The creative juices are flowing, the muses are front and center, and this Saturday, Oct. 13, published authors will be sharing tips on navigating the world of independent writing and publishing with each other, with beginning writers and with those who are just thinking about writing more.

The day of events — opening at 8:30 a.m. for registration and running to 4:30 p.m. at the East Bonner Library — will be chock full of ideas, advice and hands-on exercises to help fuel those writing urges.

Indie Author Day started in 2016 as a nationwide event tailored for independent authors. The second annual event last year — including one in Sandpoint — had over 2,000 authors participate in nearly 200 libraries across 40 states and five Canadian provinces. The provided videos were played over 340 times. Other IAD events included author discussions, book signings, and even an integrated yoga session!

The local event is co-sponsored by the Sandpoint Chapter of the Idaho Writers League and the East Bonner County Library.

“As writers, we’re often told to ‘write what we know,’ said Bonnie McDade, event chair, and member of the Sandpoint Chapter of IWL. “So our morning keynote speaker, local author Jim Payne, will lead us through some real-life tips on just how to put our own experiences into words, with ‘Don’t Just Suffer It, Write It.’”

After that, it’s a fast-paced day filled with mini-workshops on developing a character trait, editing your manuscript, marketing tools, and getting the best out of a critique group.

There will be two sets of authors reading from their own current works, and several helpful writing industry videos provided by the Indie Author Day organization such as how to get your published book in to libraries, the importance of a quality book cover, and more.

A lunch-time panel of published authors will discuss “How Do We Write? and How Do We Get Published?”

The final workshop of will be 45 minutes of participant writing exercises led by published author and writing teacher Tom Reppert. “It’s a chance to work with some of the ideas we’ve learned during the day,” said McDade.

The lunch-time event starts at 12:30. Participants are invited to either bring their own lunches, or order take-out lunches for noon delivery during the 10 a.m. break. Menus from nearby take-out establishments will be available for that purpose.

“We’re dedicated to using every single minute discussing writing, publishing and as many facets of this wide field as we can squeeze in,” said McDade.

An added treat will be the sale and signing of local authors’ books.

Refreshments will be provided all day courtesy of the Friends of the Library. The free event is open to the public.