I’ve come to the end of my San Francisco working holiday. I stayed an extra week in the city, cat sitting the magnificent Spot.
Spot has found her sweet spot in the sun.
I spent some time wandering around my favorite neighborhoods, walking through Golden Gate Park, and being inspired by the city of my heart. My Crossroads series is set in San Francisco and I took the opportunity to visit some of the locations I’m writing about. In particular, the Three Gems sculpture, located in the de Young Museum sculpture garden, which appears in both “Fake” and the following novel, “The Wayward Way.”
I also emailed requested materials to the agents I met through the conference. As I got back into the writing groove, both fiction and blogging, I thought about the lessons I learned at the conference. It’s hard to put it all into words, since so much of it was internalized. I went to the San Francisco Writers Conference website and happened to notice that the presenters’ handouts are still available as downloads. You won’t want to miss these valuable resources.
San Francisco Writers Conference Presenters’ Handouts
Of course, the handouts are only a taste of the sessions. If possible, I highly recommend attending this or another writers’ conference. Along with lessons learned at the industry and craft sessions, you’ll also have the opportunity to meet fellow authors and interact with agents and editors. I found a partial list of 2013 conferences and festivals in the U.S.
2013 Writing Conferences and Festivals
Doing a web search using your home state or preferred genre will probably yield more. For example, the Romance Writers of America has a huge annual conference, while its local chapters host smaller events throughout the year.
Can’t afford to go to a conference? Consider volunteering. Many conference offer discounts or even free admission to volunteers.
Can’t leave town? Too busy to leave the house? Don’t let that stand in your way! There are online conferences and workshops as well. One I can recommend is the San Francisco Writers University, which offers free and paid online courses.
San Francisco Writers University
Writing is an art, a craft and a business. Attending conferences and workshops can help you improve all aspects of your writing life.
Lori Writer 