This year’s Wyoming Writers Conference will take place in Dubois June 1-3 and a lot of talented guest author’s are scheduled to attend.
New York Times best selling author William Kent Krueger will give the keynote address at the 44th Annual Wyoming Writers, Inc. Krueger is one of four workshop instructors who will inspire both professional and rookie writers.
The conference also provides contact with publishing agents, which has resulted in several contracts for books in past years.
All the events will be at the Headwaters Arts and Conference Center in Dubois, a town voted by Expedia as the best place to escape in Wyoming.
This will be the first time since conferences began in Sheridan in 1974 that Wyoming Writers has visited Dubois, which is just 100 miles from Yellowstone National Park.
Presenters
* Krueger writes the Cork O’Connor mystery series set in the great North Woods of Minnesota.
His 2013, novel “Ordinary Grace,” was honored with almost every award possible in the mystery genre, including the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award,the MWA Anthony Award, the Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine Barry Award and the Mystery Readers International Macavity Award.
During his instructional sessions, Kruegar will provide insight on finding the soul of the story, creating suspense and elevating setting and place.
* Middle grade and young adult fiction writer Nancy Turner Steveson, who was the HarperCollins author and nominee for the 2017-18 Wyoming Indian Paintbrush award, is well known within Wyoming’s schools as well as nationally for “Swing Sideways” and “Georgia Rules.” She was two more coming out in 2018-19.
* Poet laureate, musician and inspirational writing instructor David Romtvedt, who was the Wyoming’s Poet Laureate from 2003-2010, is a multi-talented musician, writer and recently retired professor in the MFA program at the University of Wyoming. Romtvedt’s sessions will discuss sound and sense in word use and rhythm to use poetry and lyrics.
* Self-publishing expert and world traveler Polly Letofsky grew from necessity when her first book “3 MPH: The Adventures of One Woman’s Walk Around the World,” did not find a traditional publishing home. Now she’s an expert on content, editing, cover art and marketing.
*Becky LeJeune, associate agent with Denver’s Bond Literacy Agency, will take pitches on adult, young adult and middle-grade fiction in the following genres: horror, mystery, suspense, fantasy, general fiction, historical fiction and sci fi.
She is actively building her client list and excited to participate in WW I in the first time.
*Jackson-based editor and publisher Aaron Linsdau of Sastrugi Press, will return this year. His suggestions and guidelines for pitching new material have been added to the wyowriters.org website. Linsdau is an internationally recognized explorer, writer and speaker.
*Carrie Howland, Empire Literary Agency of New York, N.Y., is actively acquiring new authors and content and will be taking pitches for adult literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction. Howland’s background is poetry, so beautiful language is one of the first things she looks for in a project.
The conference will also host a special session on adventure and adventure writing Friday evening to explore how extraordinary passions can give birth to a writing career. Polly Letrofsky and Arron Linsdau have both completed world adventures and thrived to write about them.
The conference is funded in part by the Wyoming Arts Council, through the National Endowment for the arts and the Wyoming State Legislature.
It is also supported by the Wind River Visitors Council. Registration is now open with special rates prior to May 15.
The keynote Saturday night and the Adventure Panel Friday night are open to the public. Visit wyowriters.org for more details.
For more information, contact publicity chair Marjane Ambler at 307-332-3732 or marjane.ambler@gmail.com.
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