Still time to register for writers conference

There is still time to register for “A Writer’s Journey,” the 23rd annual Flathead River Writers Conference.

The conference takes place Sept. 28 and 29 in Flathead Valley Community College’s Arts and Technology Building.

The conference features presentations by renowned speakers, including award-winning and best-selling authors of fiction and nonfiction and two literary agents. Genres represented include historical fiction, romantic comedy, thriller, mystery, freelance and travel writing. Topics include magazine writing, crafting query letters and synopses, memoirs, completing a first draft in one month, finishing a novel, manuscript submissions, using the software tool Scrivener and turning a novel into a play or screenplay.

Conference speakers include:

Keynote/fiction

• William Haywood Henderson is a novelist, writing coach and educator. A Stanford University Wallace Stegner Fellow in creative writing, with a master’s degree from Brown University, he has taught novel writing at Harvard, Brown, the University of Colorado, the University of Denver and the Lighthouse Writers’ Workshop. For more information, visit www.williamhaywoodhenderson.com.

Literary agents

• Agents include Elizabeth Kracht of Kimberley Cameron & Associates and Paige Wheeler, a Folio Literary Management founding Partner.

Kracht has experience as an acquisitions editor, freelance publicist, writer and newspaper copyeditor. She now represents literary and commercial fiction as well as nonfiction. Fiction interests include literary, commercial, women's, thrillers, mysteries and young adult. In nonfiction, she particularly loves voice — or adventure-driven memoirs. For more information, visit www.kimberleycameron.com.

Wheeler manages intellectual property rights of authors domestic and foreign. She also co-agents film and audio rights. Her broad fiction interests include contemporary, commercial, historical, women’s, romance, mystery, thrillers, inspirational/Christian and psychological suspense. Nonfiction interests include narrative and prescriptive, and authors with a large platform in women’s issues and lifestyle. For more information, visit foliolit.com/paige-wheeler/.

Craft and business experts

• Becky Lomax is a writer, photographer, naturalist and travel author, with a master’s degree in teaching writing from the University of Washington. Lomax has more than 300 stories in publications such as Smithsonian, Backpacker and Running Time. She writes for the Moon Series Handbooks, regional newspapers and is editor for  Onthesnow.com, covering western ski resort news. Her presentation topics include magazine writing, magazine queries and nonfiction stories; Lomax also provides editing services. For more information, visit www.beckylomax.com.

• Jim Satterfield, a prolific novelist in many genres, is a natural resource professional with a Ph.D. in fishery and wildlife biology. His first two books, “The River’s Song” and “Saving Laura,” were published within the past year. Satterfield was recipient of the 2011 Zola Award. His presentations include “How to Finish Writing Your Novel” and “Synopsis, Submission Packet Preparation.” For more information, visit www.jimsatterfield.com.

• Kathy Dunnehoff is a best-selling author and educator with  a master’s degree in creative writing. Her screenplays have placed in numerous competitions, and her best-selling romantic comedy collection continues to expand as she teaches writing courses at Flathead Valley Community College. Her conference presentation is “50,000 Words in 30 Days: How to Survive National Novel Writing Month.” For more information, visit   www.KathyDunnehoff.com.

• Gwen Hernandez’s broad interests in writing and teaching have come together with her expertise in Scrivener, the powerful efficient software for writers. Hernandez is the author of “Scrivener for Dummies”; she is also a romantic suspense writer and 2011 Golden Heart finalist. She shares her love of Scrivener with other writers through online classes and her book. Her presentations will be “Fitting It All In” and “Writing Your Way with Scrivener.” For more information, visit gwenhernandez.com.

• Lavonne Mueller is a renowned playwright and Woodrow Wilson Scholar. She is also the recipient of numerous awards and grants, including Fulbright, Guggenheim, Rockefeller, National Endowment for the Arts. She is the author of the textbook “Creative Writing” and the recent novel “The Patient Ecstasy of Fraulein Braun.” Mueller is meeting one on one with attendees desiring to explore turning their novel or short story into a play or screenplay. For more information, visit lavonnemueller.net.

The conference is limited to the first 100 paid registrants. The cost is $150 for both days; the single day fee is $85. Beverages and lunches are included.

Register and pay online or download a conference registration form at authorsoftheflathead.org.

For more information, visit the website or call 250-3948.