Saturday, August 8, 2009

Willamette Writers' Conf, Day #2

Lessons learned from day one:

(1) Check which category the workshope is in before attending. Probably, if it is listed under the "film" section, the topic - no matter how generally applicable it is - will tie back to film. And may have nothing to do with creative non-fiction or fiction.

(2) The experience of the presenter will probably tell you more about the content of the workshop than his blurb. I'm not saying to be stereotyping people and will, therefore, avoid a specific example I heard about yesterday, but if the presenter has been successful in selling zombie stories (I hear they're really hot right now), then he probably isn't going to spend a lot of time on memoir.

(3) Maybe the temperature is 40 degrees cooler than the same time last week (yesterday was 68 degrees; last week it was 106-107 here in the land of rosy PDX), but that doesn't mean the conference hotel will change the AC setting.

(4) I'm not the publishing and editing world neophyte I thought I was. Dang! So does this mean I have to actually DO something with the two books in process and the computer file sull of short stories and poems in various stages of editing!? (That's a joke - I am doing something with them. But I have been amazed what I do know!)

(5) It's a great conference and well run - I'm impressed.

(6) Sometimes I don't know if I'm talking to the author or their character (which may be the same!) or if this is the character they put on to bring to the conference to do the pitch with those who control entrance to the publishing world.

(7) Really, it's a great conference. I've met some great people and picked up great information. And I'm running really short on sleep, because I'm also working at night.

Put it on your calendar for next year. Or come on down for the afternoon sessions, or tomorrow's offerings!
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