The Southern California Writers' Conference Feed

Special Guest Speaker No. 4 and More Aboard; Pre-registration

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:50 GMT

Joining SCWC for the first time, author of the wildly popular Jonathan Quinn, Project Eden and Logan Harper series of thrillers, Brett Battles will be with us in Newport Beach. Nominated for a Shamus Award for Best First Novel, The Cleaner, and winner of a Barry Award for its sequel, The Deceived, Brett's gone on to achieve hybrid-author success like only a handful of others. He'll be one of our special guest speakers, along with conducting workshops. The Enraged, 7th in his "The Cleaner" series, is out this summer. His most recent novel, written with bestselling novelist Robert Gregory Browne, is Poe, introducing readers to kick-ass female protagonist Alexandra Poe.

Back to Craft and Why Quality Counts; Good “Muse” Abounds

Fri, 03 May 2013 01:25 GMT

Screenwriter and award-winning author of 66 Laps and Wife Goes On Leslie Lehr will be joining us for the first time come September. Her essays have appeared in the anthologies Mommy Wars, The Honeymoon's Over and Arianna Huffington's On Becoming Fearless. Her latest is What a Mother Knows, out next week from Sourcebooks Landmark. Heather Gudenkauf (New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and One Breath Away) proclaims the book, "A fast-paced and gripping exploration of a mother's love. A powerful affecting novel." Along with conducting at least one workshop, Leslie is the third of LA11 special guest speakers announced thus far.

Discounted Pre-registration Open; Craft & Captivation In

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:18 GMT

Fresh off the "positively brain damaging" whirlwind weekend that is the SCWC's Winter event, we ramp up for our Fall conference in Newport Beach. Though it's some six months away we're pleased to report the return of some former conferees who've landed publication success, including Marci Nault. Out May from Simon & Schuster (Gallery Books), Mary Alice Monroe, (New York Times best-selling author of Beach House Memories) calls Marci's debut title, The Lake House, "[A] richly textured novel about love, friendship and second chances that spans generations... as uplifting and sparkling as a fresh water lake in summer."

SD27 Wrap: Writing Awards And A Rogue Workshop Record?

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 01:52 GMT

Ahh, the Winter Conference. So much sun, so much fun, and barely a wink of sleep for near everyone. In fact, while not yet confirmed to be the record, Rogue Read & Critique Workshop leader Mark Clements' Sunday night session is rumored to have gone on until 6:04 a.m. Monday. Just like back in the old days--or at least a couple of years ago--that's some serious writers workshopping seriously.

As usual, our fine cadre of accomplished authors, agents, editors and other publishing paisons did a stand up job of aiming for excellence in addressing the craft, the business and the immutable brain damage so systemic in today's ADD marketplace. Thank you all. And a big thanks to all of this year's Special Guest Speakers, Caitlin Rother, Michele Scott, David Brin (pictured), Janice Steinberg and Andrew E. Kaufman. Great talks providing keen perspectives, good laughs, quality information and more than a wee bit of tears.

Walk-in Registration And Another Agent Addition

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 08:24 GMT

Conference weekend is here! Walk-in registration opens Noon today; 7 AM Saturday and 7:30 AM Sunday. There's plenty of room for writers of every realm, so be here or be... where?

Here's where: Crowne Plaza San Diego, 2270 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108.

Gateway Literary Agency's Terri Baranowski has just been added to the schedule. She's looking to build her client list and is pinch-hitting on-site critique & consults for those looking for a rep.

We'll be back online come next Wednesday. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you in San Diego this weekend. You've earned it.

Read Wednesday, Jan 30, 2013 news update

Remaining Speakers Confirmed; Adapting Industry To Authors

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:03 GMT

Filling out our Special Guest Speaker spots is Janice Steinberg with her brand-spanking-new novel, The Tin Horse, released from Random House only yesterday. Telling the tale of two sisters whose relationship in the 1920s-30s era Los Angeles Jewish neighborhood of Boyle Heights is frought with fierce love and bitter rivalry, at the heart of the story lies a mystery spanning generations. Author Margaret Dilloway (The Care and Handling of Roses with Thorns and How to Be an American Housewife) calls the book "a completely immersive reading experience. I closed the pages feeling as though I’d lived another life.”

Janice will be joining SD27's other Special Guests, David Brin (Existence), Andrew Kaufman (The Lion, The Lamb, The Hunted), Caitlin Rother (Lost Girls) and Michele Scott (Covert Reich, as A.K. Alexander).

Another Special Guest Speaker; More Workshops; More Success

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:57 GMT

Celebrated journalist and author Caitlin Rother returns with her latest. Chronicling the true story behind the rape and murder of two San Diego area teenagers by a previously convicted sociopath, the Los Angeles Times calls Lost Girls, "a deeply reported, dispassionately written attempt to determine what created that monster and predator. It is a cautionary tale and a horror story, done superbly by a writer who knows how to burrow into a complex case without becoming captive to her sources."

Two of Caitlin's other books were ranked in True Crime Book Review's Top 10 True Crime Books of 2011: Dead Reckoning and Deadly Devotion, which she co-authored with Alysia Sofios. Where most writers conjure up fictional criminals and fabricate a story, Caitlin, a Pulitzer nominee, looks unflinchingly into the eyes of madness and writes to the core of those impacted by it.

Deadlines, Agents, Schedule And Do Yourself Independence Track

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 01:05 GMT

Story trumps hype. Good stories populated by vividly rendered characters confronting increasingly harrowing circumstances are what makes for quality reads, regardless of genre. A story well told will sell. Question is, for what price, in which format, to how many and by whom?

In this digital era, arguably the most liberating for authors of all ilk, who are now no longer exclusively beholden to legacy publishing gate keepers or ridiculously over-priced vanity press "services" outfits such as those made infamous by Author Solutions and its associated writer-bilking outliers, questions abound. Perhaps the biggest: Should you pursue the traditional route to publication--get an agent, find a house, wait a year or more after to see your book in print--or should you just go it alone?

Staff Additions, Good Muse, Do Yourself Independence

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 01:57 GMT

Two months out and there's plenty to report. For starters, following last month's irksome online registration glitch, our main administrative computer got hit with multiple trojans that pretty much knocked out all SCWC hard drives, the office phone system and fax. It's taken nearly two weeks to get everything sorted out, but now we're back up and running so let's see where we're at!

Three Months Out And Lots To Report; Glitch Fixed

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:19 GMT

We're in store for another wild weekend of all things writerly come February. What with the recent news about Amazon's reviews purge, the ramifications of Penguin and Random House merging, eBook sales dominating the table talk, and 2012 book sales in general possibly reaching north of $8 billion--despite slippage in some rather surprising genres--storytelling about storytellers seems as popular as storytellers telling stories. That said, the challenge for most writers remains the same: beyond writing a great book that rewards readers with a rich read, how do you raise awareness of your book and get readers to buy it?