Schedule:

8:30-8:45: Welcome — Masheri Chappelle

8:45-9:45: Keynote —Mark Dagostino

9:45-10:15: Book signing/bookstore time

10:15-11:45: Workshop 1 (Track A)

11:45-12:00: Travel time

12:00-1:00: Lunch

1:00-2:00: Panel Discussion — The Literary Experience: From Pitch to Film

2:00-2:15: Travel time

2:15-3:45: Workshop 2 (Track B)

3:45-4:00: Travel time

4:00-End: Pitch Party and Social (refreshments and appetizers served)

Sign-Up Process

The online registration process is closed. If you would still like to attend, you can register the day of the event with either cash or a credit card (no checks). You can then select one workshop from Track A (morning session) and one from Track B (afternoon session). Prices are:

Members – $165
Nonmembers – $185
Teachers and students – $125

NEW: Limelight Members’ Bookstore Kiosk

Members can bring their book to display for sale at the Limelight Members’ Bookstore kiosk during the 603 event. Books will not be sold at the event; instead, members will bring a copy of their book and a book stand along with a sell sheet that will provide all the relevant information someone would need to purchase the book elsewhere. To add your book to the kiosk, fill out the signup form.

Location/Directions

The event kicks off in the Dining Center on SNHU campus. Use this Google Map to find directions for you.
The map below circles the main buildings where we will meet and the lots where you can park:

Dining Center/Banquet Facilities – where you will register; where you will attend the keynote address, the panel discussion, and the pitch party; where the Limelight Members’ Bookstore Kiosk will be
Robert Frost Hall – where all workshops will be held (you will receive a sheet with specific classroom assignments for each session)
The visitor parking lots (1 and 2)

You can also download a PDF map directly from the SNHU site here.

The Menu

When you attend the 603 Writers’ Conference, we not only feed your mind, we nourish your body as well. We’ll satisfy your thirst for knowledge and your hunger for delicious meals and snacks. Click here to view the menu.

Workshops

There are 10 classes. All workshops are offered as morning (A) and afternoon (B) sessions with the exception of option 9: THIS IS THE TIME WHEN… A Workshop for Everyone with a Story to Tell with Joni B Cole is available only in the morning (Track A) and Shaping a Memoir: A Workshop, with Tanya Gold is held only in the afternoon (Track B). Scroll down to review your choices.

A&B: Darling You’re Making a Scene, with Áine Greaney

Whether you’re writing long-form or short (essay-length) memoir, you need to engage your readers via lively, memorable scenes that draw the reader in and make them care about you and your story.

In this overview workshop, participants will learn:

The all-important opening scene and how to let your readers “in”
Macro and micro issues of scene building
Balancing “live” scenes with your narrative or explainer paragraphs
Achieving vividness to make your readers care
Dialog in your scene

Irish native Áine Greaney now lives in Newburyport, MA. In addition to her published books, her personal and memoir essays have appeared or been cited in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe Magazine, Best American Essays, Creative Nonfiction, Another Chicago Magazine, The Mindful Word, The Daily Wisdom, KevinMD, World of Psychology and other outlets.

In addition to creative writing, she leads writing workshops and presentations at various community and academic locations and conferences.

A&B: Success and Career Longevity For Indie Authors, with Dale T. Phillips

In this workshop, we will discuss how to flourish and be happy and productive as an Indie author, how to sell better and make more than coffee money, and how to stay motivated and writing for the rest of your life.

Dale T. Phillips has published novels, story collections, non-fiction, and over 80 short stories. Stephen King was Dale’s college writing teacher, and since then, Dale has found time to appear on stage, television, radio, in an independent feature film, and compete on Jeopardy (losing in a spectacular fashion). He’s a member of the Mystery Writers of America and the Sisters in Crime. He’s traveled to all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and through Europe.

A&B: How the Web is Won with Stephanie McLaughlin

Stephanie McLaughlin, principal of Savoir Faire Marketing/Communications and the host of the Forty Drinks Podcast, will walk through what website elements must be in place to use it effectively for marketing efforts – and collect actionable insights along the way. The session will include a review of up to three attendee websites. To submit your website for review, please fill out this form.

Bringing a background in journalism to marketing, Stephanie McLaughlin merges creativity with clarity to develop marketing programs that have an impact on her clients’ bottom line. Stephanie is the principal of Savoir Faire Marketing/Communications, a marketing agency in Manchester, NH. Her superpower is uncovering a company’s “soul” and then developing stories about that soul that resonate with the audiences most responsible for the company’s success. She strives to help you Make Your Marketing Matter.

In 2022 Stephanie launched The Forty Drinks Podcast, a passion project based on a life changing experience she had around turning 40. Each week she has conversations with guests about transformation and reinvention that take place around that milestone birthday.

Stephanie lives in Manchester, NH, with her husband Patrick and a rambunctious black cat named Quinn. Professionally, she’s confident and optimistic. Personally, she’s sassy and more than a little ridiculous.

A&B: Finding Your Story, with Paul Brogan

Writing your memoir can seem intimidating and overwhelming at the onset as you wade through decades of life events. Before you’ve even written a single word, you need to determine what will make “your story” resonate with the readers you want to reach. Learn some valuable tips and gain some insight as to how you can navigate these challenges and make your life journey one that others will be eager to take.

Paul Brogan was born in New Hampshire and grew up enjoying the natural beauty of the state that is nicknamed “The Granite State”. After attending Plymouth State University, he set out on a life adventure that took him, eventually, to Los Angeles where he worked at CBS Television City.
He is the author of three books including a 2022 memoir, A Sprinkling of Stardust Over the Outhouse. The recipient of a 2014 award for his writing from the NH Press Association, Paul’s next book will be out in 2024.

A&B: Lessons From Our Wild Rides Publishing Nonfiction Books and Our Adventures in Marketing, with Jean Duffy and Bev Stohl

You’re polishing your nonfiction manuscript. Now what? How do you find a publisher? What about book promotion? In this session two debut authors share their sometimes similar, often diverse experiences getting their books across the finish line. You will come away with the next steps that align with your personal strengths.

Jean Duffy is a nonfiction writer with published essays in the Boston Globe, Concord Monitor, WBUR Cognoscenti and other publications. Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023) is her first book. Jean can be found on the soccer field in Lexington, Massachusetts where her team, the Lexpressas, have been playing for some twenty years. When she’s not attacking the keyboard or flubbing a shot on goal, she might be consulting with nonprofits, helping people downsize, or doing crossword puzzles with her husband at their home in Somerville, Massachusetts. You can find Jean online at www.jeanduffy.com.

Bev Stohl is a nonfiction writer with published essays in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the MIT Press, Stethoscopes and Pencils, Chomsky.info, and on Reddit and other social media. Chris Lydon interviewed Bev on his Open Source radio show. Chomsky and Me: A Memoir (OR Books, 2023) is the story of her 24 years as Noam Chomsky’s assistant at MIT. Bev, Noam, and her dog Roxy have been featured in graphic novels, and animated in Michel Gondry’s 2013 film, Is the Man who is Tall Happy? Bev has performed stand-up comedy and appeared on TV news shows talking backward. She has dabbled in woodworking, and is mediocre at piano, guitar, and ukulele. You can find Bev online at www.facebook.com/ChomskyandMeAMemoir and www.instagram.com/ChomskyandMeAMemoir.

A&B: The Purpose and Use of Research in Creating the Memoir, with Margaret Porter

Effective memoir writing doesn’t rely exclusively on personal experience and history, or memory. All aspects of the genre can be enhanced by various types of research, tailored to the focus and theme of the project. Discover the purpose of research, ways to effectively and efficiently gather necessary and relevant information, and how best to incorporate it.

A sample of topics to be explored:

Matching the research plan to memoir type and structure
Fact-finding to reinforce or correct personal memory
Research to lend authenticity and atmosphere
Sources and methods for researching events and individuals
Background research to formulate questions for interviewing other people
Staying out of the rabbit hole—how not to over-research
Organizing reference materials: notes, internet searches, audio/video recordings

Margaret Porter, recipient of the 2019 New Hampshire Literary Award for Outstanding Work of Fiction for Beautiful Invention: A Novel of Hedy Lamarr, is author of fourteen additional historical novels for various publishers. Her published works include bestsellers, award-winners, many foreign language editions, and a forthcoming contemporary novel. According to Publishers Weekly, she is notable for presenting “vivid historical figures and events . . . rigorously researched and faithfully portrayed.” Margaret has edited memoir and other nonfiction and regularly presents workshops on research and writing techniques at national and regional writers’ conferences. More information is available at her website, www.margaretporter.com.

7. A&B: The Readable, Writable Memoir: Where to Begin, What to Say, and When to Edit, with Robin Baskerville

If you are working on a memoir for yourself or ghostwriting one for a client, this is a great session for you!

Robin Baskerville’s Writing Lab is designed for both the emergent and seasoned writer. You may submit your memoir in progress, and she will provide constructive feedback on how plot, characterization, dialogue, setting, or believability can be used to develop stories from your life into a cohesive and interesting narrative. Having a memoir in progress is not a prerequisite for participation, but some critiques will be shared in the session, so everyone learns from the feedback of each manuscript. Participants may submit up to 1,500 words of their project at least 10 days prior to the session to allow Robin time to review, edit and prepare her feedback.

Robin Baskerville is a freelance writer, editor, and owner of Baskerville Editing. Among her clients are a co-author of a recent New York Times #1 best-selling celebrity memoir and writers still trying to break in to print. She is creator of the “Working with an Editor” workshop for writers who plan on self-publishing or submitting their work to editors, publishers, or agents. She is the former editor of Business NH Magazine.

8. A&B: Pinch Your Nose and Dive In: Just Market That Book!, with Beth D’Ovidio

If you are an author just getting started and need help building your platform, or an author who is not seeing the desired results from your marketing efforts, this workshop is for you. Through attending this session, you will know how to identify your “ideal” reader and how to put your book in their hands. You will be able to set your marketing goals, develop a usable plan and learn the basic skills and tools needed to sell your book. Find out when to start marketing (you may be surprised!), what channels may work best for you, and how to get the most from your marketing budget.

Beth D’Ovidio is an enthusiastic PR/communications professional with extensive experience writing compelling content for PR, marketing, and social media. 20 years of experience resulting in proven success in developing and implementing media strategies, plans and campaigns across traditional and digital channels to create and promote client/employers’ brands, including dozens of authors and the NH Writers’ Project. Beth has experience and success working with independently and traditionally published authors across all genres to get their books in front of readers.

9. A&B: THIS IS THE TIME WHEN… A Workshop for Everyone with a Story to Tell with Joni B. Cole

How do you turn a memory or life experience into a powerful essay? In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to mine for meaningful material, hook your readers, structure your story for maximum effect, and elevate your anecdotes in a way that makes readers care, understand, think, laugh, relate, and be forever changed by your stories. Expect to write from a prompt and leave with plenty of tips and techniques for bringing your life to life on the page. This workshop welcomes beginners and seasoned authors. Bring something to write on/with and leave all self doubts at the door.

Joni B. Cole is the author of seven books, including Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier (listed as a “Best Books for Writers” by Poets & Writers magazine) and Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive (“I can’t imagine a better guide to writing’s rewards and perils than this fine book,” American Book Review). Joni teaches at her own writer’s center in White River Junction, Vermont, and at a diversity of academic and nonprofit programs across the country. She is a frequent speaker at conferences and a contributor to The Writer magazine. Joni also hosts the podcast “Author, Can I Ask You?” Her second collection of personal essays, Party Like It’s 2044, is forthcoming from the University of New Mexico Press in fall 2023. www.jonibcole.com

10. A&B: Writing Characters in Memoir: Challenges, Ethics, and Approaches, with Kirsti Sandy

Memoir writing is a creative genre, yet the events and the characters in it are drawn from life. This poses several challenges for the memoirist, whose relationships with the people in their stories can be impacted by the way they are represented. In this workshop, we will discuss some of the dilemmas that memoirists face when writing about families and friends and come up with strategies to write both ethically and truthfully about people who are a part of our life stories.

Kirsti Sandy teaches creative writing at Keene State College. Her memoir essay collection, She Lived and the Other Girls Died, was awarded the Monadnock Essay Collection Prize in 2017 and her essay, “I Have Come for What Belongs to Me” won the Raven Prize for Nonfiction, an award sponsored by the Northern New England Review. Her poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction can be found in Split Lip, the Boiler, Under the Gum Tree, Book of Matches, Haus: An Anthology of Haunted House Stories, among other publications.

Panel Discussion: The Literary Experience: From Pitch to Film Adaptation

Panelists:

Alfred Thomas Catalfo — Alfred Thomas Catalfo is an award-winning screenwriter, director, actor (SAG-AFTRA), and an attorney. He has been a winner or finalist in more than 50 major screenwriting competitions with five different feature scripts. Highlights include winning the Grand Prize in the Rhode Island International Film Festival Screenplay Competition, winning the Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition two years in a row, Top 6 Finalist in the Austin Film Festival Feature Script Competition, First Prize in the Fade In Awards True Story/Biopic Script Competition, and writing two of the three Finalists in the prestigious Nantucket Film Festival Tony Cox Feature Screenplay Competition, an unprecedented achievement. He was selected for the Stowe Story Labs where he was mentored by two-time Academy Award-nominated screenwriter David Magee (“Life of Pi”). Alfred has written, produced and directed nine acclaimed, award-winning short films that have been featured at leading festivals and on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List (“Ten Things We Love This Week”).

Brinda Charry — Born and raised in India, Brinda Charry moved to the United States in 1999 and has lived in New Hampshire since 2005. She is the author of two novels and a collection of short stories, published in India and the UK, and has won several prizes for her work. The East Indian is her American debut and will be published in May 2023 by Scribner USA. It will also be published by Scribe, UK and Harper Collins, India in June 2023. Brinda is also an academic with a specialization in the literature of the English Renaissance (Shakespeare and contemporaries) and has published several books and articles in that field. She is currently Professor of English at Keene State College, New Hampshire.

Rob Greene — Rob Greene is a New Hampshire resident who writes science fiction as the far easier to Google ‘R.W.W. Greene.’ His next book Earth Retrograde — the conclusion of The First Planets duology, which began in May 2022 with Mercury Rising — will be out October 2023 from Angry Robot Books. Greene keeps a website at RWWGreene.com and publishes a newsletter, Twenty-First Century Blues, via Substack.

Matthew Valentinas — Matthew Valentinas is an Entertainment Lawyer, Literary Manager, Affiliated Agent, and Producer. He received his BFA in film and television production from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and earned his JD from Suffolk University Law School. Matthew is the literary manager for numerous authors and screenwriters under his Mom’s Basement Management banner handling long term career strategy for clients. Managing tasks include providing submission services, screenplay and manuscript coverage, and advising on book proposal creation. Matthew also serves as an Executive Producer on numerous film and television and digital media productions through Mom’s Basement Media Inc. which packages and produces projects based on rights acquired or represented by Matthew. As a lawyer with Sennott Williams & Rogers, Matthew advises an array of clients covering all transactional entertainment matters including authors, screenwriters, directors, producers, production companies, publishers, life-story rights, estate rights, comedians, broadcasters, actors, podcasters, and radio and television personalities. He has held business affairs positions for a major studio, an international sales agency, and two independent film and television distributors.

Pitch Party

Is your book ready to be published? Would you like to get feedback on your pitch before you send it out? You can submit your literary pitch to a panel of judges for a chance to win a great prize! Your pitch must be 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. NHWP premiered this fun event at the 2020 603 Writers’ Conference with great success.

The Process:

Pitches must be submitted by May 19^th to submissions@nhwritersproject.org with “PITCH PARTY” in the subject line.
All pitches submitted will be reviewed by an NHWP selection committee that will determine the top five to be presented to a panel of judges at the 603 Pitch Party.
The final five will be announced at the beginning of the Pitch Party. All finalists must be present to answer questions about their book. If the finalist chosen is not present, an alternate finalist will be selected.
Each of the finalists’ pitches will be read to the panel of judges and audience by an actor, with great passion and suspense.
The panel will ask the finalists to answer any questions they have about the pitch before determining the top three winners. The decisions of the panel will be final.

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.

Pitch Party Judges:

Laura Knoy, moderator — Laura Knoy is one of New Hampshire’s most well-known journalists. She was founding host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s “The Exchange” which for 25 years was the state’s most widely recognized and respected radio program. The show had 100,000 listeners across New Hampshire and extending in Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts. She has worked at the national level as well; newscasting, hosting and reporting for NPR and other news outlets.In mid-2021, Laura stepped down from the host’s chair to pursue other interests, including writing fiction. Her skills in interviewing, moderating and public speaking are frequently called upon. Laura recently joined the Rudman Center at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law as its Director of Community Engagement. She’s also a fitness instructor and lifeguard at her local YMCA. She’s the host of two podcasts; ReadLocalNH and Beyond Your Balance Sheet.Laura graduated Phi Beta Kappa from George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs. She spends her free time reading or outdoors, while trying to avoid yard and household chores. She’s the mom of two young adult sons and two middle-aged cats and can be found online at lauraknoy.com.

James Patrick Kelly has won a Nebula, awarded by the Science Fiction Writers of America and two World Science Fiction Society’s Hugo Awards. His most recent books The First Law of of Thermodynaics Plus (2021), a collection in PM Press’s Outspoken Author series edited by Terry Bisson, King Of The Dogs, Queen Of The Cats (2020), a novella from Subterranean Press, a collection, The Promise of Space (2018), from Prime Books, and a novel, Mother Go (2017), an audiobook original from Audible. In 2016 Centipede Press published a career retrospective Masters of Science Fiction: James Patrick Kelly. His fiction has been translated into eighteen languages.
Jim’s plays have had productions in New York, Chicago and Honolulu among other venues and his award-winning novelette, “Think Like A Dinosaur” was adapted for the television anthology series, Outer Limits. He has narrated fifty-two of his own stories for Audible.com as part of its StoryPod project. With John Kessel, he has co-edited five anthologies, including Rewired, the Post-Cyberpunk Anthology and Digital Rapture, the Singularity Anthology. He writes a column on the internet for Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine. Find him on the web at www.jimkelly.net.

Robert Wheeler — Robert Wheeler is the author of Hemingway’s Paris: A Writer’s City in Words and Images (2015), Hemingway’s Havana: A Reflection of the Writer’s Life in Cuba (2018),
The Boston Freedom Trail in Words and Pictures (2019), and he has written the Foreword to the rerelease of Hemingway’s first novel, The Sun Also Rises (2022). Robert’s agent is Peter Riva of International Transactions and his work is published by
Skyhorse Publishing in NYC, distributed in the U.S. and internationally by Simon & Schuster. Robert has led academic groups from Paris and to Havana and has spoken at numerous bookstores, libraries, and at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. For two months in 2022, Robert volunteered as a writing teacher for Mitch Albom’s orphanage/mission in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Robert lives in New Castle, NH, near the sea with his wife, Meme, the Director of the Chase Home for Children, and his labradoodle, Thadeus.

Deidre Randall — Deidre Randall is the CEO of Peter E. Randall Publisher, a 50-year-old, independent publisher located in New Hampshire. Deidre provides project management and marketing consultation for all titles. The firm publishes mainly nonfiction, hardcover, illustrated titles, and children’s hardcover, fiction. Titles may be presented for consideration by email to deidre@perpublisher.com.

David Moloney is the author of the novel Barker House (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020). His writing has appeared in The Yale Review, AGNI, Guernica, Literary Hub, Salamander, Joyland, and elsewhere. He teaches creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University and lives in Amherst, N.H.

When you arrive, a healthy Continental Breakfast:

Baker’s Selection of Freshly Baked Pastries
Assorted Bagels with Cream Cheese and Assorted Jellies
Build Your Own Low-Fat Yogurt Parfaits with Seasonal Berries and Granola served with Fresh Fruit Salad Bowl (GF)
Assorted Bottled Juices, Starbucks Fresh Brewed Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee, and Teavana Tea

To fuel you up for the afternoon sessions, a nourishing Lunch:

Tuscan Sandwich Buffet — Your choice of three Sandwiches, served with Italian Style Pasta Salad or Mixed Green Salad (GF), House-made Potato Chips, Assorted Cookies and Dessert Bars, Assorted Soda, Seltzer and Water. (If you need gluten-free bread for your sandwich, let us know, and we will have that available for you.)
- Bruschetta Sandwich: Rustic Baguette with Sliced Roma Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Baby Spinach, Basil Pesto, Balsamic Glaze and Olive Oil Dressing
- Turkey Club Wrap: Sliced Turkey Breast, Thick Cut Bacon, Roma Tomatoes, Green Leaf Lettuce and Whole Grain Mustard Aioli in an Herb Wrap
- Grilled Chicken: Lemon Basil Grilled Chicken, Baby Arugula, Roma Tomatoes and Pesto Aioli on Ciabatta
- Mixed Green Salad (GF)
Broccoli and Cheddar (GF)
Kale and White Bean (Vegan and GF)

To celebrate the Pitch Party winner and network with other writers, some appetizing After Party snacks and drinks:

Antipasto Platter (GF)
Assorted Grilled and Roasted Vegetables with Italian Cured Meats including Prosciutto, Genoa Salami, Capicola and Imported Cheeses. Served with Freshly Baked Crostini.
Hot Hors d’Oeuvres: Vegetable Spring Rolls with Honey Soy Dip (GF), Sesame Chicken Tenders with Spicy Garlic Sauce, Maryland Style Crab Cakes with Old Bay Remoulade
Vanilla Buttercream Sheet Cake
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Hydration station and iced tea

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