'All Write Now!' writers' conference offers advice, community

The fourth annual “All Write Now!” writers’ conference is coming Saturday at the University Center on Southeast Missouri State University, allowing local writers a chance to network and get feedback on their work from literary agents, editors and publishers.

Organizer Donna Essner said she’s excited about this year’s offerings.

Workshops and breakout sessions are scheduled, and the popular “slush pile” panel is back with two sessions instead of one.

The slush pile offers writers immediate opinions on their work, from agents, publishers and editors who listen to the manuscript and raise a hand at the point each would stop reading.

Essner said it’s a popular panel, and in past years, the panel hasn’t gotten through every submission.

But with two sessions, “maybe we can get through all the manuscripts people bring in,” Essner said.

Registration includes a chance to sign up for critiques and pitches with publishers and agents, Essner said, though those have filled up.

Registration remains open for those who want to attend and meet other local writers, Essner said.

This year is the first for the illustrator’s portfolio contest, which is open to conference registrants, Essner said. An illustrator can bring his or her portfolio, pay a $20 contest-entry fee and have the portfolio reviewed by a judge. Prizes will be awarded, Essner said.

Keynote speaker Brian Klems, online editor for Writer’s Digest, will give an address during lunch.

A grand-prize drawing will be held to determine the winner of free entry to next year’s conference, Essner said.

“Originally, when we started this, and it still holds true, here in Southeast Missouri, there’s very little opportunity for writers to get together, have their manuscript critiqued, network with other writers,” Essner said. “This is a great opportunity to visit with literary agents, publishers and editors, and writers can have their work looked at, too.”

The organizing committee has members from Heartland Writers in Jackson and the Southeast Missouri Writers’ Guild in Cape Girardeau, Essner said.

“The ‘All Write Now!’ conference is an entity unto itself,” Essner said, though there is overlap between the two groups’ membership.

“A lot of us are members of both,” she said.

About 65 people have signed up for the conference so far, Essner said, which is down a little overall from last year’s attendance of 100, but there are a lot of new faces this year.

“Probably more than half are new,” Essner said. “We’re really, really pleased about that.”

More information about the conference is online at www.allwritenowmo.wixsite.com/allwritenow.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

388 N. Henderson St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.