JRW Conference 2007

I spent Friday and Saturday at the James River Writer's Conference. It was my first time attending, and I had a great time! It was nice to be among fellow writers, to hear how the business of writing works, and to get insights into the processes some writers have.

One thing I've known ever since I got the itch to write: You can't teach it, (not really) and you can't provide a step-by-step as to how to do it. Sure, you can learn about the business stuff: writing query letters, submitting to agents, collecting royalties, etc. And you can teach basic grammar, and give ideas about how to get ideas. But I was struck by one woman who really wanted to know, step-by-step it seems, how to write.

Well, you just DO. For me, anyway, I just feel things very strongly, and when I get a flash of a character, or a scene (generally inspired by a song, or something someone says), I write it down, usually as a note or a very brief outline. Then when I feel the time is right, I start into the meat of the thing. But I rarely know everything that will happen to my character as I write. That's the fun of writing. My character and story goes where it wants to go, not where I plan it. I usually do have the beginning and the end. But the middle? Lord!

That's where I'm at with my latest writing projects: Stuck in the middle. And, the time just hasn't been right. Since I do emails and templates all day at work (I'm not complaining! It's the best job ever), I admit a reluctance to allow that creative writing side the room it deserves in my life.

But, since we made the vow to cut back on TV, maybe I'll get it in. haha Speaking of TV, I have to digress for a minute to say, I am SO GLAD that the Grey's Anatomy characters are back, I don't quite know how to act! haha Yay! Yay! I love these characters, and I can see that Shonda Rhimes is taking them to new places this year. GOOD! The show commented on change, and how we all resist it. I related to this, as I really, REALLY hate change. I hate change so much, I actually get near panic attacks thinking about changing jobs, moving, or even, entering into a new relationship. Monday: My doctor's appointment to get on Paxil. haha I am getting back on Paxil, seriously, because as of late, I have found myself almost snapping. Peak Season looms, but that's not what stresses me. I think I stress myself, with the constant thoughts, which I often can't turn off.

It would help if the thoughts were happy thoughts, or creative thoughts. Perhaps I just need to re-channel them. Attending the conference, I realized that there are a lot of people like me out there: People who worry, people who love the breath that is writing, and people who struggle with day jobs while they cram in writing wherever they can. That's what writing teaches me, mostly. It teaches me that we're all the same here, and we all have the same struggles. It's the wisdom to be able to deal with our struggles and to rise above that makes us keep going.

Highlights from the conference (or, funny things that I noted):

1) Apparently, people eat horses. This according to one writer, who, when asked to describe a dark place in her writing, described how a horse in her novel goes to a dark place when he thinks about how he will be eaten. This writer also talked at length about her Grandmother (Grammy!) ??? Terre and I decided, as we held back tears of laughter, that it must be Grammy's secret recipe!

2) This didn't have anything to do with the conference, but Terre told me about the wonderful gift she received from her husband: A Chubby Wood Nutcracker. 'nuff said.

3) If you accidentally sit in front of a woman who wants to tell you about the Yak horns she receieved from her boyfriend, or her dog's diabetes, there's no polite way out of it. You have to just sit there and try not to laugh too hard, so she won't notice. Yak horns!

4) When waiting for our meetings with an agent, we all looked and felt as if we were going to the gallows! One guy was taking pictures, and a fellow author titled them for him: Waiting for Surgery or Dead Men and Women Walking. haha We really were all WAYYYY too nervous about it. But, what did we know? It was a brief meeting with an agent! These are the people who would make or break us, if we want writing as a career.

Ah, it was fun though, and we did hear a lot of good info from the agents, as well as a great interview with Sheri Reynolds, whose novel 'The Rapture of Canaan' was one of Oprah's picks.

I signed up on the list for a writing group. We'll see what that yields. I recommend this conference, if you're in the area, and if you love writing or think you might love writing.

Have a great day..