Chuckanut Writers Conference Is One Week Away!

Dear Writers:

The featured photo shows the beautiful outdoor plaza at Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington, site of the fifth annual Chuckanut Writers Conference on Friday and Saturday, June 26-27. Here’s Hannah to tell you more!

I just checked the weather forecast for next weekend: high 70s and sunny. It’ll be the perfect weather for strolling from plenary to pitch sessions at the fifth annual Chuckanut Writers Conference—only a week away!

We’ve been stuffing swag bags, running through the schedule, and making arrangements to pick up our faculty members from the airport. As we get closer, I’m more excited than ever to meet the attendees and to grow with them in craft and community.

I outlined the schedule in my last Dear Writers guest blog, and you can read about the specifics on the conference site. Laurel also told us some anecdotes and highlights from previous conferences to give an idea of what to expect. And if that’s not enough hype, I wanted to share some of the things I’m most excited about.

In between sessions, you can cruise the hallways, where writers are chatting, buying books, or getting to meet their favorite author.

• Meeting authors. I’ve taken the time before the conference to familiarize myself with some of this year’s faculty members, and I’m continuously blown away by the range of talent the staff has assembled. They’re covering an equally diverse range of topics, so there really is something for every writer.
• Attending the Master Classes. Scheduled for the Thursday before the conference, these intimate, craft-centered classes still have a handful of spots open. In preparation for the agent pitch sessions, you can learn about the “Secrets of a Successful Proposal” from publishing consultants Kerry Colburn and Jennifer Worick, or you can study “The Art of Framing” from Sam Green, Washington’s Inaugural Poet Laureate.
• Making connections. Whether it’s with an agent, mentor, writing group, or friend, the conference gives you the opportunity to make connections in the community and the literary world. This year’s program book even has a section to write down the contact information of the people you meet to make sure those connections last beyond the conference.
  

  Open mics will be held at several venues in historic Fairhaven, including Magdalena’s Creperie, the Book Fare Café, the Library Room at the Fairhaven Village Inn, and the Village Books Readings Gallery.

• Finding inspiration. Writing is often a rather solitary pursuit. Meeting up with fellow sufferers of writer’s block can give you the insight, perspective, confidence, and energy you need to be inspired into action.
• Relaxing at the open mics. After all of the excitement of the conference, it will be nice to sit back and enjoy a drink at the open mics held around Fairhaven. You can hear the work of fellow writers and maybe read something yourself!

I can go on—the pitch sessions, the breakout and plenary sessions, the poetry edition of the Chuckanut Radio Hour, the swag bags, the reception, the book signing. There are so many things to be excited about, and it’s all only a week away. Hope to see you soon!

—Hannah Streetman
Chuckanut Writers Conference Intern

Hannah Streetman is a lifelong reader who is entirely fascinated by the world of publishing. She’s working on her bachelor’s degree in creative writing from WWU with a couple more practical minors she keeps switching around. When she’s not reading and writing, she enjoys oil painting, drinking coffee, and taking day trips to nearby towns. She would love to spend her life reading and traveling.