Are you writing for publication?

There are several: Writers Market (sometimes has a section on them), Writers Market Guide to Conferences (I think they do one), Google search, Shaw Guide to Conferences, ad infinitum (ad nauseum!)

If you're completely at sea, I'd start with a Google search like "writer conference yourcity yourstate", which should get about a bazillion hits. Then do "search within" until you find a site which lists conferences by some criteria (month, exact city, phase of the moon, whatever). It may be time consuming for this first search, but keep with it.

ALSO:

Go to the bookstore, find anthologies of (roughly) the kind of work you do, look in the back of the book. For instance, mystery anthologies frequently reference Malice Domestic, an annual conference attended by some of my favorite authors.

You could also ask English/Lit dept heads at local colleges/universities. They know where they've gone/are going!

If you belong to any writing guilds/associations, they'll maintain a listing.

I also know there a couple of web sites listing rip-offs, too, so check those out (don't recall names offhand). About.com is a good place to start, too, see the Freelance writers section there, they're a bunch of really nice people. Go ahead and sign up to enter the forums, I've been there a couple of years, and they haven't sold my name to anybody yet.

One final item, write a SHORT, POLITE note to a couple of your favorite authors: Dear Whosits, I love your work. I just loved your (insert name of recent work), you are my favorite author. I hope to be published one day soon. Do you recommend any writers conferences for (type of stuff they/you write)? Thank you very much for your valuable time reading this letter, I'd appreciate any help you could give me, can't wait to see your next book/short story/diatribe. Sincerely, Really Truly Wannabe Just Like You. (Don't ask a mystery writer about hard-core porn unless you know they write both!)

Most writers love to get SHORT notes from fans, I think long letters make most of them nervous, because you might have included a manuscript. Type the note like a MS, hand-sign over your typed signature, be sure to put correct postage, if you don't have a "real" address, send it care of the publisher of their latest work.

Chris

Chriswriter
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"It is never too late to be what you might have been."George Eliot

"I like not only to be loved, but to be told that I am loved, for the realm of darkness is great beyond the grave." George Eliot

"Maturity is overrated." Garfield

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