Jessica (Jess) Lourey is best known for her critically-acclaimed Murder-by-Month mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, the latter calling her writing "a splendid mix of humor and suspense." Jessica also writes sword and sorcery fantasy as Albert Lea and edge-of-your-seat YA adventure as J.H. Lourey, and is branching out into magical realism, literary fiction, and thrillers under her given name. She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology at a Minnesota college and a recipient of The Loft's 2014 Excellence in Teaching fellowship. When not teaching, reading, traveling, writing, or raising her two wonderful kids, you can find her dreaming of her next story.
10AM Writing Funny
According to Nathaniel Hawthorne, easy reading is damn hard writing. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to writing funny. Join author of the Lefty-nominated Murder-by-Month series' author Jess Lourey as she shares interactive exercises and field-tested practices for getting a laugh out of your reader, regardless of your genre or subject matter. This session covers comedic timing, tastes, and tips. Come with a sense of humor and something to write with and on.
1PM After the Idea: Write a Novel in 7 Steps (and 6 Months!)
You've got that golden idea for a book, the one that won't let you go, that embellishes itself as you walk around your day. How do you turn that good idea into a great novel, and what do you do with it after you write it? Join author of thirteen novels and college writing instructor Jessica Lourey for the answers. Participants will be shown how to go from idea to completed novel in seven steps and receive detailed information on cracking the world of publishing. This seminar has been taught by Jessica from New York City to San Francisco, and now it's coming to your neck of the woods!