Writers Flood Provo Marriott

Many tweets went out last month from writers traveling to Utah for "Life, the Universe, and Everything" (LTUE), an annual writing symposium held in Provo. This year, thousands of writers flooded the Provo Marriott Hotel. & Conference Center for what has proven to be an inspiring weekend of discussion for writers year after year.

What makes LTUE so amazing?

From panel discussions on topics like worldbuilding and overcoming writer's block, to keynote addresses by renowned authors like Brett Helquist, the opportunity to meet and pitch to editors and agents, and or joining a kaffeeklatch with famous authors like Brandon Sanderson, LTUE is filled with the types of opportunities writers dream of.

Plus, the value attendees get out of the experience goes far beyond opportunities like this. Panel discussions are often on a specific topic, such as "Settings with Consequences" and "Irish Mythology." These discussions and presentations give writers the chance to learn something very specific to their current work-in-progress, and many writers find this experience inspiring.

This year was no exception. One Twitter user posted, "In the afterglow of #LTUE, I have joined a writing critique group."

This sentiment was shared among many attendees.

Editor Jennie Stevens said, "I had such an amazing time at LTUE... I love my Utah writing community!"

Is the symposium just for novelists?

No! LTUE is full of panels and activities for all sorts of people in the writing world, including poets, screenwriters, illustrators, and game script writers.

Several of this year's sessions included drawing instruction, Photoshop hacks, game writing tutorials, and marketing strategy discussions.

Whether you're an aspiring novelist, self-published or traditionally published, or an artist, you'll find your people at this conference.

Fill me in. Who was there?

Guests of Honor included Kelly Barnhill, author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon, and famous illustrator, Brett Helquist, who drew artwork for A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Other guest speakers included Brandon Sanderson, author of Mistborn, M. Todd Gallowglas, author of The Stopwatch Stories, and award-winning author/ illustrator of Blink, Brian C. Hailes.

Many more acclaimed artists, editors, and writers presented at the conference. And aspiring writers and artists from all over the U.S. went home full of inspiration and intrigue.