Join us for the third annual Cape Fear Book Festival's WriteOn workshops!

This year we have 6 workshop options in two morning sessions.

Please note that the workshop sessions are first come first served, and we will be redirecting folks once rooms reach capacity. 

8:00AM - Doors Open/Registration Table

8:30-9:45AM - Session 1

• Option 1: Nash Steele: Pressbooks and the Indie Author Project: Writer’s Tools at the New Hanover County Library
  • Join us for a look at tools that can help take your book from manuscript to published ebook, and make it available in participating libraries across North Carolina. We'll cover the Indie Author Project (IAP), what it is and how to submit your book to be included in the Indie North Carolina collection. We'll also introduce Pressbooks, a free tool that helps you format and create a publisher-ready ebook file!
  • Nash Steele is the Senior Operations Coordinator for the Ebooks and Community Engagement division at Lyrasis, where she works to expand ebook access in public libraries. Through the Indie Author Project and The Palace Project, she helps connect libraries with a diverse range of independent and digital content. With a strong background in publishing and library partnerships, Nash is passionate about supporting authors and readers alike.
• Option 2: Jack Fryar: Keeping It Local: Writing Non-Fiction for Local Audiences, Working with Small Presses, and Being Your Own Best Bookseller
  • Jack E. Fryar, Jr. is the author or editor of more than thirty books of North Carolina and Cape Fear history. A native of Wilmington, N.C., he founded Dram Tree Books in 2001 as a small press specializing in books about the four centuries of great history that occurred in our state. Jack has been a bookseller, publisher's representative, broadcaster, tour guide, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He holds Masters degrees in both History and Teaching from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and has taught history at E.A. Laney High School, West Pender Middle School, and for Cape Fear Community College's Adult High School program. He currently is the teacher at the New Hanover Juvenile Detention Center.
• Option 3: Angela Guzman: How Books Find Their Readers: The Editor’s Guide to Publishing
  • ​​​​This session walks through what it looks like to be an editor at a traditional publishing house, from the earliest spark of an idea—whether it's the editor's or comes in through an agent—to the moment a book reaches readers. Along the way, you'll learn how to build SEO into the manuscript and book from the start, and why retail copy, off-page keywords, and metadata matter so much for helping readers find a book. We'll also touch on how marketing, publicity, and sales fit into the overall publishing timeline.
  • Angela Guzman is a senior editor acquiring for HarperOne. Her recent books include the New York Times bestseller Work in Progress by James Martin, SJ; Never Can Say Goodbye by death doula Darnell Lamont Walker; Sit with Me by Oneika Mays, a former mindfulness coach at Rikers Island; Faith Over Fear by Michael Leach, the first Chief Diversity Officer of the White House; and Sonita by Sonita Alizada, a 2026 ALA Alex Award winner. Angela also oversees the nonfiction backlist for C. S. Lewis. She enjoys collaborating with writers to create books that amplify voices, foster understanding, and help build a more peaceful world.

10:00-11:15 AM - Session 2

• Option 1: Kennedy Cole and Nina de Gramont: Historical Fiction: Writing Through Time
  • ​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​When writing historical fiction, it isn't always as simple as taking pen to paper. Imagination, insight, and hours of research all play key roles in delving into the past and embodying the spirit of historical periods in your work. But, where do we begin? In this workshop, we'll dive into sensory descriptions, bringing long lost characters to life, and how to incorporate details of an unlived time into your writing. Bring your laptop, phone, and something to write with; we'll write freely from three unique prompts for around ten minutes each, as well as leave time for Q&A toward the end.
  • Kennedy Cole is a speculative author with a BFA in Creative Writing and a Certificate in Publishing. Born in North Carolina, she lives by the beach with her partner and enjoys playing games, puzzling, sipping matcha, and collecting tattoos. Her creative portfolio includes an array of published fiction, poetry, and nonfiction with Oakland Arts Review, Carolina Muse, Second Story Journal, and others. There Used to Be People Here is her first novel.
  • Nina de Gramont is the author of The Christie Affair, which was a New York Times bestseller and a Reese's Book Club pick. She is also the author of a collection of short stories, as well as the novels Gossip of the Starlings and The Last September. Nina teaches creative writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
• Option 2: Sayantani Dasgupta: Non- fiction workshop: Scene, Summary, Reflection: Writing Compelling Memoirs & Essays
  • ​​​​​​​In this craft lecture, we will examine the art of pacing in creative nonfiction. We will read excerpts from the works of three very different writers to understand how they juggle the foundational elements of scene, summary, and reflection. How swiftly (or slowly) do these writers get to the heart of their stories? How do they establish their inherent rhythm before switching to the next element? What does the reader take away? 
  • Born in Calcutta and raised in New Delhi, Sayantani Dasgupta received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Idaho. She is the author of Brown Women Have Everything: Essays on (Dis)comfort and Delight, a finalist for the North Carolina Book Awards, the Asian Pacific American Award, and the winner of the 2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. Her previous books include the short story collection Women Who Misbehave and Fire Girl: Essays on India, America, & the In-Between. An Associate Professor of Creative Writing at UNC Wilmington, Sayantani’s writings have appeared in over 60 literary journals. Besides the U.S., she has also taught in India, Italy, Colombia, and Mexico. She is a recipient of the WILMA Woman of the Year Award and the founder of Write Wilmington, now in its 11^th season. 
• Option 3: Anna Ouchchy: Picture Books and More: Writing and Publishing in the Children’s Market
  • ​​​​Have you always wanted to write for children or teens? Do you have an idea but don’t know how to get started or where your idea fits in the market? This presentation will open with a broad overview of children’s publishing, including formats, age ranges, and word counts, before focusing in on picture books specifically. Participants will gain an understanding of how to use mentor texts, critique groups, and other resources to advance their writing journey in the children’s literature space.
  • Anna Ouchchy is a children's book author and former elementary school teacher. She loves writing books that inspire wonder about the natural world or make kids laugh. Her articles and stories have appeared in Highlights magazine, and her debut picture book, I DON'T WANNA HIBERNATE, was published in 2025 by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan. Anna lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, with her family and a very spoiled cat named Spooky.