Minneapolis Writing Conference Expected to Bring in 11,000

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — More than 11,000 are expected in Minneapolis this week for a writing conference.

The Meet Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association estimates the writers, editors, agents, publishers, professors, students and others in town for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs will bring in $28 million to the local economy for the 3½-day event.

It's attracting some of modern literature's brightest stars, including Stuart Dybek, Francine Prose, Joshua Ferris, Louise Erdrich, Jane Smiley, Dani Shapiro and Charles Baxter.

Conference sessions include panels on how writers can navigate social media, how to write and publish while working full time and how to write long-form narrative for the web.

The conference starts Wednesday at the Minneapolis Convention Center.