This Labor Day weekend, Spellbinders Conferences & Retreats for Book, Television and Film Writers will be in Honolulu! It’s a three day conference, followed by an optional week long writer’s retreat, with over thirty authors, agents and editors visiting from across the nation. Plus, local authors like Kaui Hemmings and Bear Woznick.

The conference features celebrity guest John Travolta. Program highlights include popular sessions such as a “pitchapalooza” and a “scriptapalooza” in addition to your standard writer conference fare (see here for a schedule of sessions). The three day conference is $895 including all meals. If you’ve got the cash for this event then I say go for it! It’ll be an amazing experience and a great opportunity… you might even be able to write-off the cost anyway, but don’t quote me on that.

Here’s the great thing about Spellbinders, if you can’t make it to the conference or the retreat because you’re a struggling artist like me, then they also offer the Convention portion ala-carte at a separate lower price. The Convention is open to the public and lasts for two days Friday 8/31 and Saturday 9/1 from 8am to 8pm in one of the ballrooms at the Hilton Hawaiian in Waikiki. There will be hundreds of local vendors, national and local publishers like Island Paradise Publishing selling books, national and local authors like Stuart Coleman signing books, and special guest speakers from all aspects of writing and media. This still gives you a chance to mingle with some great names in the biz, meet some favorite authors and speak with other creative people without losing your paycheck. Especially since  Hawaii residents get half-off the entrance fee providing identification. You can buy a one-day pass or a two-day pass, see here for pricing.  Hint: it’s even cheaper if you register ahead of time instead of at the door ($12.50 for an adult one day pass at the door with resident discount, $10.50 for an adult one day pass with resident discount if you register on the website).

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