Southern Expressions Writers Conference

Last weekend, I was honored and delighted to be a presenter at the Southern Expressions Writers Conference in Gulfport, Mississippi, hosted by the Gulf Coast Writers Association. Major thanks to my writing buddy, the tireless, fearless author and organizer Philip Levin, for inviting me! I spoke about writing for teenagers in today's growing YA market. (Come back next week -- I'm posting my hand-out from the conference, 10 Ten Rules to Keep in Mind When Writing for Teens!)

If you ever get a chance to go to a writers conference, I highly encourage you to take advantage and go. Simply being in a room full of other writers gets your inspiration wheels churning and the energy buzzing. I met so many lovely, encouraging, creative people at the Southern Expressions Conference. All around you are people who also struggle with writer's block and rejection, who understand what it's like to have a character come alive in your mind, who know the exhilaration of writing until three in the morning because you just can't get the words down fast enough. You will meet writers from all over the map, with a variety of experiences and stories to share. And, with today's technology, keeping in touch after the conference is easier than ever.

All set to pack your bags for a writers conference? AWP (the Association of Writers & Writing Programs) has a wonderful database of writers conferences here: http://writersconf.org/ It's a great excuse to travel to a place you've always wanted to visit! Hawaii, anyone? :)