Save the Date for the 2017 Steel Pen Creative Writers' Conference

Mark your calendar for October 28, 2017 to attend the next Steel Pen Creative Writers’ Conference. We have a new venue this year, so join us at the conference center at Fair Oaks Farms just off I-65 near Rensselaer, Indiana.

Why the new venue? The Radisson Star Plaza in Merrillville, Indiana was perfect for the last two years, but it is being torn down. Unfortunately, by the time we found out that we needed a new venue and had a chance to look for a replacement, all the suitable venues in Lake and Porter Counties were already booked. While that is a disappointment, it is also an opportunity to attract participants from the Lafayette and Indianapolis areas.

The conference facilities at Fair Oaks Farms provide a comfortable setting for this year’s conference. They are in the same building as the public restaurant, which means that Steel Pen participants and IWC members who consign their books to the bookstore will have the benefit of a larger purchasing audience.

We are pleased to announce that Catherine Lanigan will present the keynote speech during lunch. She is the bestselling author of nearly forty published fiction and non-fiction titles, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile. She will also present a workshop and sign copies of her books.

The conference schedule will be similar to last year, with educational opportunities for creative writers at all stages in their careers. The Committee is also working on attracting editors and agents to participate in a panel and meet with participants one-on-one. The day will end with a cocktail hour for networking, after which participants can make their own dinner arrangements with friends and colleagues.

Potential presenters should be on the lookout for the request for proposals. If you don’t receive anything by the middle of February, you can contact us at steelpenconference@gmail.com. Use the same e-mail address for any other questions about the conference.

Additional information will be posted at www.inwriters.org/steel-pen-conference as it becomes available.

So don’t forget to mark your calendars for Saturday, October 28, 2017.

We hope to see you there.