“We want to help each other.” These were the words of Santa Barbara Writers Conference (SBWC) Director Grace Rachow during the opening orientation, and I could not have found them to be truer.
First, some context. Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m a copy editor here at the Independent, but before that, I wanted to be an author, even earning a master’s degree in creative writing and writing the first draft of a fantasy novel. While I’ve had some collaborative experience in the writing world, it has always been in an academic setting. As it turns out, finding like-minded people who are as enthusiastic about storytelling as I am in the real world is trickier than one might imagine. Thankfully, the Independent came to my rescue.
A few weeks ago, Leslie Dinaberg wrote a wonderful preview on the SBWC, highlighting the conference’s impressive 50-year history. Like many of you (probably), it was the first I’d ever heard of it, and my interest was immediately piqued. And so, I made plans to attend my very first SBWC, courtesy of the conference’s generosity.
