Fan Fun and Writing Conference at Ascendio 2012

Hi All,

Sorry for the couple of weeks absence.  Every now and then I need a break to recharge my blogging cells. :-)

But there's an exciting event coming up that I want you all to know about.  I'm going to be presenting my Writer's Guide to Harry Potter workshop at the upcoming conference Ascendio 2012 in Orlando in mid-July.  I've been talking with one of the conference PR team, Heidi Tandy, who's really excited to get the word out to writers that this conference, which has always included participation and programs for authors, will this year include a special track within the conference especially geared to writers of both original and fan fiction.

The Quill Track will not only include workshops and panel discussions covering the craft and business of writing from experienced authors, but will also host several agents and editors who are Harry Potter fans as well!  It may interest you to know that some of the agents began as fan fiction authors themselves and were moderators on Fiction Alley.

Scheduled agents who will be taking one-page pitches include:

• Joanna Volpe with Nancy Coffee Literary & Media Representation
• Carlie Webber with the Jane Rotrosen Agency
• Lindsay Ribar, author and junior agent at Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc.
• Diana Fox with Fox Literary

And editors include:

• Molly O'Neill with Harper Collins Children's Books
• Cecilia Tan, author and publisher of Circlet Press

Plus many exciting YA (and other) authors will be attending, presenting, and signing books, including Aimee Carter, Beth Revis, Lev Grossman, Veronica Roth, Michelle Hodkin, and Mark Oshiro.  You can read all their bios at the Quill Track Authors, Editors, and Agents page.

Ascendio will be held at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando from July 12 - 15 and includes many exciting events for both writers and fans of the Harry Potter series, including a special after-hours event in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park.  Full registration or one-day passes are available for the conference, and the hotel rate is the best available for the summer months.

Other programs of interest to writers include:

• panel discussions on hot topics in publishing, including commercial publishing vs. self-publishing, LGBTQ in YA, how to get an agent, and more
• practical presentations by successful fans-turned-published authors on how to go from fanfic to pro writing, as well as how-tos on self-publishing ebooks
• workshops on writing (fanfic and original) and critiquing

And for those of you who have ever written fan fiction, there will be a producer attending Ascendio who is filming a documentary on the history of fan fiction and its creation.

I'd love to meet you all in person, and what better place to meet than at a Harry Potter fan and writers conference!  Imagine it -- where else can you go to have both the fun of a fan gathering with the opportunities  of a writers event?  So if you can work writing and Harry in Orlando into your summer plans, join me for some fun!

Also, be sure to check by Jami Gold's blog if you haven't already as she's got some exciting things going on, as she usually does, especially for writers interested in fan fiction.  Jami tackled the ethical questions behind the prior fan fiction Fifty Shades of Grey, which has generated a ton of debate in the comments section as well as being highlighted on GalleyCat.


So, who all is planning on attending a writing conference in the upcoming months?  Which ones?  And, I'm curious, how many of you have written fan fiction?  I know several of you have.... :-)  (friends from the Ukraine, Puerto Rico, California, and Arizona come to mind!)