"Critics treat the only real magic on earth as if it were done with wires." -- John Gardner

Easy Writers!Welcome to Your 2008 Willamette Writers Conference

This year's conference is geared to make writing and marketing our work easier for us all.

We are thrilled to offer you the largest and best writing conference in the Pacific Northwest. What the heck - the Best Writing Conference in the World! This is our 39th conference and in these last four decades (thanks to your continuous feedback on those yellow sheets) we have come a long way. We have been lucky enough to have our brilliant confer- ence committee from last year create our conference for us again this year. And (fingers crossed) we're even getting the computers to cough up their glitches and work properly.

This is a place to learn the writing craft, to commune with your writing fellows, and to find inspiration in examples and in speeches. And ultimately a chance to present your work to the writing market and get an agent, manager, producer, editor, or publishing deal.

We are offering many opportunities to socialize, attend inspiring and informative workshops and to meet those who may hold your career breakthrough in their hands.

Come ready to pitch, listen, learn, laugh and feel the joy of being a writer among writers. I can't imagine a better thing to be. So welcome Writers. This is your conference.

Rev up those engines, get yourselves in high gear and power on out to the Sheraton at PDX!

Cynthia Whitcomb
President, Willamette Writers



From Your Conference Committee

We chose the theme "Easy Writer" for this year's conference because we think this conference will be:

      Easy to register using our brilliant new Registration & Consult System, tested by armies of robots - and a few humans too.

     Easy to learn with a fabulous line-up of classes. Some are in larger spaces, some repeat, and all have their level and format listed.

     Easy to find a perfect match-up with someone to pitch to or join in a Group Session. And to help you find your perfect mate, we have listed what each consultant is looking for, how they run their group sessions, and what days they are available.

     Easy to get your consult schedule fixed when we open the Consult Desk Thursday evening for just that purpose.

     Easy to network with your peers at meals, breaks, and special events.

     So join us at the 39th annual Willamette Writers Conference, and get your writing motor runnin'. We're having fun and we hope you will too!

     Captain Conference and the Dream Team

     P. S. - As always, check the Willamette Writers Website at www.willamettewriters.com/wwc/3/ for updates.


Special thanks to all of our volunteers, Staff, Faculty and consultants!

The Conference Committee: Mary Andonian (Agents & Editors Coordinator), Ann Buenzli (Program Coordinator), Nancy Froeschle (Film Coordinator), Bill Johnson (Registration & Jack-of-All-Trades) and Salli Slaughter (Chair). Special Volunteers/Staff: Jackie Blain (Pitch Practice), Herbert Piekow (Consults), Mary Margaret Maitland, Linda Kuhlman, Joan MacBeth, Yolanda Howell (Silent Auction), Lizzy Shannon (Awards Banquet), and Nancy Hill (Volunteers) - and all of our members, volunteers and consultants who work so hard to make the conference a success.

Consultants: Brian Batson (Registration and Consult Program), Jerry Isom (Accounting), Stefan Feuerherdt (Travel), Corey Stixrud (Consults), and Gigi Rosenburg and her cast of actors (Writers & Actors Lab).

In-Kind Donations for Conference: Trader Joe's, Linda Kaplan, Sokol Blosser Winery (check our Website--this list is growing!).

The WW Board of Directors: Shirley Barker, Val Bruech, Marilyn Ebbs, Leona Grieve, Joni Heyman, Nancy Hill, Jerry Isom, JoJo Jenson, Sue Lick, Patricia MacAodha, Mary Margaret Maitland, Jan Paeth, Lori Patch, Herbert Piekow, Lizzy Shannon, Salli Slaughter, Cynthia Whitcomb, and Office Manager, Bill Johnson.

Sheraton Staff: Carol Killam, Bruce Janzen, Chef Barry, and brothers Ozzie and Dwayne and all the staff whose names we don't know.