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Writing Young Adult Fiction

Writing Workshop

Although we previously publicized the Young Adult novels panel, featuring Catalina Claussen and Nicholas Varner, unfortunately, Nick had to drop out. Given the demand for more writing instruction, we have revamped this presentation into a workshop addressing the writing of young adult novels. 

Join us on Sunday, October 29, from 10-11 am MDT, Session C, for this in-demand workshop on writing YA fiction. Venue: Global Resource Center Auditorium, WNMU. Catalina Claussen will explore the art of characterization and the interplay of interior and exterior dialogue. The exercises that will be offered are designed to illuminate the wonder of “writing what you know,” in both poetry and prose, especially in YA fiction. She will share how these strategies have shaped her own writing and encourage you to draw these elements into your own work.

Catalina Claussen is an award-winning young adult novelist, poet, and short story author from southwest New Mexico. She delights in exploring the deep connection between place and character. Her works include young adult novel Diamonds at Dusk, the sequel Diamonds at Dawn and standalone novel Holding on to Hope.

Disclaimer:
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Southwest Word Fiesta™ or its steering committee.

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Kris Neri

Kris Neri's latest novel is HOPSCOTCH LIFE, an accept-yourself-in-all-your-glory women's fiction-crime crossover, featuring quirky protagonist Plum Tardy. HOPSCOTCH LIFE is a recent New Mexico-Arizona Book Award winner. Kris also writes the Tracy Eaton Mysteries, featuring the daughter of eccentric Hollywood stars: REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN, DEM BONES' REVENGE, REVENGE FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE and REVENGE ON ROUTE 66, as well as the Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty Magical Mysteries, featuring a questionable psychic who teams up with a modern goddess/FBI agent: HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE and MAGICAL ALIENATION. Her other books include her standalone thrillers, NEVER SAY DIE, DEVIL'S GAMBIT - DEVIL'S DUE, TRUST NO ONE, and two short story collections, THE ROSE IN THE SNOW and MADCAP MAYHEM: THE TRACY EATON MYSTERY SHORT STORIES. Kris has also appeared in a DVD offering writing instruction: WRITING KILLER MYSTERIES WITH KRIS NERI, produced by T2G Productions in Valencia, CA. Her novels have been honored by such prestigious awards as the: Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Lefty, and New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. Her novels have been honored with three Lefty Award nominations for humor. Three of her novels have been finalists for the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award, and two of them have won it. Her most recent Tracy Eaton Mystery, REVENGE ON ROUTE 66, was a New Mexico-Arizona Book Award finalist, and her most recent Samantha Brennan and Annabelle Haggerty Magical Mystery, MAGICAL ALIENATION, won the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. Kris teaches writing online for the prestigious Writers' Program of the UCLA Extension School, and other organization. When she isn't writing, Kris loves reading, hiking, and cooking. She loves hearing from her readers through her website, http://www.krisneri.com. She hails from Silver City, NM, where she lives with her husband and two pushy terriers.
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We respectfully acknowledge that the entirety of southwestern New Mexico is the traditional territory, since time immemorial, of the Chis-Nde, also known as the people of the Chiricahua Apache Nation. The Chiricahua Apache Nation is recognized as a sovereign Native Nation by the United States in the Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Friendship of 1 July 1852 (10 Stat. 979) (Treaty of Santa Fe ratified 23 March 1853 and proclaimed by President Franklin Pierce 25 March 1853).

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Mimbres Press of Western New Mexico University is a traditional academic press that welcomes agented and unagented submissions in the following genres: literary fiction, creative non-fiction, essays, memoir, poetry, children’s books, historical fiction, and academic books. We are particularly interested in academic work and commercial work with a strong social message, including but not limited to works of history, reportage, biography, anthropology, culture, human rights, and the natural world. We will also consider selective works of national and global significance.