SD24 award recipients

While there were so many fresh new voices and such quality material deserving of a shout out at this past weekend’s conference, alas, there must be only a selected few SCWC*San Diego 24 Award Recipients…

OUTSTANDING FICTION: Barbara Gardner from Clarkdale, MS for “Westside Blues”

OUTSTANDING FICTION: Alyssa Kirk from Lebec, CA… for “Demonic Intentions”

OUTSTANDING FICTION: Larry Markworth from Ventura, CA for “Loss of Face”

OUTSTANDING TOPIC: Elizabeth Mondok from Lancaster, CA for “Why the Owl Asks Who”

OUTSTANDING TOPIC: Melissa Fischer from Venice, CA for “Why, Rick?”

Congratulations all!

–msg

SCWC*LA(ish) 7 award winners

Only one week ago today we wrapped another great conference in, of all places, Irvine (our third great time there). I can’t remember the last time we had so many terrific new writers at a single SCWC. Not only talented, but creepily well-behaved to book. Here’s who won awards…

• OUTSTANDING FICTION: Lori Hartman Gervasi
from Rancho Cucamonga, CA for Untitled

• OUTSTANDING FICTION: G.M. Lawrence
from Dallas, TX for The Q Awakening

• OUTSTANDING FICTION: Alwyn Martin Pinnow
from York, PA for Untitled

• OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY: Jeff Michaels & Jill Q. Weiss
from Huntington Beach, CA for A Father’s Love

• TOPIC: Paul Durant
from Long Beach, CA for Shoe: A Memoir

• TOPIC: Walter Golden
from Placentia, CA for Untitled

Pop on over to WritersConference.com to read the winning topic award stories.

–msg

SD23 award winners announced

With considerable competition in the mix, it wasn’t easy declaring who would be honored this time around, but after two nights of high-spirited debate — and by high-spirited, of course, I mean bourbon — a consensus was found among the authors, agents and editors attending. Here are the SCWC*SD 23 Award Recipients:

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Reina Lisa Menasche
from Spring Valley, CA for Every Holiday on Ice
• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Reina Lisa Menasche
from Spring Valley, CA for Silent Bird
• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Juliette Engel
from Moscow, Russia for Moscow Traffic
• OUTSTANDING TOPIC >> Gayle Carline
from Placentia, CA for Home to Roost
• OUTSTANDING POETRY >> Paul R. De Lancey
from Poway, CA for Regret

Congratulations to all, and to the so many other emerging writers who attended San Diego with work that never sucked as much as it could have. Check out the site for all the latest details.

–msg

San Diego 22 Awards

There’s plenty of cool coverage of this past weekend’s event, but what’s important right now is who won what. Those conferees honored for outstanding writing at SD22…

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Phyllis Brown
from Fresno, CA for The Gold Beaded Box

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Tameri Etherton
from Carlsbad, CA for The Temple of Ardyn

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Susan Ram
from San Diego, CA for Season of the Cicada

• OUTSTANDING FICTION >> Lynne Spreen
from Hemet, CA for Firefall

• TALES FROM THE FIRE >> Nicole Ward
from San Diego, CA for (Untitled)

• TOPIC >> Gale Carline
from Placentia, CA for EmMessGee and Wah (read here)

Congratulations to all of the writers working so hard and sleeping so little this year, and a big ol’ bear hug to our wonderful staff of authors, agents and editors who, as always, are so generous with their time, energy and information. An especially big ditto to the admin staff supporting Wes and I on the front line: Cricket Abbott, Chrissie Barnett, Edwin Decker, Simon Mayeski and Susan Ramsay. A shout-out to conferee Rick Ochaki, as well, but for no particular reason.

–msg