Pocono Writers Conference
April 19, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Hughes Library, Stroudsburg
SCHEDULE
9:00: MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Registration, check-in, and introductions
9:15: KELLY JENSEN: “Get Covered: Appealing and Professional Book Covers”: How to work with your publisher or a graphic designer to produce eye-catching and market-appropriate covers. This presentation is for people working with traditional publishers (large and small press) and those publishing independently. Topics will range from how and when to provide input to a designer to how to approach doing it on your own.
10:30: JON McGORAN: “Exposition & Economy”: Info dumps and other expository writing can bog down your prose and turn your fast-paced thriller into a slog. This session will help you identify clunky exposition in your writing, and show you techniques and strategies to minimize expository writing while still getting across the information your readers need to get the most from your story.
11:30: Lunch (not provided, but there are lots of places nearby or you can bring your own)
12:30: CAITLIN ROZAKIS: “Past the First Draft: Revising Your Work”: You’ve typed the last sentence—does that mean you’re done? Unfortunately, most work is not ready to go after the first draft. But how can you identify which darlings need killing? We’ll talk about some of the different kinds of editing your book may need, revision strategies, and how to get the final version of your work closer to your goals.
1:45: JONATHAN MABERRY: “Emotional Complexity for Heroes and Villains”: Heroes and villains are, and should always be, emotionally and psychologically complex. There are some fun and useful ways to build compelling lead characters that turn characters into ‘people’, and that invites readers to bond with them, thereby enriching the entire reading experience. NY Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry will share some tips, tricks, and insights for crafting the characters that will make your novel come alive!
3:00: MICHAEL A. VENTRELLA: Panel Discussion and Question and Answer session with all panelists
This event is always free, but seating is limited. Reserve your ticket here.
Author Expo
June 21, 2025
10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Hughes Library, Stroudsburg
Pocono Liars Club Writers Workshop
October 25, 2025
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Hughes Library, Stroudsburg
The Pocono Liars Club Workshop is aimed at beginning writers and is a great skill refresher. Links for tickets will be posted approximately three months before the event date. Check back for links.
Our 2024 lineup was:
Plotting – presented by me!
Adding Tension to Dialogue – presented by Sahar Abdulaziz
Honing Your Story – presented by Michael Ventrella
Backstory – presented by Victoria Marie Lees
The Magic of the Short Story – presented by KT Morley
Crafting the Elevator Pitch – presented by Ian Randall Stock
Kelly Jensen 