January 2014: San Diego Event to Welcome Mil-Writers

Organizers have announced a 3-day military writers' conference that will take place Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, 2014 at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego, Calif. The "Pen and Sword" event involves at least one of the organizers of last year's successful "Sangria Summit" military-writing event in Denver, Colo.

According to on-line promotional materials, the San Diego event is targeted toward "military personnel, veterans, military spouses, and other serious writers interested in finding inspiration and completing their techno-thriller, period piece, biography, fiction, and nonfiction. [...] The weekend will be packed with informative break-out sessions, motivational speakers, and networking opportunities. This conference will focus on one thing–completing the mission of becoming a professional writer."

Speakers currently scheduled include:

• Science-fiction author David Brin
• Fantasy and adventure author James Rollins
• Smashwords e-publisher founder Mark Coker
• Journalist and author Kelly Kennedy
• Broadcast journalist Alex Quade

Instructors currently scheduled include Ron Capps, Jerri Bell, and Dario DiBattista of the Veterans Writing Project, Washington, D.C.

Until Dec. 31, early bird registration is $399. Regular conference fee is $499. One-day registrations are $350 each. A conference registration page is here. Attendance is limited to 200 participants.

The conference fee includes lunches and cocktail events, but does not include lodging at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego. Hotel conference rates are available at $129 nightly for single- or double-occupancy.

Editor's note: While the 2012 Sangria Summit organizers at one time sponsored the Red Bull Rising blog's coverage of military-writing topics, there is no current business relationship between the 2014 Pen and Sword event and this blog.