Members of the Fresno City College Literature and Arts Society attended the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) Conference in downtown Los Angeles during the weekend of April 1.

The conference lasted four days and attracted more than 12,000 attendees and more than 2,000 presenters.

The conference included several panels composed of professional publishers, authors, publicists and MFA professors that educated peers and aspiring writers in ways to improve their writing, editing, poetry, and journalism. Attendees were given the choice of which panels and readings to attend. The conference held hundreds of panels, about 20 each hour, each lasting an hour and 15 minutes.

AWP is the largest literary conference in North America. This year was the first year it was held in California in 10 years. Attending the this coveted literary event has been a goal for LAS for a number of years according to Julio Trevino

Damiann Cardenas, president of the Literature and Arts Society at FCC, said that her favorite panel was “Thinking Like an Editor” because she would like to be an editor in the future.

“If you have interests,” Cardenas said, “it is very important to go to events like this. Pursue your interests, and hear other voices from people who share those interests. A community that does that will help you grow and flourish.”

Thomas Childress, an English major at FCC, a published author and member of LAS, attended the AWP Conference as well. He said he found people who were accepting submissions of literary journals and magazines. He would like to send in his own short stories for a chance to be published. He was also able to glean marketing strategies to use for his novel.

Childress’ published novel, titled “Mercy for the Fallen: Legacy of Hope,” takes place in a place called Edenia that was nearly demolished by a barbarian horde. A group called HOPE found a hidden robotic city and chased away the barbarians with technology. An assassin by the name of Kenji is seeking revenge and, in the process, meets four other individuals. The five of them are united by their shared hardships against the immorality that might destroy their world.

The author hopes his book will be the type of novel that even a person who does not greatly enjoy reading could take an interest in.

The conference had plenty of “writers trying to help other writers succeed,” Childress said. “It helped me grow more confident in my goals because I’m not alone in the literary community.”

The AWP experience brings club members and professors together as peers and friends with industry professionals. It helps build a solid foundation for them to support each other in their art.

Jeana Denae Coon, a LAS member and FCC student said, “[AWP] reminded me that although writing is a solitary occupation, I’m not alone in its struggles, qualms, and triumphs.”