Registration open for Bay to Ocean Writers Conference
For those who have ever been inspired to write a blog or poetry, research nonfiction, get cracking at that next novel or increase their income with other forms of writing, the 21st Annual Bay to Ocean Writers Conference has a wealth of new speakers and session topics to build enthusiasm.
The writers conference is set for Saturday, March 10, at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Md. A new committee has incorporated input from prior attendees, and this year's roster adds diverse topics as well as six in-depth, 90-minute workshops to ensure hands-on, experiential learning. Some larger rooms will accommodate more attendees. This year's keynote speaker Christopher Tilghman, author of "The Right-Hand Shore" and "Mason's Retreat," will start off the morning, followed by 18 hour-long sessions. A professor of English at the University of Virginia, Tilghman has used Maryland's Eastern Shore for inspiration in much of his fiction. He will address the crowd and offer a question-and-answer session.
Laura Reeth, the publicist for best-selling novelist Nora Roberts, will return for an advanced social media workshop. Sue Ellen Thompson will offer a poetry workshop, and Molly Winans, at the helm of SpinSheet and PropTalk, will present innovative help for writers to think like an editor. Local authors Robert Bidinetto, Kenton Kilgore and Loriann Oberlin will speak on topics including building suspense, technical writing, hand-selling your books, targeting online sales and boosting your bank account through nonfiction. Jeanne Adams and Nancy Northcott are novelists new to Bay to Ocean, as is magazine editor and columnist Janet Bodnar, who has spent her career at Kiplinger Personal Finance. A children's writing panel will present the talent of Jacqueline Jules, Timothy Young, and Syl Sobel. Baltimore lawyer Cynthia Blake Sanders will discuss legal concerns for writers; Leslie Walker from the University of Maryland will teach writers about blogging, and Stephanie Fowler and Tony Russo will share information regarding podcasting. Nancy Mitchell and Amber Greene will offer two new poetry sessions.
At Bay to Ocean, attendees exchange ideas, hone the writing craft, and participate in specific networking discussions during lunch, if they choose. Author and poetry readings will finish the day in the Cadby Theatre, and book sales and signings will occur nearby in the lobby.
To obtain an early-bird $95 fee, register by Friday, Dec. 1. Regular price will be $120 for nonmembers of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, $95 for ESWA members and $55 for students with valid ID. Registration fee includes continental breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, attendance at the keynote speaker session and all workshops.
As one of the region's premier educational seminars, the Bay to Ocean Writers Conference attracts participants from six states as well as the District of Columbia. For more information, go to https://www.easternshorewriters.org/Bay-To-Ocean-Conference.
