All day on Tuesday June 18, SBWC attendees will meet with literary agents to discuss their book projects. The marathon of appointments will culminate with an agents panel in El Cabrillo, open to the public for only $15. The panelists will reveal the secrets to gaining agent representation. Eric Myers, will moderate. Panelists are Annie Bomke, Charlotte Gusay, Dara Hyde, Mary C. Moore, Dana Newman, and Liz Parker. It should prove to be a lively discussion.
Taylor Jenkins Reid will speak at SBWC June 19.
Wednesday June 19, 8:00 PM, El Cabrillo
We are pleased to announce that Taylor Jenkins Reid will be speaking at SBWC this year. She is the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Her novels have been Indie Next Picks, chosen by Book of the Month, and featured in People, US Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Good Morning America, and more. Her newest novel, Daisy Jones and the Six, came out in March 2019. She lives in Los Angeles.
After 33 Years Teaching Mornings, Leonard Tourney Mysteriously Switches to Afternoons
Leonard Tourney has been leading a lively and popular mystery writing workshop at SBWC since 1986. He covers topics important to the mystery genre such as plotting, character development, creating tension and suspense, cluing, and point of view.
He’s also been teaching writing at the university level for over forty years.
Of his ten published novels, nine have been mysteries.
It could therefore be said that Leonard Tourney knows a lot about teaching writing and a lot about writing mysteries.
What’s not apparent until you spend time in his workshop is that Leonard Tourney is a master of humor. This is not to say he doesn’t take mystery writing very seriously. He does.
Each workshop begins with a focused talk on one area of writing, and questions are welcome. The focus gradually segues into read and critique. Feedback on the work presented becomes a great opportunity to amplify learning on the writing topic of the day.
Participants in this workshop should come with a willingness to consider new ideas, and actively participate in discussion during the read and critique session. It’s always helpful to practice open-minded listening to the writing of fellow participants and to all the feedback given…especially comments on your own work.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be intimidated by those you think are smarter and more accomplished than you. It’s not necessarily so.
Leonard offers this tip to writers of all types of fiction: Complete the first draft as quickly as possible to discover the story for yourself. You can tweak and polish at your leisure.
Author Platform Panel on Friday June 21 at 4 PM--El Cabrillo
Building Your Author Platform panel is open to SBWC attendees, and the public may attend as well for only $15.
Every author is faced with the responsibility of promoting his or her own book, as well as as their own authority as an author.
Marla Miller, author , editor and writing coach, will interview four author platform experts.
Flor Edwards, author of Apocalypse Child, promoted her memoir extensively before it was published last year. Since this publication, she has been on the circuit and is regularly sought out as a speaker on her book, thus allowing her a great platform to sell more copies.
Hendrika DeVries memoir, When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew, will be published later this summer. She will speak about her extensive prepublication process, which comes as a surprise to authors who assume their work is done as soon as they turn in a final draft.
Jake Wachtel is a media and entertainment industry expert with a background in journalism, as well as being a producer, writer, and director on a range of projects for big name media entities. He supports authors in helping them to create a media presence.
Elizabeth Gould has been speaking and teaching in the area of her nonfiction book, Your Best Health by Friday: How to Overcome Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Trauma, PTSD and Chronic Illness. She has designed and created her own author platform.
Pete Shamlian Writes about the Enduring Legacy of SBWC
This is an excerpt from a letter Pete Shamlian wrote after SBWC 2015 to people he had met at the conference that year. He recently shared it with SBWC and gave permission to share it will all. He will be back at SBWC 2019.
To my new friends at SBWC,
During the conference I was sleeping about five hours each night. It’s now Saturday morning and I’m at my desk after sleeping, you guessed it, five hours.
What got me up this morning is all of you.
What an amazing experience, what a great group of people. What a superb gift Barnaby Conrad has left us and how good of Monte Schulz to cherish, preserve and refresh that gift every year. I cannot think of a more enduring legacy.
The talent that’s nurtured here, through the magic of storytelling of all kinds, ultimately reaches every corner of the planet and inspires people to dream dreams and take actions that we, even as imaginers, cannot begin to fathom.
It could be something as simple as an act of kindness to a child in Calcutta. Perhaps someone is reading Ray Bradbury or Jerry Dunn, or You, and because they feel a connection and, in some small way, are released from the dogma of their day, they help that child, and that child feels the lightness of possibility.
Perhaps it’s a teachable moment and that boy or girl realizes that the lightness is within and can be revisited at will, and they practice it, spreading it the rest of their lives on a daily basis, amongst the magnificent, tragic turmoil that is India.
He or she passes it on thousands of times, and so it goes. All because Barnaby Conrad, sipping his coffee one morning, decided that a Writers Conference would be the thing to do, and because a writer attended who had no clue how to go about this business and came to understand.
To quote Steve Jobs, Wow!
Best Wishes,
Pete Shamlian
The Funny World of Ernie Witham
Ernie Witham’s humor writing workshop is a tradition at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
If you think that you can’t write funny, think again. Humor is everywhere. Every vacation, weekend outing, family function — even a trip to the mall — is fodder for humor, and capturing it in writing is something you can learn.
Ernie Witham has always had a knack for recognizing odd opportunities for humor. Ask him what happened when he went shopping for something special for his wife’s birthday and told the clerk at the lingerie shop that he was pretty sure her favorite color was brown.
Ernie was a regular in Ian Bernard’s Humor workshop at SBWC and easily won the SBWC Best Humor Award some years ago. That launched his career as a humor columnist. When Ian retired as the leader of SBWC’s Humor workshop, Ernie was the obvious choice to take over the role.
His workshop is “The Craft of Humor Writing,” where the group concentrates on finding humor in everyday situations, getting it onto the page, and rewriting it to make it funnier and more saleable. The workshop includes lectures on technique, in-class exercises, read and critique sessions, and valuable marketing tips.
Whether you want to write a humor column or add humor to your novel or screenplay, this workshop will help you learn to see, think and write funnier. Students should bring works-in-progress in any genre to read in class.
Ernie Witham has been writing the syndicated column, “Ernie’s World,” for the Montecito Journal for nearly two decades. He’s the author of three humor books: Ernie’s World the Book, A Year in the Life of a “Working” Writer, and his newest, Where Are Pat and Ernie Now? His humorous writing has appeared in magazines and numerous anthologies, including more than twenty Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
He has led humor workshops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Whidbey Island, and on Cape Cod. Witham finds great pleasure in helping people get their funny stories onto the page and into circulation.
He lives by these three goals: First goal is to write. Second goal is to get published. Third goal is to get paid.
Marilee Zdenek Blogs for SBWC
Sometimes you make a choice and that choice can change your life forever.
Read moreJeffrey C Stewart Wins 3rd Literary Prize
Jeffrey C. Stewart
Thursday, June 20, 8:00 PM, El Cabrillo at SBWC
SBWC is pleased to host author/speaker Jeffrey C. Stewart, a National Book Award Winner for Nonfiction, November 2018, the Pulitzer Prize in April 2019 and the Mark Lynton Prize for History, May 2019. He is a Professor of Black Studies at UC Santa Barbara, where he was chair of the department from 2008-2016. Dr. Stewart is the author of numerous articles, essays and books, including The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, Paul Robeson: Artist and Citizen, 1001 Things Everyone Should Know about African American History, an essay to the exhibition catalog “Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis,” and the foreword for “Barthe: A Life in Sculpture.” He founded the Black Studies Review: An Undergraduate Research Journal, for which he won the Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring (2018). Professor Stewart has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, UCLA, Tufts University, Howard University, Scripps College, and George Mason University.
SBWC 2019 Funny Dog Story Humor Winners
WINNER:
“Tips for Training Your Human” Chris Westphal from Martinez, CA
FIRST RUNNER-UP
“That One” Jennifer Gunner from Santa Barbara, CA
HONORABLE MENTION
• “Fowl Play” Julie Mock from Lompoc, CA
• “The Most Beautiful Poops in the World” Natalie Jarboe from Templeton, CA
• “Rat Hound” Ronald Doctors from Santa Barbara CA
• “The Dog Who Ate Cat Food” Sharon Brown from Carlotta, CA
Complete List of 2019 Contest Winners & Honorable Mentions
Not only did we have an abundance of entries in this contest, we had so much good writing. The judges said it was a real pleasure to read all the offerings. They did manage to narrow the field and pick winners and honorable mentions. Congratulations to all, including everyone who was brave enough to send their work out to be considered. Thank you.
Grace Rachow, SBWC Director
POETRY
Winner:
Priscilla Lee from Newbury Park, CA
Honorable Mentions:
J. D. Blair from Walnut Creek, CA
Gordon Ross from Phoenix, AZ
OPENING SENTENCE
Winner:
Karen MH Kersting from New Orleans, LA
Honorable Mentions:
Ken McAlpine from Ventura, CA
Kia McInerny from Los Angeles, CA
Katherine Rooks from Denver, CO
David Shulman from Skyland, NC
PROSE
Winners:
Tanii Carr from Clearwater, FL (nonfiction)
Melissa Mimms from Ventura, CA (fiction)
Honorable mentions:
Ellis Conklin from Seattle, WA
Russ Doherty from Santa Barbara, CA
Alyson Gines from Chelsea, MI
Jesse Krenzel from Auburn, CA
Nove Meyer from Port Orchard, WA
Shira Musicant from Santa Barbara, CA
Elizabeth Janis Perl from Goleta, CA
Cheri Rae from Santa Barbara, CA
Brian Watts from Carlsbad, CA
Nicolas Werner from Sherman Oaks, CA
Free Humor Writing Contest for Scholarship to SBWC 2019
Yes another contest!
This time make it funny, and for extra credit, make it a funny dog story. At the very least, put a dog in the humorous piece in some way.
Enter to win a scholarship to the 47th Annual Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
No entry fee.
You may share this opportunity with others.
The judging team will look for overall writing excellence as well as "the funny factor."
Submissions should be between 500 and 750 words.
Limit of 2 entries per person.
Each humorous entry should be sent in a separate email and will be judged separately.
The judges are published humorous authors.
We do not announce the names of the judges.
To enter:
Email <sbwc.mascot@gmail.com>
This must be your original work, published or not.
Paste your writing entry and contact information into the body of the email or send an attached Word doc.
Contact information should include:
Name
Phone number
Email address
Mailing address
First prize will be a full tuition day scholarship to the 2019 Santa Barbara Writers Conference. ($699 value).
Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the conference this year, June 16-21.
If not, the full scholarship will be awarded to the runner up.
No entry fee
Contest opens: May 1, 2019
Submission period closes MIDNIGHT, Friday, May 10, 2019 PDT
Winners announced several days after the submission period closes.
Submission Period Now Closed for Free Scholarship Contest for SBWC 2019 June 16-21
Judging will take place over the next few days and winners will be announced May 6-8.
Enter to win a scholarship to the 47th Annual Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
No entry fee.
You may share this opportunity with others.
There are 3 categories to this contest.
You are welcome to enter each category, once, but please only one entry per email.
Categories:
Opening sentence: Limit 50 words
Prose: This can be a short essay, a short story, or the opening to your novel or nonfiction project. Limit 500 words
Poem: Limit 50 lines
The judging team will look for writing excellence appropriate to each category.
The judges are award-winning, published authors who are associated with SBWC.
We do not announce the names of the judges.
To enter:
Email <sbwc.mascot@gmail.com>
· Put the category of your entry in the subject line.
· This must be your original work, published or not.
· Paste your writing entry and contact information into the body of the email or send an attached Word doc.
Contact information should include:
· Name
· Phone number
· Email address
· Mailing address
There will be a full tuition day scholarship to the 2018 Santa Barbara Writers Conference awarded ($650 value) for each category.
1. Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the conference this year.
2. If not, the full scholarship will be awarded to the runner up.
3. No entry fee
4. Contest opens: NOW April 21, 2019
5. Submission period closes MIDNIGHT, Monday, April 29, 2018 PDT
6. Submission period is 1 week only
Winners announced in early May (the first week)
SBWC Poster
Public Event Schedule
All afternoon and evening speakers at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference are open to the public for only $15 at the door.
Click on image to view larger.
Gratitude
Another great Santa Barbara Writer's Conference, and I find myself thinking back over the week, and over the last several years. This conference has become a fixture in my life, a way of measuring the passage of time and my own growth as a writer. And so…
Read moreComplete List of 2018 SBWC Contest Winners & Honorable Mentions
Thank you to everyone who sent in writing for the 2018 SBWC writing contests. And congratulations to each of you for entering and being willing to share your work.
Below is a listing of the full SBWC tuition scholarship winners for the 2018 conference as well as honorable mentions.
This year the writing was a cut above and we have named quite a few honorable mentions, all in alphabetical order under each category.
HUMOR
Jerry Anderson from Escondido, CA (Full Scholarship)
Honorable Mention
- Sue D. Gelber from Denver, CO
- Malu Paradise Lujan from Berkeley, CA
- Nove Meyers from Port Orchard, WA
- Nate Streeper from Santa Barbara, CA
POETRY
Nancy Allen from Lynchburg, VA (Full Scholarship)
Honorable Mention
- Angela Borda from Santa Barbara, CA
- Ted Chiles from Santa Barbara, CA
OPENING SENTENCE
Honorable Mention
- Chris Carney from Santa Barbara, CA
- Mary Hill-Wagner from Montclair, CA
- Brett Hullinger from Draper, UT
COMBINATION OF ENTRIES
Jordan O’Halloran from Middletown, CA (Full Scholarship)
PROSE
Deborah Sue George from Los Angeles, CA (Full Scholarship)
Honorable mention
- Dorthea Hubble Bonneau from Davis, CA
- Chris Carney from Santa Barbara, CA
- Ken McAlpine from Ventura, CA
- Jill Stegman from Grover Beach, CA
- Val Urbat from Newport, WA
- Lennox Wiseley from Porter Ranch, CA
Congrats to all,
Grace Rachow, SBWC Director
SBWC Humor Contest Winner
I am pleased to announce the winner of SBWC's Humor Contest is Jerry Anderson of Escondido, CA. This will be his first time attending the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. In addition to writing humorous pieces, he has written an historical novel.
On Wednesday we will announce a number of honorable mentions out of the many entries to our writing contests this year.
In case you missed it, our earlier announced scholarship winners were:
Poetry -- Nancy Allen from Lynchburg, VA
Prose -- Deborah Sue George from Los Angeles, CA
Combination of entries -- Jordan O'Halloran from Middletown, CA
All are first time attendees of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
Each will receive free tuition to the 2018 SBWC, June 17-22.
Congrats to all.
The quality of writing submitted this year was amazing. It was challenging for the judges to make final decisions. But we still want to specifically honor more writers who sent in excellent entries and deserve kudos. So stay tuned.
Grace Rachow
SBWC Director
What if...
I return to Susan Gulbransen's story about the early days of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference often, usually in the days leading up to registration. Always, with fond memories.
I see Ray Bradbury standing alone by the pool at the Miramar. I hear Barnaby Conrad's infectious laughter as he tried unsuccessfully to read a couple "Worst First Lines" contest entries with a straight face. I relive the night Charles Schulz made sure everyone who wanted a signed book would leave happy, no matter how late the hour.
And finally I think of the universe of possibilities that lie ahead in the stories yet to be written….
The Top 3 Winners of SBWC's 2018 Scholarship Contest
I am pleased to announce the top 3 winners for SBWC's 2018 Scholarship Contest in alphabetical order .
Poetry -- Nancy Allen from Lynchburg, VA
Prose -- Deborah Sue George from Los Angeles, CA
Combination of entries -- Jordan O'Halloran from Middletown, CA
All three are first time attendees of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
Each will receive free tuition to the 2018 SBWC, June 17-22.
Congrats to all three.
We still have one active Humor writing contest with a submission deadline of midnight May 13. See previous blog entry for details on that.
The winner of the humor contest will be announced May 18.
At that time we will also acknowledge a number of honorable mentions across all categories and contests.
The quality of writing submitted this year was amazing. It was challenging for the judges to make final decisions. But we still want to specifically single out more writers who sent in excellent entries and deserve kudos. So stay tuned.
Grace Rachow
SBWC Director
Free Humor Writing Scholarship Contest for SBWC 2018 June 17-22
Yes another contest!
Enter to win a scholarship to the 46th Annual Santa Barbara Writers Conference.
No entry fee.
You may share this opportunity with others.
The judging team will look for overall writing excellence as well as "the funny factor."
Submissions should be between 500 and 750 words.
Limit of 2 entries per person.
Each humorous entry should be sent in a separate email and will be judged separately.
The judges are published humorous authors.
We do not announce the names of the judges.
To enter:
Email <sbwc.mascot@gmail.com>
This must be your original work, published or not.
Paste your writing entry and contact information into the body of the email or send an attached Word doc.
Contact information should include:
Name
Phone number
Email address
Mailing address
There will be a full tuition day scholarship to the 2018 Santa Barbara Writers Conference awarded ($650 value).
Scholarship recipients must be able to attend the conference this year, June 17-22.
If not, the full scholarship will be awarded to the runner up.
No entry fee
Contest opens: NOW April April 29, 2018
Submission period closes MIDNIGHT, Sunday May 13, 2018 PDT
This deadline has been extended by one week due to the availability of judges.
Submission period is 1 week only
Winners announced 3rd week of May.
