What happens when you take 575 kids, from 26 schools, and add 24 authors and illustrators, and mix it all together?

You have all lot of creativity and great ideas all together under one roof at the Young Authors Conference at Highwood High School on Saturday, April 8.

For student Saryn Cahoon she was looking forward to meeting some other students that share her interest in writing.

"I am looking forward to learning how to make my stories believable," Cahoon said. "I've been having a tough time making my stories believable."

This was Cahoon's first time at the conference and she likes fantasy stories about going to new lands.  

She was also looking forward to meeting other students that share her love of writing.

Author Natasha Deen was the keynote speaker and it is her fifth, or perhaps sixth time, she can't remember exactly as a presenter at the Foothills conference.

After her first experience here, she insisted the organizers invite her back.

She said not every student is going to grow up to be a writer.

"But story is everywhere, so if we learn to love story, if we understand our story, we are just that much more prepared to take on the world'" said Deen.

Deen adds her favourite part of coming to this conference is the kids, their funny jokes and the way they look at the world.

Singer-songwriter Scott Mack was back for a fourth time to teach students how to write a song.

"I enjoy sharing my passion of song writing with the kids," MacKay said. "It is so fascinating to see such young kids so excited about writing and they are so enthusiastic about it."

The conference, which has been going on for 28 years, is put on by the Foothills Young Authors Conference Society, The Foothills School Division and Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools.