If you haven’t yet heard of it, the first Chapter One Young Writers Conference (Ch1Con) took place in Chicago 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 they, a group of teenagers from across North America, really get together and run their own conference? The answer soon became apparent: yes. So, wanting others to be able to enjoy the experience too, the team took the conference public.
Because the teen writing community is a particularly vibrant one, Ch1Con is proud to say they are the only writing conference by young writers, for young writers. The team comprises a number of high school and college-age writers with different experience levels who work to create a unique, inclusive experience for writers their age. The conference, with its subset focus on the young adult novel, has and continues to bring teens together to hear from accomplished speakers of their own age, participate in professional workshops, and celebrate the influence young writers have on the world. With an atmosphere combining professional conference aspects with the awesomeness of a teen hangout, Ch1Con is a true can’t-miss experience!
This year, Ch1Con is bigger and brighter than ever, with more team members, more year-round online events, and a new roundup of fantastic speakers for the in-person conference, which will take place on Saturday, August 6th in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago. Registration is currently open on the Ch1Con website for writers from a middle school to undergraduate level (approximately ages eleven to twenty-three) and at an early bird discount price of $74.99. The full speaker lineup is up on the website, featuring Susan Dennard, author of a number of YA hits including her new fantasy novel, New York Times bestseller TRUTHWITCH, Francesca Zappia, author of the acclaimed YA contemporary MADE YOU UP, and more.
Between the awesome presentations and workshops, attendees will have the chance to participate in literary trivia games and giveaways, with prizes including professional critiques, signed books, and ARCs. There will also be a speaker panel open to any and all questions at the end of the conference followed by a book and swag signing by the speakers. During downtime, all participants are free to enjoy the writing retreat-style atmosphere of the area, relax in the beautiful hotel, and network with each other, establishing vital connections that can make careers and create lifelong friendships.
The 2016 conference will be held at a brand new venue, the St. Charles Hilton Garden Inn, with sessions running from 8:30am to 5:00pm on Saturday the 6th of August. Tickets for transport and room reservations can be purchased online with links on the conference’s Travel page. Early bird registration is currently open at this link with adult registration for those 18+ and youth registration (with parental/guardian consent) for those under 18.
So if you’re a writer from middle school to undergraduate age and you’re interested in this opportunity, register ASAP! With a growing number of young writers discovering the magic of this event, seats are sure to sell out fast, and the early bird price ends June 1st. For more information and to join in on the Ch1Con community online, check out these links:
YouTube: Chapter One Young Writers Conference
The Chapter One Young Writers Conference. Every story needs a beginning. This is ours
I'd love to do this, but I probably won't be able to... :( Any chance they'll have it in Seattle at some point? ;)
ReplyDeleteIt would be amazing to be able to do this, but not this year for sure. Maybe next year...or the year after...or the year after that? Thank you for sharing this with us!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds awesome! I'll look into it!
ReplyDeleteWriting and getting attention of readers to our write up is a challenging task. Experienced writer could do this.
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