Sessions for Write Now Conference - Center for Writing in College, Career and Community

2019 Opening Session Speaker

World champion surfer and author Shaun Tomson.

Shaun Tomson is a South African world champion surfer and author of the bestselling Surfer's Code - 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life and the #1 Amazon teen bestseller: The Code - The Power of I Will.

2019 Schedule

Time	Description
8:15-8:30	Check-in
8:30-10:30	Opening session with World Champion surfer and bestselling author Shaun Tomson
10:50-11:50	Session One
12:00-12:50	Lunch
1:05-2:05	Session Two
2:05-2:15	Reflection & Dismissal

2019 Sessions

Authentic Expression. Your voice. Your words. Your story. From social media to cover letters, resumes, and papers, learn how to effectively communicate knowledge, ideas, insight, and opinions in writing.

Tracey Glaessgen, Associate Director of the Center for Academic Success and Transition, MSU

Become a Published Book Reviewer! Have strong opinions about what you read? Want to get published? Writing a snappy, high-quality book review is easy once you know the basic format and tight writing style.

Cherri Jones, Head of Infant through Grade 12 Resources, Meyer Library, MSU

Marklyn Cotter, Meyer Library, MSU

Paige Harp, Coordinator of Infant through Grade 12 Resources, Meyer Library, MSU

Beyond Bullets: Creative Journal Ideas. No more boring journal entries! Liven up your diary or daily planner with doodles, sketches, lists and more.

Alison Crane, Reeds Spring

Composing in the Key of Life. Celebrate your individuality and human diversity in writing lyrics for a song in standard A/B/A/C/B (verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus) format. Feel free to bring acoustic guitars and/or small percussion instruments to enrich your concluding performance!

Chris Craig, Deputy Provost, MSU

Courageous Persuaders. Are you up for a challenge? Test your creativity and design a Public Safety Announcement Storyboard to help keep fellow teens informed about safety!

Tara Bonebrake, Instructor at Greenwood Lab School, MSU

Double Take. Want to breathe new life into your fiction? Experiment with telling tales from unexpected perspectives.

Joseph Wolf, Hollister

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Teenage Life. Ever wondered what a Wikipedia page would say about you? Write your life story through a series of encyclopedia entries.

Sofie Kondro, Reeds Spring

An Exercise in Joy. Want to experience a deeper appreciation for life? Learn how to navigate highs and lows by allowing writing to help you see the whimsy in every moment, even the mundane.

Anton Ruiz, MSU

Flash Fiction. Learn how to tell a great story in 100 words or less. Every word and detail matters with a story this short.

Amanda Hadlock, MSU

Flash Stories of Place. We will create short stories (about 100 words) about place to showcase your voice and to celebrate your place.

Alan Tinkler, Associate Professor of English, MSU

Language of LEGO. You're never too old to enjoy building with Legos! Make your own masterpiece and instruct others how to rebuild your LEGO set using precision communication.

Rob Blevins, Executive Director, Discovery Center of Springfield

Let’s Talk Shop. Want to write with clarity and authority? Bring a printed writing sample – prose, poetry, anything you’d like feedback on – and discover the power of workshopping. Explore digital platforms you can use to share your writing and learn how you can stay connected with fellow teen writers in the Ozarks.

Casey Daugherty, Republic

Metaphor by Four. Explore the fun and beauty of drawing comparisons. Write your own metaphor poem!

Julie Schreffler, Branson

Patterns in Science and Writing. While observing the natural world, our senses tell a story. Conduct an experiment and use sensory imagery to describe the patterns you observe.

David Cornelison; Professor of Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science; MSU

Poetry Warm Up. Enjoy writing poetry but get stuck when you sit down to write? Come learn some fresh, fun warmups to get your poetic pen flowing.

Heidi Hadley, Assistant Professor of English, MSU

The Power of Perception. Assuming something about a person is as dangerous as it gets. Take this opportunity to address assumptions people make about you and uncover your hidden narrative through poetry and prose.

Tiffany Taylor, Parkview

Self-Portrait: Art Inspired Writing. Create a mandala that captures your essence. Then explore how the artwork represents your identity with a poem, free-write, or narrative writing piece.

Sophia Gutierrez, Carl Junction

Social Poets. Come explore a contemporary style of writing that has emerged as its own genre on Instagram. Write your own Instapoem, a poetic form paired with (or found in) an aesthetic photo or illustration, to share online.

David Norman, Galena

A Wealth of Ideas. You've written the next great novel, but how do you sell it? Learn how to craft a Kickstarter and start making money on your writing!

Cody Walker, Marion C. Early

Writing Gone Wild. Brave enough to face the elements? Take a nature walk on campus and record your outdoor experience through sketches and writing.

Cathie English, Associate Professor of English, MSU

Writing for Good. Want to impact the world? Combine your passions and writing skills to advocate for a cause or organization of your choosing.

Jackie Douglas, Education Director, Discovery Center of Springfield

Writing for the World. Why limit your writing to one language when the whole world is listening? Expand your audience by writing in other languages!

Tonia Tinsley, Associate Professor of World Languages and Cultures, MSU

Jeff Loughary, Instructor of World Languages and Cultures, MSU

Your Voice, Amplified. We all have a message to share. Craft your message and find your niche within the global community – become a blogger!

Rachel Kramer, Republic

The registration form will ask your top three choices. You are required to pick three choices, but you may choose up to five. However, class size is limited and we reserve the right to place students in any open session.

Opening session: New York Times Best-Selling Novelist Nancy Allen

Allen’s latest book, Juror #3, co-authored with James Patterson, is a #1 New York Times best seller, and she is also the author of the Ozarks Mystery Series. To learn more about Allen, her books, her accomplishments, and experiences, listen to this short KSMU radio show.

Become a Published Book Reviewer! Writing a snappy, high-quality book review is easy once you know the basic format and tight writing style. You’ll have the opportunity to publish.

Cheri Jones and Marklyn Cotter, MSU

Beyond Bullets: Creative Journal Ideas. No more boring journal entries! We will doodle, sketch, list, and write our thoughts down in ways that liven up your journal.

Alison Crane, Reeds Spring

Closing In--Enlarge Life by Looking at Detail. Participate in image writing (watercolor painting with writing), writing with photographs, memoirs, and more!

Casey Daugherty, Republic

Mastering Your Brand. Want more followers? Want strategies from the best influencers? Maximize your social media presence in this session.

Audra VanHooser, Bolivar

Math Writing Mashup. Math writing isn't only #’s, <x!, f (x), $> and a, b, c, x, y. Proving, asking questions, justifying, explaining, wondering, noticing, reflecting, and many other activities are vital to actually doing math, and all require writing. Come participate in writing activities that can help you do math.

Adam Harbaugh, MSU

Oh, The Places We'll Go! Want to see the world? Write about the world? Imagine a new place? Come learn with travel bloggers and podcast writers Amy & Kristy, who've been to 50 states and 20 countries.

Amy Sampson and Kristy Berger, Monett

Play by Play: Sports Writing. Capture the drama of a momentous sporting event in this session led by a writer who loves being an athlete and coach.

Sofie Kondro, Reeds Spring

Poetry Speaks. A student poet from MSU will provide the prompts, give you performance tips, and give you a chance to shine.

Alexis Creamer, MSU

Science and Story. Write with a scientist who loves to write. Observe the natural world and write your impressions.

David Cornelison, MSU

Scriptwriting. An interactive workshop in which you will learn about writing for film and television, controlling the audience’s perspective, and using character-based conflict to bring stories from the page to the screen. You’ll then write your own cinematic scene before workshopping it in small groups.

Rich and Lucie Amberg, MSU

Short Story Dreaming. A step-by-step guide to short story creation. Come in with an idea, leave with everything you need to make your vision a reality.
Kara Holland, MSU

Writing Marathon. It’s all about setting people loose to write. You’ll visit and write in three campus locations.

April Smith, Monett and Ashlea Gray, Bolivar
Sessions have been designed for writers of all interests, and some of your sessions will be assigned randomly. Please select two sessions that you are especially interested in, and we will make an effort to place you in at least one of your choices.

A Completely Made Up Story - Create a story, complete with memorable characters, the problem that challenges them, and how they confront it. Learn how start with your own ideas and turn those ideas into your own fabulous, fictional tale.

Jeddie Bristow

Hayley Werth

Victoria Loslo

Fanfiction - When you are a fan of a book or series, it may be hard to reach the end. With fanfiction, it doesn’t have to be over. Session is led by a fanfiction fanatic.

Insight Garden - Use objects , pieces of literature, and your life experiences to develop a piece of writing. In essence, you will be asked to have a conversation with yourself about where else you've encountered these artifacts and how you can further develop your thinking about them.

Justice League - Writing to Save Your World - The current state of our nation requires all people, no matter the age, to stand up for what they believe in. Increase the impact of your words by weaving them with the words of a powerful song of protest.

Sophia Gutierrez

Jessica Smallwood

Leadership Writing - Do you want to have a positive impact on those around you? What about creating an impact on your school, your community, or even the world? Explore how to be a leader through writing, specifically through online outlets such as social media, websites, and blogs.

Let One Go - Parody writing, the most fun type of writing! We will read and watch some parodies and then write our own to share. Let's make fun of things!

Poetry Speaks - Performance poets from MSU will be your instructors. They will provide the prompts, give you performance tips, and give you a chance to shine.

Taylor Vinson and Alexis Creamer

Science and Story - Observe phenomena from the natural world; then convey your impressions with a paragraph, poem, or song. This session is led by a scientist who loves to write.

Take a Stand: Make a Statement - The complex world you're inheriting will require innovative, thoughtful solutions. Learn to confront problems with possibilities.

A Tribute to the Person Who Taught Me Something - Honor someone important in your life or remember someone special.

Writing Marathon - Set yourself free to write in several campus locations under the supervision of an experienced marathon leader.