
The Conference
Dive into the world of words with our virtual gathering of story crafters, whether you're penning your first short story or putting the finishing touches on your next bestseller. This online conference is a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice, covering everything from character development and plot pacing to the ins and outs of getting published. Our expert-led classes are designed to hone your skills, spark your creativity, and give you the tools for success.
Empower your writing journey with strategies that elevate your storytelling, and walk away with an arsenal of tools to transform your passion for writing into a thriving career.
What you will learn
From the craft of writing, how to get started, to how to market your books, you will learn the steps necessary to become an author in today's world. Indie authors are thriving today, and we'll teach you how to join us.
Curriculum
- Beating Burnout by Michelle Pennington (34:43)
- Am I Ready for Direct Sales by Victorine Lieske (40:11)
- Crafting and Revealing Backstory by Michelle Pennington (38:50)
- Recipe for a Compelling Romance by Victorine Lieske (31:59)
- Putting the COM in Rom Com by Michelle Pennington (56:32)
- Understanding Amazon's Algorithms by Victorine Lieske (46:09)
- Hobby, Business, Career or Calling? By Michelle Pennington (53:53)
- Tips on Starting Up Ads: Facebook and Amazon by Victorine Lieske (50:50)
- How to be a Healthy Author by Lisa Swinton (45:05)
- Good Stories Come in Small Packages: Crafting Short Stories by Jessica Guernsey (39:52)
- Book Series Brilliance: Strategies for Writing and Selling Multiple Titles by Jana S. Brown (56:17)
- DIY Critique Group by Miranda Darrow (40:15)
- What the Heck is That Scene Doing? by Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell (30:57)
- The Business of Writing - 7 Steps to Treat your Writing like a Business by Brandy Prettyman (61:20)
- How to Begin With a Hook and End With a Bang by Heather Horrocks (43:24)
- Deep POV: Making Your Characters Come Alive by Lyn Worthen (46:17)
- MailChimp 101: The Basics of Building Your Newsletter by Carrie Snider (58:50)
- Formatting in Atticus by Amanda P. Jones (27:07)
- I’ve Written a Book. Now What? by Victorine Lieske (48:30)
- DIY Your MFA by Michelle Pennington (60:14)
- Dialog: How to Get Your Characters Talking--The Right Way by Janette Rallison (40:08)
- Creating Your Wildest Romantasy by Midnight Voss (49:46)
- Self-Publishing on Amazon KDP for Beginners by Tara Cummins (28:05)
- Rescue Your WIP from Becoming RIP: Restarting and Restructuring Writing Projects by Margaret Bates (39:26)
- Story-Market Fit: How You Know When to Scale Your Business by Michael Evans (42:24)
- Beginner’s Guide to Developmental Edits, Line Edits, and Copy Edits: What are They and What Do You Need? by Jessica Celaya (26:02)
- Using Tropes to Build Out Your Romance and Draw in Readers by Miranda Darrow (41:12)
- Writing for Kids and Teens: What Romance Writers Need to Know (Even if You’re Already a Published Author) by Jennifer Navarre (27:24)
- 24 Top Tips to Ignite Your Reader Email List by Alicia Forest (46:56)
- Silencing the Inner Critic: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Embracing Imperfection by Susanne Myers (41:26)
- Beyond the Book: Market Your Stories to Life by Katie Garland (33:03)
- Five Secret Methods to Transform Your Writing by Michelle Pennington (33:49)
- Handle With Care: Writing Romance Through the Lens of Emotional Wounds by Danyelle Ferguson (48:40)
- Launching Profitable FB Ads in 2025 by Malorie Cooper (43:33)
- Supporting Characters who could Steal the Show (or get a book of their own…) by Rosanne E. Lortz (30:26)
- Audiobooks 101: Writing, Producing, and Publishing for Audio by Emma Faye (43:55)
- The Creativity Cycle by Melanie Harvard (28:39)
- Writing Authentic Male Love Interests: Breaking Stereotypes by Cassie Mae (31:09)
- Building Writing Habits that Last by Sarah Lamb (31:09)
- From Flat to Fierce: Developing Unforgettable Character Arcs by M.A. Nichols (47:15)
- Automating Socials: The No-Stress System for Authors by Chelle Honiker (31:33)
- Self-Edit Fiction Like a Pro by Lisa Frase (55:13)
- Writing Dynamic Scenes in Romance by Naomi Hudiyah (27:56)
- Writing to Market by Victorine Lieske (36:32)
- Where Romances Go Wrong by Michelle Pennington (72:08)
- Plotting the YA Novel by Janette Rallison (38:27)
- Steal Their Heart (and Their Click!): Easy Canva Videos for Romance Authors by Danyelle Ferguson (50:29)
- Closing the Narrative Distance: How to Draw your Readers In by Jessica Celaya (33:43)
- The Building Blocks of Cover Design by Katie Garland (48:33)
- How to Cross-Promote with Romance Authors by Laurie Cooper (40:19)
- CTRL+Alt+Create: Leveraging AI for Productivity and Creativity by M.A. Nichols (58:39)
- Using Wish Fulfillment to Grab More Readers by Rebecca J. Greenwood (34:58)
- Sell Yourself Short: How to Sell Your Short Stories by Jessica Guernsey (39:44)
- Mr. Darcy is Autistic: Neurodivergence and Mental Illness in Media by SD Simper (31:27)
- Tell Your Story, but Make it Read Like Fiction: Creative Non-Fiction for Beginingers by Tara Cummins (31:33)
- How to Expand Your Author Business with Translations by Isabella Nanni (48:53)
- The Epilogue Effect: How to Use the Final Pages to Hook Readers on Your Next Book by Susanne Myers (35:05)
- Mastering the Writer's Currency: Time, Money, & Energy Unleashed! by Brandy Prettyman (39:33)

The Writing Gals
The Writing Gals are two USA Today bestselling authors, Victorine E. Lieske (also a New York Times bestseller) and Michelle Pennington, who have been writing sweet romance for over a decade. Known for their witty rom-coms and heartwarming love stories, they’ve sold hundreds of thousands of books and have helped countless authors along the way. In addition to her contemporary romances, Michelle also writes historical and fantasy romance, while Victorine is a six-figure author with a knack for blending humor and heart. Together, they've taught writing and marketing classes at conferences across the United States and love cheering on other authors as they grow.
The Writing Gals began in 2018, and they run a thriving Facebook group and YouTube channel, offering practical advice on everything from story craft to self-publishing and marketing. Their Writing Gals Academy features over 80 on-demand classes from top indie authors, including six- and seven-figure earners. When they're not writing or teaching, Victorine is likely crocheting (and pretending she doesn’t have a yarn hoarding problem), and Michelle is probably rearranging her ever-growing sticker and planner collection.