Writers Conference in Bedford Friday and Saturday

Darrell Laurent

Janeson Keeley

The fifth annual Sedalia Writers' Conference will be held April 29-30, featuring writers Darrel Laurent, Janeson Keeley, me, and Lisa Tracy, as well as literary agent Dawn Dowdle. The event is co-sponsored by The Writers' Bridge, a national freelance writer's marketing and coaching organization, based in Lynchburg and founded by newsman Darrel Laurent.

The conference will begin with a wine and cheese reception on Friday, April 29, 7-9 p.m. The program will take place Saturday 9 am.-4 p.m. The cost of the conference is $25. Register by e-mailing or calling writersbridge@hotmail.com; 434-525-4811 or 434-385-5544. Here are directions to the center.

Participants will have the opportunity to meet with Dowdle at short sessions Saturday. Writers attending the conference may choose to submit in advance (by mail or email) a small writing sample. For $5, the sample will be critiqued and returned at the conference. Writers must submit samples by April 1, in order to take advantage of this opportunity.

Janeson Keeley is the owner of JTKWeb in Roanoke, where she specializes in Web site development, search engine optimization, and social media consulting and implementation. She is also an award-winning colunnist for Valley Business FRONT and the founder of TweetVA, "Virginia's Twitter Directory." Janeson and I will teach “Promoting Your Self-Published Work.”

Lisa Tracy is a journalist and author of a number of books, including Objects of Our Affection, Muddy Waters: The Legacy of Katrina and Rita, and The Gradual Vegetarian. She has served as Home and Design Editor and Sunday Magazine Managing Editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer and worked in press relations for the ABC TV. She has been an actress and stage technician. She has taught composition, creative nonfiction, literature and history

Darrell Laurant has been a journalist for three decades and a freelance writer for almost that long. The local columnist for The News & Advance in Lynchburg, he has also written more than 200 magazine and Website articles and is the founder and director of The Writers' Bridge, an international freelance writers' organization.

SEDALIA WRITERS' CONFERNCE SCHEDULE:

Friday, April 29:
Reception with conference attendees and some of the presenters, at the Sedalia Center, 7-9.

Saturday, April 30:

8:30-9:30: Coffee, doughnuts, etc.

9:30-10:30: Literary agent Dawn Dowdle discusses her job. She will talk with students during the day.

10:30-11:30: Lisa Tracy will discuss memoir and non-fiction writing.

11:30-12:30: Darrell Laurant will talk about surviving as a freelance writer.

12:30-2:30: Lunch, time with Dawn Dowdle.

2:30-3:30: Dan Smith and Janeson Keely will give a presentation on "Promoting Your Self-Published Book Online."

3:30-4:30. Closing panel discussion.