WORDS AND IMAGES : A Novel Gathering : Literary lions will share stories and secrets with cubs at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

Ray Bradbury, Fannie Flagg, Philip Levine, Paul Erdman, Elizabeth George, Robert James Waller, Ross Thomas and conference founder Barnaby Conrad are among the dozens of literary lions who will share wit and wisdom at the 20th Santa Barbara Writers Conference, which convenes Friday afternoon at the Miramar Hotel in Montecito.

The weeklong event draws aspiring writers and accomplished professionals from all over the world. They can choose from among 25 workshops, read their manuscripts at all-night “pirate” sessions and get to know the agents, editors and celebrity authors who participate in afternoon and evening panels and lectures. All the 4 p.m. seminars (except the agent panel) and 8 p.m. author appearances are open to the public. Tickets will be available in the Miramar conference center. For details call 684-2250.

Ann Shields of Ventura will attend the conference for the 11th consecutive year. We asked her to describe her experiences.

“I’ve acquired more than a college education, heard the work of wonderful writers who made me laugh and cry until I was exhausted, and rubbed shoulders with famous people.”

Shields remembers her first year. “I felt like an impostor. I was awe-struck. It’s like walking into one of those ice cream/yogurt places. You want to try everything until you realize your capacity is limited to a few flavors at a time.”

The conference bolstered Shields’ confidence. She learned to overcome the terror of reading her work to others and to accept criticism without being devastated. She progressed from “Am I really a writer?” to winning awards at the conference. Best short nonfiction in 1987. Best short fiction in 1988. And last year she was honored in two categories: publication in Santa Barbara magazine for a 500-word sentence and the 1,000-word fiction competition. She’s been published in newspapers and magazines and has an agent to represent the two novels she’s written.

There may still be time to enroll in the Power of Story program sponsored by the Ojai Foundation, which begins tomorrow. A storyteller, a psychologist, an anthropologist, an actor and a meditation instructor will guide participants on a journey into the nature of spoken story. Call 646-8343 for details.

If you want to see the best student films produced at the UCLA film school from 1979 to 1984, be at the Thousand Oaks Library, 1401 E. Janss Road, Saturday at 7 p.m. Classic Cinema will screen the work of Neil Richmond, Tony Venezia, Jeff Fazio, Renan Tolon, Catherine Hardwicke, Bill Day, Dan Attlas, Chris Painter and Janice Shapiro. Call 495-1392.

E. M. Forster’s “Where Angels Fear to Tread,” starring Helena Bonham Carter, Rupert Graves, Helen Mirren and Judy Davis, will open tomorrow at the Mayfair Theatre in downtown Ventura.