Posts by San Francisco Writers Conference

Let’s look at two ways: #1 Dialogue: Perhaps the single most important part of any story, yet in my editing practice, often the weakest, and with tons of unnecessary words. Remedies are easy. Tips to keep in mind: I. Dialogue is NOT the same thing as real conversation. It’s a made thing. So cut words like Yeah,…

By Mary Rakow, Ph.D. From the first moment in workshop with Jack Grapes then Kate Braverman, I knew I’dfound my tribe. We learned how to write and to critique. Mostly, we learned how to listen.And a bond of unshakable trust was born. We published, received literary awards, a Pulitzer nomination, an Oprah Pick, a Lannan,…

The San Francisco Writers Conference desperately needsyour help to survive It’s no secret funding for the arts has been in crisis lately. Due to differenteconomic and political factors, non-profits across the USA arestruggling–including the San Francisco Writers Conference. The SFWC has been a beacon of hope for writers for 22 yearsThe San Francisco Writers Conference…

Why Creative Sovereignty Matters More authors than ever are exploring independent publishing. They want control. They want faster timelines. They want ownership. They want to be treated as creators, not products. But as the word “indie” has grown more popular, it has also grown more confusing. Not every company that calls itself “independent” actually is.…

By Nina Amir, author of Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positiveand Meaningful Difference with Your Words Writers’ conferences might represent the most underutilized resource available to writers. Yet,attending a conference can transform you from an aspiring to a published author. Not all conferences are created equal, nor are all writing…

I attended the San Francisco Writers Conference for the first time in February of 2025. Not knowing what to expect, I signed up for a concierge appointment with Nina Amir. Since I was specifically there to pitch my memoir to publishers, Nina encouraged me to research each publisher’s requirements and set up as many pitch…