PSWA Conference Featured Speakers
We’re excited about the featured speakers joining us for the
2018 Conference! They’re speaking on a variety of public safety, writing craft,
and marketing topics. Register today
to hear these wonderful experts.
SWAT Concepts for the Patrol
Officer
Dave Freedland worked his way up through the ranks from
patrolman to deputy chief of the Irvine, California Police Department. Among
his many duties, Freedland was also a commander of the department’s SWAT Team,
which was among the most professional and best-trained teams in the nation.
They trained at Camp Pendleton with the US Navy SEALS and responded to numerous
call outs, all of which involved high risk, life-and-death situations. Dave
will present an overview of SWAT training along with highlights of some of the
missions he and his team handled. You’ve seen the TV show, now see the
real-life heroes in action.
Pursuit/Emergency
Response Driving–Getting it Right
John Schembra VP PSWA
Did you know that as many police officers die each year from
traffic accidents as they do from gunshots? The most dangerous thing emergency
responders and police officers do during their shift is driving. Most of the
time it is at normal speeds, but when high speed is necessary they often make
fatal mistakes So what’s it like to get behind the wheel of a squad car and get
involved in a high-speed pursuit? Retired Police Sergeant, Emergency Vehicle
Operations Course (EVOC) Instructor, subject matter expert in Police Driving
for the state of California, and mystery/thriller writer John Schembra will
take you through the paces of experiencing high-speed emergency response and
pursuit driving. You’ll never look at driving the same way again.
How to Go from Unknown to
Best-Seller
Mike Orenduff
Mike Orenduff, Best-Selling Author
At the 2009 meeting of the Public Safety Writers Association, an
unknown author named Mike Orenduff showed up bearing copies of a first novel
with the unlikely title of The Pot Thief Who Studied
Pythagoras. Ten years later, the 8th book in the Pot Thief series, The Pot Thief Who Studied
Edward Abbey, garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly
and sold over 10,000 copies before it even hit the streets. Orenduff has on 4
occasions been the number one best seller on the Amazon.com site, not only in
the in the mystery category, but on the entire site. Join us for Orenduff’s
presentation as he explains how a writer can go from unknown to best-seller.
It’s not only an entertaining story, but it could work for you!
Turning Real Life into Fiction: Use “the Dramatic Question” to Focus
Your Story
 |
| Mysti Berry |
How do you know which parts of your real-life experience to put
on the page, and which bits to leave out? Whether you write fiction, creative
non-fiction, essay, or other forms of non-fiction, you’ll want some guidelines
to help you through the edits of your first draft. Join us as expert writer
Mysti Berry introduces you to the concept of “the dramatic question,” or “the
spine,” which runs through every good story. She’ll walk you through a couple
of famous examples from the recent past to illustrate these simple guidelines,
and then take specific questions from the audience. Handouts and resources for
more investigation will also be included. After this presentation, you can
approach your edits with more confidence and objectivity, and the result will
be a tighter, more compelling version of your first draft.
(This is my favorite writing conference, and this is a part of what we'll be hearing.)
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