Wow, let me say that again – WOW! I’ve just returned from the 2007 Whidbey Island Writers Conference (http://www.writeonwhidbey.com/Conference/). This was my first year attending the conference; last year I lurked while my wife attended.
By actually participating this year, I was amazed at how much I learned over 3 fast days. I was even more amazed at the people I met: Authors, editors, agents and publishers, and every one of them willing to give me, a total unknown, some of their time, their advice, their insights and encouragement. WHAT a change from the computer and electronics based conferences I attended in the past, where in the end it was about selling you something, about turning a buck. And while certainly we all need to pay the bills, in my opinion the conference professionals were first and foremost about the people. This came through in every talk I attended, in every person I chatted with, in every friend I made. And I suspect…no, suspect is wrong; I know this will turn out to be one of the best investment I’ve ever made.
My wife is the writer in the family. Last year, the energy and excitement I heard and felt, as she recounted her day over dinner, enchanted me, it spoke to my soul, to the core of who I am, who I want to be. What I didn’t find last year, being a lurker, was how to incorporate these feelings into my life. Through my wife’s impressions I could see into this world. I however didn’t know what I could do to join the community beyond being inspired to actually write instead of just thinking about it. I put pen to paper, well actually fingers to keyboard and the stories flowed out. I hadn’t understood I needed to ‘get them out’ until I experienced it firsthand.
Attending this year has taken this up an order of magnitude; insights into the realities of writing, of the business side or writing. I’m left with so many ideas, so many things to do, so many directions to run I need to decompress a bit and get it organized. This blog is one of those things.
At the Conference this year many professionals talked about the businesses they have crafted inside this world or those they work for; not in a ‘trying to sell you something’ manor, instead in a ‘here is what you really need to know’ manor. In their words I realized I needed to be the one to focus on the business side of my wife’s career, of building her brand, facilitating her marketing, making her name one you will hopefully soon recognize.
It’s rare that I can honestly say my soul has felt nourished; it was at the Conference this year.
To each of the emerging writers out there who have never attended a writers conference I suggest you find a small local one in your area and go. Stay away from the large conferences for now, in this case smaller is truly better. Sit in some talks, meet the people, you don’t have to pitch your work, you don’t have to show it to still gain a lot. I guarantee you will meet people just like you; it doesn’t matter if you are too unsure to show your work or, are ready, manuscript in hand to take on the world. If you’re not sure about a conference look for a critique group in your area, meet the people, feel their energy, participate. One theme I heard at the Conference was ‘Everyone has a story needing to be told’. I believe this myself; find the right avenue to allow you to start to tell your story.
If I’ve inspired you to make it to the 2008 WIWA Conference let me know, I’d love to meet you there and in my own way pass on some of the gift I was given this year.
If you’re an emerging writer in the Maple Valley, Washington area and want to join a critique group let me know, we’re forming a new one now, after all the wife and I are both emerging writers ourselves.
