What I Gained at a Writer's Conference



Writers usually come away from any writer's conference pumped to implement what they have learned. My experience at the LDStorymaker Conference 2014 takes no exception and I'll give tips from that next week. But knowledge is not the biggest thing I gained this year. It wasn't the author-signed books I bought or conference swag like this cool pen. The biggest thing to pump me up was the people-connections.

Melissa and Rich from my former Face-to-Face Crit Group
 

New on-line critique group meets for first time.

Perhaps my most treasured moments stem from the lack of face-to-face contact I've had with writers since moving to California. What matters most? Those real, live characters in the stories of our lives. People. 

Another missed Crit Group friend, Angela.

Kathleen inspired me to start this blog.








To Honor a Special Friend

 

Today I honor someone whom I will never forget in guiding my writing journey and to all those online and in person friendships that were created through the world of writers. Happy Valentine's Day! 

I started writing a novel after reading one that struck me as being something within my capabilities. Just give me a computer and enough time and the ideas I find exciting can turn into publish-worthy pages. Ignorance is bliss. Rejections came but I had proved to myself I could complete such a project and my skills should only improve with practice.

After I had started a second novel, I moved to a new area and met a friend who also wrote. She encouraged me to join her critique group. What an eye-opener! She and another woman did their best to find good things to say about my writing while guiding me through reasons why a sentence or paragraph needed changes or why a character felt flat. I quickly learned and improved both through writing and critiquing. The process of growth felt exhilarating.

This woman and I developed an unlikely friendship. She has a busy household full of children and my caboose was heading to college. She's a bit high-energy and I’m more organized and low-key. But we needed one another to improve, to fulfill our dreams.

Though I credit her with my real start to writing, showing patience and believing in me, there came a point where my friend grew frustrated with her lack of success.

“Why spend so much time when nothing comes of it?” she asked.

The answer was evident. “Because you love it.”

            An artist needs another artist to buoy them up, give encouragement, praise when deserved and give helpful criticism as needed. Our husbands may be supportive, but they really don’t understand our drive and all that it takes to do what we do. Only other passionate writers can fill those shoes of support through the ups and downs of going after our dreams. I am grateful to have such a friends in my life. Here's to my critique group--Melissa, Shannon, Rich, and Brock. Love you guys!
            And now I'd like to share this special friend's entry in my alliteration contest:
            Melanie Martineau meandered merrily, moving magic marbles over her  milky mandibles. Madness marred the machinery of her mind as she marked Mary Malcom's mansion on a map. Maybe she'd make a magpie munch on the mannerless Mary's marshmallows. Moreover, maybe a mallet to the martyr's magnolia tree might make the manager of her meat-market melt...like the malevolent witch of Oz. Moving her magnet of a mirror, Melanie munched on mildewed macaroni. A marvelous mouth-watering meal, and mentally measured the miles to Mary's mansion. Muah ha ha ha! -- by Melissa Cunningham
           To learn more about the contest and winner, click here
           Who inspires you?

A Strange Day

Yesterday, while I was having breakfast with Brandon Mull and Lisa Mangum (among others at my table), my husband was called into his boss's office to hear the news that he was one of 400 to be layed off at ATK. While I was having my query letter reviewed my Kirk Shaw and listening to 'story ideas that rock' from presenter John Brown, my husband was packing things from his desk and shelves. As I hob-nobbed with famous authors and author-to-be's and we clicked photo ops with friends old and new, the press interviewed my husband about his feelings of being let go after twenty-five years of service. With my buddy, Melissa Cunningham, we dined out with such delightful company as Jeff Savage, Tristi Pinkston, and too many to name while my husband and last child at home heated something in the microwave.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Book Academy Conference at UVU, pushing to the back of my mind what was going on at home. But it's strange to be gleaning wisdom to make me a better writer and having such a good time when traditionally I should feel upset.
There is a peace about our family situation and I have faith we will be taken care of, but it makes me want to pour all that gleaned wisdom into the final edits of my novel and make it the best I can even more than before. Attending two conferences in two weeks has put a fire under me that I don't want to quench before the manuscript is sent off. The conference did for me what it was intended to do. My goal is to have the MS complete by the end of October. There--I've said it out loud.
Anybody out there want to say their goal out loud?
Happy writing, my friends.