Scriptoria 2026 Schedule

Note: Check for updates and changes to our schedule.

Pre-Conference: Tuesday, July 28

 5:00 pm       Registration Opens at Gilfillan Memorial Church/Foyer

 5:30 pm       Ice Cream Social at Gilfillan Memorial Church/Church Hall

Conference: Wednesday, July 29 

 8:00 am      Registration Continues/Foyer

 8:30 am      Welcome & Overview with Cynthia Beach and Gary Schmidt/Sanctuary                 

 9:00 am     Workshop 1/Assigned Rooms    

11:15 pm     Sharon Garlough Brown, Reflections on Writing & Faith/Sanctuary   

12:15 pm       Lunch (together)/Church Hall

 1:30 pm      Wendy H. Jones, Beyond Genre: How Tropes Can Shape Both Fiction and Non-Fiction/Sanctuary 

 Explore how tropes can be used effectively and easily to shape your narrative in both fiction and non-fiction. Find out   how they can be used to meet reader expectation whilst providing a structure on which to build your unique narrative   to keep readers enthralled. 

 2:30 pm Hugh Cook, The Magical Spring of Metaphor/Sanctuary 

 Metaphor is not merely an ornament to make our writing more colorful, it’s a basic tool of comprehension. If that is 

 so, how can we use metaphor effectively in our writing? With examples from fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama,

 this workshop presents specific advantages of metaphor. 

 4:00 pm        Optional: A Dundee Walk with a Dundonian/Foyer   

Thursday, July 30

 8:30 am         Morning Prayers & Updates/Sanctuary                 

 9:00 am      Workshop 2/Assigned Rooms            

11:15 am     Murray Watts, Reflections on Writing & Faith/Sanctuary    

12:15 pm     Lunch (together)/Church Hall

 1:30 pm        Pauline Tait, Writing for Young Readers: Craft, Voice, and Story/Sanctuary 

 An insight-rich session on the craft of writing for young readers, covering picture books, middle grade, and YA. 

 Learn how age, voice, structure, vocabulary, and visual storytelling shape stories that connect with children and meet  

 publishing expectations.

 2:30 pm Murray Watts, The Power of Dialogue/Sanctuary 

 UK screen- and scriptwriter teaches on the power of crafting good dialogue. 

 3:00 pm        Optional (1 hour): A Visit at the McManus Gallery/Foyer    

 6:00 pm        Evening Reading with Gary Schmidt/Waterstones Dundee      

Friday, July 31: Adventure Writing Day
  8:30 am      Head to bus/Foyer     

  9:00 am      Depart for Stirling Castle

                 Lunch (on own at the castle café)

                 Afternoon Writing Exercises in Queen Anne's Garden  

  3:00 pm      Depart for Dundee

Saturday, August 1

 8:30 am      Morning Prayers & Updates/Sanctuary               

 9:00 am      Workshop 3/Assigned Rooms 

11:15 am     Sheridan Voysey, Writers & Friends/Sanctuary  

12:15 pm     Lunch (together)/Church Hall

 1:30 pm        Linda Nemec Foster, Writing Craft: Exploring Poetry Across Genres/Sanctuary 

 In this interactive class, you'll explore how contemporary poetry is evolving. From traditional forms (e.g. villanelle,  

 sonnet) to prose poems to hybrid forms of prose and poetry (e.g., haibun), we will discuss poetry's wide range. All

 writers welcome!  

 2:30 pm Sheridan Voysey, Four Elements of Compelling Storytelling/Sanctuary 

 Tell a story and people will lean in, read and watch longer, become emotionally engaged and moved to action. In this 

 seminar, we will explore four elements of compelling storytelling that work across all media including radio, articles,

 talks and books. 

 4:00 pm       Afternoon Trip: Visit St. Andrews/Leave from Foyer

Sunday, August 2

 11:00 am      Optional: Church at Gilfillan Memorial Church

 12:30 pm      Lunch (together)/Church Hall       

  1:45 pm       Workshop 4/Assigned Rooms

  4:00 pm Lorilee Craker, Pitch Perfect: 8 Steps to Pitching Your Book Idea with Sizzle

 Learn the crucial skill of pitching your fiction or nonfiction book idea in eight doable steps, and you’ll be miles ahead       of the game when it comes to writing a book proposal and presenting your idea to agents and editors. 

 Gary Schmidt & Cynthia Beach, Why Write about the Hard Things?

 As writers who are moved by faith, shouldn't we emphasize hope? Gary and Cynthia talk about what has convinced

 them to write about the hard things in a culture that can, at times, emphasize positive thinking.

  7:00 pm       Open Mic: Participant Readings/Sanctuary  

Monday, August 3

 8:30 am      Morning Prayers & Updates/Church Hall        

 9:00 am      Workshop 5/Check Rooms--Modified for church event

11:15 am        Vinita Hampton Wright, Reflections on Writing & Faith/Church Hall    

12:15 pm        Lunch (together)/Church Hall

 1:30 pm      Ask Anything: Panel Discussion/TBA  

 2:45 pm         Writing Commission with Gary Schmidt/Church Hall      

          The Full-Circle Ice Cream Social/Church Hall