October was a
whirlwind month! I gave my writing self a BIG gift this year: attendance at
both the James River Writers and the
SCBWI conferences. My money was well spent. Participation is key, of course.
With that in mind, I signed up for pre-conference intensives at both gatherings,
as well as a pitch session and a consultation.
The JRW conference
offered a track strategy for choosing sessions, offering ‘Exploring Genre,’
‘Improving Your Craft,’ ‘Getting Published,’ ‘The Life of a Story’ and
‘Promoting Your Book.’ I chose from several different tracks and found the
categories useful for prioritizing my interests. At the Library of Virginia
Literary luncheon, I was surprised and delighted to find myself sitting at the
table with Kevin O’Malley. This funny and immensely talented man spent the time
not eating, but drawing an illustration for each person at the table. I saw him
bestow more in several sessions I attended. Unexpected blessings!
Cynthia Lord,
keynote speaker (Rules) at the SCBWI
conference (“The Plusses and Perils of Writing What You Know”), was impressive
and inspirational. Her personal experiences on her way to publication of an
award-winning debut novel resonated with everyone and gave us much to think
about. It was my first experience at the conference’s new location at the
Holiday Inn – Dulles. The meeting rooms were comfortable, spacious and all on
one floor, with accommodations for those staying overnight just down the hall.
Did you attend
either conference? Which one? Leave a comment with your thoughts and take-away
moments to share. We’d love to hear from you.
I went to the JRW conference and I loved Kevin O’Malley too! He ended up being a panelist at every session I attended that day. He’s quite the character. It was a great conference and my goal is to have my manuscript finished and polished for a pitch session next year. :-)
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