Writers of all genres and skill levels wont want to miss the second annual writer’s conference this weekend at the Harris Arts Center 212 South Wall Street in Downtown Calhoun. The conference is $50 and does not include the price of meals. There are plenty of spots left, and you can register at the door or by calling the arts center at 706-629-2599. Attendees are encouraged to bring up to five pages of their own work, as several of the workshops will have opportunities for you to share your own writing.

Events kick off 7 p.m. Friday night at the Velo Vineyard with dinner with authors and a workshop, "What a Publisher Wants From You" with local publisher and author Tony Burton of Wolfmont Press.

The main event is Saturday, featuring Keynote Speaker and award winning author Jackie Lee Miles, author of "All that's True," "Cold Rock River," "Divorcing Dwayne," and "Roseflower Creek"

Registration/check-in Saturday is 8 a.m. – 9 a.m., during which time many of the Authors will be available for book signing and sales. Jackie Miles workshop, “Five Things that Make a Good Story Great,” begins at 9:15.

Attendees choose three (from six) workshops for the remainder of the event. 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM is “Recipes for Success; A complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks Food Blogs, Reviews & More,” with Calhoun’s own Aletia DuPree or “Writing Past Grief” with award winning author Jessica Handler. After lunch, anyone who is interested in publishing their work won’t want to miss the panel discussion (mediated by Wayne Minshew) from 1:30 PM - 2:00 PM “How the Face of Publishing Has Changed.” From 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM, choose “Writing and Publishing for Children & Young Adults with Donny Seagraves or “Writing Historical Fiction: Imaging the Facts” with Amanda Gable. The last two workshops of the day are 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM with “Polish; Making your Writing Shine” with author and Dalton State professor Barbara Tucker or “Stress-Free Marketing for Newly Published Authors” with Renea Winchester

The general public is invited to end-of-day activities at no charge. Join us at 5:45 for the final panel discussion “Living the Writer's Life,” followed by books signing & sales until 7:15. After the conference, all are welcome to meet for dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, where several of our authors will be joining us for good food and rousing conversation.. For more information call the arts center at 706-629-2599 or visit www.harrisartscenter.com