TMW Past Conference Speakers, Workshop & Special Session Leaders


2016 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker –

General Session Speaker –

Fiction –
Nonfiction –
Poetry –
Writing for Young People –
Editor Session –
Special Sessions:
Inspirational Nonfiction-
Writing and Marketing Your Book
Historical Fiction –
Songwriting –
All About Agents Panel Discussion –



2015 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Evelyn Coleman

General Session Speaker – Gwyn Hyman Rubio

Fiction – Gwyn Hyman Rubio
Nonfiction – Jason Howard
Poetry – Lisa Coffman
Writing for Young People – Evelyn Coleman
Editor Session – J. Randy Marshall
Special Sessions:
Inspirational Nonfiction- Jennie Ivey
Writing and Marketing Your Book – Dr. Lin Stepp
Historical Fiction – Pamela Schoenewaldt
Songwriting – Karen E. Reynolds
All About Agents Panel Discussion – Beverly Connor and Christy Tillery French


2014 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Crystal Wilkinson

General Session Speaker – Scott Huler

Fiction – Crystal Wilkinson
Nonfiction – Scott Huler
Poetry – Joseph Bathanti
Writing for Young People – Helen Hemphill
Editor Session – Kate Larken
Special Sessions:
Blogging – Kory Wells
Marketing Self-published Books – Kathy Womack
Memoir – Darnell Arnoult
Playwriting – Lisa Soland
Songwriting – Karen Larken


2013 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Dana Wildsmith

Fiction & General Session- Abigail DeWitt
Nonfiction – Dana Wildsmith, Darnell Arnoult
Poetry – Connie Jordan Green
Writing for Young People – George Ella Lyon
Editor Session – Judy Geary
Special Sessions:
Writing for Storytelling – Finn Bille
Christian Publishing – Ami McConnell
Graphic Novels – Bobby Nash
Writing Groups/Networking – Sandra Plant
Writing for Newspapers/Magazines/Internet/Blogs – Sandra Plant


2012 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker & General Session Speaker- Lorraine Lopez

Fiction – Joseph Bathanti
Nonfiction – Karen McElmurray
Poetry – Rita Quillen
Writing for Young People – Doris Gove
Editor Session – Katy Koontz
Special Sessions:
Social Media – Terri Grigsby Brooks
E-book Publishing – Charles Connor
Writer without a Publisher – Dac Crossley
Promoting Your Nonfiction Book – James & Lynda O’Connor
Songwriting – Karen E. Reynolds


2011 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Susan Gregg Gilmore

Fiction & General Session Speaker – Darnell Arnoult
Nonfiction – Jim Minick
Poetry – Bill Brown
Writing for Young People – Evelyn Coleman
Editor Session – Chris Roerden
Special Sessions:
Travel Writing – Gloria Ballard
Playwriting – Lisa Soland
Internet Research – Beverly Connor
Building an Internet Presence – Kevin Watson


2010 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Sam Venable

Fiction & General Session Speaker – J.T. Ellison
Nonfiction – Jon Egerton
Poetry – Linda P. Marion
Writing for Young People – Candi Moonshower
Editor Session – Katy Koontz
Special Sessions:
Videography – KJeith McDaniel
Internet Research – K’Cindra Cavin
Column Writing – Jeannie Ivey
Editing – Katy Koontz
Cartooning – Charlie Daniel


2009 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Ronda Rich

Fiction – Terry Kay
Nonfiction – Ronda Rich
Poetry & General Session Speaker – Cathy Smith Bowers
Writing for Young People – Lynne Berry
Editor Session – Chris Roerden
Special Sessions:
Internet Research – Beverly Connor
Editing – Chris Roerden
Screenwriting – Keith McDaniel
Photojournalism – Kelley Walli
Small Press Publishing – Lynn Cardwell
Freelance Writing – David Brill


2008 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Peter Jacobi

Fiction & General Session Speaker – Terry Kay
Nonfiction – Anne Shelby
Poetry – Maurice Manning
Writing for Young People – Patricia L. Gauch
Editor Session – Ron Pitkin
Special Sessions:
Playwriting – Valeria Steele
Column Writing – Dorothy Senn
Short Story Writing – Jimmy Carl Harris
Travel Writing – Gloria Ballard


2007 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker & General Session – Nikki Giovanni

Fiction – Edward Francisco
Nonfiction – Mim Eichler Rivas
Poetry – Leatha Kendrick
Writing for Young People – Penny Warner
Editor Session – Brian Seidman
Special Sessions:
Publishing – George Brosi
Integrating Research – Beverly Connor
Songwriting- R. B. Morris
Online Research – Diane Trap


2006 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker & General Session (Column Writing)- Ina Hughs

Fiction – Lynn York
Nonfiction – Cara Ellen Modisett
Poetry – Gaylord Brewer
Writing for Young People – Michael Shoulders
Special Sessions:
Finding Great Literary Agents & Getting Their Attention – Gary Patterson
Incorporating Humor in Writing – Judy DiGregorio
Five Hallmarks of Good Writing in Any Genre – Ina Hughs
Historical Research for Fiction and Nonfiction – Robgerta Kells Dorr
Writing for Specialty Magazines – Margaret Pennycook
Panel: Writing for Your Local Newspaper – ?


2005 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker & General Session (Column Writing)- Rheta Grimsley Johnson

Fiction – Darnell Arnoult
Nonfiction – Michael Birdwell
Poetry – Dana Wildsmith
Writing for Young People – Jan Cheripko
Special Sessions:
Written Word to Spoken Word in Story Telling – Mike and Betty Roe
Feature Writing – Fred Brown
Written Word to Song – Joel Reese
Small Press Publishing – Dr. Bill Robinson, UT Knoxville
TMW Board Member Session: Teaching Creative Writing – ?
Roundtable on Small Press Publishers – Jim Johnston, Bob Cummins, Dr. Bill Robinson


2004 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker & General Session- Robert Morgan

Fiction – Beverly Connor
Nonfiction – Cara Ellen Modisett
Poetry – Jeff Daniel Marion
Writing for Young People – Tracy Barrett
Editor Session – Jason Weems, Overmountain Press
Special Sessions:
Writing for Radio/NPR – Cara Ellen Modisett
Self-Publishing – Alex Gabbard
Speciality Session ? – Jason Weems
Chicken Soup for the Soul – Joy Margrave
Roundtable on Geneology – ?
Roundtable on Critique Groups – ?


2003 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker & General Session- Silas House

Fiction – Loletta Clouse
Nonfiction – Dennis Covington
Poetry – Cathy Smith Bowers
Writing for Young People – Marie Bradby
Editor Session – Agent Diana Finch from Ellen Levine Literary Agency, Inc.
Special Sessions:
Presentation & Exhibit – Jason Weems, Overmountain Press
Presentation & Exhibit – Ryan McMurtry, Vaughan Printing
Roundtable on Photojournalism – Steven Dekanich and Sue Orr
Roundtable on Writing for Publication – Alex Gabbard


2002 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Lee Smith

Fiction – Kathy Trocheck
Nonfiction – Peter Stillman
Poetry – Katherine Stripling Byer
Writing for Young People – Lou Kassem
Editor Session – Elfrieda Abbe, Editor of The Writer magazine
Special Sessions:
Preparing Manuscripts for Publication & Approaching Publishers – Daniel Lewis, Overmountain Press
From Pen to Publication – Judy DiGregorio
Big & Small Publishers – Bob Middlemiss
B Western Movies – Bobby Copeland
New Ventures in Publishing – Brenda Rollins
Oral History – Lee Smith
Special Presentation “Barbara Smith does Lee Smith” – Barbara Smith
Roundtable on Poetry Markets – Connie Green
Roundtable on Memoirs – Mona Raridon
Roundtable on Fiction Markets – Ron Lands


2001 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Steven Womack
Friday Night Session – Donald Maass

Fiction – Laura Underwood
Nonfiction – Michael Birdwell
Poetry – Kate Daniels
Writing for Young People – Suzanne Fisher Staples
Special Sessions:
Writing the Breakout Novel – Donald Maass, Donald Maass Literary Agency, NY
Specialty Writing – Alex Gabbard
Photography for Publication – Alex Gabbard
Publishing on the Internet – Alex Gabbard
Internet Contacts – Denise Cruey May
Selling Your Magazine Articles – Ruth Smalley


2000 Annual Conference

Awards Banquet Speaker – Marilou Awiakta
Wednesday Night Reception Speaker – Dori Sanders
Friday Night Performance Poetry Session – Leslie LaChance

Fiction – Cecelia Tichi
Nonfiction – Steve Harvey
Poetry – Malcolm Glass
Writing for Young People – Patricia Hermes
Inspirational – Martha Hickman
Special Sessions:
Finding an Agent – Luciene Diver, Spectrum Literary Agency, NYC