers alike. A Borrowing of Bones was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award, while The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot landed on numerous “Best Of” lists. Home at Night was Library Journal’s Mystery Pick of the Month.
The most recent installment, The Night Woods, a modern homage to The Odyssey, earned rave reviews—including a starred review from Library Journal—and appeared on several best-of-year lists.
The next book in the series, The Snow Lies Deep, will be released in December 2025.
Inspired by the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue pups, and her deep love of New England, Paula’s work blends suspense with heart and a profound respect for nature. She lives in New England with her family, four rescue dogs, and Ursula the Cat—a fiercely independent torbie tabby who has little patience for her canine companions.
To learn more, visit: PaulaMunier.com.
From Cinderella to Harry Potter, all stories share a common architecture. In this
workshop, we’ll look at that architecture and how to get started on your story.
Other topics include hooking your potential reader and selecting your (or your main character’s) narrative
distance and point of view. Next, we’ll get down to the big stuff of crafting fictional scenes and scripting the kind of dialog that propels or deepens our narratives.
Finally, we’ll address “the two e’s:” editing and endings. As well as addressing the craft of writing fiction, get ready for some in-workshop writing, peer support and laughter.
What to bring: Your preferred writing tools (pen, notebook, laptop, tablet), a sense of curiosity and an open heart to our own and each other’s stories.
ABOUT ÁINE GREANEY: An Irish native, Áine now lives and writes in northern Massachusetts. In addition to her five published books, her short works have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Salon, Another Chicago Magazine, The Boston Globe Magazine, The New York Times, Books Ireland, NPR/WBUR and other publications.
As well as being an author, Áine is a trained teacher who has designed and led fiction and non-fiction workshops, presentations and keynotes for regional, national and international organizations., including the NH Writers’ Project.
Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, cited in Best American Essays and named a ‘Great Group Read’ by the Women’s National Book Association.
To learn more, visit: AineGreaney.com.
Are you ready to take your author platform to the next level without spending countless hours on marketing?
In this session, we’ll explore how artificial intelligence can transform your book marketing strategy and help you connect with your readers like never before.
From automating social media content to crafting personalized email campaigns and optimizing your online presence, this presentation will introduce you to essential AI tools and techniques that make marketing feel effortless.
Whether you’re a passionate writer, debut author or a seasoned pro, you’ll learn how to streamline your promotional efforts, boost your visibility, and build an engaged community of readers.
Join us to discover practical, easy-to-implement strategies that allow you to focus on what you do best—writing—while letting AI handle the heavy lifting.
ABOUT TRACI BISSON: Traci is a marketing and public relations expert with over 30 years of experience helping businesses and creatives build their brands and connect with their audiences.
As the founder of Bisson Barcelona, a PR and marketing firm, and the owner of Golden Dog Adventure Co., Traci has honed her skills in crafting compelling narratives and developing strategic marketing campaigns that resonate.
She is also an active leader within the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, where she empowers local authors through workshops and events focused on building strong author platforms and leveraging modern marketing techniques.
Known for her engaging presentation style and practical advice, Traci’s workshops are designed to give writers and authors actionable tools to elevate their marketing efforts.
Her latest presentation, “The Ultimate AI Marketing Toolkit for Authors,” blends her extensive marketing knowledge with cutting-edge AI strategies to help authors streamline their promotional efforts and build lasting connections with readers.
Traci lives in Barrington with her husband Ray, their dog Gilly, and two cats, Finnegan and Otis. She spends most of her time hiking with dogs and their people, creating fun and meaningful events that help them reconnect with nature.
To learn more, visit: GoldenDogNH.com.
Whether you’re launching your first book or looking to elevate your writing career, refining your author brand is essential to standing out in today’s crowded literary landscape. This interactive workshop guides participants through the core elements of building a memorable brand, connecting with an ideal audience, and developing a smart, sustainable marketing strategy.
We’ll begin with an overview of what branding truly means for authors—beyond logos and taglines—and why it matters. Using real-world examples, we’ll examine how voice, tone, and values shape an author’s public persona. Participants will complete a Brand Discovery Worksheet to explore their unique identity, including:
Core values and message
Author tone and aesthetic
Brand persona
Next, we’ll shift focus to identifying and understanding your target reader. In a “pair and share” activity, writers will:
Describe their ideal audience
Discuss how their story connects to that reader
Reflect on how audience awareness informs storytelling choices
To bring these insights to life, participants can take part in a simulated media interview, stepping into the spotlight as if on a book tour. The audience will observe, then join a group discussion on what made the author’s presentation resonate—and where the brand-story connection could be strengthened.
We’ll also introduce the basics of a strong marketing mix, including:
Social media
Live events and partnerships
Media outreach
Participants will complete a brief target market alignment exercise, reviewing sample media outlets to assess fit with their brand and audience.
The workshop wraps with three actionable steps you can take this week to strengthen your brand. If time allows, we’ll finish with a Q&A and live “hot seat” feedback for anyone ready to share their ideas.
Hands-on, practical, and engaging, this workshop will equip you with the tools and confidence to move from unknown to unforgettable.
ABOUT MIKE MORIN: Mike enjoyed a 53-year career (1971–2024) as a radio personality in Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, and New Hampshire—most notably on WZID-FM, where he was on the air from 1994 to 2014.
His writing career began in 2004, and for over two decades, he has written a biweekly humor column for the Nashua Telegraph. Mike is also a current contributor to New Hampshire Magazine and has had work published in the Boston Globe and several Chicken Soup for the Soul books. His television experience includes time as a weatherman and nearly nine years co-hosting close to 300 episodes of televised candlepin bowling.
Mike’s first book, Fifty Shades of Radio: True Stories of a Morning Radio Guy Being Wired, Tired and Fired, a memoir of his broadcast career, was published in 2013. In 2019, he released Lunch with Tommy and Stasia: TV’s Golden Age of Candlepin Bowling, followed in 2022 by If These Walls Could Talk, a history of New Hampshire’s iconic Red Arrow Diner, which celebrated its 100th anniversary that year.
In 2013, Mike received the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. His candlepin bowling book won a New Hampshire Writers’ Project award for Best Fiction in 2021.
He lives in Nashua with Barbara Baker and their Westie, Portia Rose.
ABOUT TRACI BISSON: Traci is a marketing and public relations expert with over 30 years of experience helping businesses and creatives build their brands and connect with their audiences.
As the founder of Bisson Barcelona, a PR and marketing firm, and the owner of Golden Dog Adventure Co., Traci has honed her skills in crafting compelling narratives and developing strategic marketing campaigns that resonate.
She is also an active leader within the New Hampshire Writers’ Project, where she empowers local authors through workshops and events focused on building strong author platforms and leveraging modern marketing techniques.
Known for her engaging presentation style and practical advice, Traci’s workshops are designed to give writers and authors actionable tools to elevate their marketing efforts.
Her latest presentation, “The Ultimate AI Marketing Toolkit for Authors,” blends her extensive marketing knowledge with cutting-edge AI strategies to help authors streamline their promotional efforts and build lasting connections with readers.
Traci lives in Barrington with her husband Ray, their dog Gilly, and two cats, Finnegan and Otis. She spends most of her time hiking with dogs and their people, creating fun and meaningful events that help them reconnect with nature.
To learn more, visit: GoldenDogNH.com.
Invest in your future as a writer and join us for a jampacked day filled with tips, ideas, and resources to help you reach your literary goals and dreams. Have a question? Contact Us for more information.
Not yet a member? Join the membership and enjoy all the benefits offered, including a discounted rate for the 603 Writers’ Conference.
Is your book ready to be published? Would you like to get feedback on your pitch before you send it out?
Submit your pitch by May 30th to a panel of judges for a chance to win a prize!
Your pitch must not be longer than one paragraph (maximum of 125 words). It should have all the elements that tell an agent or publisher what the story is about. It should have “GMC”: goal, motivation, and conflict.
In addition to your one-paragraph pitch, you need to include your logline, the one sentence that sells your book.
All genres are welcome to participate. It doesn’t matter if your book is fiction or non-fiction — you just need to have a great pitch. NH Writers’ Project (NHWP) premiered this fun event at the 2020 603 Writers’ Conference with great success.
The Process:
This is a fun exercise where everyone gets to learn what makes a great pitch. Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners selected by the judges.
Stay tuned for our Pitch Party line up of judges coming very soon!
Enter the raffle drawings for a chance to win valuable prizes—a story guide consultation, bookstore gift cards, gifts for writers, a marketing consultation, and more. Tickets are cash only. Winners will be drawn at 4:30 p.m. and must be present to win.
Watch this area for a list of donated raffles and prizes you will have a chance to win when you attend this year’s 603 Writers’ Conference.
We can’t wait to see you at the 2025 603 Writers’ Conference. Register below to secure your spot at this year’s event.
The New Hampshire Writers’ Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit literary arts organization funded by its members, as well as organizations and businesses, who support our region’s writers and literary heritage. The organization is run by a dedicated board of passionate volunteers.
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