News And Announcements

Craft is where it’s at. With a lucky break from the rain, and despite unanticipated challenges with the venue, our plot of writers celebrated the weekend by digging in and doing the work. Janis, Rick and I thank all for placing their trust in the SCWC. A hearty thanks to our workshop leaders and volunteers. And thank you to special guests Matt Coyle (Odyssey’s End), Suzanne Redfearn (Where Butterflies Wander), Jennifer Silva Redmond (Honeymoon at Sea), and Judy Reeves (When Your Heart Says Go)—all dutifully aspiring to excellence and settling only for exceptional with their work.

With yet another rapturously exhausting conference now behind us, let’s get on to which conferees were awarded for pages put forth in read & critique workshops and advance submission consultation.

SCWC*San Diego 38 Award Recipients

OUTSTANDING FICTION (TBA)
TBA
by Jason Hook of Lancaster, NH

OUTSTANDING FICTION (Literary)
Mirror-Image America
by Daze Castillo of San Diego, CA

OUTSTANDING SHORT STORY
Untitled
by Diana Fulton of El Dorado, CA

Also, each SCWC holds a contest in which all writers are invited to participate. The rules are simple: Write a piece in any form you wish of no more than 250 words based on the one-word topic announced Friday night. The topic for SD38 was “Key(s).” Here’s the winning entry . . .

OUTSTANDING TOPIC STORY
Untitled
by Diana Fulton of Redwood City, CA

Somewhere in the Florida Keys …

“Morning. What brings y’all in so early?” the waitress asked, smacking her gum.

“Well, we planned to go sailin’ today,” said the woman, neatly dressed in navy Capri pants and a white linen top matching her permed hair.

“Yeah? What happened?” She twirled her pencil.

The woman glanced at her husband, who stared at the ceiling silently, hands resting on his small potbelly.

“I dropped his sailboat keys into the ocean.” Her leather cheeks reddened.

The waitress nearly spat out her gum. “You did what now?”

“I tried to toss ‘em to him, but they slipped right outta my hand. I had just put on lotion.”

The man muttered something incomprehensible.

“Sweet baby Jesus! Didn’t y’all have a floaty keychain?”

“We did, but our baby grandson was playing with it and it broke right off.”

“Lord. What are y’all gonna do?”

“We were fixin’ to have some coffee,” the man interjected, “while we wait for the boat store to open.”

“Course, yessir,” the waitress replied, “coming right up and I’ll throw in some key lime pie.”

When she returned with the order, the couple sat just as she had left them.

“Sir, I have to ask. Are you ‘bout ready to kill your wife?”

“No ma’am,” he said. “What these gray hairs have brought me is the wisdom that my wife is more important than any old boat.”

He gazed at her. She placed her age-spotted hand on top of his and smile. “My Ernie!”

Good writing is where you find it, regardless of length, and should be acknowledged. That said, I need to set this up: The hotel we were forced to hold the conference at was a stop-gap solution. Unforeseen challenges arose. Among them? Only one bartender. The one bartender they did provide was three days new to the job when we arrived. His name is Ernesto. How he managed to do so, we don’t know, but he did so with gusto and a smile. We wanted to honor him so much (for dealing so pleasantly and patiently with us), that extra points were given to anybody submitting a Topic Award story that weaved him into it.

Diana submitted the below, but in her late-night editing cut any reference to the actual topic (“Key(s)”) from the entry. However, our judges could not withhold their support for citing its quality.

WARNING: This story contains potty language. Get over it. Life should not be bleepable. We’re writers.

Untitled
by Diana Fulton of Irvine, CA

A wise writer wrote “The first murder is the hardest,” yet so far it had been deceptively easy. Why this weekend, this conference? The non-existent coffee, the broken printer, the shitty Mexican food; those transgressions could be forgiven. However, the lack of alcohol was a capital offense.

She needed a martini, maybe two or seven. For Christ’s sake, there were 150 writers at the conference, shuffling around her like zombies with a taste for agent brains. She was so damn sick of smiling she thought her face might explode, embedding false eyelashes into the walls.

Her ass had been kissed so many times she was afraid her asshole would start kissing back. How the hell was she supposed to endure this without alcohol?

The idea of murder had been simmering in her soul for years. She’d read enough unbearably crusty detective manuscripts from former lawyers and Connolly wannabes to learn how to avoid consequences.

She took the stairs, avoiding the elevator where perfectly practiced pitches pummeled her as if Blake Snell himself were throwing them.

She set the stage; a thoughtful rip in her Hello Kitty nightshirt, a lamp knocked to the floor, the gun tucked under a pillow. She had a permit to carry, she wasn’t stupid. No sense getting away with murder if you were jailed for a lesser offense. A drink would be nice.

A knock on the door, the click of the lock as it disengaged. She smiled, a genuine smile this time.

“Hello, Ernesto.”

Congratulations, all!

Dates for our 39th annual San Diego conference are Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 14-16, 2025. Limited to 175 writers, discounted pre-registration opens August 1. In the meantime, changes abound as we inaugurate SCWC 3.0. What’s all cool to come will be announcing soon.

Until next time, write more, suck less, and be the writer you aspire to be. Your work is worth it.

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC

Returning to the SCWC with her sixth novel, Where Butterflies Wander, out February 6th from Lake Union, #1 Amazon bestselling author Suzanne Redfearn will regale and inform us with her travels and travails negotiating an ever-evolving publishing landscape. She replaces our previously announced Sunday afternoon Special Guest Speaker due to unforeseen circumstances. Suzanne’s previous books have been translated into twenty-four languages and have been recognized by RT Reviews, Target Recommends, Goodreads, Publisher’s Marketplace, and Kirkus Reviews. In an Instant was awarded Best New Fiction from Best Book Awards and was a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist. Author Gian Sardar (When the World Goes Quiet) extols of her latest, “A poignant tale of blame, forgiveness, and the slender threads that weave into the tapestry of life. Redfearn takes her readers from heartbreak to hope, all the way making us see our ties to what’s been lost, and that even the most unlikely people can set us free.”

While close to having the final weekend schedule in place, another new workshop has just been introduced:

“Painting with Prose: Crafting Children’s Picture Books”
Leader: Henry Herz
Objective: Unleash your inner child and grab your most colorful crayons for a deep dive into the vibrant heart of children’s picture book creation. Unveiling the secrets of blending lyrical language with arresting artwork, we’ll explore how simple stories can weave complex emotions and teach young minds without preaching; delve into dynamic design and visual storytelling that captivates evolving brains. Exceptional structure, plot, character development, word choice, rhyme, pacing, themes and humor remain–they’re all as essential to pic-lit as excellent adult fiction.

Been a long while since we’ve addressed the genre, but since so many of you have asked for it recently, we’re doing so. Hot market. Take advantage.

There’s still plenty of room to join us in San Diego. Discounted Full Conference pre-registration remains open at this time. You’ve earned it. Your work is worth it. Join us!

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC

In a starred review Publishers Weekly proclaimed, “Rick Cahill’s extreme physical and emotional vulnerability is on full display in Shamus Award-winner Coyle’s superior eighth outing [Last Redemption] . . . Contemporary hard-boiled PI novels don’t get any better than this.” Number ten in the series is now out, again brutally putting its protagonist, with his brain disease worsening and family in disarray, through almost impossibly dire circumstances—and a case—to overcome. Best-seller Joe Ide (the I.Q. series) calls Odyssey’s End, “[A]nother smart, tightly-written, faster-than-a-speeding bullet tale of lust, danger and greed.” The author himself, Matt Coyle, returns to the SCWC Saturday evening to tell us all about it, 10 years in and nine novels out since his debut effort.

The working Schedule has been posted and the Staff page updated. While we’re still battling profound technical challenges behind the scenes, February’s in-person event is shaping up swell and promises to be another one to remember. If you’ve subscribed to our monthly updates to keep apprised of all the latest SCWC news and have not received any over the past many months, that’s because our third-party mailing list sender is pretty much broken. We’re striving to resolve the situation, but do re-subscribe if you do not receive a conference update via email by tomorrow (Tuesday).

Discounted registration remains open. Till next time, best of writerly success in 2024. We look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC

Rod Stewart’s lyric licked it best, “Every picture tells a story, don’t it?” Me likes to think, at least in the writing world, “Every person IS a story, idn’t it, if not a volume?” But where and how to publish that story is the challenge. There’s been big changes in the traditional publishing world over the recent past, with more coming. In fact, we’ve reached an interesting crossroad, with so many paths to publication available: TradPub, Indie, Boutique, or the inevitable Hybrid alternative. A startling number of writers we’ve spoken to are contemplating eschewing TradPub altogether, electing instead self- or hybrid; so many so that we need to be clear: If you pay to be published, 1) You’re not traditionally published, regardless what they tell you (trad-pubs pay you to publish your books); 2) You’re likely not going to recoup the money you spend to have them print your book, let alone make a profit. They will, because you paid them in advance.

So figure, what’s your story worth? Your legacy? We’ll address this hardcore in February because your work is an investment. You need to be sufficiently compensated for it. As we like to say: There is no single right way to publish a book; only an infinite number of wrong ways. This February, allow us to help find your best way.

Where We’re At

Book marketing expert and online book publicity pioneer Fauzia Burk will be joining us as Sunday afternoon’s Special Guest Speaker. The founder and president of FSB Associates, she has spent more than 25 years publicizing books by bestselling authors such as Alan Alda, Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra, Sonya Renee Taylor, Ken Blanchard, Charles Spencer, as well as many first-time authors. In 2019, she co-founded Pub Site, a platform for building author websites and used by authors such as Tom Clancy, Robin Cook, and hundreds more. Fauzia now leverages her rich background at the intersection of publishing and technology to innovate book marketing through AI.

Also, while we introduced many new sessions this past September in Irvine, even more will debut in San Diego. Necessarily so. Check out the Workshops & Events page to keep up to speed as we continue updating the program.

Novel Boot Camp

Bestselling novelist Janis Thomas returns to San Diego with her exclusive eight-part Novel Boot Camp. It’s been infinitely beneficial to a slew of SCWCers who’ve done the deep dive with her. There are a limited number of seats available, so be sure to email me directly to get in before too late. (There will be a waiting list.)

Good “Muse”

SCWCers with books recently out: Indy Quillen’s latest Fox Walker novel, Conflicted … Writing as M.G. Wetherholt, Gayle Carline introduces readers to a new cozy animal mystery, Paws on the Pier … Thomas M. Wing’s Against All Enemies, recent winner of the Firebird Award for Best Military Fiction.

David Putnam’s A Lonesome Blood-Red Sun, the second in his new Bone Detective series … Anthony and Shamus Award-winning Matt Coyle’s tenth in his celebrated Rick Cahill P.I. series, Odyssey’s End … And from bestseller Gene Desrochers, the third in his hardboiled noir Boise Montague mysteries, Crime Paradise, along with The West Indian Manner, featuring two short stories focused on his sun-soaked sleuth.

Best of success to all.

Extended Discount Deadline

Because of myriad technical issues as of late, we’re running about three weeks behind on staff, workshops and schedule updates. Consequently, we’ve extended the Full Conference participation discount to January 1. Perfect for Christmastime. Advance Submission Readers are now open. More will be added. Register today and save!

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC

First off, we’re moving! Just minutes from the airport, a venue we’ve had our eyes on since returning to in-person events, one much better suited to the SCWC’s needs and long-term objectives, DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego – Hotel Circle will be our new home. Much like the pre-COVID property we remained at for 16 or so years (since closed), this one is similar to our Irvine hotel in that it’s not so large other events interfere with our writers’ weekend immersion. Took a little time to pull together so late in the game, but lodging is open now and discounted pre-registration has been extended. Regular updates begin shortly.

Along with a slew of new workshops, SD38 will feature revered SCWC workshop leaders Jennifer Sylva Redmond and Judy Reeves in a roundtable discussion with bestselling author/SCWC co-director Janis Thomas Friday evening. Both have lauded, long-awaited memoirs recently out, Honeymoon at Sea: How I Found Myself Living on a Small Boat and When Your Heart Says Go: My Year of Traveling Beyond Loss and Loneliness, respectively. Beyond being infinitely informative, with that trio you can trust that the discussion will be fun.

Speaking of Janis Thomas, her newly expanded 8-workshop stand-alone Novel Boot Camp returns February. Limited to only 10 participants, pre-registration is required. At the SCWC, craft is king. Exceptional craft is what distinguishes a writer. And as Janis has long demonstrated, she is queen. >>Details

Following the staff’s post-mortem of our recent September event, in effort to assess what pressing issues most need to be addressed come February, we’re making a tweak to the workshop tiers format that’s served us consistently over the past 62 SCWC events. Many issues we’ve observed factored in: publishing modalities, corporate houses cutting back & re-aligning to celebrity/notoriety anxieties, premature publication, A.I. angst, hybrid press schemes, etc. – essentially, what too many writers don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to this business. Irvine was only two months ago, yet things have evolved since then on a few fronts. Even if for only legacy affirmation, the fact remains that writing commercially viable work is a business. Whether traditional, boutique, university or self-published, it’s a business that requires an agile skillset to succeed. So, here’s the SCWC daytime workshops tier structure newly defined…

1. Read & Critique: Troubleshooting problematic aspects of craft that undermine authorial authority, derail or confuse the reader. Fixing what’s not working as presumed.
2. Story: Big picture. Broadstrokes. Spitballing. Structure. Solutions & prospects.
3. Craft: Nitty gritty. Voice. Execution. Plot. Purpose.
4. Business & Alternative: Pretty much everything we prioritize as needing to be addressed now. This minute. This very moment.

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This is what you’re in store for at the SCWC. If you’re not up to it, we get it. Drift. If you’re serious, however, we’re here for you. Writing’s tough. It’s personal. But at the end of the day it is a business. One you can succeed in, if only you aspire and are prepared to put in the hard labor required to do so.

The SCWC is about the writers in the room and words on the page, not the people behind the podium. Any conference that thinks otherwise is a sham. And there’s a lot of them out there.

Good “Muse”

Next update, I’ll delve into all the latest SCWC success releases. Given the lag with the hotel issue, however, this time I want to focus on one SCWCer. Her name is Candace Buford. She sent us an email:

• I went to this conference a few years ago and learned so much–particularly from Marla Miller and Pitch Witches. The pitch I crafted with Marla and the opening pages we revised helped me get my agent! I am now a full time author, writing primarily YA and MG for HarperCollins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, and Disney Books. My newest book (SUSIE KING TAYLOR, Aladdin/Simon & Schuster) comes out on September 26. I also had a release earlier this summer (GOOD AS GOLD, Disney 6/6/23)…

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Not the first time, of course, for the conference. But every individual time that a writer succeeds in part because of the conference is the best time.

I hope you’ll trust and allow us to be your best time, come February. Register now.

–Michael Steven GregoryExecutive Director, SCWC

Dates for our 38th annual winter event in San Diego are Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 16-18, 2024. Steeply discounted pre-registration is now open. Even this far out, it’s already shaping up to be another great gathering. While regular updates will begin in October, here’s all you need to know now:

(UPDATED 11/8/2023) SCWC*SD38 LOCATION: We WILL NOT be returning to the Marriott Mission Valley, but instead moving over to DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego – Hotel Circle, near our old haunt.

SCWC*SD38 SCHEDULE: As usual, there’ll be plenty of craft- and business-centric sessions, read & critique workshops, one-on-one consultations and more that will round out our writers’ weekend.

Of particular note, Janis Thomas will return with her newly  expanded 8-workshop stand-alone Novel Boot Camp. Limited to only 10 participants, the track sold out fast at SD37 and requires pre-registration. >>Details

SCWC*SD38 STAFF: As always, authors, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals will be joining us. Be sure to subscribe to our periodic .COMmunity updates to find out who, along with all timely SCWC news.

Until next time, remember that there is no single right way to publication success – only an infinite number of wrong ways. The SCWC is devoted to finding your best way. You can join us in Irvine this September to discover how here.

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/RWS