The 2026 Write Stuff conference featured Kristin Bair O’Keefe as the keynote, kicking off with a full day workshop Thursday and two half-day each sessions with Donna Galanti (middle-grade author) and publisher at Sunbury Press, Lawrence Knorr, on Friday.

Even though I am in my third consecutive term as president of the host organization Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. member of the conference committee, and the creator and organizer of our Friday night Genre Chats networking event, I could not afford to attend all three days. I was not the only one among the board and conference committee who had this problem.

My daughter had given me money for Christmas to get a hotel room at the venue, which proved a relaxing treat indeed (and one she enjoyed by taking a dip in the pool for an hour when she dropped me off).

Saturday registration includes Friday night activities: the Genre Chats networking event, our signature Page Cuts critique sessions where attendees can have their first pages anonymously critiqued by the conference presenters, and an evening social with an impressive spread of hummus, olives, vegetables, fruit and cheese (and a cash bar).

The Saturday sessions kicked off at 8:15 a.m. with three simultaneous presentations to cover different aspects of writing. This year topics ranged from creative-nonfiction to humor, characters to queries, and information on queries, genres and word counts. We offered individual appointments with a fiction agent, Ronald Gerber, who possessed a quick wit and knowledgeable demeanor, and nonfiction niche agent Kelly Bergh, who despite her relative youth had a comprehensive understanding of the industry and the ability to convey information in a relatable fashion.

After two morning sessions, we returned to the main ballroom for a lunch of salmon or filet mignon while Kristin presented a keynote celebrating the lifesaving powers of the maker-uppers. Gayle Hendricks attended the event as Parisian Phoenix author Larry Sceurman recently had a knee replaced and could not use his seat. She found the sessions on creative non-fiction relatable to both her life experience and her career as a graphic designer.

At the end of the day, we participated in the book fair, showing off our Parisian Phoenix titles.

It was also our first time using our new tablecloth, which looked very pink, in the best way possible. And our new friend and author Sheena Stimpfl stopped by with her daughter to present me with a special gift– a custom bookmark.

So, that’s some of the official notes… but a conference like that is also full of connecting with friends, finding renewed inspiration, and perhaps even finding oneself with a drink ticket or two and whiskey sours made by a bartender who wrote a nonfiction book about overcoming mental health issues and trauma.

It’s about learning more about people you’ve known for a long time… And sometimes you find a book about finding freedom from demonic possession on Friday the 13th in the stall in the ladies’ room.

I also had time to chat with Andy Laties, the owner of Book and Puppet Company. And I even found occasions where I was able to trade for books.

In the lobby over hotel breakfast– where I ate more fruits and vegetables than I have in a month– I chatted with other attendees enjoying a custom-made spinach omelet, but I never had the downtime I had hoped for to proofread my manuscript for Absolution now that Gayle had laid it out.