FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2004

CONTACT: Steve Dolan
(619) 594-5664
sdolan@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004 - The 20th annual San Diego State University Writers' Conference is packed with interesting sessions including topics on bioterrorism, Hollywood and romance.

Among the classes are:

• "Bombs, Bugs and Bad Guys - A Writer's Guide to Bioterrorism"
• "When Hollywood Calls You, Will You Be Ready?"
• "Romance: I Know It When I See It"

The SDSU Writers' Conference is one of the largest of its kind on the West Coast and is scheduled to take place Jan. 23-25 at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. The conference will include one-on-one consultations and hands-on editing assistance. Participants will learn ways to sharpen their writing skills and make connections with editors and agents of fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting and children's books.

The conference will offer participants workshops on fiction and nonfiction. Industry experts will be on hand to discuss how to produce screenplays from inception to finished product and how to attract the necessary attention to get them produced.

Top editors, agents, and industry professionals will be available to meet one-on-one to critique writing and offer specific advice about how to take a project forward. There will be many networking opportunities, including a no-host mixer and a networking lunch, to make connections with editors, agents and fellow writers.

Aspiring writers attend the conference in hope of making connections with publishers or even selling their book, such as Maria Ritter accomplished as a result of the 2003 SDSU Writers' Conference. She has since written a book containing the story of her family during and after World War II that will be released next month by the University Press of Mississippi.

Hazel Dixon Cooper also hit it big after attending the 2001 SDSU Writers' Conference. Cooper met with a publisher in her consultation appointment and ended up signing a six-figure book deal as a result.
Registration is now available. The fee to attend the conference is $340.

SDSU's College of Extended Studies offers a wide variety of lifelong learning classes, seminars, and certificate programs. Career advancement courses are offered in many areas of management, leadership, and quality improvement while self-enrichment courses range from astronomy to web design. Additionally, the College offers over 25 certificate programs, online courses, and many other learning opportunities. To register or for more information, call (619) 594-5152 or log on to www.NeverStopLearning.net.