Happy Friday, Readers! Today, I’m participating in the Ch1Con Blog Tour!!
What’s Ch1Con?
…Seriously? It’s THE coolest writers conference for young writers (middle school through undergraduate)…aka it’s where all the cool kids will be.
This year, the conference takes place from June 14-15 just outside Chicago, Illinois. The team includes CEO Julia Byers, Creative Director Molly Brennan, Associate Online Administrator Kira Budge, Event Aide Lynn Byers, and a number of other speakers and contributors heavily involved in the teen writing world. There will be a number of speakers, including headliner Amy Zhang, whose debut YA contemp novel FALLING INTO PLACE comes out in September and has already received rave reviews for its “complex web of relationships and interactions” (quote via Goodreads) and unique POV.
FYI, Amy’s amazing…You’re going to want to be there. Read my “before the book deal” interview with her (the fame hasn’t changed her one bit)
Oh, and guess what?!?! I’m one of the speakers!! That’s right. I’ll be giving an interactive talk on “Following the Rules: Worldbuilding 101.” It’s open to writers of all genres, and I really hope you’re able to attend. You can register here: http://chapteroneconference.com/register/
Why was the conference started?
Well… There are few events as enjoyable and productive for people in our field as writing conferences. With so many options out there, many specifically designed towards certain genres or groups, writers can almost always find a conference geared towards their needs! Because the teen writing community is a particularly vibrant one, set to determine the future of the industry, it seemed fitting that there be a conference just for them. Thus, a number of teen writers, friends for many years thanks to the wonder of the Internet, came together to create the Chapter One Young Writers Conference, which takes place every summer and brings young writers together to hear from accomplished speakers of their age, complete workshops, and celebrate the influence young writers have on the world. This year’s conference will be the first session open for public registration!
The original conference took place in 2012 with six teenagers in attendance in person and countless others attending via an online live stream.
It was an experiment limited to members of the Scholastic’s Write It community and their friends: Could a group of teenagers from across North America really get together and run their own conference?
The answer soon became apparent: Yes.
And so Chapter One Young Writers Conference was born!
The schedule
Saturday’s sessions will include presentations by up-and-coming young authors and a panel for attendees to ask the speakers anything, from querying tips to OTPs! Sunday’s sessions will focus on workshopping, including Ch1Con’s signature “Roundtable Critique” event. Between sessions, attendees will have the option to participate in literary trivia games and giveaways, with prizes like professional critiques, ARCs, and literary-themed jewelry! (I’ll be giving away some signed swag from author buds and a critique!)
During downtime, all participants are free to explore the wonderful sites in the Chicago area.
The Location
The conference will be held in the Courtyard Chicago Arlington Heights/South Marriot, with sessions from 9am to 4:30pm Saturday the 14th, and 9am to 12:30pm Sunday the 15th. Tickets for transport and room reservations can be bought online, with links on the conference’s Travel page. Registration is now open.
For more information, check out the social media platforms of the conference:
Website: Chapter One Young Writers Conference
Facebook: Chapter One Young Writers Conference
Twitter: @Ch1Con
And don’t forget to follow the rest of the blog tour as it spans a number of writing blogs through the next couple of weeks! Check out Chapter One Young Writers on its social media sites for the full tour information!
Hope to see you there!
Whimsically Yours,
PnC
Whimsically Yours 
Reblogged this on Charlotte Gerber.