Monday, October 20, 2008

Your goal at a writing conference

I've got writing conferences on my mind this morning (also a film deal, a contract, and the location of Mali, but writing conferences right this second) since I'm packing my portmanteau and prepping to teach a class at the Surrey Writing Conference this week.

This post over at Murderati struck a chord.
Pari Noskin Taichert makes the very good point that you don't want to focus exclusively on agents and editors at conferences. You really want to make friends with the people who will be your author colleagues. She's right on the money.

If you're going to Surrey this weekend, you should be as open to meeting other authors and as invested in being collegial with them as you are meeting any of my ilk. Chances are they are nicer anyway. At least this one is.

16 comments:

Susan Adrian said...

Ha ha ha!!

Right.

Actually I may be nice at Surrey. (This round of) Revisions will be turned in, so I can relax and actually speak to people for a day or two.

Look forward to seeing everyone, including other writers, at Surrey!

Shannon Morgan said...

Thanks for those links (doubly, because I found the "Don't Vote" video Ms. Adrian posted -- blogging it now...)!

CoirĂ­ FilĂ­ochta said...

My deepest dearest darling Janet.

. i am a troll in residence of a number of wannabe's blogs and wondered if you could make me famous please?

. i am 58, five six, bald, broken teeth, considered very unnatractive, no friends and have recently started writing after being released from a very famous psychiatric hospital in which i watched a lot of tv and took like soo many medz yiz aint gonna beleive it. But amidst all this horror and war on bi-polar swings of garbled pallin round wiv beaty queens, Oprah, Ricky and God, who speaks direct to me through the medz, i just wanna say: do you know Barack Obama's great great grandfather came from county Offaly, and this song has been written and a smart cookie would listen: From the aul Blarney stone to the green hills of Tarra, there's no one as Irish as Barack Obama. Now you don't believe me when i hear you say, but Barack's as Irish as our own JFK, O'Leary, O'Reilly O'Hare and O'Hara there's no one as Irish as Barack Obama.

Pepper Smith said...

Have fun teaching. Just got done teaching suspense writing at a week long conference myself.

MaJaTo said...

I just found your blog through a friend of mine who is a writer, so I guess on some level that proves the point of your post!

jill said...

I'll be at Surrey, too, trying to get out of 'hermit mode' and meet writers while trying to learn from panelists.

NerdSnark said...

It takes me 10 rewrites on the QUERY before it's passable. Going to talk to an agent without cue cards...

I'd rather talk to another author.

Chris Redding said...

My fave thing to do at conferences is to sit at a table of strangers for lunch.
cmr

Julie Weathers said...

Jill, be sure and look for me. Chunky redheaded cowgirl in tan, turquoise, burgundy or red boots. Haven't decided yet.

Susan, looking forward to meeting you.

Janet, going to the bank this morning to get twenty-dollar bills.

The nice thing about Surrey is I have "known" many authors who will be attending for many years. It won't be quite so nerve-wracking among friends. I'm just hoping to survive without sticking my foot in my mouth too badly.

Sabina E. said...

you got a film deal?!?! Please, Ms. Reid, tell us all about it.

ali said...

hi i'm going to be going to SIWC!! I can hardly wait!! I'll just be there friday but i'm volunteering Friday and I'm volunteering Saturday (that should be fun) maybe i'll see u there!!

Maggie Bolitho said...

Great session yesterday, Janet! The bleeding has stopped now and I will live to write again. I'll be looking for you with my pockets stuffed with twenties and single malt in my bag.

Maggie

Haste yee back ;-) said...

Hmmm... "Great session, Janet"...."pockets stuffed with twenties and single malt"

Was there a stage and a pole?

Haste yee back ;-)

Julie Weathers said...

*waves at Janet*

My goal was to drive Janet insane. I think I succeeded.

jill said...

Janet, thank you for recommending the Surrey conference! I met many other writers and made new friends. Your class, workshops, and panels were high energy and full of excellent information.

Julie Weathers said...

Jill, I was hoping to see you again, but we were ships in the night. How did everything go?