WCCW CONFERENCE 2025
The 30th Annual White County Creative Writers Conference is coming soon! Here are the details.
CLICK HERE TO PRINT A REGISTRATION FORM.
DATE / TIME:
Saturday June 14, 2025. 8:30 a.m – 4:00(ish) p.m.
LOCATION:
White County Extension Service Building, 2400 Landing Road, Searcy, AR.
SCHEDULE:
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. There will be two morning sessions and three afternoon sessions. (The final session is a group read-around.) The conference will conclude around 4:00 in the afternoon. (See schedule below.)
LUNCH is included, catered by Daisy’s Lunch Box.
CONTEST WINNERS:
The winners of WCCW 2025 Contests will be announced.
FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Information about our featured speakers is found below.
CONFERENCE SESSIONS:
Here is a description of each session.
REGISTRATION:
The cost to register for this event is still only $35.
BOOK / PRODUCT TABLE:
Tables can be rented for an additional $10. (Details here.)
DEADLINE:
Registration deadline is May 31, 2025. (Walk-ins are welcome to pay at the door, but lunch is not guaranteed.)
CLICK HERE TO PRINT A REGISTRATION FORM.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Here’s our planned schedule for the day. Times may vary slightly.
8:00 — Registration begins.
8:30 – 8:45
Opening Remarks & Announcements
8:45 – 9:30
SESSION: Writing the Short Story | J.C. Fields
9:30 – 9:45 — Break
9:45 – 10:45
SESSION: They Lie, You Smile: Interview and Interrogation Techniques That Work in the Real World | David Williams
10:45 – 11:00 — Break
11:00 – 11:30
HALL OF FAME PRESENTATION FOR J.B. HOGAN
11:30 – 1:00 — Lunch / Awards
1:00 – 2:15
SESSION: Drop the Pen! What Every Writer Should Know About Real Police Work | David Williams
2:15 – 2:30 — Break
2:30 – 3.15
SESSION: The Essence of a Thriller Novel | J.C. Fields
3:15 – 3:30 — Break
3:30 – 4:00(ish)
GROUP READ AROUND
FEATURED SPEAKERS 2025
J.C. Fields
J.C. Fields, a multi-award-winning and Amazon best-selling author, has received numerous gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Reader’s Favorite International Book Awards for many of his thirteen published novels. His short stories have also gained recognition, being featured over the past several years on the YouTube Podcast Fear From the Heartland, part of the Chilling Tales for Dark Night network.
After spending nine years as an independent author, Fields secured a publishing contract with Vinci Books, a renowned publisher offering the best of both self-publishing and traditional publishing for independent authors. His dedication to helping emerging writers experience the joy of seeing their first book in print is evident through his involvement in various local writing groups and his service on the boards of the Between the Pages Writers Conference and the Ozarks Creative Writers Conference.
One of his novels is currently under consideration by Wind Dancer Films for a potential TV or movie adaptation. Fields resides in Southwest Missouri with his wife, Connie. His website is jcfieldsbooks.com.
David Lane Williams
David “D.L.” Williams is a public safety veteran with assignments including paramedicine, patrol in high-need areas, helicopter rescue, mental health liaison, and violent crime investigations as a detective.
During his thirty-year career, Williams was twice named Officer of the Year by the Fraternal Order of Police, and he has been recognized by Rotary Club, the American Legion, and the National Coalition Against Sexual Violence for his work with families and children in crisis.
Williams is a monthly columnist with Killer Nashville Magazine. He teaches criminology at the University of Arkansas, and he is the bestselling author of Fighting for Her Life: What to do When Someone You Know is Being Abused and Textbooks, Not Targets: How to Prevent School Shootings in Your Community. He and his family have settled in the Ozark Mountains where they offer a haven for donkeys and horses who previously endured a rough life.
You can find him at davidlanewilliams.com.
FEATURED CONFERENCE SESSIONS
Drop the Pen! What Every Writer Should Know About Real Police Work
It doesn’t take experience in actual police work to recognize when the action, dialogue, or characterization in a book passage or film scene is just plain goofy, not to mention unconstitutional, dangerous, and boneheaded. Here’s a behind-the-curtain look at real policing from the perspective of a thirty-year public safety veteran who works with creative writers, journalists, and film producers as they craft authentic, engaging stories.
This session is designed for writers of police procedurals, mysteries and thrillers, historical fiction, comedy, non-fiction, and everything from middle-grade rom-coms to noir. Topics covered in this broad-strokes presentation include securing and managing homicide scenes, search warrants, interview/interrogation, a bit of CSI, and why it is never a good idea to duck under yellow crime scene tape. Led by David Lane Williams.
They Lie, You Smile: Interview and Interrogation Techniques That Work in the Real World
This session is designed to take a deeper dive for writers interested in real police work by concentrating on effective interview and interrogation approaches used with real-life criminal suspects by professional investigators. Flawed, ridiculous, and unconstitutional methods get exposed, while best practices shine through using examples from actual cases. Led by David Lane Williams.
Writing the Short Story
This session will explore the different types of short stories, how word limits help you improve your prose, techniques to make your readers crave your short stories, and finding markets for your short story. Led by J.C. Fields.
The Essence of a Thriller Novel
This session will answer the question: What is a Thriller? We’ll examine the difference between writing mysteries and thrillers, who are you writing for, and how to create a thriller your readers can’t put down. Led by J.C. Fields.
