From the Director

People often ask me, Who goes to a writers conference?

Marcia Dogs

The answer is everyone who loves to write. That’s simplistic, of course. But it’s fairly accurate. People who come to the Santa Barbara Writers Conference range from brand-new writers who are only beginning to learn the ropes to authors published several times over. They come for different reasons. The new writers, to learn; the seasoned writers, for inspiration and that nugget of information they missed the last time they attended.

A writers conference is first and foremost a place to learn the craft of writing. How to structure an opening sentence so it has pizzazz, how to write dialogue that resonates with readers, how to develop characters who are real and deep, how to keep the story moving with a well-thought-out plot, how to create images that stay with readers long after they lay down the book. A writers conference also should be a place where writers who are ready can learn how to market their work, find an agent or editor, and develop a plan for promotion that will ensure success once the story’s in print. The Santa Barbara Writers Conference has done all of this for 35 years, and will continue to focus on these primary goals.

So, who comes to our conference? People from all walks of life and of all ages and ethnicities. In 2007, we had attendees who came from Tanzania, Bahrain, Israel, Australia, Canada and Sudan. We have writers as young as 12 and as old as 98. Some are attending for the very first time, and many are returning for their second, third and even 20th time. It is those writers who have made SBWC a family.

Every time we gather as writers, we are reminded of how much we need each other - to connect, to talk about writing and books, and to improve our own skills and knowledge. SBWC is about offering those opportunities, in our weeklong annual conference in June, in our March poetry conference, and in our weekend intensives for intimate learning.

I hope you’ll join us.

Best wishes,
Marcia