Where best-selling authors teach writing.

Marissa Meyer is the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Renegades Trilogy, The Lunar Chronicles series, the Wires and Nerve graphic novels, and The Lunar Chronicles Coloring Book. Her first standalone novel, Heartless, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. Marissa created and hosts a podcast called The Happy Writer. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and their two daughters.

Keynote address about leveling up your writing game.

Kendare Blake is the #1 NYT Bestselling author of Anna Dressed in Blood and the Three Dark Crowns series. She likes to write about food, and believes deeply in doing food research. Her recent works include the speculative crime novel ALL THESE BODIES, and IN EVERY GENERATION, a new series set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Keynote address

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 NYT bestselling author of more than twenty YA novels, including The Inheritance Games trilogy. Jen is a Fulbright Scholar with degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. She received her Ph.D. from Yale and is a professor of psychology and professional writing at the University of Oklahoma.

Jennifer tackles 10 big thinigs that will help you write your novel

Kaela Rivera writes about the folktales of her Mexican-American and British parents from the mountains of the Wild West. When she’s not crafting stories, she’s working as an editor for a marketing company. Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls is her first novel; the sequel comes out Fall 2022.

No matter how good your first draft seems, it’s going to need revisions. And knowing how to do revisions well is one of the things that separates the aspiring writer from the published one. In this class, we’ll go over the levels of editing, different methods for tackling your revisions, how to take critique, and how measure your novel’s improvement so you know when you’re ready to submit to editors and agents.

Tricia Levenseller is the author of six YA fantasy books, including The Shadows Between Us and Daughter of the Pirate King. She lives in Utah with her bossy dog, where she writes full time. When she’s not writing, Tricia enjoys playing on her Xbox and finding tasty restaurants to frequent.

The inciting incident is a crucial turning point in your novel. It’s often the part where readers choose to give up on a book or to keep reading. We’ll talk about how to write a punchy inciting incident that will draw readers in, the best place to put the inciting incident in your novel, and the promises you’re making to the reader with your inciting incident and how to fulfill them.

Margaret Owen was born and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail and has worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. She now resides in Seattle, Washington, where she spends her days writing and negotiating a long-term hostage situation with her monstrous cats.

In this class, we will discuss the basic fundamentals of worldbuilding, then explore what that looks like in practice across a range of genres. We’ll cover everything from building a fantasy setting from the ground up, to worldbuilding questions that will make your contemporary setting more memorable. We’ll also dig into techniques for weaving immersive worlds without overwhelming your readers, and simplifying worldbuilding that may have gotten a bit out of control!

Heather Clark grew up near the Rocky Mountains of Canada, then followed the mountain range south, to her current home in Utah, where she lives with her husband and three children who inspire the books she writes. Heather’s work as a writer, photographer, and teacher helps her see the beauty and unique value in every person. After dealing with her own anxiety and OCD, Heather is passionate about representing neurodiverse characters powerfully in fiction. Heather is the newest addition to the TABC team, as director of Tween Author Boot Camp. When she’s not working, you can find Heather camping, hiking, board gaming, or reading and celebrating books on her podcast at MGBookParty.com. LEMON DROP FALLS is her debut novel. You can learn more about Heather and her books at HeatherClarkBooks.com.

What is Goal, Conflict, and Motivation? What is a Motivation, Reaction Unit (MRU)? What is a reaction beat? What is Scene and Sequel? This class is a deep dive into understanding character motivation and bringing it to life on the page. You'll learn how to weave these elements together in a story to ensure that on every page, your reader stays 100% engaged in following your character on their journey!

Dustin has been working in the games industry for more than 25 years, where his love for storytelling has been his best weapon. But his passion for reading and writing doesn't end there, Dustin is also an author with 10 published books he'd love to tell you about. Just ask him. You'll see.

What started as drawings on cave walls has found its way to every medium imaginable. Books, radio, comics, film have all left their impact on how we tell stories, but what's next? We'll take a look at how video games have moved storytelling forward, and discuss what it takes to be a writer in this constantly evolving world.

Jennifer Jenkins is the author of eight published novels including A Necessary Madness (2022), Teen Writer's Guide: Your Road Map to Writing (2020), The Lingering Sea novels (2020), and the Nameless trilogy (2018). She works as the Executive Director of TABC and TABC Book Drop and also teaches creative writing at Utah Valley University. In her spare time, she pretends to have spare time.

Romantic tension is one of the driving forces of literature. Whether writing a fantasy, thriller, or space opera, romance transcends genre and keeps readers turning pages… unless the love story lacks tension. In this workshop, we will examine the importance of building walls between our characters, dissect the key characteristics of every great romance, and then practice the process by creating a compelling love story together. Pucker up, buttercup. We’re about to get to the heart of the matter!

Erin Stewart is the author of several contemporary novels for teens. SCARS LIKE WINGS (2019) was an Amazon Book of the Month, winner of BookPal's Outstanding Work of Literature for Teens and a BookExpo Buzz Book. THE WORDS WE KEEP is out March 15, 2022!

Are your stories character or plot driven? They should be both! In this class on narrative structure, we'll look at how well-planned characters fuel a strong plot and how well-planned plot points deepen your characters. You'll discover how to marry plot structure with character development to give your readers the emotional, page-turning punch they want, and your characters the journey they deserve.

Aminah Mae Safi is a Muslim-American writer. Safi was the winner of the We Need Diverse Books short story contest, and that story appeared in the anthology Fresh Ink. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her partner and cat. Travelers Along the Way is her fourth YA novel, after Not the Girls You're Looking For, Tell Me How You Really Feel, and This Is All Your Fault.

Interactive workshop teaching how to adapt a classic work of fiction into your own novel.

Shelly Brown is the author of Mustaches for Maddie, Ghostsitter, Squint, and Willa and the Whale. She also writes romance under a pen name. She’s lucky enough to have won awards for her books and to be able to travel the country talking to thousands of students. She loves stories in all of their forms and loves to share that love with readers and fellow story-makers.

You have been putting your nose to your screen and your fingers on your keyboard for long enough that you feel you deserve to see this story in print by now. Yup, we’ve all been there. Come and get some tips for how to self publish, how to improve your work so you can hopefully catch the eye of an agent, in hopes of traditionally publishing, and how to decide what it is exactly you want to do with those hundreds of pages you’ve slaved over. No matter what, walk away from this class full of hope that your time has not been wasted. You will publish.

Jo Schaffer Layton is a speaker, a Taekwondo black belt, screenplay writer and a founding member of the nonprofit organization that created Teen Author Boot Camp. She is the author of the Stanley and Hazel series.

Writing is more powerful when it is concise and tight. Learn some tricks to nip and tuck your flabby prose! Get your writing into shape and take it to the next level with this ineractive workshop.

Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of the YA fantasy DEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE), the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology, and the SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT duology (TorTeen/Macmillan). She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.
She’s online at www.SaraBLarson.com.

Your characters are fully fleshed out, your dialogue is dynamic and witty as can be, your plot is tighter than a belt after Thanksgiving dinner…but what about your descriptions? Are they too short—or too long? What’s the difference between lyrical prose and purple prose? Does your setting seem so real, so tangible, I feel like I could live there myself? In this class, we’ll take your writing to the next level, setting your story up for success (now do you see what I did there?) by learning how to nail your descriptions and setting.

Tom is an award-winning media producer with a background in TV, film, and radio. He vacations in Middle Earth, has an office on Tatooine, and drives a Galaxy-class Enterprise.

Books are awesome... but there are other mediums that need your creative powers. Your stories might best find their audiences on the screen or in a fully-soundscaped podcast. Opportunites are exploding! In many ways, it's easier to get "published" in media than it is in print. Learn from an Emmy-winning producer/director how to write for audiovisual, as well as the key elements of the biz.

Jennifer Nielsen once tripped on a stage entrance and rolled down half a flight of stairs, then still had to get up and deliver her lines. Compared to that, writing books is easy.

A good villain might get in the hero's way, but a great villain will define the hero and shape the direction of the story. Find out how to create a villain that your readers will love to hate, and who they will jeer for until the very last page.

Keynotes from the 2022 TABC Conference

Panel moderated by renowed literary agent, Amy Jameson.

Kathryn Purdie is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the BURNING GLASS series and the BONE CRIER’S MOON duology. Kathryn has taught writing classes at Storymakers, Futurescapes, previous TABCs, and was a keynote speaker for Young Authors Academy. She loves acting and writing songs for her characters.

No matter what kind of story you’re writing, high stakes are essential to keep the tension rising and your readers turning pages. Not achieving the main goal should feel like a literal or figurative death to your character. Join me as I help you explore different ways to help you create the most effective universal and personal stakes for your story, and then learn tactics to ensure your character tests those boundaries and risks “death” in order to succeed.

Tiffany Rosenhan is the debut author of young adult spy thriller, GIRL FROM NOWHERE. She is a mother to four young daughters, and has a degree in Political Science. She loves to travel the world with her children and husband, a critical care physician. She resides in Millcreek, Utah.

The era of exposition and introductions is over. Readers are impatient, particularly young readers. Therefore, the first ten lines of your novel are more important than ever – use them wisely! The difference between post-social media fiction and pre-social media fiction, is that readers will no longer wait for an author to get to the point. Utilizing techniques observed in twentieth century espionage thrillers, this class will discuss how to avoid the most egregious mistakes writers make – and what to do instead!

Yamile Saied Méndez is the author of many books for young readers, including Furia, a Reese's YA Book Club selection and the 2021 Inaugural Pura Belpré Young Adult Gold Medalist. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but has lived most of her life in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains with her family.

Narnia. Hogwarts. Lumatere. Of course we love the Pevensie siblings, Harry Potter, and Finnikin, Isaboe, and Froi, but without their settings, these beloved books wouldn't be as memorable or meaningful. The location where your story takes place can and should be developed just as you would a character, with elements that will make your readers want to pack their bags and visit each and every place you describe even if it's a fantasy or make-believe setting. In fact, we'll talk about how studying the setting of fantasy and science fiction novels and movies can assist you in writing about contemporary and real places in an irresistible way. In this class we'll explore and experiment with tools like google maps/google Earth and other websites to create your perfect settings.

Emma Nelson has taught writing classes at BYU where she received an MA in Literature, is the founder of Owl Hollow Press, and has edited many books, including the annual TABC anthologies. Her fiction is published under the name Emma Boone, with the most recent being The Shadow Behind, a story about morticians, witches, and traveling through time.

Video games often get a bad rap, but many of them contain dynamic characters and scenes for some of the best storytelling of our generation. They contain stories that give us the chance to work through complex moral dilemmas, see character growth, and interact with different themes and cultures. With great stories created in different patterns and interactive experiences, many video games inherently model strong storytelling skills to writers, and we can learn a lot from the way they’re constructed. Join us as we talk about some of the best lessons you can learn from video games to level up as a writer—whether you enjoy playing them or not.

Nova McBee, a Seattle native, is a helpless nomad and culture nerd who has lived in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. She writes fast-paced mission-impossible-type YA with deep themes and hearty characters. Complex plots, coffee, people and languages are her jam. Nova is the author of Calculated and Simulated (the Calculated Series.) Calculated's film rights were sold in September 2021, and is currently in development to be a major motion picture. Simulated, it’s sequel, was recently optioned for film as well.

Writing a novel can be daunting, which is why, in this mini course we learn 5 hacks & benefits of using a Retelling to practice the essentials of building a story: setting up the plot and stakes; creating original characters & worlds; identifying powerful and universal themes in literature; and exercising your unique voice. Using the plot-bones of a retelling you love, we will then brainstorm & reimagine it with a fresh setting, characters, themes, and voice! What if this story took place…in space? In high school? In another world? What if the main character was a…cyborg? A math prodigy? A spy? We will take a look at numerous authors who have been incredibly successful using the same technique, and how it produced wondrously original stories.

Alexander Delacroix earned Masters degrees from Brigham Young University and Western Governors University. As an undergraduate he majored in French, Russian, and German but ultimately became a Language Arts teacher. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and writing. Heart of the Impaler is his debut novel.

Craft focused workshop focusing on building and sustaining tension throughout a work of fiction.

Phillip Chipping is the inventor of the invisibleSHIELD, Founder of ZAGG, Founder of Knowonder Publishing, DyslexiAssist and many other businesses. Although he is the ultimate serial entrepreneur, his first and greatest love is fiction and writing! Just don't tell his wife. ;)

You’ll never make any money being a writer!” If you’re sick of hearing that, then this is the class for you! StoryBrand(TM) is a business consulting method that uses the art of storytelling to help businesses grow and prosper - and they have lots of money to pay people like you to help them do it! The problem? Too often, businesses set themselves up as the hero, which pushes potential customers away. In reality, the customers are the hero of their own story - the business should position themselves as the guide - like a corporate Gandalf, haha! The solution? You help these businesses tell their story in a way that sets them up as the guide, which helps them connect with their customers, all by using the art of story! If you love storytelling, this is a great way to make a GREAT income, all while using your skill as a storyteller and writer. And in the meantime, you can be writing your next best-seller.