FAQ
How do I get in on this awesomeness?
Submit the registration form on the Registration page. You will receive an email confirming your form submission and an invoice from PayPal. You will submit your payment to Tara Waddell, the event coordinator, through PayPal. You may log into your PayPal account to pay or pay as a guest using a credit or debit card. Your spot at the event will not be reserved until full payment is received. Once your payment is received, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Please add inkandpaperevents@gmail.com to your safe list to ensure you receive messages from us. If you haven’t heard from us for three business days after submitting your registration form, send us an email.
When does Early Bird Pricing End?
Early bird pricing of $40 ends at midnight the night of Wednesday, October 16th. Beginning on October 17th, the price will increase to $50. If there are still spots available, it will cost $60 at the door on the day of the event.
Do I need to be a published/unpublished/specific kind of writer?
All writers are welcome, however the content the speakers will be sharing and the focus of the exercises and ice breakers will be geared towards writers of fiction, especially novelists. All age categories and genres of fiction are welcome. However, if you have a different writing project and need some space and time to put words on the page while surrounded by some excellent people, come on in and join us.
How much time for writing will there be?
We are planning more than four hours of writing time dispersed throughout the day into writing sprints or general work and collaboration time. We recognize that it is challenging to sit down to write for eight hours straight and also want to ensure we provide time for you to learn from our guest speakers and to get to know your fellow writers. We will mix up the format of the writing sessions to hopefully provide renewed focus and provide different types of environments that suit different writers.
What if I can Only write to silence/loudness/bagpipes?
In order to avoid a writing session that feels like you are in a standardized test center, there will always be some kind of background noise. We will play instrumental music during our quiet writing spints and popular music during our general work sessions. In addition, the conference is located in a coffee shop that will be open for business all day, so there may be some ambient noise from customers.
We have booked two private study rooms that each seat six to eight people for the entire day. If you need to find a quiet corner to write in at any point, feel free to relocate to one of them for a while. If you prefer to write to a certain kind of music, we encourage you to bring headphones and jam out as you wish.
Will there be WIFI?
Sozo Coffeehouse offers free WiFi. The password will be posted in the Conference Room.
What Should I bring?
Bring your writing weapon of choice, whether that is a laptop or ink and paper (See what we did there?), and your energy and excitement. You get to spend an entire day focused on your writing, surrounded by your people. We hope you’re pumped!
WILL WE LEARN HOW TO GET PUBLISHED?
We’ve asked our speakers to focus on writing craft such as character development, plot, point of view, etc. We want to arm you with knowledge to improve your writing and then give you time to put it to use.
If you would like to learn about what it takes to get traditionally published, we highly recommend author Susan Dennard’s series of articles on that topic.
Where should i park?
The street parking in front of Sozo Coffeehouse is metered, so if you park there, you’ll need to remember to run out every two hours and reup your meter. We recommend parking at the public garage three blocks east of Sozo Coffeehouse, the 10th and Jackson Garage, located at 1011 Jackson Street. The rate to park here on a Saturday is $1/hour. Please call 402-444-PARK for parking assistance.
Will food be provided?
You don’t expect us to make you write on an empty stomach do you? We’ll be providing plenty of writing fuel throughout the day, beginning with breakfast during morning registration. Lunch will be catered in, and you will have the choice between two options. We will make our best effort to accommodate dietary restrictions, so please indicate on the registration form if you have any specific needs. We will also be providing sweet and savory snacks throughout the day.
What if I can only attend part of the retreat?
The Retreat is a package deal. There will be no discounts if you need to arrive late or leave early, though we do welcome you to join us for as much of the day as you are able.
What is your refund/Cancellation policy?
There will be no refunds. If due to extreme circumstances the event cannot be held on the scheduled date, it will be rescheduled and no refunds given. All current registrations will transfer to the new date.
I heard there’s an after party. I love after parties.
It’s not covered in your conference fees, but there will be an unofficial after party at a nearby restaurant. Come join the event coordinators for dinner and drinks as we kick back and celebrate a successful day. Just remember that you’re paying your own way. Don’t make it awkward.