In Cherie Kephart’s new book, The Upside of Falling: Connecting to the Art and Heart of Being a Writer, she cites Chögyam Trungpa as an inspiration. The Tibetan Buddhist observed, “The bad news is you’re falling through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. The good news is, there’s no ground.” He also counsels, in his writings, “Don’t rush; everything is going to be okay…You don’t have to do a complete job, all at once.”
This is the plight of writers: Do it now, how, or ever; then where and why. What “complete job, all at once” can authors do who don’t even know what they don’t know to sustain commercially viable publication? Conflating urgency with importance is often the problem. We’ll address solutions, as usual, in San Diego.
First Up
Dennis K. Crosby, bestselling author, popular SCWC workshop leader, conference facilitator, and all around great guy who’s been charming the churn of indie publishing well while seducing the Big Five, will be our Friday evening Special Guest Speaker in conversation with Janis Thomas. Death’s Reckoning, the thrilling conclusion of his Kassidy Simmons urban fantasy series, is out November and we’re going to learn all about it, him, and swapping genres for his next books.
Disco Inferno
Hot dudes who charge into hot zones is the genre: “When Fire Captain Danny Russell saves Natalie Sands from a rampaging wildfire in Kern County, California, the passion that flares between them threatens to burn out of control.” Rick Ochocki’s debut novel, Out of the Fire, is a hot ticket for contemporary romance fans. Longtime SCWCers will recognize Rick and others at this past weekend’s launch party in San Diego by the picture.
Novel Boot Camp
It’s back! SCWC Director Janis Thomas will once again conduct her popular Novel Boot Camp in January. Limited to only 10 participants, this immersive, 8-workshop track requires pre-registration and tends to sell out sooner than later. Get in while you still can. >>Complete details
Plenty more still to announce, so be sure to subscribe and stay apprised. Dates for our 41st annual winter conference are MLK Weekend, January 15-17, 2027. Discounted registration is going on now. Your work is worth it. You’ve earned it. Be there!
–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC
