More than 70 writers and editors from across the U.S. will serve as faculty for the Conestoga Writers’ Conference — the “conference within the convention.” The two day workshop will explore a wide variety of topics of interest to both new and established authors in all genres - not just science fiction and fantasy.

Between them. the conference faculty have published hundreds of novels and short stories, many of which won awards and spent time on best seller lists. The authors and editors teaching at the conference include David Drake, author of more than 50 novels and 100 short stories; K.D. Wentworth, three time Nebula award nominee, as well as the Coordinating Judge of the Writers of the Future Contest; Selina Rosen, writer and Editor in Chief of Yard Dog Press; 2005 Hugo Nominee Bradley Denton; and Stephen Pagel of Meisha Merlin Publishing.

Before founding Meisha Merlin, Pagel spent 10 years working for Barnes and Noble, the last three of which he served as the chain’s national science fiction, fantasy and role playing buyer. During Pagel’s stint as a buyer, Barnes and Noble experienced double digit increases in sales of SFF, leading Locus, the newspaper of the science fiction field, to label Pagel the “most powerful person in science fiction.” Pagel’s experiences provided him a unique background to explain how national chains work and the practical realities of the book market.

The schedule for the Writers’ Conference is:

Saturday, July 29, 2006:

• 9:00 a.m. New Writers’ Panel

• Lou Antonelli, Sherri Dean, Tony Frazier, Jimmy Hollaman, K. Hutson Price

10:00 a.m. Choosing and Writing Point of View

• Alexis Glynn Latner, Bradley Denton, Martha Wells, Deborah LeBlanc, Jeff Verona, Gary Jonas

11:00 a.m. Pros and Cons of Small Presses

• Selina Rosen, Bill Eakin, Stephen Pagel, Laura Underwood, Dave Smeds, Lee Killough

12:00 noon Selling Your Short Story

• Melanie Fletcher, Bennie Grezlik, Glenn Sixbury, James P. Hogan, Janny Wurts

1:00 p.m. SFWA Regional Meeting (SFWA Members Only)

2:00 p.m. Creating Believable Worlds

Caroline Spector, Martha Wells, Suzette Haden Elgin, Katharine Eliska Kimbriel, Steve Wedel, Glen Cook

3:00 p.m. Writing the Romantic Scence

Richard Cox, Cary Osborne, Lance Hawvermale, Talia Gryphon

4:00 p.m. I’m Out of Print, Now What?

Suzette Haden Elgin, Janny Wurts, Dave Smeds, Steve Wedel

5:00 p.m. Writers of the Future Contest

Paul Batteiger, Amanda A. Gannon, M.T. Reiten, Ray Roberts, K.D. Wentworth

Sunday, July 30, 2006:

• 10:00 a.m. Freelance Writing

• Rie Sheridan, Melanie Fletcher, Rhonda Eudaly, Dusty Rainbolt, Charles Sasser
  

11:00 a.m. Writing Action Sequences

• Alexis Glynn Latner, Richard Cox, Martha Wells, Charles Sasser, Gary Jonas, Bill D. Allen

12:00 noon Killing Off Characters

• Cary Osborne, Paula Helm Murray, K. Hutson Price, Steve Wedel, Glen Cook, James P. Hogan

1:00 p.m. Avoiding the Information Dump

• Melanie Fletcher, Jeff Verona, Carol Hightshoe, Gary Jonas, Bill Ledbetter, Lee Killough

2:00 p.m. Selling Your Novel

• Richard Cox, Jody Lynn Nye, Laura J. Underwood, Glenn Sixbury, Dave Smeds

3:00 p.m. I made my first sale, now what?

• Lou Antonelli, M.T. Reiten, Beverly A. Hale, Craig Wolf, Ray Roberts

The writers’ conference will take place July 29, 2006 from 9:00-6:00 and July 30, 2006 from 10:00-4:00. Registration fees are $35 for the weekend. The Writers’ Conference Registration fee includes admission to all convention events, include author readings and signings, as well as the dealers’ merchandise room.