News And Announcements

For the safety and general well-being of all, conferees will be required to show proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test within three days prior to attending the conference. You can email me directly proof of poke or test at msg@WritersConference.com, if preferred.

During the course of our writers’ weekend, we’ll remain in compliance with federal and California state COVID-19 protocols, as well as those Sonesta has in place. The hotel is mandating masks be worn inside ground floor level areas–lobby, bar, restaurant–as well as inside elevators. I’m told their staff will be masked. On the second floor, where the conference takes place, we are strongly encouraging that everyone wear masks.

Additional measures we’ve taken include keeping conference attendance at half it’s pre-pandemic capacity; utilizing the largest ballrooms for workshops; removing at least the first row of 8’ roundtables from workshop leaders and keynote speakers to put as much distance between them and conferees; and keeping workshop doors open to better ventilate the rooms.

Given the attendance of most workshops, and the halved capacity slated for Irvine, the ballrooms that seat 90 to 120 will be setup with fewer tables distanced farther apart than in normal circumstances. We’re also reducing the number of chairs available at each roundtable.

For the general sessions, such as introductions, guest speakers, agents panel and banquet, we’ll open the main ballroom air walls to utilize the entire space, again in effort to make everyone as comfortably distanced as they wish.

Finally, one more thing we’re working on is trying to conduct at least some of the advance submission consultations on the restaurant patio, however freeway noise may prevent that.

The deadline for discounted pre-registration is Sunday, Sept. 12. Be the writer you aspire to be and join us!

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

In the Christian fantasy Murphey’s Law series, Satan’s estranged daughter Delaney Murphy must grapple with the inheritance of her’s father’s infernal powers and combat succumbing to them in effort to protect herself and those she loves on the mortal plain. USA Today bestselling author and longtime SCWCer Kristi (K.A.) Fox will join us to discuss the unique characters and world she’s built in The Devils Own, Judas Kiss, and forthcoming Earthly Shadows, along with her decision to eschew traditional Big Four publishing houses and find success through hybrid.

Also, a quick reminder that the deadline for those seeking feedback from Advance Submission Readers is Sunday, August 22nd. All readers remain open as of this writing, but are expected to sell out sooner than later.

The other deadline to be mindful of is for discounted hotel lodging, which is currently Thursday, August 26th. Please note that we will, of course, be complying with all COVID-19 protocols mandated by California state and the Sonesta hotel, taking every precaution we can to best ensure the safety and comfort of conferees and staff.

Discounted pre-registration remains open at this time. Get your work the attention it deserves and join us. (And for those thinking far ahead, discounted pre-registration for our 36th annual San Diego event is now open.)

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

Hailed by Publishers Weekly as, “A dark but ultimately hopeful sci-fi exploration of the threats faced by queer people of color [and] a love letter to immigrant culture and the power people have to save each other … a beautiful, satisfying story of redemption and families of choice,” Light From Uncommon Stars is out September. Its author, the inimitable Ryka Aoki, returns as our Sunday afternoon Special Guest Speaker to tell us all about how it came to be.

Also confirmed: We will, in fact, be returning to our longtime home in Irvine, now the Sonesta Irvine (formerly Wyndham) hotel. Aside from the usual minor tweaks, the weekend’s working schedule has been posted; optional advance submission readers are now open for selection; and most agents, editors and workshop leaders have been listed on the staff page. Our remaining two guest speakers will be announced soon.

Happy summer! Till next time…

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changin’ the minds of pretenders
While chasin’ the clouds away

So sang the great Earth, Wind & Fire on “September,” the joyful R&B affirmation released in 1978. September 21, 2019, Saturday evening special guest speaker Kali Wallace (Dead Space) joined the SCWC in Irvine to share her affirmation of purposeful being as a writer. Now, two years later and barring any major setbacks, California is on track to re-open and we will return to Irvine for our annual in-person fall event.

There’s much to report, but we’re waiting until June 15th to assess what tweaks might be needed regarding hotel accommodations. In the meantime…

Good “Muse” Galore

Since February’s San Diego wrap update, there are so many new SCWCer books to report now out or coming soon that I’m simply going to do so alphabetically:

Ryka Aoki’s LGBT sci-fi novel Light from Uncommon Stars drops September from Tor … Simone Berkowitz’s (writing as Simone De Munoz) debut medical thriller Manflu is now out … Matt Coyle’s eighth Rick Cahill mystery, Last Redemption, arrives in November … Gene Desrochers’ second Caribbean noir murder mystery, Sweet Paradise.

Tiffany de Vos’ (writing as T.D. Fox) debut YA fantasy The Walls of Orion … Marie Estorge’s latest memoir, Then There Was Larry, “a razor-sharp look at duplicity and betrayal among friends and lovers” … Jide Familoni’s novel about a struggling immigrant scientist, The Rachel Project … Kelley Gusich’s (writing as Kelley Kaye) Strangled by Simile, book three in her Chalkboard Outlines cozy mysteries.

Joe Jablonski (writing as J. John Nordstrom) sold his debut novel, A Thing with Feathers, to British indie The Writing Collective … Bethany Lopez’s two most recent novels, Unwoven Ties and Starter Wife … Pamela McCord’s The Problem at Wisteria Gardens, third in her Pekin Dewlap Series.

Reina Lisa Menasche’s spooky The Spirit of Shy Moon Lake … Mike Murphey’s Killing Time, third in his Physics, Lust and Greed Series, as well as the nonfiction chronicle of the Chad Mitchell Trio, We Never Knew Just What it Was (out August) … Elisabetta Panzica children’s picture book Butterfly.

Evan Ramspott’s (writing again as Better Hero Army) Archraven, Hollow Mountain Butterfly Book 3, and Soldierina … Suzanne Redfearn’s Hadley and Grace, a crime fiction … Michele Scott’s The Archangel Agenda: An Evangeline Heart Thriller.

Two young adult novels from Russ Thompson, Never Wanted and All Alone … Janet F. Williams’ (as Zoe Amos) LGBTQ+ romance, Talk to Me … and Thomas Wing has a story appearing in the new collection Phobia!: An Anthology of Fear, “Please Don’t Let Me Fall!”

Best of success to all!

Pre-registration Now Open

Discounted Early “Bard” Pre-registration is open. Do so now to save on Full Conference participation. We introduced several new workshops at San Diego 35 and will do so again in September. With the SCWC community, it’s about the writers in the room, not the person behind the podium; getting writers to the level of commercially viable craft; helping writers find that one passionate advocate so often crucial to publication success. Regular updates resume next month. Here’s what you need to know now…

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 18 LOCATION: The conference will likely return to Sonesta Irvine Hotel (formerly Wyndham Irvine), located at 17941 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614. Dates are September 17-19, 2021. Lodging discounts will be available to SCWC conferees. Phone (949) 863-1999 to book your reservation, or do so online (when available). Deadline for discounted hotel registration is pending until June 15.

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 18 SCHEDULE: Rest assured that plenty of craft- and business-centric sessions, read & critique workshops, one-on-one consultations and more will fill up the weekend. Though we won’t begin plugging things in until later, you can get an idea of the overall shape of the conference on the schedule page.

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 18 STAFF: In addition to our select roster of returning workshop leaders, agents, editors and other publishing professionals, several more will be joining us for the first time. Be sure to subscribe to our periodic .COMmunity updates to find out who, along with all timely SCWC news.

Until next time, give yourself permission to write even bad words.

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

These are hard times for too many, hemmed in, strung out. Anxious. Chrissie, Wes, Rick, Linda and I had tried to glom onto some hope that our fall conference could take place as usual. Given the current phased opening failures in regaining some semblance of normalcy, we cannot in good conscience attempt to conduct an in-person event that will place so many conferees and staff in peril. Even if the hotel manages to fully re-open, the risk to our SCWC community remains great; the unknowns persistently unknowable. Consequently, we’re postponing Irvine until September 17-19, 2021.

Suffice to say, despite our rousing winter conference this past February, 2020 has quickly become a shitty year. The prospect of it getting better is fast fading. While we’re all personally better together–and our inability to gather this September deeply disheartening for me personally–clearly together we all must shoulder through these unsettling times and do all we can to stay safe, keep others safe, and document all that we can until, at last, we again reconvene. While so many of us are apart, what we together share, each uniquely, is an individual perspective on a staggering, historic event, the impact of which will be furiously scrutinized well beyond our lifetimes. As we’re writers, again, I can’t stress or urge you enough to make the time to document this moment as thoroughly as possibly. It’s urgent. We’re the caretakers of history happening now.

Still, that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of good to report…

A Slew of Good “Muse”

Books by SCWCers recently out include KJ Kennelly’s The Angel Ship … A new Boudreaux Universe novel from Bethany Lopez, Easy Risk … Indy Quillen’s Reputation … The eleventh in Teresa Burrell’s series, The Advocate’s Killer.

From Terry Black, My Trashy Romance … Lia Fairchild’s third in her Bridge Brothers series, Beautiful Bridges … Miles Beauchamp’s Still Amazed, a collection of short stories, blogs, columns, art and more … Mark C. Jackson’s The Great Texas Dance, the second in his tales of Zebadiah Creed series.

Elisabetta Panzica’s The Atlantean Empire (Wisdom’s Quest Book 1) is now out … As is Russ Thompson’s coming of age novel, Taken Away … And a novella from Greta Boris, available exclusively on her website, The Escape Room.

Out this month: Mike Murphey’s Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed … Raul Ramos y Sanchez’s King Robin (writing as R.A. Moss) … A memoir from novelist Richard Anderson, A Door Left Open.

In August we have Jeff Pollak’s First Second Coming: Book One In The New God Series … In September, R.D. Kardon’s Angel Flight is the second in her Flygirl Trilogy.

Also, this just in from longtime SCWCer Thomas Wing: “Pixie Forest Publishing is putting together an anthology for middle-graders titled Phobia!, and it is in this book that my story will appear. I don’t have a publication date yet, but I’ll announce it on my writer page when I get it … grateful to workshop leaders Ara Grigorian, Janis Thomas, Claudia Whitsitt, Laura Taylor, and Jennifer Silva Redmond, and especially my editor, Jean Jenkins. While none of them have actually looked at this particular story, the lessons I learned from all of them let me edit this story and get it published.”

Congratulations and much success to all!

Shot at our recent San Diego event, below is a new doculogue on agents, editing, an alternate path to publication success and more featuring authors (in order of appearance) Holly Kammier, Adalyn Grace, Nathan Makaryk, and Tori Eldridge. Much information in it, so kick back with a refreshing beverage and take notes.

Cheers!

– Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS