LUW Conference

This past weekend I attended the League of Utah Writers Conference.  I had a great time.  There were a wide variety of topics to choose from, covering everything from the beginning steps of writing all the way to marketing and publishing.  The class I enjoyed most was How to Write a Fight Scene, taught by Christine Haggerty.  A martial artist herself, Christine had some really cool weapons on display and took a hands-on approach to the class.  She had us go through the steps of writing a fight scene, and then divided us into two groups and had us write the fight from our character’s point of view and then demonstrate it.  As we worked through it, she gave us pointers.  What a lot of fun! To name only a few others: Paul Genesse taught a class on Writing Short Stories, which inspired me to once again write a short story.  Nathan Croft taught a class on Punk and Alternative Genres, which made me want to try that too.  Cheree Alsop taught about self-publishing and her favorite topic, monsters. (If you haven’t read her werewolf books, you should check them out.) The class I needed most was Pitches, taught by Chantelle Aimee.  I used the information the next day when I pitched my book.  That was a scary experience!  Johnny Worthen, the keynote speaker on Saturday night, had us all laughing heartily as he hammed it up and spoke of the joys and trials of being a writer. In spite of my shyness, I made an effort to talk to my fellow writers and ask them about their current projects.  The responses were varied and interesting. It was fun to hear about what they are writing or what they have publishing. I perused the tables where some of the authors had set up displays, and I had to fight myself not to buy every book I saw.  Best of all, I made some new friends, which I hope will turn into life-long friendships.  I went home with a light heart and a renewed resolve to keep on writing. Thank you to Emily Younker and her team for putting together an enjoyable conference.  It was definitely worth attending.