Registration - Lower Lobby

Individual Coaching Sessions with Antonia Allegra: Writing and Careers
(20 minutes; with advance reservations)
Antonia Allegra works with you in two ways during her one-on-one sessions. As a career coach, she listens to the professional’s creative and earning power needs and skills. Working with her as a writing coach can help you identify your writing style, discover the direction for a book and understand the whole publishing process. Please bring one or two examples of your writing and/or a list of career goals – or both.

Group Coaching Sessions with Don Fry: Writing
(1 hour/4 professionals; with advance reservations)
Don Fry’s 1-hour coaching sessions, conducted in groups of four, seek to help writers and editors to uncover problems in their working processes, and cure them. Each participant gets 15 minutes, and Don opens with two questions: "What do you do?" and "How can I help you?" He welcomes samples of writing ahead of time, but he does not critique texts. (Don Fry, donaldkfry@gmail.com, 35 University Circle, Charlottesville, VA 22903-1801)

Group Coaching sessions with Andrew Schloss: Entrepreneurial Direction
(1 hour/6 professionals; with advance reservations)
Making a living as a writer calls forth invention, craft and a commitment to building a business.  Andrew works with you and a small group of like-challenged writers to explore the business potential of your writing career with the goal of coming out with a succinct actionable mini business plan.  For this session you will need:

• a description of where you are in your writing business
• two ideas about where you want to go in your writing business
• the amount of money you need per year to live
• how much money you want to make per year

Mini Media Training session coached by
Steve Dolinsky
Learn the basics of appearing on camera, using word pictures and descriptors to make food come to life. Techniques for writing both for video (TV) and audio (radio/podcasts) will be covered. View previously recorded samples of how other chefs and food professionals have handled the spotlight.

Maximum attendees: 30

Attendees may bring a DVD of some of their work (video) or CD (audio) if they would like feedback; time allotment may be limited, depending on number of attendees and those who bring work to be reviewed.

Dinner in the Main Dining Room

Official Symposium Opening

Self-Introductions

Food Writing for Today’s Avid Food Reader
Moderated by Martha Holmberg with Ann Taylor Pittman, Sydny Miner, Andrea Nguyen, Amelia Saltsman

Lunch

Break

The Nuts and Bolts of Independent Publishing
Self-publishing has come of age. Independent publishing offers viable options for the writer. 
With Amelia Saltsman and Karen Evenden  

Inner Food Writing
With Russ Parsons and Michael Ruhlman

Group Photo

Group Coaching with Don Fry – Writing
(1 hour/4 professionals; with advance reservations) 
See Monday, May 11, 2:00-5:30 pm

Individual Coaching with Dianne Jacob: Freelance Writing
(20 minutes; with advance reservations)
As a former magazine editor, Dianne Jacob can be your resource during a one-on-one 20minute session on freelance writing for newspapers and magazines. Bring three story ideas of one sentence each, plus the intended publication for each. Through directed questions, she will help you increase their chance of success.

Dinner at Howard's Creek Lodge

Hospitality
Storytellers: Don Fry, Martha Holmberg, Russ Parsons and other speakers/attendees

Announcements and Presentation of Scholarship Awards

Survival of the Fittest: Freelance Writing
Moderated by David Joachim with Ann Taylor Pittman, Martha Holmberg, Michael Ruhlman, Andrew Schloss

Creating and Modifying Your Writing Voice(s) with Don Fry
How to match your writing voice to targeted publications. Don will analyze voices of individual writers and publications, and discuss manipulating your own voice. Includes a writing exercise. (Bring 1-2 clips or stories, blogs, columns, chapters written in your personal voice. Exercises for all, with volunteer readers.)

Lunch

Break

Open Readings

Workshop Sessions (choose one)

1. Proposals and Manuscripts
   

   Discussion of what works and what does not work regarding your written submissions. Bring your proposal or manuscript in progress to work briefly with leading editors during this session. Moderated by Andrew Schloss with Dianne Jacob, Bill LeBlond, Sydny Miner, Judith Weber.

2. Blogs, Podcasts, TV, Video, and Food Communication Innovations
   

   Learn from a top television food producer and a major food blogger. Play your DVD, show your website and/or blog…Learn from Steve Dolinsky and Andrea Nguyen. (Attendees/speakers encouraged to bring their laptops)

3. Reporting: Essential Before Writing
   

   A solid non-fiction story depends in great part on details the writer brings through reporting. Don Fry and Russ Parsons share their years of experience in newspaper and magazine writing/editing. Following a discussion on the art of reporting, speakers will work with workshop attendees individually or in small groups. (Workshop attendees are asked  to bring one story, ideally via laptop, for on-the-spot edit input on where reporting would have made a strong difference.)

Workshop Sessions (choose one) 

1. Ask and You Shall Receive – Query Writing
   

   Who receives the most queries? Editors and agents, without question. Bring your queries to this Workshop to learn why these editors and agent would read beyond the first paragraph and seek out your work. With Ann Taylor Pittman, Martha Holmberg, David Joachim, Bill LeBlond

2. How to Sell your Food Book Idea With OR Without an Agent 
   With Dianne Jacob, Andrew Schloss, Judith Weber

Podcasting, TV, Video: The Basics of Writing for/ Speaking on the Screen
With Steve Dolinsky

Writing for Contemporary Cookbooks
Moderated by Michael Ruhlman with Bill LeBlond, Sydny Miner

Let Me Count the Ways…The Art of Telling Details and Why They Make a Difference
Moderated by Don Fry with Martha Holmberg, Russ Parsons, Amelia Saltsman 

Break

Kitchen Tour

Open Readings

Dinner in the Crystal Room

Hospitality
Storytellers: David Joachim, Andrea Nguyen, Michael Ruhlman and other speakers/attendees

Announcements

Screen it! Blog it! Evolving Ways with Food Communication
Moderated by Andrew Schloss with Steve Dolinsky, Andrea Nguyen, Michael Ruhlman

Close of 2009 Symposium

Individual Exit Coaching Sessions with Antonia Allegra
(20 minutes; with advance reservations)