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The Roanoke Regional Writers Conference is ideal for writers of all ages and levels. Even the most experienced writer can learn something new for the craft!
The Roanoke Regional Writers Conference celebrates its 10th year in January. As co-director (a title shared with conference creator Dan Smith), I’m excited about the opportunities this conference holds each year for participants.
Whether you’re an aspiring author, poet, journalist or established writer, we know there is always more to learn as we perfect our craft. Plus, it’s comforting to spend the day with people as passionate about words as I am!
We’re honored to have John Koehler, founder and publisher of Koehler Books Publishing, as our Friday-night keynote and teacher this year, dishing out advice on the market and how to help writers best understand their publishing options.
Kickoff begins Friday night with introductions, keynote address and a forum panel on blogging. Saturday opens with registration at 8:30 a.m., with classes starting at 9 a.m.
Attendees are encouraged to bring pen and paper, as well as any writing samples they might want to share in particular classes.
Class topics vary from fiction, biography, memoir, copyrighting, editing, publishing (traditional and self-publishing), and poetry.
Presenters include two of our cover subjects, Roland Lazenby (Writing Characters on People You Know Without Violating Trust) and RS Belcher (Science Fiction and Fantasy and the Working Writer).
In addition: Diane Fanning (Writing a Non-fiction Book Proposal that Sells); Ed Falco (The Character Driven Story); and Andrea Brunais (Editing: Vital to a Book’s Acceptance; Tips from a Pro). Those interested can find the entire list of presenters and their class topics online.
I highly encourage our writers to connect with others, something I like to call “Tribe Vibe.” Writing is a yearlong process and we want everyone to share, learn and grow with one another.
If you’re a writer looking to network, consider joining our Facebook group, where members promote discussion, offer critiques and more. We look forward to growing our tribe and strengthening our friendships with such talented, hardworking writers in our region.
The conference takes place at Hollins University on January 27-28 (snow date is February 3-4). The cost of the conference is $65, including lunch on Saturday in the Hollins dining room. Tickets can be purchased online at hollins.edu/academics/roanoke-regional-writers-conference.
