The Drive to Myrtle

On the drive to Myrtle Beach I looked forward to running on the beach. The SCWW conference started the next day and Athens to Myrtle is a six hour drive. It was late afternoon, ebbing high tide when I was ready to run, but warm, especially for mid-October. There wasn't much beach above the high tide before the tiny dunes started. Many people were out enjoying the beach.

I loved the conference, despite the hotel. The hotel is being renovated. Sandra and Frances, the conference co-chairs, did a wonderful job at keeping the event running smoothly. For more on the conference, Joshilyn Jackson blogged her ramblings here http://www.joshilynjackson.com/mt/archives/000374.html.

I taught a session on "How to Use the Web to Promote Your Book" Saturday morning. It was well attended and we covered why to, how to and what to, regarding websites, blogs, strategies and effectiveness. I kept it informal and solicited topics from the audience before I began. Then I covered what they wanted, but organized, I hope, so it made sense, as a whole.

Being at a beach front hotel was a treat and sets this conference apart from many others. Few can offer the ocean at your doorstep.

Speaking of great places, I will be sponsoring and attending the San Francisco Writers Conference. The date is February 17 - 19, 2006 and more can be found http://www.sfwriters.org.  Obviously SF is wonderful, but to ‘top’ that, the conference will be at the Mark Hopkins Hotel on Nob Hill. The Mark is one of the grand dame hotels in the city and one of my favorite hotels anywhere. On the top floor is the famous Top of the Mark http://www.bestofsanfrancisco.net/topofthemark.htm.