Earlier this year during the Author Mentor Match, I learned about WriteOnCon. I had never heard of this event before, so I decided to investigate.
What is WriteOnCon?
WriteOnCon is a three-day online conference for creators of children literature or kidlit. It was founded in 2010. Authors, illustrators, agents, and editors share writing tips and techniques, discuss trends, and provide professional advice. Formats include live video sessions, vlogs, blogs, podcasts, panels and Q&A sessions. In addition, there are forums, which I will discuss below.
WriteOnCon2020
WriteOnCon 2020 conference ran from February 21-23, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running non-stop until around 10:00 p.m. Some sessions were free and open to the public. For a reasonable price of $10 for the weekend, $20 for the month-long Extended ticket, or slightly more for Time Traveler admission (access to content from past years), you gain access to hours and hours of great content.
While this year’s WriteOnCon is over, for $10 you can get access to all the content for 30 days. If you are writing kitlit and missed the February dates, you should invest in this opportunity.
Content
I’m so glad I purchased the Extended Admission, as there was so much content you could never view it all in one weekend. The sessions were non-stop, unlike in-person conferences that stop for lunch and dinner, and typically have concurrent sessions so you have to pick one topic over another.
The WriteOnCon administrators even extended the Extended Admission to April 18, in light of the virus situation. I used the additional time to explore content that I missed previously.
I wrote pages and pages of notes. Topics ranged from fantasy world-building, author website design, how to write a synopsis, working with an agent, and so much more. Many presenters offered their email addresses, and some volunteered extra help in reviewing pitches. The stories and comments authors and agents shared were encouraging, candid and informative.
Forums
WriteOnCon includes critique forums. Participants are able to post the first 500 words of their manuscript and/or their query letters for critique by other participants. The only request is that you provide feedback to others in exchange for getting feedback.
I posted the first 500 words of Strandlock and Rusty and the Christmas Carousel. The feedback on both pieces was encouraging, especially for Strandlock, which has had extensive editing. I didn’t post any queries, but I definitely will do that next year.
Critique Partners
WriteOnCon also includes a place to search for critique partners. I didn’t take advantage of this feature, but will explore this possibility next year.
In Summary
If you are writing picture books, chapter books, middle grade or young adult books, WriteOnCon should be on your list of things to do in 2021. It will be on my list!
If you did participate, I would love to hear your thoughts. Were there specific topics that you found inspiring?
Sounds like a fantastic opportunity for learning. Pleased to learn about it. I have attended a weekend workshop, but this seems better and more helpful. Thank you for sharing the information.
Being able to spread out the viewing of videos and podcasts over a longer period of time was beneficial. There is less connection with other writers that you normally get at a workshop or conference, but the forums helped.