GENERAL
Q: Who can attend Ch1Con?
A: Anyone ages eleven to twenty. (Are you twenty-one or over? You should attend our sister conference, the Chapter Twenty-One Conference!)
Q: I’m under eighteen. Do I need a chaperone?
A: While you’ll need the permission of your legal guardian to attend if you’re under eighteen, you will NOT need a chaperone actually with you at the conference. Think of it sort of like a day camp. (And running with that concept: be aware that you and your legal guardian are responsible for transportation and lodging throughout the weekend.)
Q: What do I need to bring?
A: All you need to bring is something to take notes with, any books you own which you’d like the speakers to sign, and your lovely face!
Q: How should I dress?
A: We like to keep things casual, so feel free to wear your t-shirt and jeans. (We would say “wear whatever you want,” but then there’s always that one person who feels the need to show up in a birthday suit.)
Q: What’s this “Write It” thing everybody keeps talking about?
A: That’s a reference to the Scholastic’s Write It online forums for teenage writers, which is where the kids who founded Ch1Con first met. They called themselves “Write Iters.” Most of the Write Iters –like conference director Emma Ryan– have aged out of Ch1Con at this point, but we still appreciate the influence Write It had on the founding of our conference!
Q: What’s Ch1Con’s connection to Teens Can Write, Too?
A: Towards the end of TCWT’s reign as an awesome blog for young writers, we were partners in bringing kickbutt opportunities to the kickbutt young writers of the world. (Also, at the time, when the Ch1Con team wasn’t busy doing Ch1Con stuff, they all wrote for TCWT.)
Q: So like…what’s with the tomato logo?
*Sigh* It’s…a story. When the first Ch1Con team was planning the first conference –back in 2012, a simpler time– they had a running joke about wanting to throw tomatoes at each other. Figurative tomatoes. Like, when one of us killed off a character everyone loved in a WIP, or when someone made a bad pun, we’d express a desire to pelt one another with tomatoes like groundlings at a bad play. The idea was that, because the conference was meant to make us GOOD writers, our logo should be a ripe tomato instead.
Essentially, Ch1Con founder Julia jokingly made a tomato logo as a stand-in for something better…but then didn’t. So it stuck. (The current tomato logo was created by a professional graphic designer, but you can still see the original, rather apple-like tomato Julia drew on our old publicity materials and t-shirts.)
Q: What should I do if someone harasses me at one of your events?
While we’ve never to our knowledge had an issue of harassment of any sort at a Chapter One Events-sponsored event, we do take harassment very seriously. We strive to maintain a safe, welcoming, and accepting environment for all attendees, speakers, vendors, and volunteers at all of our events. To review our organization-wide, zero tolerance anti-harassment policy, or to report an incident of harassment, please visit this page.
2020 CONFERENCE
Q: When and where will the 2020 conference occur?
A: Ch1Con 2020 will take place on Saturday, July 25, right here on the internet!
Q: How much will the conference cost and what does registration include?
A: Conference admission this year is $50.00. (For conference and Ch1Camp alumni: $40.)
In addition to conference admission, registered attendees will receive the following:
- Access to presentation handouts, coupons, and a schedule (all, of course, digitally).
- At least one free book by various authors as well as a plethora of swag from dozens of generous authors (shipped to you after the conference!).
If you have questions or concerns about the cost of attendance, feel free to e-mail us at chapteroneconference@gmail.com.
Q: What type of writing will the conference focus on?
A: We put a strong focus on fiction, especially young adult and middle-grade novels. However, we have team members and past speakers that write nonfiction, short stories, poetry, music, scripts, memoirs, etc., so don’t hesitate to join us if your writing falls into those categories!
Q: Who will teach the sessions at the 2020 conference?
A: Ch1Con speakers are young writers, just like you. They’re currently at varying stages in their writing careers, and all are experts in their field. To learn more about our 2020 speakers, visit this page!
Q: When will registration open for attending Ch1Con?
A: It’s open now! You can learn more by visiting our Register page.
Q: I still have more questions. Can I contact you?
A: Of course! You can email us at chapteroneconference@gmail.com. We promise to get back to you faster than Riverdale‘s Veronica Lodge can say “Daddy.” (So, you know, pretty fast.)
Chapter One Conference 