I had the occasion to attend the annual conference of the Western Writers of America in St. Louis during the second week of June this year. For a writer, especially a struggling one like me, there is enormous value in attending a conference like this. You get to make connections with writers at all levels in their individual journeys. It also gives one the opportunity to learn more about the craft and to soak up knowledge from writers who have endured years of trials and successes.
I met a guy, for example, named William Yenne, who has published more than three dozen non-fiction books, as well as a dozen novels. Topics for his books have ranged from aircraft, beer, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Beatles, and military battles. Bill has developed relationships with a number of publishers for the different book formats and audiences.
Other authors I met at this event have significant academic credentials. One of them, John Nesbitt, is a Professor Emeritus at Eastern Wyoming College, and he has written a ton of Western novels. Another academic, Paul Hutton, served as professor of Western History in Wyoming for 48 years. Paul is also a member of the Western Writers Hall of Fame.
But some of the writers I met have published two or more books. Yet, they possessed all the ambition and dedication to their craft as any writer of any standing.
Being among these folks and learning their personal stories and the things that have motivated them to write books was exceptionally inspiring. When I learned about their travels, their lifestyles, and even their family stories, I could certainly see how they came to their writing journeys.
From this experience, I hope to read more from these authors and soak up as much as I can to see how far I can go.