Archer Mayor, author of the popular Joe Gunther mysteries, is the keynote speaker for the opening celebration of Promoting the Professional Development of Writers, a conference presented by the League of Vermont Writers on August 10th and 11th at Champlain College in Burlington. The conference is designed to assist writers of all levels of expertise to hone their craft under the tutelage of published authors from many genres and book industry professionals. Activities include a welcoming reception, ice cream social and a brunch cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen III. The $225 fee includes overnight on-campus accommodations.

In addition to keynoting, Mayor (author of The Second Mouse and St. Albans Fire) will present a class on writing and plotting mysteries. Other workshops scheduled include "The Art of Nonfiction" with Tim Brookes (author of Guitar: A Life and The Driveway Diaries); "Creating Picture Books for Children" with Tracey Campbell Pearson (author of The Moon and Where Does Joe Go?); "Preparing Nonfiction Manuscripts for Publication" with editor Elaine Cissi of Storey Publications; and "The Business of Freelance Writing" with Linda Bland (founder of Cahoots Writing Services). Workshops about writing for young adults, writing for the web, book marketing, and contract negotiation will be offered as well.