Joining SCWC for the first time, Stephanie Kegan, author of Golden State (Simon & Schuster), will be our Friday evening Special Guest Speaker. Named a Top Ten Must by Entertainment Weekly and declared “Riveting” by Kirkus, Stephanie’s haunting literary drama explores the extraordinary, ultimately disastrous impact a brother has on his younger sister’s life with ripped-from-the headlines urgency. “[An] intense, provocative novel … will resonate with anyone who’s ever watched a loved one self-destruct,” lauds People Magazine and we couldn’t agree more. Welcome aboard, Stephanie!
Our Saturday morning Special Guest Speaker is also a first-timer for the SCWC. An extraordinary success at an impressively young age, Stephanie Diaz had her debut novel, Extraction, published last year by St. Martin’s Griffin at the ripe age of 21. “A gripping tale of loyalty, heartache, and self-discovery,” is how Kasie West (Pivot Point) described it, adding, “Diaz’s debut had me invested from page one.” Rebellion followed early 2015. Evolution, the third in the series, drops in September, just in time for the conference. We can’t wait to hear about and learn from yet another exceptionally talented writer. Welcome Stephanie, too (two?)!
Readers, Workshops, Schedule and Deadlines
Internationally best-selling children’s book author and SCWC alumni Sheri Fink returns with a needed new workshop. “Author Marketing Secrets: How to Authentically Connect with Your Readers through Social Media & Beyond” promises to go where most so-called social media “gurus” fail to tread because Sheri has actually done it. By herself … Another author/SCWCer returning with a new workshop, Jeremy Lee James will be contributing “Infusing Your Prose With Confidence, Style, & Voice” to StoryCore. Darlene Quinn will fill out the track with an absolutely essential workshop every novelist and narrative nonfictionalist on the fence should consider: “In the Beginning: Who, What and Why of Story.”
Deadlines are coming up quick. Most notably, admission to the “Best Foot Forward: Polishing to Impress” workshops, conducted by Jean Jenkins, requires not only advance sign-up, but submission of material prior to conference weekend. Limited to only 12 participants, those wanting to get in need to do so before Sept. 1. Details here.
More Advance Submission Readers have been added to the slate. Deadline for submissions to Readers is Aug. 29. As of today, all Readers remain open, but be aware that that will likely change in the next week.
We’re still crafting the remaining few workshops that will best serve the LA13 schedule, and there’ll likely be more additions to the staff. Be sure to subscribe to our updates, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Tsu to keep up to speed on all things SCWC. And, as mentioned in last month’s “latest news,” author Suzanne Redfearn is conducting a workshop geared to those writers who prefer “pantsing,” versus plotting, their novels. We just dug up the below-posted clip of NY Times best-selling author, and longtime friend of the SCWC, T. Jefferson Parker addressing that very topic. Have a watch and share the view.
Finally, discounted pre-registration is now open for our 30th annual conference in San Diego. Dates are Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 12-16, 2016. Register before October 1 and save a whopping $100 off Full Conference participation. Limited to 175 writers. Register today.
–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC
