We attended the International Thriller Writers’ Association ThrillerFest in New York City again this year (11 to 14 July 2012). ITW is designed to serve the full spectrum interest in thrillers, including avid fans, aspiring writers, bloggers, and world famous best selling authors.
The program is divided into three parts:
(i) CraftFest (intended to teach the craft of thriller writing);
(ii) AgentFest (intended to bring together agents or publisher editors in search of new clients or manuscripts); and
(iii) ThrillerFest (intended to address the current range of issues for thriller writers, including interviews with our famous members and presentation of awards at the Saturday night banquet.
(i) CraftFest (intended to teach the craft of thriller writing);
(ii) AgentFest (intended to bring together agents or publisher editors in search of new clients or manuscripts); and
(iii) ThrillerFest (intended to address the current range of issues for thriller writers, including interviews with our famous members and presentation of awards at the Saturday night banquet.
The ThrillerFest part of the program is, in essence, the trade association meeting for thriller and mystery writers. It is an extravaganza. Whether you are an experienced writer (like David Morrell, Steve Berry, or Sandra Brown), an aspiring writer (like me), or just a faithful fan, the experience of ThrillerFest is exhilarating. For many years, it has taken place at the Grand Hyatt in the center of New York City.
The program is composed of skill sessions, with the best writers in the business offering their thoughts on specific topics, ranging from, say, the use of erotica in a thriller to social media promotion. There were a series of interviews with justly famous writers, awards, banquets, and cocktail parties (never a shortage of alcohol to facilitate active discussions).
Your favorite writers are present to visit, sign books, or pose for pictures, as did Sandra Brown with my precious wife.
One of my favorite elements is the Saturday morning breakfast, where new authors are introduced to ITW. These authors have had books published by traditional publishers during the previous year. Each year, the table grows. There were about 20 this year, ranging from young people in their early 20s to old folks like me (age 66). I hope to be there one of these years.
The Saturday night banquet is the final act each year, with Thriller Master awards distributed, lots of books at every table, a joyful dinner, table conversation, and, as always, lots of wine.
If you enjoy the thriller world in any capacity, come visit in 2013.
Warms, Cym
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