I'll post something more in depth about the Surrey International Writers Conference next week, but I thought I'd give you a taste of what it was like. There were three workshop and/or panel blocks (with multiple choices in each block) Friday and Saturday, two more on Sunday, keynote speakers at every lunch and dinner, and chances to meet agents, editors and authors. There were workshops for writers of children's fiction, romance, sci-fi, non-fiction and more. It was hard to decide which to attend, so I decided to see the presenters I wanted to see, regardless of what the topic was. I heard much I had learned before, but hearing best-selling authors reiterate what I'd discovered on my own made those lessons that much more credible. In many cases they took the nugget of knowledge I already had and expanded it further, which was fabulous. The weekend was a tad overwhelming, to say the least. For a while I felt as if I needed to scrap all my writing and start over, but I'm talking myself off that cliff. Sure, my manuscripts need work, but I'm hoping it is just a few (okay, maybe several) tweaks here and an upping of tension there. I've acquired some great hints and tips on how to do just that. For now, I'm sitting in the Vancouver Airport waiting for my (delayed) flight home. And itching to get writing.
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Only five more sleeps until SIWC opens!! On Thursday morning a good friend and I will take the nine hour drive to Surrey...and the next morning it begins! I've never been to a writer's conference before, so I'm very excited to experience everything possible. I fully expect to be exhausted by Sunday afternoon. I plan on taking in every workshop I can, meet many, many people, and soak in every scrap of information available. I've signed up for a Pitch Session with Nephele Tempest and a Blue Pencil Session with Jane Porter. It will be amazing to connect with people in the industry, but I am already nervous about doing so. I have two finished manuscripts to pitch, so I'm working on their blurbs, which is very tough - how do you encapsulate the feel, the drive, of a 70,000 word manuscript in two short paragraphs? And for the BP session writers are allowed to bring three pages of work to discuss with the author. Three pages out of 400? How to choose? I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. While this weekend is a great opportunity, for me and many other writers, it isn't the be-all-and-end-all. Having a professional critique 3 pages of my work is a bonus, regardless of what 3 pages I decide on (I'm probably going with the first 3 of my third manuscript, but who knows?). And meeting with an agent will be a great learning experience, no matter what happens in the future. Although a girl can dream, can't she? Fingers crossed... Fall is about a month late here in Prince George, but the colours were definitely worth waiting for! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. It truly is important to sit back every once in a while and consider all the blessings and gifts I've been given. Family, friends, good food, a warm house...my lap top :). Give thanks with actions, as well as words. If your life finds you in a place where you have abundance, consider donating to a food bank. Maybe reach out to someone in your neighbourhood who might need a hand. Or simply smile at a stranger. It's easy to worry and complain about what we don't have. Yet life is so much better when we simply appreciate what we do have. Kasey came to us almost 10 years ago. We'd been casually thinking of getting a dog, so when a friend had to give up his 5 year old lab/retriever cross because his children had developed allergies, we "borrowed" her for a weekend and never gave her back. She was a great family dog, who loved to play fetch and had a weakness for turkey scraps. She kept me company in the kitchen when I cooked and especially enjoyed carrots and broccoli--but not celery or cauliflower. She loved to ride in the canoe and go camping, and right up to the end had a passionate hatred for squirrels. Making the decision to say good bye is never easy, but when her arthritis grew so back she could no longer stand on her own we knew it was time. We will miss her, while treasuring our memories. I am also preparing to say goodbye to my most recent manuscript. While not nearly as heart-wrenching as saying goodbye to a beloved pet, I will miss spending time with my characters. I've seen them grow and change, and I've enjoyed guiding their actions so they are ready to accept the true love they both deserve. This close to the end, my writing pace really slows down. It's so important to get it just right--to make sure the conclusion fits my characters and their personalities, and is fulfilling--for them, and my readers. For me, this is the hardest writing in the entire book, but also the most rewarding. |