Herald Democrat Writers Conference to provide venue for aspiring authors
SHERMAN, Texas — An idea that started as a desire to see local people have something that is readily available in larger cities will come to life Oct. 4 as the Herald Democrat’s Writers Conference at Austin College.
“This area is really good for artist of all kinds. There are a number of different local theaters, art galleries and places for musicians to practice their craft. The one thing we really don’t have is a good place for writers to come together to share their passion for their craft,” said Herald Democrat City Editor Jerrie Whiteley.
“I knew that our support of local poets during National Poetry Month had been a success and I thought there must be something the paper could do for other writers as well,” she said.
What the Herald Democrat decided to do was host a writers conference where writers in the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma area could come together to learn about the craft and business of writing and network with each other.
“I had had some contact with Deborah Crombie through Facebook, and I knew that she was an Austin College grad and that she had a new book coming out this fall. So, I thought she made the logical choice for a keynote speaker,”Whiteley said.
And that made Austin College the obvious choice for venue.
“So I pitched this crazy idea to Lynn Womble, director of public affairs at Austin College, and she bravely jumped on board,” Whiteley said.
“As a part of our commitment to regional development, Austin College is happy to be a part of this initiative to bring interested writers and professionals together,” Womble said about the college’s decision to sponsor the event.
With the place locked in and keynote speaker located, it really made sense to look at local people who have had success with their writing and we found that there were plenty of them available. Before I knew it, Cindy Baker Burnett, Amy Sojai, Marion Moore Hill and Dr. Jerry Lincecum had all agreed to take part in the event. Later the cast of presenters increased to include Barbara Brannon and Kay Ellington, as well as two literary agents, Leticia Gomez and David Hale Smith.
Now all that’s needed is a people who are interested in the craft of writing and willing to spend a Saturday networking and learning with other people who are interested in the craft.
In exchange for their conferencefee, attendees will get a nice lunch in AC’s Maybe Hall and a copy of Crombie’s newest book To Dwell in Darkness and lots of information on craft of writing.
Cost for the conference is $100 if registered by Aug. 31 and $125 after that date. Interested parties may register by calling 903-893-8181. Those with additional questions may send them to hdwriterscon@heralddemocrat.com.