Unlike conferences aimed solely to lure as many aspiring authors as possible with big-name superstars far removed from the realities new writers today face trying to break into an increasingly fickle publishing world, or with agents & editors who participate only on the condition [Click For The Rest...]

In every major European invasion of the war, a force of volunteers on specialized duty that their own government projected would have a 50 percent casualty rate, led the way. Joining us for the first time, veteran journalist and New York Times bestselling author Scott McGaugh will dis[Click For The Rest...]

What a weekend it was for our 19th annual fall event. So many terrific writers in the house. So many great stories shared, both on the page and in person. Friends were made, drinks were had, and work got done. Thank you to our dutiful workshop leaders and advance submission readers, s[Click For The Rest...]

Oprah Daily declares of Shutter, “This paranormal police procedural is unusual and multilayered, but what stands out is the gorgeously expressive and propulsive first-person storytelling, which is split between Rita’s present and her past. A former forensic photographer herself, the p[Click For The Rest...]

The conference kitty, Willis Wiggin Boyo, is ready and looking at you. Dates for our 37th annual winter event in San Diego are Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 17-19, 2023. Steeply discounted pre-registration is now open. Even this far out, it’s already shaping up to be another[Click For The Rest...]

Versitile bestselling author and SCWCer Janis Thomas is the second Special Guest Speaker to be announced. Ever the genre switcher, her spellbinding new novel, Finding Grace, is hailed by Wendy Walker (All Is Not Forgotten) as, [A] compelling psychological suspense drama about the ties[Click For The Rest...]

Lifetime reader and admitted nerd about all things science fiction and fantasy, Ash Bishop will be with us in Irvine. His debut novel Intergalactic Exterminators Inc. chronicles the raucous exploits of an “ecosystem preservation” team sent to Earth to eliminate an alien threat with th[Click For The Rest...]

As the final late-night read & critique drew to a close at San Diego 36, we were already at work on September. Discounted Early “Bard” Pre-registration is now open for our 19th annual LA/Irvine conference. Do so today to save big. There’s so much information to unpack from F[Click For The Rest...]

The view from our new home in San Diego at sunset. Pretty welcome after two wounded years away. Good job, everybody. Thank you. Take a well-earned bow. And major elbow bumps to our special guest speakers, Jeff Pollak (First Second Coming), Joe Ide (The Goodbye Coast), and Grant Farley[Click For The Rest...]

In a starred review Booklist calls Bones of a Saint, “A celebration of the power of story … This ambitious debut invites serious contemplation as it examines the role of religion, a connection to The Canterbury Tales, and more … A compelling, unforgettable reading experien[Click For The Rest...]