This is the full list of panels, workshops, and seminars taking place at Imaginarium 2022!
These are confirmed titles and descriptions of programming content at the moment. Days, times, and room locations are included at the end of each description.
Download the full Imaginarium 2022 Program as a PDF file here!
Scroll down to see all panels and workshop categories and listings!
Keynote Address
Facing Your Writing Fears: Presenter – John DeDakis. Not only is writing a lonely process, it can be downright scary. And, when it comes to mustering the courage to share our work with others, fear can turn to terror. In this session we’ll look at understanding what frightens us — and how to get beyond those fears. Followed by a Q & A. (Fri 7-7:30 pm / Turfway)
Writing Panels
Ask the Editor, Q&A with GOH Ellen Datlow: A Q&A discussion with award-winning Editor Ellen Datlow, regarding what an editor provides you. (Sat 3:45 pm / Carriage)
Audiobooks: Discuss the best audiobook platforms, how to start converting your title into an audiobook, marketing your audiobook, and much more! (Sun 3:30pm / Calumet)
Audiobook Narration: Learn from professional narrators how you can become one yourself. Discuss DIY sound panels and more! (Sat 2:15pm / Calumet)
Benefits of Writing Groups: Writing group members will discuss their experiences with such groups and the benefits it can add to your writing. (Fri 12pm / Calumet)
Books and Bourbon V (21 yrs and over): Grab a favorite breverage of your choice and join in a light hearted discussion regarding writing with and or about all things bourbon related. (Fri 8:30pm / Ellis)
Character Conception: Panelist will have a dialogue regarding the creation of characters for your stories. (Sat 2:30pm / Carriage)
Children’s Books: Learn how to write engaging children’s books and discuss interesting topics for children. (Sun 10am / Claiborne)
Cozy Mystery: Explore how to write a great cozy mystery. (Fri 5pm / Calumet)
Creative Branding: Tips on ways you can creatively brand yourself and your projects. (Sat 9am / Claiborne)
Creative’s Mental Health: Join in this interactive panel as creative’s discuss their own mental health journeys and how the arts greatly benefit their well being. (Sat 4:15 pm / Claiborne)
Cross-Genre: Discuss clever ways to blend genres and the characteristics of creating a great cross genre story. (Sunday 11:15am / Carriage)
Freelancing Choices: Join in on discussion of how you can use your knowledge to do freelancing and the different freelances choices that are out there. (Sat 9 am / Carriage)
Gateways to Horror: When people say, “I don’t like horror,” they usually mean they don’t like blood, gore, and nonstop screams. This panel explores some Horror-Lite films and television shows to use to work your way into enjoying the horror genre more. Come take a nostalgic look at some of the horror that opened the gateways for our panelists and find a new appreciation for a genre you might think you’re scared of but find you’ve enjoyed for years. (Sat 1:15 pm / Carriage)
Historical Fiction: Discuss some of the benefits to writing compelling historical fiction and the processes involved in doing so. (Fri 3:45 / Calumet)
How to Kickstart Your Book: The do’s and don’ts of crowdfunding your publishing projects. (Sun 2:15 pm / Calumet)
How to Write a Short Story: Learn what defines a story as “short” and creative ways to write a short story. (Fri 12pm / Carriage)
How Writing Can Benefit Your Mental Health: Discuss ways that writing can be therapeutic for you in dealing with your own mental health. (Fri 5pm / Carriage)
Indie Vs. Traditional Publishing: Discussing the differences of publishing with a traditional publisher versus indie publishing. Talking about the pros and cons of each. (Sat 10am / Claiborne)
Kill, Marry, Shag – The Universal Monster Edition: Ever wanted to neck with Dracula? Do you fantasize about sharing body parts with Frankenstein’s Monster? Ever wondered what The Invisible Man looks like without his clothes? Got any strong opinions about who’s the better kisser between The Wolfman, The Phantom and The Creature? Perhaps you have one too many posters of The Bride hanging in your bedroom? No? That’s okay. Come down anyway and watch us debate which of the Universal Monsters we’d like to spend the night with, which monsters we’d probably shack up with, and which monsters we’d rather leave buried for eternity. (Audience participation highly encouraged) (Fri 3:45 pm / Ellis)
Literary Fiction: Learn what defines literary fiction, how to write within this genre, and popular topics to start with. (Sun 11:15 am / Claiborne)
Marketing Short Stories: A discussion on how to market your short story and who to market them to. (Sun 3:15pm / Carriage)
NaNoWriMo: Learn what NaNoWriMo is, how to participate, if it is right for you, and how to prepare. (Sun 11:15am / Ellis)
Non-Fiction: A look into the vast genres of nonfiction writing and discuss writing in some of the most prominent types of nonfiction. (Sun 10am / Carriage)
Now That We’ve Met, I Have to Kill You: Where is the line between writing what you know and writing WHO you know? What are the ethical responsibilities of writing about real people? Do they get any say in the matter? Can they even prove it? How should one deal with writing about one’s family members or people we’ve known intimately? Where is the balance between the need to tell a story and the pain others might feel in being exposed? Are writers inherently evil people hellbent on backstabbing everyone around them for a good story? We’ll look at this and so much more as we explore the fine line writers walk when the real world inspires the story. (Sun 3:15pm / Ellis)
Poetic Writing: Learn the types of poetry, what defines a poem, and themes that you can start with. (Sun 12:30 / Claiborne)
Religious Writing: How you can transform a personal experience, choose your own topic, or create your own unique religion, and incorporated into your writing. (Sun 12:30 / Ellis)
Romantic Prose: Tips on writing romantic prose, how to avoid stereotypes, while using various eras and settings. (Fri 3:45 / Carriage)
Science Fiction: Explore the most common themes, how to make your story plausible, and what makes a compelling science fiction story. (Fri 12pm / Ellis)
Songwriting: Learn from seasoned musicians and songwriters the core elements in creating a captivating song. (Fri 5pm / Caliborne)
Squirrel Taming: Tips to avoid distractions, ways to focus, and how to create good writing habits that help you increase your word count. (Sun 10am / Ellis)
Terrifying Horror: Join in this discussion on what makes a horror story scary and tips on how to terrify your reader. (Fri 1:15pm / Carriage)
The Author/Editor Relationship: A talk regarding the unique relationship between a author and editor. (Fri 2:30 pm /Carriage)
Thrilling Mysteries: Learn how to write a mystery thriller and what defines a thriller from a “more gentle mystery”. (Fri 2:30pm / Calumet)
Understanding Anthologies: Join a discussion on the different types of anthologies, the meaning of anthology, and benefits of writing in one. (Fri 12:30pm / Turfway)
What Editors Look For and Do When Acquiring Stories: A panel on what substantive editors do (not just copy editors) and what they look for when acquiring stories. (Sun 11:15am / Carriage)
Worldbuilding Discussion: A panel discussion on how to approach effective worldbuilding for your writing. (Fri 12pm / Turfway)
Writing Erotica: Discuss what separates romance from erotica. Learn how to write steamy sex scenes, that will have your readers coming back for more! (Sat 5pm / Carriage)
Writing Fantasy: Learn the perks of writing unrealistic fiction and how to avoid stereotypes within this genre. (Fri 1:15pm / Ellis)
Writing LGBTQ+: Writing with LGBTQ+ characters and knowing your audience. (Sat 9 am / Calumet)
Writing Mental Health: How to avoid stigmas within your prose concerning mental health issues. Discuss how your writing can benefit society and educate the readers regarding different mental health issues. (Sat 3:30pm / Calumet)
Writing Military Equipment: Conversation on where to reasearch and how to correctly implement military equipment into your story. (Sat 3:30pm / Claiborne)
Writing Mountain Medicine: Examination into Holistic Medicine and how to weave it into your writing. (Sun 11:15 am / Calumet)
Writing Prompts: Learn what makes a great writing prompt and how you can utilize them to spark an idea for your next story. (Sat 10am / Ellis)
Writing YA: Discuss what distinguishes YA from Adult Fiction, main themes, and how this genre has transformed in recent years from social media and the social climate. (Fri 2:30pm / Ellis)
You Need a Cover That Pops: Learn why cover art can make or break a book with several award-winning cover artists and graphic designers! (Fri 2:30pm / Turfway)
Indie Film Panels
Acting 101: Learn from seasoned actors how to enter the world of acting and the dos and don’ts within this career. (Sun 10am / Turfway)
Audio in Film and TV Projects: A discussion on audio techniques, equipment, editing, and more. This discussion will help you elevate the quality of your film. Sound is essential! (Sun 2pm / Ellis)
Careers in Film: Would you like to learn more about how to become a director or producer in film? How about a actor, prop master, movie editor, makeup artist, cinematographer, and so forth? Join in this discussion with film professionals that are knowledgeable regarding the various careers within the world of film. (Sat 10am / Calumet)
China’s Film Restrictions: How the government of China’s film restrictions will affect the US and international film industry and what can be done to avoid such restrictions here. (Fri 3:45pm / Claiborne)
Film Editing: A discussion with seasoned professionals who will tell you the do’s and don’ts of film editing, including an overview of popular editing software. (Sun 2pm / Claiborne)
Music Video Production: Learn how to create a visually stunning music video. (Sat 4:45pm / Calumet)
Researching for Film and TV Projects: Research is the first step in the screenwriting process. Learn where to start and the importance research has to your film perception. (Sun 2pm / Carriage)
Screenwriting 101: Learn the basic techniques and format of screenwriting. (Sat 1:45pm / Claiborne)
The Importance of Good Cinematography Find out how and why principle cinematography can make or break a film. (Fri 1:15pm / Claiborne)
Weapon Safety on Set: There are rules to follow for safely handling weapons on set, to ensure the safety of both the cast and crew. Learn how weapons should be properly handled while filming. (Sat 11:15AM / Claiborne)
What are the 8 Key Elements in Film? A discussion on the key elements of film: plot, structure, characterization, scenes, visuals, dialogue, conflict, and resolution. (Fri 2:30pm / Claiborne)
Gaming and Pop Culture Panels
Cryptocurrency and Creatives: An overview of the world of cryptocurrencies with a special emphasis on how they are being used in the modern day by creatives. (Fri 1:15pm/ Calumet)
DC Vs. Marvel: This panel is always a hit and brings fresh faces to the conversation every year, so join us for a fun and informative debate. (Sat 11:15am / Ellis)
How to Become a Game Developer: Where do I start? Join in this discussion with game designers and get the answers to your questions. Learn how you can create a game to accompany your film or novel. (Sat 11:15am / Calumet)
Kolchak: The Night Stalker Turns 50: The cult ’70s TV show, which has since been turned into comics and prose fiction through Moonstone Books, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and our panelists will discuss Kolchak’s history, legacy, and many adaptations. (Fri 8pm / Carriage)
Pop Culture: Discussion on the current hot pop culture movies, games, fashion, and more! Learn what’s in and what is out, this is the way. (Sat 1:45pm / Ellis)
Superheroes: Learn what defines a superhero and just what do all superheroes have in common. This panel is helpful for writers, filmmakers, and game developers, who are thinking about creating the next great superhero. (Sun 3:15pm / Claiborne)
Why We Cosplay: A variety of cosplayers will be discussing why they do cosplay, dos and don’ts of cosplay, charity options, et cetera. (Fri 1:15 pm / Turfway )
Why We Need Podcasters, Bloggers and YouTubers: We will be discussing the importance of podcasters, bloggers, and YouTubers in building your brand. Learn how you can utilize these talented individuals to level up your brand as a creative. (Fri 5pm / Turfway)
Writing Workshops
Agents, Loglines, and Query Letters: Presenter – Morgan Hazelwood. The traditional publishing world can seem intimidating. What’s the difference between a blurb, a logline, and a query letter? Why might you want to go traditional instead of indie publishing? And how do you pick an agent to query in the first place? All this and more. (Sun 1:30 pm / Triple Crown)
Build Out Your Book: “Make Your Promotion Uniquely Yours by Utilizing Alternative Materials”: Presenter – Ana Maria Selvaggio (Renmeleon). Invent new, creative ways to market your book using alternative approaches to social involvement. Learn to conceptualize and create unique promotional materials your readers will love. Worksheets provided. All attendees will receive thank you gifts. Led by illustrator, author, and designer, Ana Maria Selvaggio, with more than three decades of professional experience under the name Renmeleon, this one-hour workshop is followed up with a one-hour, hands-on group brainstorming session. Come for the workshop and stay for the brainstorming (optional) afterward. If booked during the Imaginarium, Renmeleon is also offering individual, private sessions for 33.00/hour (normally 60.00) that include access to her resources and manufacturing information. (Sun 10am /. Triple Crown)
Character Development – Using Myers Briggs to Create Believable and Multi-layered Characters: Presented by Barbara V. Evers
Write about people who behave in ways that won’t make your readers toss the book across the room in disgust. What makes your characters tick? How do they recharge their energy levels? What kinds of information do they trust and how do they gather it? What goes into their decision making process? What’s their approach to organization, structure, and planning? The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) will help you answer these questions and more. Mix up the traits in the wrong way, and you will send a frustrating message to your reader—you don’t know your character.
By understanding the concepts behind the MBTI, you can create believable personalities for your characters…and you might learn something about yourself in the process! Participants will take the MBTI assessment (for theirself or for their character) and participate in writing exercises focusing on MBTI traits. (Fri 1:15pm / Derby)
Crafting Cross-Genre Fiction: Presenter – Sara Marian. Genres were made to be broken. An informal talk, Q&A, and a fun writing exercise on the topic of bending the rules of genre, crossing the streams, and thinking outside the box! (Sat 2pm / Derby )
Dive Deep: Presenter Virginia Smith – Getting the Most out of Point of View: Publishers often say the main reason they reject stories from new novelists is mistakes in Point of View. Learn from veteran author Virginia Smith how to master the basics of POV, then dive even deeper to make your characters come alive. (Fri 7:30 pm / Derby)
Do Make a Scene: Presenter – Kathy L. Brown. Enliven your fiction with effective scene building in this interactive session. Understand fiction’s basic building block and learn practical tips to structure a scene’s tension, add conflict, and ensure reader engagement. For new to intermediate fiction writers. (Sun 3:15 pm / Triple Crown)
Don’t Let Errors Ruin Your Submission: Presenter – Barbara V. Evers. Agents want a reason to set your submission aside and move on to the next one. The sheer volume of submissions in their slush piles forces them to be ruthless. Sloppy work and poor grammar give them the excuse they need to reject your work. In this workshop, participants will find out which grammar rules might send their work to the discard pile. In addition, this workshop will explore some of the current unwritten rules of writing. Don’t let your lack of knowledge in these areas prevent your manuscript from moving on to the next level. (Sun 10 am / Calumet)
Don’t Quit Your Day Job: The Business of Writing: Presenter – Elizabeth Donald. A two-hour workshop in the business side of being a writer. What comes after “The End?” From the self-editing phase to submissions and the wilds of the traditional publishing system, as well as the self-publishing world; agents and avoiding scams; contracts and what to avoid; marketing, social media and book launches; how to plan a tour and manage the money stuff; crowdfunding and having a life! (Sat 10 am / Derby)
Empathic Writing: Presenter – Sheridan C. Hall. This workshop will be a brief discussion about the importance of having an empathic link with your characters. How they would feel/react to their roles in the story and how important Empathy is to reach your audience/reader. After the brief discussion, I will give a few scenarios that I want the attendees to write a character’s feelings, or reaction to said scenarios. (Fri 4:30pm / Derby)
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Writing Historical Romance: Presenter – Chasity Bowlin. Join USA Today Bestselling Author, Chasity Bowlin, for an insightful workshop that will talk about writing and SELLING historical romance in today’s market. There will be amble opportunity to ask questions and have open discussion. With the juggernaut that is Bridgerton, if you’ve ever wanted to write historical romance, now is the time. Don’t miss this opportunity to pick the brain of a bestselling author of more than fifty historical romances. (Sat 10am / Triple Crown)
“Fan Fiction and Beyond”: Presenter – Jenn Barnes. This workshop focuses on more then the craft of writing itself, and on how to take that fanfiction writing hobby farther. I will explore elements of story telling and style, and characterization. Then talk about how to take that fanfiction practice and turn it into an original story. (Sat 3pm / Ellis )
GOH Q&A with Ellen Datlow: Moderator – Michael Knost Learn about Ellen and ask her any questions that you may have. (Sat 12:30pm / Turfway)
How to Write the One Book that Boosts Your Brand in 60 Days (or less) – Presenter – Tenita Johnson. The Brand, Book, Bestseller Framework is the answer to get you past writer’s block and the starting block across the finish line! In just 60 days, you can develop a quality brand as an author centered around your area of expertise, write a bestselling book that solves ONE specific problem for your target market, and unlock numerous doors of opportunity and multiple streams of income. With the right guidance and support, you will not only gain clarity on the problem you solve and the message you want to convey to the marketplace consistently—but you will clearly determine the best plan of action to get the book into their hands! (Sat 11:15am / Carriage)
How to Write a Key Scene: Presenter – John DeDakis. A key scene is an essential building block in any work of fiction. In this session, you’ll learn tips and strategies for making the scene you see in your head come alive on the page so that your reader is compelled to keep turning the pages, rather than turn out the light. Writing exercises will give class members a hands-on feel for how to add texture, dynamism, and drama to a story. The session also provides practical, hands-on guidance about the rewriting process. An added benefit: giving and receiving critical feedback. (Sun 10am / Derby)
Interviewing Your Characters: Presenter – Lynn Tincher. Want to understand your characters better? Interview them. Join Lynn Tincher as she teaches you the art of the character interview. During the workshop, you will create a character and write a short story involving that new character. (Fri 2:15pm / Derby)
Medievalism, Fantasy, and the 60’s Counterculture – presented by Sangi David. This discussion centers on groups and events during the sixties counterculture such as the SCA, SAGA, and the Renaissance Faire that promoted Medievalism in the culture. I’m then making connections between that and the fantasy boom in the sixties. (Sun 12:30pm/ Carriage)
A Nerd’s Guide to Writing Erotica (18yrs+): Presenter – Jenn Barnes. In this workshop we will discuss how to craft that perfect smutty story with the right amount of steam and feeling, as well as staying in the realm of possibility! (Fri 7:30 pm / Calumet)
Philosophical Wonder and Writing Speculative Fiction: Presenter – William Eakin. We’ll look at examples of “problems” in philosophy, apply them to writing speculative fiction and brainstorm our own. (Sun 2:45 pm / Turfway)
Plot Development: Presenter – Colleen Green. I will develop a plot to a story with audience participation to demonstrate effective plot development. (Sat 12:30pm / Ellis)
Relationship between Narrative, Plot, and Story: Presenter – Earl Dean. Writing a story takes good management skills. Understanding a story’s design in terms of narrative, plot and story can help. We will use E.M. Forster’s chapter from his Cambridge lectures in ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL to examine the difference between plot and story. We will expand this concept to show how plot and narrative are related. As narrative, plot, and story are associated with characters, we will use Orson Scott Card’s CHARACTER AND VIEWPOINT to manage active and passive characters in scenes as a unit of basic story design. We will learn the concept of stake, helping us to identify which of our characters will provide our viewpoint on each scene. Our target will be to write clear, relevant scenes driven by characters who are of greatest importance. (Fri 7:30 pm / Claiborne)
Simple Cover Design: Presenter – Michel Prince. Learn how to create a simple cover design for your next book. (Sat 5 pm / Triple Crown)
So You Wanna Be a Writer: Presenter – Elizabeth Donald. Hear advice from dozens of writers focused on craft and skill, with a series of writing prompts and exercises just like you would find in a real MFA program. Bring a notebook or laptop, because you won’t just be listening; you’ll be writing to prompts on a timer, interspersed with advice from a 25-year professional writer currently going through an MFA program. (Fri 12pm / Derby)
Squirrel Wrangling: Presenter – William Joseph Roberts. Have you ever had one of those Friday nights, when you’re wide ass awake, everyone else is asleep and your mind squirrels won’t let you write the first word to save your life all because they have this bright freaking idea? Let James walk you through on how to “wrangle” those vexing squirrels. (Fri 5pm / Ellis)
The Steps to Solve Any Attribution Mystery: Presenter – Anna Faktorovich, PhD. There have been over sixty authors previously proposed as the “real” authors behind the “William Shakespeare” pseudonym. Over half of the British Renaissance’s texts were initially anonymous, but have since been re-attributed by scholars (largely with intuition alone) to the bylines that have by now been accepted as irrefutable facts. Faktorovich’s British Renaissance Re-Attribution and Modernization Series (https://anaphoraliterary.com/attribution) is based on a 27-tests computational-linguistic method she invented. In this Workshop, she will demonstrate the precise steps involved in this process, will show the raw data, diagrams and other elements, such as handwriting analysis, that prove the case. Laptops with an internet connection are encouraged, but are not required. (Sat 1:30pm / Triple Crown)
Story Mapping: Presenter – Virginia Smith. “Plotting” is an ugly word to some intuitive writers, but every successful writer must do it at some point in their career. (Hasn’t happened to you yet? It will!) Learn how Virginia Smith went from a seat-of-the-pantser to avid plotter, and how it has helped her craft bestselling stories. Don’t think of it as plotting – think of it as mapping your story like you would a journey, leaving lots of free time to stop and explore along the way. (Sun 1:30 / Derby)
Storytelling Through Tarot: Presenter – Sako Tumi. Tarot might be used as a divinatory device for hundreds of years, but you can learn to use the cards to come up with characters, plots and world building. We will build a story from scratch in class. (Sat 5pm / Derby)
Visual Storytelling: Presenter – Sako Tumi. Use basic writing techniques to create colorful opening scenes, still images, and powerful stories. We will braindump a new story concept in class. (Fri 5:15pm / Derby)
VOODOO MARKETING 101: Presenters – Abigail Keam and Teresa Reasor. Marketing for the newbie. Everything you need to have in place to launch that first book whether traditional or indie. (Sat 10am / Carriage)
Worldbuilding Workshop: Presenter – Dave Creek. Your characters in a science fiction story deserve the best worldbuilding you can conceive of. Dave shows us how to create strange new worlds and figure out what kind of intelligences or creatures might live on them. We’ll also learn how to keep your fictional background consistent and how to develop a series. (Sun 11:45am / Triple Crown)
Writer’s Block: Presenter – Michel Prince. Discuss how to overcome the writer’s worst enemy, the BLOCK! (Fri 12pm / Triple Crown)
Writing Contemporary and/or Historical Romantic Suspense: Presenter – Beth Henderson (J.B. Dane). There are many types of mystery to write, the romantic suspense has been popular for decades…centuries if you want to begin with the gothics written by Mrs. Ann Radcliffe beginning in the 1790s. In this workshop, we’ll look at the modern romantic suspense tale, be it set in the contemporary world or a historical one. Both time periods fit the demands of this genre niche nicely. In this 90-minute-long workshop, we’ll cover:
• The basic setup of a standalone romantic suspense story
• How to blend both romance and suspense style mystery together
• The cast of main characters
• The setting/world building
• The rise and fall of the plot demands
• Bringing it all home for a satisfying close for both the romance and the mystery niche reader
• And a question-and-answer period for things you’re still curious or confused about There will be handouts that include a sampling of publishers interested in either contemporary or historical romantic suspense.
(Sat 3:15 pm / Triple Crown)
Writing the Cozy Mystery Comedy: Presenter – Beth Daniels (J.B. Dane/Beth Henderson). While there are many niches in the mystery genre, one of the most popular and enduring is that of the cozy mystery, which today often includes a comedic delivery or dialogue or situations, although it doesn’t have to. It can be more subtle, too. In this 90-minute-long workshop, we’ll takes trips through the various themes that pop up in contemporary cozy mystery today, but also consider mixing in other elements to the cozy format such as a historical setting, or even a touch of the paranormal or a building romantic comedy through the series. Things we’ll cover are:
• What exactly is a cozy mystery and whether it requires comedy or not
• The type of characters, particularly main characters and returning supporting cast
• The narration choices
• The type of crimes
• The type of comedy
• The location or theme that links the stories, the world building
• And a question-and-answer period for anything that you have further questions about
And, yes, there will be handouts that include a sampling of publishers of cozy mystery comedy!
(Fri 7:45 pm / Triple Crown)
Writing From Personal Pain: Presenter – John DeDakis. All of us have — or will — experience the loss of a loved one. In my case, in addition to the expected deaths of grandparents and parents, I’ve witnessed a car-train collision that killed three people, lost my sister to suicide, and endured the death of my youngest son because of an accidental heroin overdose. I’ve turned those experiences into the subplots for some of my novels. Even though death is a part of life, it need not be crippling or debilitating. In this session, we’ll look at how writing from deep personal pain can not only lead to compelling stories, but to personal healing. Includes writing exercises. (Sat 3:15 pm/ Derby)
The Writing of Poetry: Presenter – Lee Pennington. This workshop will cover how to create good poetry and how to become successful as a poet. Participants will get hands on instructions how to improve one’s understanding of and the creation of their own poetry, no matter what level they are. (Sat 12:15pm / Derby)
Special note from Lee: “If you would like me to consider one of your poems for discussion at the workshop, please email me one poem (no more than two pages long) at leepennington13@gmail.com. No guarantee it’ll be used (since a large number of poets plan to attend and we only have an hour and a half time), but I’ll share as many as I can. Be sure to get to me by July 5.”
Writing the Urban Fantasy Novel: Presenter – J.B. Dane (Beth Henderson). The author of now five prequel novellas, three full length novels, and three “between the books” novellas in The Raven Tales, an urban fantasy PI mystery comedy series set in modern day Detroit, J.B. Dane confesses what she loves most about the urban fantasy that she writes and reads is the combination of genres within it and the world building. In this 90-minute-long workshop, we’ll cover:
• The differences between urban fantasy and paranormal romance • How to choose your city as urban fantasy usually requires a modern city, a touch of world building
• Whether to include comedy or not, the voice of the narration. The choice between first person delivery and third person delivery • Whether the mystery that the story usually encapsulated will involve humans or just the paranormal world. The mystery elements/format
• The cast: main character/s, returning supporting cast members, the perpetrators
• The series arc
• And a question-and-answer period for anything that hasn’t been touched on There will be handouts that include a sampling of publishers interested in urban fantasy! (Sun 11:45am / Derby)
Indie Film Workshops
Christmas, Mobsters and Gun Fights: Presenters – Lana Read and Landon Faulkner. Director Lana Read and actor Landon Faulkner join together to discuss the feature length film Christmas Collision, plus a number of other projects that the two have worked together on in the past and will be in the future. They will also discuss independent film making in the Tri-state area. (Sat 12:30pm / Claiborne)
Directing Actors Workshop “Connecting Characters and Directors”: Presenter – James Fox. There’s just something special about that relationship between a director and their actors. This 90-minute session will demonstrate some methods for encouraging deep character connections, memorable performances, and also how to avoid some of the pitfalls that many find themselves mired in. An interactive workshop, with real-world actors, will include audience participation and live demos from a director with two decades in the industry. No prep or prior experience is necessary, just a burning desire to tell great stories through meaningful characters. Get motivated, and get ready to connect! (Sun 12:30pm / Calumet)
From Breakdown to Building a Career in Film: Presenter – Amy L McCorkle. Using her breakout hit Letters to Daniel as the cornerstone. Amy takes you from blog to book to script to film, using what you have and demonstrates how to defy the critics, while exceeding all personal expectations and building a career. (Fri 3:30pm / Derby)
Make or Break Collaborations in Filmmaking: Presenter – Josh Ickes. Films are inherently collaborative efforts. From writing to casting to acting, directing, filming, editing, producing, marketing, and distributing, team members strengthen one another and work together to create a cohesive final product. But the steps along the way can be challenging. How does one collaborate? What do we look for in good collaborators? And what problems might be encountered along the way? This panel will take an in-depth look at collaborations in filmmaking and the ups and downs of sharing a vision. (Sun 3:15pm / Derby )
Mental Health and Anti-bullying in Life and Entertainment: Presenter – Santiago Cirilo (Sun 3:15pm / Derby)
Mock Writers Room: Firefly Season Two (Pilot Breakout): Presenter – James Fox. Welcome Browncoats, to the long-awaited (albeit fake) breaking of Firefly Season Two. This 90-minute mock writers room will focus primarily on developing a season two pilot that will recapture the momentum from season one – and introduce an unfamiliar audience with the long-loved show. While fun, creating a comprehensive pilot will not be the goal of the session. Instead, attendees will get a small taste of what a writers room feels like, and gain some experience on how to break a show under the guidance of a showrunner. Please be sure to come to the room prepared, highly recommend watching the first (and only) season leading up to the convention. We will only be utilizing the material from the show, and not the feature film SERENITY. Dust off your rifles and saddle up; it’s going to be a wild ride. (Sat 11:45am / Triple Crown)
Comics / Pop Culture/Gaming Workshops
Indy Comics 101: Presenter – Landon Faulkner. Landon Faulkner will talk about his journey in starting out in comics, getting published, and other information, about the how/where/when to creating comics. (Fri 12pm / Claiborne)
Fermentation Workshop: Presenter – William Joseph Roberts. Learn about the fermentation process, so you may weave it into your writing. How you can make your own krauts, kimchi, mead, beer, wine, kumbuch, etc. (Sun 2pm / Turfway)
“Lady’s not a Vamp”: Presenter Jenn Barnes. A history lesson of vampire mythology, the rise of vampires in pop culture, then discussing about how female vampire characters are treated in contrast with their male counterparts. There will be discussion of which female vampire characters break the mold, why genres rife with “strong female characters”, and why hasn’t the female vampire gotten her due? (Sun 11:15am /Turfway)
NFT (Non-Fungible Token) Seminar: Presenter – Brian Chellgren. During the seminar, I explain what a NFT (non-fungible token) is and potential legal issues associated with the creation, acquisition, and marketing of NFTs. The seminar includes a very brief primer on certain aspects of intellectual property as it relates to NFTs (e.g., this is a trademark, this is how creation of a NFT can result in trademark infringement). (Sat 3pm / Turfway)
Shamanistic Outlook Workshop: Presenter – William Joseph Roberts. Stress and how we manage it as creatives with meditation and concentration techniques. From mundane to the extreme, we’ll discuss different ways to relax, clear the mind and get back on track. (Sat 12:30pm / Calumet)
Premium Exclusive Workshops
The following workshop is a Premium Exclusive Workshop that requires an additional fee for participation. It has its own page for reserving a spot, so be sure to follow the link if you wish to participate!
Short Story Marathonarium: Presented by Sandy Lender (Special Note: This workshop takes place on THURSDAY, July 7th)
You’ve heard of the 3-Day Novel Contest.
You’ve heard of the 24-Hour Poetry Marathon.
Now get ready for the 3-Hour Short Story Marathon at Imaginarium 2022, where your completion of a short story gets you published in our anthology!
This workshop with author, editor, and presenter Sandy Lender will include a 20-minute presentation on “short” marathon writing, with tips for focus and sustaining energy over a one-day or three-day event. You’ll be able to implement these ideas in writing events throughout your career. Then, near the conclusion of the presentation, Sandy will prepare the group specifically for our three-hour creative writing adventure, inviting special guests to join us for sensory inspiration.
At 5:30 PM, we begin writing. By 8:30 PM, each participant will transmit his or her story to Sandy for next steps.
$42 per participant
Key Takeaways from this Workshop:
· You’ll learn tips for marathon writing
· You’ll get a creativity kickstart for the weekend
· You’ll have a complete short story
· You’ll have an endorphin rush of the highest magnitude
Thursday / 5 pm – 8:30pm / Turfway
To reserve a spot in this workshop and to see full information, visit this link: