I spent the first week in July at ThrillerFest, the major conference run by ITW (International Thriller Writers). As someone who spends a big chunk of each year at various conferences, I’m not supposed to play favorites, but come on we all have favorites, and it’s not like I’m choosing from among my children. So OK, I’ll admit it: of all the genre events I’ve attended over the years, ThrillerFest is by far the one I most enjoy.
Full Disclosure: I got a press ticket to this event, but that has in no way influenced my opinion. I get press tickets to stuff all the time, and frankly if an event is not amazing I don’t write about it and I definitely don’t go back in subsequent years. The fact that I’ve been going to ThrillerFest year after year only goes to show how much I genuinely love this conference. OK, so now that we’ve cleared that up, here’s my Ode to ThrillerFest.
ThrillerFest, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways…
1) Top-Notch Instruction
CraftFest is probably my favorite part of the whole conference. While the ThrillerFest portion is a lot of fun, nothing beats the day-and-a-half of hard-core writing classes. After all, where else can writers find classes taught great thriller authors like David Morrell, Charlaine Harris, and Steve Berry all in the same place? What amazes me about this conference is not just the quality of the instructors (the line-up is a veritable who’s-who of the thriller writing world), but also the level of depth covered in the talks themselves. By Wednesday afternoon I felt like I had stuffed my brain to the point of exploding with all the newfound writing knowledge, and that was just Day 1!
2) No “Us vs. Them” Nonsense
I go to a lot of conferences and one thing that often irks me at many events is the cliquishness among the speakers and veteran attendees. Not so at ThrillerFest. Of course, there are writers who have been going to this conference for the past decade so they know each other well, but there isn’t that “us versus them” attitude that you spot at most other conferences.
Right away, you notice a different vibe at ThrillerFest. For instance, there’s no “speaker” label on any badges. Whether you’re going to the conference for the first time, or you’re speaking for the tenth year running, the badge says the same thing: your name. That’s it.
What I love about this is that it puts all the writers at the same level. They’re colleagues getting together for a week of learning and fun. There’s none of that hierarchy or exclusivity nonsense. All the writers—including some really big-name folks—are approachable and friendly. This egalitarian vibe makes ThrillerFest the kind of event I love to be a part of.
Even the Awards Banquet is laid back and relaxed. (In the hands of movie celebs or politicians an event like this could easily spin out of proportion and turn into a “look how cool I am” self-love fest. Not so here.) Instead, the speeches are short, sweet, and sincere. The recipients are normal human beings who just happened to win a cool prize for writing something awesome. And it’s truly inspiring to see writers honoring members of their community for doing great work. There’s a collegial energy in the room, a collective desire to celebrate exceptional books and writing.
3) Awesome Author Interviews
One of my favorite parts of the ThrillerFest days is the series of spotlight interviews. This year, the interviews included: Charlaine Harris (interviewed by Karin Slaughter), Greg Iles (interviewed by Dan Conaway), Mark Billingham (interviewed by Lee Child), and the 2015 Thriller Master, Nelson DeMille (interviewed by David Morrell).
More casual than the panels and less structured than the CraftFest talks these interviews are like being a fly on the wall, listening to two great thriller authors (or an author-agent pair) talk about life, the universe, and writing. What I love most about these interviews is how honest and open the authors are, sharing many insights into their lives and process. Not to mention the entertainment factor—there have been moments during some of these interviews that I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my chair.
4) Different Tracks for Different Writers
The days at CraftFest and ThrillerFest are jam-packed with sessions in four different tracks. This means that no matter what, you’ll always find a talk or panel that will interest you. Several times throughout the week I found myself torn between which session to attend. (Don’t worry, they have recordings that you can purchase.)
I also love that there are no long, boring speeches. During CraftFest you get intensive nuts-and-bolts classes focused on specific areas of craft or publishing. During ThrillerFest, the sessions alternate between those amazing interviews (see #3) and multiple tracks with panels on various topics. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned veteran, you’ll always find a session that suits you.
5) Meeting Friends, Old and New
By far my favorite part of ThrillerFest is connecting with awesome people. When it comes to networking opportunities, this ThrillerFest never disappoints. During this and past events, I’ve met and befriended many wonderful writers and I’ve had a chance to chat with amazing authors whose work I long admired from afar. And, as always, ThrillerFest is a great opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and mentors I haven’t seen in a long time.
All in all, ThrillerFest is a fantastic conference and if you write anything in the Thriller/Suspense/Mystery/Horror genres, this is an event well worth considering for 2016. Watch the ThrillerFest website because they’ll likely start posting info about next year’s event soon.
I don’t know about you, but I know where I’ll be come July 2016.
