writer's conferences in the west

rosehips · Mar 11, 2011

I'm just starting to look for good writer's conferences for the first time. I looked at http://writeandpitchconference.com/ today, for instance. I'm a little put off by the hard sell language on the site. It tends to set off my bs alarm. So I thought maybe you guys had recommendations.

Ideally, the conference would take place this summer (I'm a teacher) and would be in California, Oregon, Arizona or Nevada, although I might be able to swing Washington or other states depending on cost. I write paranormal fiction (not YA). I could do a weekend conference at a different time of year, but it would be more difficult.

Recommendations, please?

Thanks in advance!

Momento Mori · Mar 11, 2011

Write and Pitch has been discussed to death in this thread here:

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11383&page=10

In terms of recommendations for conferences, it really depends on what genre/age group you write for.

If you're a children's/YA writer then I'd rec the SCBWI conference in LA, which will open for bookings next month but that's really the only one I know of on the west coast.

MM

rosehips · Mar 11, 2011

I'm *not* YA. I write for adults. Thanks for the link!

Karen Junker · Mar 11, 2011

May I suggest www.CascadeWriters.com? We're not a conference, but a workshop--Milford style. What do you hope to learn/gain from your conference experience? What we do is have the attendees send in a chapter or story and then in groups of 8 with a professional author or editor instructor the group members each critique the story or chapter. We will also have Q&A sessions with the authors and editor and we will have a couple of other classes as well. It's in July, on the WA coast.

I'm also involved with the Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America and they put on the Emerald City Writers Conference. They do some 40-50 classes and give you the chance to pitch your work to editors and agents. www.gsrwa.org That one is the end of October in Bellevue, WA near Seattle.

rosehips · Mar 11, 2011

Thanks, Karen, I'll read up on those.

I guess my main goal is to have the opportunity to pitch to agents. I've got lots of great people giving me feedback and critiques, so I'm not searching for a writing workshop at this time. I want to network, and get that extra "in" of meeting agents face to face.

Karen Junker · Mar 11, 2011

Well, the agents at the Emerald City conference do take appointments for pitches -- I'm not sure if any are interested in paranormal (as opposed to paranormal romance) but I'll try to find out and let you know. Some do rep other genres besides just he romance subgenres. We've had people sign with agents as a result of pitching there and a few sales of manuscripts as a result.

juniper · Mar 11, 2011

My vote would be for the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon. It's August 5-7. I went last year (I live in Portland suburb) and thought it was really great. Workshops, private sessions with editors, private pitch sessions with agents and also an open pitch session on Thursday night, before the conference actually starts.

That open pitch last year was an amazing way to see what other people are writing and how they present it. The 3-minute pitches were critiqued openly so others could learn from the experience. Takes balls to stand up in front of a whole room and pitch your story, but what an opportunity!

Plus PDX is just a cool place to hang out for a weekend.

Willamette Writers Conference

look on the left column for info about the pitch sessions

writer's conferences in the west

rosehips

Mr. Boo is watching you.

Momento Mori

Tired and Disillusioned

rosehips

Mr. Boo is watching you.

Karen Junker

Live a little. Write a lot.

rosehips

Mr. Boo is watching you.

Karen Junker

Live a little. Write a lot.

juniper

Always curious.