How often do you get some of the most interesting travel writers together in one room? If you’re in the San Francisco area: about once a year, which happened to be this past weekend at the Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference.

If you get the chance to learn directly from your favorite editor, don’t pass it up. I know that the students enjoyed four chock-full days engaged with editors, writers, and photographers from leading newspapers, magazines, books, and blogs—whether in consultations, workshops focusing on specific genres, or in casual conversation at the end of the day.

I really enjoyed the evening events, where Tim Cahill and Simon Winchester shared their personal histories of travel writing—which, for them, includes starting up Outside Magazine and learning directly from none other than Jan Morris. I love when a favorite writer’s stories are equally fascinating when told in person as on paper—theirs did not disappoint.

The choice of staff and classes at a conference will always be what initially brings me there. But I was also inspired by what the students that I met had to teach me:

• Don’t back down from the thing that scares you the most: I was so impressed with the man I met who, in the course of the conference, discovered his talent in an unexpected genre of travel writing. He confided that the thought of pursuing it completely scared him—but, of course, it had to be done.

• You never know unless you try: Another person reminded me that if you have a solid story idea, it’ll be recognized. His very first pitch was to one of the biggest travel magazines around, and—guess what—they picked it up.

If you’re interested in attending next year’s conference at Book Passage, it’s already set to run August 13-16, 2009. I’ve found out that there’s a discounted rate ($575) if you enroll by October 1, 2008.

And if that seems too far in the future, you can join one of the travel writing conferences scheduled in the next few months:

September 12-14, Travel Writing & Photography Conference (sponsored by Women’s Adventure Magazine), Boulder, CO

October 23-26, Travel Classics West Writers Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

January 9-11, SATW Institute for Travel Writing and Photography, Orlando, FL