WRITERS CONFERENCE DRAWS PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

SIKESTON -- Christopher Vogler is one of the star speakers at this year's Heartland Writer's Conference even though his job is to develop movies. That's because Vogler's book, "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters," is popular with people writing for the screen.

A native of O'Fallon, Vogler is the director of development for the feature film division at 20th Century Fox in Hollywood.

More than 150 writers and would-be writers have signed up to hobnob with publishing industry representatives at the semiannual conference. Vogler is among 24 agents, authors and industry professionals sharing their expertise today and Saturday at the Sikeston Coach House Inn.

Most of the participants hope someday to snag an agent and a book deal with a major publishing house. But Dr. Ed Close, a Jackson man who is the author of four self-published books, will lead a workshop on "How to Create Your Own Success."

"Usually speakers tell you how difficult it is to get published and what kind of hoops you have to jump through," Close says.

"... In the final analysis, you have to define your own success, what success is for you as an individual.

"It may not fit the pattern the publishing industry dictates."

Close points out that two phenomenal successes, "The Bridges of Madison County" and "Chicken Soup for the Soul," were originally self-published and self-marketed.

He is selling copies of his latest book, "Transcendental Physics," chiefly through the Internet bookstore Amazon.com

Another guest speaker, Julie Tetel Andresen, will provide information to writers about publishing and marketing their own books via Internet sales and traditional retail outlets.

Also speaking will be pharmacist Luci Zahray, whose two-hour seminar on applied toxicology is designed for mystery and suspense writers. Zahray's props include her own collection of poisons.

Another speaker is Steve Falcone, an associate professor of English at John A. Logan College in Southern Illinois. Falcone is conducting one-on-one critiques for those who enter poetry in the conference's Great Beginnings Writing Competition.

The competition is aimed at helping writers identify the strengths and weaknesses of their work and perhaps giving them the confidence to submit their manuscripts to publishers.

Jeanie Stewart, the president of the Heartland Writer's Guild, had never been published when she won first-place prizes in the competition in 1994, 1995 and 1996. She was signed by Bantam Books in 1996 and now is working on her fourth book in the Francine Pascal Sweet Valley University series for young adults.

She will give a workshop called "You're Never Too Old to Write Young."

Vogler's two-hour seminar, titled "Myth Adventures: The Storyteller's Journey," is based on his own text. He also will speak to writers who are trying to sell a screenplay for a feature film.

While at Fox he has helped develop such films as "Courage Under Fire," "One Fine Day," "Inventing the Abbots" and "Volcano."

He also has worked for Warner Brothers, Columbia, United Artists and Disney.

Publishing houses represented are Berkley/Putnam, HarperCollins, St. Martins Press, Silhouette and Steeple Hill.

Representatives from the Donald Maass Literary Agency, the Ricia Mainhardt Literary Agency, the Alice Orr Agency and Carol Mann are at the conference. They are presenting workshops and conducting 20-minute sessions with groups of people who want to discuss their book projects.

An autograph party will be held for the authors from 6-8 tonight at the Coach House Inn. The event was moved to the motel because of a recent fire at the River Birch Mall.

And beginning at 9:30 tonight, writers will be invited to read from their works in an informal "coffeehouse" setting.