Conference Thoughts

During the last weekend in June, almost 450 historical novel enthusiasts gathered in Denver, Colorado, to discuss all things historical. Most were writers, some published, some not. All were avid readers of the genre. There were authors, editors, and agents. There were big names and unknowns and everyone was friendly and supportive. There was a book signing event with over 200 authors. There were keynote speeches by C.C. Humphreys, Karen Cushman (more on her later) and Diana Gabaldon. There was even a costume parade and a late night sex scene reading (although to be honest I did not stay awake for that).

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My writing life

For years I have harbored a secret identity as a writer. Many years ago I took writing classes, joined a writing group, pecked away at various short stories and poems. Then I dropped it and pursued other interests, but the itch remained, occasionally barking to remind me of its presence. Gradually I began to listen, to scratch, and after several years a novel was born. Still kept in the dark, in secret, lest someone should find out and tell me I couldn’t possibly succeed. But slowly I began to trust others with my dreams. I participated in NaNoWriMo and put 50,000 words in a single document. I revised, scribbled, shelved and got on with other things. But still the story remained.

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Children and Writing: My experience as a writing coach

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to serve as a writing coach for some 4th graders preparing to take a state mandated writing test. I worked with kids one-on-one during the planning, drafting, and revising portions of responding to a prompt. For the final week the school tried to make it fun, inventing a week long “Camp Write-Along”, where the kids could sit in tents with their shoes off, eat snacks, and write. For some kids, this specialized approach only added to their nervousness and dread. Others were so distracted by the extras that they barely got any writing done. I’m sure there were a few kids who reveled in the experience, but I was not assigned to work with any of those.

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Beginnings

I am preparing for my first writers conference, and I am a jumble of nerves, excitement and anticipation. Honestly, it is keeping me up at night. I have prepared business cards, a synopsis and a 10-page sample of my WIP, and still need to do my one-page. My website is up and running. This feels real and I am full of conflict.

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