Whidbey Island Mini-Conference Has All-Star Agent Lineup

MAIN NEWS HEADLINES

May 24 – May 30, 2010 Edition Whidbey Island Mini-Conference Has All-Star Agent Lineup

Whidbey Island/Authorlink News/ May 24, 2010–The Whidbey Island Writers Association Mini-Conference may be only one day, but what a power-packed day it will be. Set in private homes about the Island, the Saturday, June 12 morning session will begin at 9:15 a.m and last until noon with a break for lunch with a second session beginning at 2:00 p.m. and ending at 4:45 p.m.

An optional earlybird session on Crafting the Perfect Pitch will be taught by Andrea Hurst from 7:45 to 8:45 that morning. Conference sessions include three-author/agent panels on memoir, poetry, publishing, getting started, mixed literary, commercial and genre fiction, non-fiction, children/young adult literature and publishing.

Fiction panelists include Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Cherry Adair, one of the reigning queens of romantic adventure, Susan Wingate who just signed a 3-book deal, and noted novelist and screenwriter Anthony Flacco.

Elizabeth Austen, Lorraine Healy, and Terry Persun will share tips on writing award-wining poetry, and young adult and children’s literature will be covered by Newbery Honor Award winner Kirby Larson and Patrick Jennings whose book Kate and the Electric Dogs is being adapted for the screen.

Nonfiction panelists include Valerie Easton, weekly garden columnist for Pacific Northwest Magazine of The Seattle Times, and Barbara Field who has written it all and earned a living at it, and nationally acclaimed teachers and authors Sheila Bender and Susan Wingate will disclose the secrets of writing memoir.

A host of agents will be on hand to offer their expertise and advice: Andrea Brown, Sharlene Martin, and Andrea Hurst who head their own agencies, along with Amy Burkhardt from the Kimberley Cameron Agency, Laurie McLean from Larsen-Pomada Literary, and Jill Marr from the Sandra Dijkstra Agency.

Participants can sign up to pitch their projects during the midday break to these agents plus Rob Daniel from the Andrea Hurst Agency. Registration for the one-day mini-conference is $90 for Association members and $110 for non-members. For more details and to register for the conference, go to www.writeonwhidbey.org or call the Association office at 360-331-0307.