Writers Conferences
Writers Conferences and Other Issues
My apologies for the late post! The whole of last weekend got away from me – then I intended to post yesterday and I just realized: it’s Thursday. Geesh.
In surreal news totally unrelated to anything I normally discuss here: Davy Jones is no more. I always loved watching the Monkees reruns as a teen and have most of their music in some way or another. I even got to see them in concert once. Rest In Peace, Davy.
And in other news: I may try to go to the Dallas/Fort Worth Writers Conference this year. Is anyone else going? The literary agent guest list looks like my spreadsheet of wish list agents, so that’s a huge deal. Also, this is the conference that started the Agent Gong Show. You know, where someone reads anonymous query letters to the agents and you as the author get to find out where the agent would stop reading your query. They’re also going to do Agent First Pages Gong Show. One Agent. One Page. One Gong. LOL It’s an expensive conference – much more than I normally pay, so that makes me flinch. I’ll also have to fly and there’s the cost of room/board and questions as to job stability. All these things have to be weighed. Sigh.
So what about you? When was your last conference? Will you go again?
Conference Updates, Etc.
Apr
11, 2011 |Filed in:
Uncategorized
Many of you might remember that I attended the Crested Butte Writers’ Conference last year – I shared my notes for over a week I think. LOL The picture to the left does not show the beauty of Crested Butte, but me in the inside of the conference hotel, so you’re missing out. Go look up Crested Butte online to see what I’m talking about. Anway,
I can’t express how much I wish I could go, but we’re glued to Kansas City through the rest of this year. Still, I hope some of you can make it. It was the best conference I’ve ever attended. Here’s the note I received from Theresa Rizzo, the conference’s super-nice administrator:
Calling ALL fiction writers–Don’t miss out on The Crested Butte Writers Conference—June 17-19, 2011!
A small Colorado conference with a BIG bang! We’re intimate, interactive and inspiring, delivering an experience like no other!
Featuring: Agents: Stephen Barr –Writers House, Helen Breitwieser –Cornerstone Literary, and Marissa Corvisiero of L. Perkins Agency as well as Assistant Editor, Holly Blanck—St Martin’s Press and Michael Braff at Del Rey Spectra.
Check out the website for agent & Editor interviews to see what talent they’re currently hoping to discover.
Award-winning Authors: Robin D Owens, Kaki Warner, Sophie Littlefield and Juliet Blackwell
Don’t miss out on our Special Early Bird Rate as well as our Discounted Group Rate!
Still another Colorado conference (one I’ve never attended, incidentally) was sent to me by Marne Kirstatter:
Join us at a workshop in beautiful Grand Junction, Colorado.
Charlotte Cook, MFA, is the former president and acquisition editor of
KOMENAR Publishing. Now a full-time story editor and consultant on all
matters regarding pre-agenting, Charlotte is a popular presenter at
writers conferences and events (Willamette, Rocky Mountain Writers, California
Central Coast, San Francisco Writers Conferences, South Carolina Writers
Workshop, California Writers Club, among others), and a successful teacher
and workshop facilitator. She has brought to publication far more books,
articles and stories than the six award-winning novels she published for
KOMENAR. As a result, Writers Digest Magazine interviewed Charlotte about
her career and publishing company in February 2008.
Charlotte judged four fiction categories for the 2010 Next Generation Indie
Book Awards and will be the head judge of two fiction categories for the
2011 competition and awards.
In the workshop, we will delve into the real differences between developing
a manuscript to completion and polishing the manuscript for an audience of
agents and publishers. This practical, interactive and entertaining
workshop covers drafts, editors and the best advice from the right people at the
right time. Topics include:
o What you need to know about your manuscript to bring it to market
o Are you consistent in your choices of Point of View and Point of
Narration
o What about Back Story, Chronology and Dialogue
o How do you determine the premise of your book for agents and editors
Charlotte requests that all attendees bring pages from their manuscripts to
work on in class. She will use some of them as examples, meaning those
volunteers who are chosen will get specific feedback on their work.
In addition to the workshop, three published authors, all long-standing
members of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers will be present. Robin Owens (
_http://www.robindowens.com_ (http://www.robindowens.com/) ), Mario
Acevedo ( _http://www.marioacevedo.com/_ (http://www.marioacevedo.com/) )
and Christine Goff ( _http://christinegoff.com/_
(http://christinegoff.com/) ) will meet with attendees in
scheduled, 10 minute appointments to answer industry related questions or
critique the first two pages of a manuscript.
The workshop will be held at Two Rivers Plaza, Main Street, Grand Junction,
on June 11, 2011, from 8am-4pm. RMFW will feed participants a continental
breakfast during registration as well as a buffet lunch.
Also, Grand Valley Book Store, an independent bookseller located on Main
Street in Grand Junction, will be present to sell Charlotte’s, Robin’s,
Mario’s and Christine’s books.
Cost for the workshop is $70 if paid online or postmarked by May 20th, $85
for registration after May 20th and $95 at the door. The early registration
date has changed in case you’ve seen previous emails. To register by mail,
please send a check with a completed registration form (see attached) to:
Vicki Law
PO Box 452
Montrose, CO 81402
And last, but not least (you’re probably starting to believe I’m on a mail-list for these things, but I’m really not!) there’s the Ozark Romance Author’s Annual Conference, July 23rd at the Clarion Hotel in Springfield, MO. I went to this in 2009 and was utterly charmed. It’s a small event, but the speakers (Leigh Michaels and Angie Fox) were outstanding. Oh, and if you don’t write Romance, don’t let that turn you off. Leigh Michaels does a talk on the differences in how men and women think and speak that any writer NEEDS to hear. Leigh will be back this year, and though that might not be her topic, I’m sure she’ll still enlighten everyone tremendously. This conference is close enough, I haven’t given up on attending. We’ll have to wait, see, hope and pray. ;D
Still another Colorado conference (one I’ve never attended, incidentally) was sent to me by Marne Kirstatter:
Join us at a workshop in beautiful Grand Junction, Colorado.
Charlotte Cook, MFA, is the former president and acquisition editor of
KOMENAR Publishing. Now a full-time story editor and consultant on all
matters regarding pre-agenting, Charlotte is a popular presenter at
writers conferences and events (Willamette, Rocky Mountain Writers, California
Central Coast, San Francisco Writers Conferences, South Carolina Writers
Workshop, California Writers Club, among others), and a successful teacher
and workshop facilitator. She has brought to publication far more books,
articles and stories than the six award-winning novels she published for
KOMENAR. As a result, Writers Digest Magazine interviewed Charlotte about
her career and publishing company in February 2008.
Charlotte judged four fiction categories for the 2010 Next Generation Indie
Book Awards and will be the head judge of two fiction categories for the
2011 competition and awards.
In the workshop, we will delve into the real differences between developing
a manuscript to completion and polishing the manuscript for an audience of
agents and publishers. This practical, interactive and entertaining
workshop covers drafts, editors and the best advice from the right people at the
right time. Topics include:
o What you need to know about your manuscript to bring it to market
o Are you consistent in your choices of Point of View and Point of
Narration
o What about Back Story, Chronology and Dialogue
o How do you determine the premise of your book for agents and editors
Charlotte requests that all attendees bring pages from their manuscripts to
work on in class. She will use some of them as examples, meaning those
volunteers who are chosen will get specific feedback on their work.
In addition to the workshop, three published authors, all long-standing
members of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers will be present. Robin Owens (
_http://www.robindowens.com_ (http://www.robindowens.com/) ), Mario
Acevedo ( _http://www.marioacevedo.com/_ (http://www.marioacevedo.com/) )
and Christine Goff ( _http://christinegoff.com/_
(http://christinegoff.com/) ) will meet with attendees in
scheduled, 10 minute appointments to answer industry related questions or
critique the first two pages of a manuscript.
The workshop will be held at Two Rivers Plaza, Main Street, Grand Junction,
on June 11, 2011, from 8am-4pm. RMFW will feed participants a continental
breakfast during registration as well as a buffet lunch.
Also, Grand Valley Book Store, an independent bookseller located on Main
Street in Grand Junction, will be present to sell Charlotte’s, Robin’s,
Mario’s and Christine’s books.
Cost for the workshop is $70 if paid online or postmarked by May 20th, $85
for registration after May 20th and $95 at the door. The early registration
date has changed in case you’ve seen previous emails. To register by mail,
please send a check with a completed registration form (see attached) to:
Vicki Law
PO Box 452
Montrose, CO 81402
And last, but not least (you’re probably starting to believe I’m on a mail-list for these things, but I’m really not!) there’s the Ozark Romance Author’s Annual Conference, July 23rd at the Clarion Hotel in Springfield, MO. I went to this in 2009 and was utterly charmed. It’s a small event, but the speakers (Leigh Michaels and Angie Fox) were outstanding. Oh, and if you don’t write Romance, don’t let that turn you off. Leigh Michaels does a talk on the differences in how men and women think and speak that any writer NEEDS to hear. Leigh will be back this year, and though that might not be her topic, I’m sure she’ll still enlighten everyone tremendously. This conference is close enough, I haven’t given up on attending. We’ll have to wait, see, hope and pray. ;D