Conference Update/Chapter Two News

Well, I'm back from Madison and as usual, it was a wonderful experience. If you're a writer and you haven't found a good writer's conference (heavy emphasis on the word "good"), make every effort to find one. You won't believe how much it helps motivate and reenergize you. Writing can be lonely work, until the end when you get to share what you've been working on. Otherwise, it's months, or even years, of you in front of the computer...alone.

One of the things I love about the Writer's Institute is location. It's in Madison, on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Okay, is there any other place in the world that buzzes with energy like a college campus? When I stay there, if I'm lucky, I stay in one of the hotels that's actually a reconverted dorm. I love that. It still smells like a dorm. That sort of institution smell combined with old socks or something. : ) I know that sounds gross but I don't know how else to describe it. It's a good smell because it smells like college and college to me was always about exciting possibilities -- you never knew what was going to happen next. So, the second I walked into the Lowell Center (formerly Lowell Hall) I was immediately swept back to my freshman year in college at Lankenau Hall at Valpo. (This former dorm still had a big lounge with a little television in it, as some of you will recall this was a favorite hang out spot).

This conference is also great just for the opportunities. There are plenty of people to meet but not so many that you feel overwhelmed. I got to have lunch with the first place contest winner (no win for me this year, unfortunately, but that's okay.)I had dinner with a prolific romance novelist (11 books in four years!) and an East Coast agent. And I chatted "Stargate" with more people than you would have believed. Plus, I handed out bookmarks and postcards to anyone who would take them!

It was interesting, being there this year with a book coming out in a few months. People were so kind and genuinely enthusiastic about my book being accepted and published -- something that other writers meet with an excitement just about equal to your own, if that makes sense. In fact, being a naturally shy person (I am, if you can believe it), it was kind of overwhelming talking to so many new people all at once. I hope none them mistook my quiet for anything other than what it was -- shyness and a fear of babbling too much! Thank you so much to everyone who stopped me to say congratulations, ask a question or request a bookmark! You wouldn't believe how wonderful that made my day (and the conference) : )

I learned so much while I was there. I always come home not only with renewed energy but with stronger, better techniques to improve my writing. I've never loved doing anything more than I love writing, and I feel really privileged to have opportunities like the Writer's Institute where I can learn from other writers. We are a community (or should be) and it helps so much to share little tricks of the trade to make the difficult task of writing any bit easier on ourselves.

I was talking to one of the conference organizers, thanking her for her session in which I got a little more clarity on plot layers. That's always the most difficult part for me -- layers. I keep telling myself that it has to be done piece by piece, but some little voice in my head says that I should get it all down in the first draft. So, I keep making myself doubt, talking myself out of it. When I told her that, the organizer laughed (in a nice way) and said, "Don't we all?" She also told me that writing in layers is like painting a water color. One layer at a time. Now, I don't paint watercolors, but I will take her word for it. And it made me feel much better!

If you'd like to learn more about the conference, feel free to email me, sklemstein@msn.com or check out the Writer's Institute's web site.

Now, on to Chapter Two News...
As most of you probably know, the second chapter of The Silver Spoon is due to be posted this week on Thursday. However, my very dear friend and much-pestered-by-me tech person, Ed, has a family event to attend on Thursday, so the second chapter will be posted early! Ed has agreed to help me get the chapter online before he heads out of town, which is very kind of him, considering all the prep work that goes on to leave home for a few days. So, my plan is to try to get it ready to be posted tonight. Which means you should be able to access it some time tomorrow, I hope! Provided that I can remember how I got it to work last time -- something about a txt file. (Right now, Ed is rolling his eyes at me. I'm so not a tech person -- computers are just one short step away from magic to me. There's some great quote by somebody about how all advanced science looks like magic to those who don't understand it.)But I will post here and let you know for sure when the chapter is up and ready to read!

Have a great day and talk to you tomorrow!