Roanoke Regional Writers Conference

Link: http://www.hollins.edu/events/writers_conference/

The 2015 Roanoke Regional Writers Conference VII will feature a wide range of topics in its 24 classes and roundtable discussion, including a keynote address on the future of the book from two noted writers, Roland Lazenby, M.A. '85 and Keith Ferrell.

Lazenby and Ferrell have nearly 80 books between them and in the past few months Ferrell’s<em> History Decoded </em>was on <em>The New York Times </em>Top 10 Bestseller list and Lazenby’s <em>Michael Jordan: The Life </em>has been one of the hottest books in America and his personal best seller. Both are known throughout the region for their blunt assessments of the direction of the craft and for working with young writers.

They will be joined opening night by Anne Adams, publisher of<em> The Recorder</em> in Monterey, one of the most respected journalists in Virginia, who will talk about ethics.

The Roanoke Regional Writers Conference is primarily geared toward professional writers and its teachers are almost exclusively from this area, one rich with writing tradition and successful writers.

True crime will be a featured topic this year with three different classes—back-to-back—from noted true crime writers Ed Falco (<em>Toughs</em>), Alice de Sturler (the blog Defrosting Cold Cases), and Diane Fanning (<em>Scandal in the Secret City</em> and the Lt. Lucinda Pierce series).

Among the topics for classes will be storytelling, query letters, writers communities and networking, writer’s block, writer’s voice, interview techniques, being taken seriously, the journal, critical thinking, marketing, writing sex scenes, opinion writing, adapting to the stage, research, and writing obituaries.

For biographies of the teaching writers, class schedule, and registration, see below.

You may register online at <a href="http://roanokewritersconference2015.eventbrite.com/">http://roanokewritersconference2015.eventbrite.com/</a>. The conference costs $75 and includes two dozen classes, lunch, wine reception, and coffee. Information is available at 540-556-8510. http://www.hollins.edu/events/writers_conference/