If someone had told me a year ago that I would be living it up and laughing in a room full of writers in the middle of Ohio the first week of April I would have thought they had me mixed up with someone else. I am not saying that I do not belong here, but I must admit to a little imposter syndrome. I am surrounded by talented writers with published books, real authors! The people attending the workshop brought business cards, bookmarks, magnets and even their books here for sale. I am counting on there being a subtle alchemy or a bit of osmosis taking place here. How can it not when you put that many verbally expressive people into the same space for several days? The crowded elevators with witty comments have to be transferring something to me. I hope so.
Everyone has been supportive and encouraging. Today I took two classes in craft: one focusing on Voice, and another on Memoir writing. The other two classes were about the business of writing: publishing (or self publishing) and social media presence. My head may explode with all of the helpful information I gathered. I loved the classes focussed on the craft of writing the most. The others can be stressful.
We had two terrific keynote speakers today. At lunch we were treated to the enthusiastic Zibby Owens. She was fantastic in telling her story in a clever way. I enjoyed reading both of her books, “Blank” (fiction) and “Bookends” (her memoir). Like a rock star, she is on tour, the “Zibby-verse” book tour. I got a book signed and a pair of glasses. This evening we listened to Beth Lapides, a funny comedian with an audio book I listened to last month. It is called, “So You Need to Decide” and it is so much more than entertaining. It is thought provoking. She includes interviews with some of her very funny friends. Check it out.
Speaking of friends, I have made some here. I came to Dayton, Ohio, for this writing workshop without knowing a single person. The conversations we have shared at lunch and dinner or between classes have been interesting. Everyone has a story to tell. The special component of gathering writers together is how eager people are to find out your story. So while there is a bit of business card swapping (or bear paw sticker in my case), it is actually done in more of a networking “let’s stay connected” way.
I promised an update for you today. It was a long day filled with “good stuff.” When my kids used to ask me what was for dinner my reply was always, “good stuff.” Too tired to elaborate, or not having decided what exactly to cook, “good stuff” was enough to capture what was to come. I anticipate tomorrow, the last day of the conference to have more “good stuff.”
I will have something you will definitely want to read about. It is a secret for now. The only hint I can give is that I am stepping way out of my comfort zone. Good stuff.
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