Canyon Crest Academy’s Creative Writing Club announces 12th Annual CCA Writers’ Conference keynote speaker

Canyon Crest Academy’s Creative Writing Club recently announced that bestselling author Matt Coyle will be the keynote speaker for the 12th Annual CCA Writers’ Conference. It will be held in person on Saturday, March 11, from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., and the online conference will be held on March 18. Registration begins at the end of January. This event is the only free writing conference for high school students in the country, according to a news release.

Bestselling author and keynote speaker Matt Coyle

(Andrew Abouna)

Coyle is the author of the bestselling Rick Cahill crime series. He knew he wanted to be a crime writer at the age of 13 when his father gave him “The Simple Art of Murder” by Raymond Chandler. His books have won the Anthony, Shamus, Lefty, Authors on the Air Book of the Year, Ben Franklin Silver, Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Silver, and San Diego Book Awards, as well as been nominated for many others, including the Barry Award. He was named the Mystery Writer of the Year for 2021 by the San Diego Writers Festival. “Doomed Legacy” is the ninth book in the Rick Cahill series.

Coyle said, “It’s an honor to be a part of the 12th annual CCA Writer’s Conference! I hope these young writers can be inspired by my long journey to publication and have shorter ones of their own.”

The co-presidents of the Canyon Crest Academy Creative Writing Club are excited for this year’s event. Emma Morin said in the news release, “I am so excited to be hosting the 12th annual conference! The first time I went to the conference I was amazed that there was a place where authors could teach students together and for free! I am incredibly grateful that I am now a part of this amazing opportunity and can’t wait to see the conference in action once again.”

Benjamin Sartwell said in the news release, “I’m excited to be a part of this year’s conference because I get to learn from authors whose works I have personally enjoyed reading. I am also excited to learn how to improve my own writing from their workshops.”

Sameer Whittle noted in the news release, “We’ve worked hard to get this conference running. It’s so amazing that we can offer this kind of thing to everyone! I can’t wait for the day!”

The CCA Writers’ Conference was started in 2012 by a student who attended the SDSU Writers Conference and wanted to bring the same inspirational and educational workshops to her peers. It has become an important institution in the San Diego area, regularly welcoming over 200 students from up to 40 high schools.

In order to continue to provide this free experience to high school students, the CCA Creative Writing Club is looking for individual and corporate sponsors. Individuals can “Sponsor a Student” for as little as $25, or become a Gold Sponsor for more. Sponsors can email ccawritersconference@gmail.com for more information on how to contribute.

Students interested in the conference should follow @ccawritersconf on Twitter, @ccacreativewriting on Instagram, or CCA Writers Conference on Facebook.

The conference will take place in the Educational Center, Canyon Crest Academy, 5951 Village Center Loop Road, San Diego, CA 92130. Registration is required.