Superb 2013 La Jolla Writer's Conference

Superb 2013 La Jolla Writer's Conference

I've been to many conferences in my career, but the 2013 La Jolla Writer's Conference was my first as a writer. The conference was packed with three very full days of lectures and workshops while still finding a way for authors to meet and share with each other and with the knowledgeable faculty staff. Huge kudos to the organizers, led by Mr. Jared Kuritz.

The conference certainly had it's "Wow!" evenings listening and talking with respected, best-selling authors Joseph Wambaugh, Christopher Reich and Dale Brown, among others. The focus, however, was a roll-up-your-sleeves immersion in the craft of writing. The schedule was jam-packed and carried well into the evenings. Authors, agents, and publishers from every genre generously volunteered their time and expertise. From mainstream to the far edges of the eclectic, from the basics of plot and character to the almost surreal discussion on how fear drives both characters and authors, there were knowledgeable teachers to offer advice and debate on every question.

As I write this on Sunday night, my head is still bursting with all this new and useful ammunition to attack current (and future) projects with. It was truly a powerful experience that was both exhilarating and daunting. The daunting part was the realization of just how much more there is to writing than just the writing, and just how much work is required to create a truly worthy manuscript. I think it was Dale Brown (things start to blur quickly) who mentioned how lucky he was to get his first novel published in record time - three years from first draft to release. Similar revelations abounded throughout the weekend and gave me a much different perspective toward what I thought was good writing. That's a challenge that I intend to take on.

I have some favorite moments from the conference. Christopher Reich ran his class on hooking the reader from page one as if we were in the middle of one of his books, grilling us about our plot and characters and demanding the very best of us. It was inspiring and riveting, even when I was the one being grilled.

Dale Brown took a softer approach that was no less fascinating. As a group we talked about our writing habits and quirks and how they helped or, sometimes, hindered our progress. It quickly became apparent that writers could write just about anywhere, and that there were no cookie cutter descriptions about just what a writer was. The only thing we truly have in common is our love and obsession with putting words on paper.

I had a lively talk with literary agent Jill Marr, who worked with me on the manuscript I'd submitted for the private read and critique session. I must admit to bungling my simple assignment on the first page of the manuscript when Jill pointed out that my "horror" story was actually closer to science fiction. Jill Marr's website very clearly stated that she worked with a lot of genres, but that science fiction wasn't one of them. Jill read it anyway. Not only did she give me a number of tips to improve on the story and set it in the proper horror genre that I intended, she also offered potential sources that might be interested in the revised story. I went into the interview very nervous and unsure what to expect. I left with more confidence and armed with good advice.

I also must admit to dogging Eldon Thompson, who is a published fantasy writer participating and teaching at the conference. I liked his selection of topics, but I also wanted to get a perspective from a successful, published writer who is still somewhat new to the game. I cornered him more than once to talk about writing in general and about the ups and downs of the business end of it and truly enjoyed the conversations.

There are still a ton of things to cover, so expect more to come about the 2013 La Jolla Writer's Conference.