By Elissa Andre

It’s never too late to explore your passions; whether you have always dreamed of becoming a writer or have many years of experience under your belt, Johnson County Library’s Writers Conference is a wonderful resource to explore the topic and connect with others who share your interest.

Now in its ninth year, the Writers Conference is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15 at Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park. Normally a multi-day event, the conference is shifting this year to focus on a single day of deep learning as well as encompass other writing events happening that weekend in the metro area.

Johnson County Library and Olathe Public Library will host a Writer’s Social on Nov. 14 at the Olathe Downtown Library, 260 E. Santa Fe. A local author fair by Mid-Continent Public Library will take place on Nov . 16 at Woodneath Library Story Center, 8900 NE Flintlock Road, Kansas City, Mo.

This year’s conference will also offer several pre-conference lectures available on youtube.com/jocolibrary via Library OnDemand. Watch online for inspiration, then bring your drafts, plans and questions to the conference ready to workshop.

Feedback from past years’ events influenced the theme of this year ’s conference: community building. Expect to find intimate book discussion groups and opportunities to workshop personal writing in small groups. Typically drawing several hundred attendees of all ages, this year ’s conference features something for everyone – from poetry sharing, to writing book reviews, navigating social media and even writing without thinking.

This year’s conference texts that will be referenced throughout the event are “Save the Cat Writes a Novel” by Jessica Brody and “Wired for Story” by Lisa Cron, both available for checkout at the Library. All attendees will receive a free conference notebook.

To register or get more information about the conference, visit jocolibrary.org/writersconference or call 913-826-4600.

Elissa Andre is marketing and communications manager at Johnson County Library.