For those of us who love playing with words, going to the Santa Barbara Writers Conference can be an uplifting experience like no other. “One of the things that I love about doing the conference,” said director Grace Rachow, “is that it’s just a wholly good thing. In a world that’s kind of a little hard right now for everybody, and not everyone has the writing career they’re hoping for … but the conference is hope and it’s connection, genuine connection with people. Instead of fighting with people, you’re connecting and agreeing. It’s like, yeah, let’s do this. This is good.”
She smiles. Rachow and I have done interviews about the Writers Conference many times, and community is definitely one of the themes that emerges year after year. “A lot of times people find family or their circle of friends. It’s like writing is too weird, and being around other people who are doing that, and then care about where should I start this scene? … It’s finding your tribe.”
As longtime workshop leader Matthew Pallamary put it, according to Rachow, “Do you sometimes talk to yourself and write it down? Come to the Writers Conference. Your family awaits.”