Dear San Francisco Writers Conference family:

We’re writers. We’re artists. We create. Yet, at this pivotal point in time we find ourselves adrift. Angry. Out of control. And it affects our writing. But it doesn’t have to affect it in a negative way. What about if we take this unusual time…this strange, horrible exile of sorts…and apply the feelings, the lessons, the everyday moments of kindness or brilliance, to our settings, our characters, our plots and use it to enhance our writing?

Starting today the San Francisco Writers Conference is starting a new blog topic called MOTIVATION MONDAY. We’ll have weekly posts from editors and agents, writers and publishing professionals. Maybe you have something to say that will inspire and assist other writers. We’d like to throw a wide net and let everyone contribute.

There aren’t a lot of rules. The blog post you submit for consideration should be about using this pandemic (or any chaotic emergency or disaster) to enhance your writing. That’s it. I’ll take a look at all the submissions and post to this blog every Monday until either the pandemic passes or we run out of material. We have over 5,000 writers on this mailing list, so I doubt we’ll run out of words of wisdom.

To kick things off, SFWC stalwart, indie editor Mary Rakow, has written the premiere post: Writing in the Time of Covid. I hope it helps you use your intense emotions and experiences to take your writing to a higher level.

Thank you for being part of this wonderful community!

Laurie McLean

Director

San Francisco Writers Conference