This will be my first face to face conference with other writers. I’m really looking forward to it. Last October I attended an online conference with www.Museonlinewritersconference.com but I think face to face will be even better.
Some of the workshops and classes I’ll be taking at the Pennwriters Conference are:
—Perfect Pitch with agent Rachel Coyne.
Being able to condense your story into a concise yet compelling statement is essential in presenting your book to agents, editors and readers. We’re to bring our pitch to show and be critiqued.
—Twitter for twits with Tamara Girardi
The idea of tweeting is confusing to me, I don’t know what the hashtag and @ symbols mean. I have a twitter account but never go there because I can’t follow a conversation. I think this class is for me.
—What am I supposed to say? With Becky Levine
I am often called upon to critique writing in my writing group. This class will help me learn to read closely, understand manuscript’s problems and write critiques that will help everyone in the group. And it will help strengthen my own writing.
–Life balance for writers with Anne Grenville
I’m not sure how to squeeze writing, learning and promoting into my busy life. This class will teach me how.
There is still time to register at www.pennwriters.org or at www.regonline.com/pennwriters2011/ .
It’s at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott in Pennsylvania from May 12th to May 15th.
I am going with friend and mentor, Bobbi Carducci, coordinator for Area 7. Together we’ll make the four-hour drive Thursday morning and get there for in time for Bobbi to take part in the board meeting while I get to browse around and maybe take a class. Or I might swim in the hotel pool and get the drive out of my system.
As well as take part in some of the forty-five workshops and classes, (of which I explained four above) I will be a Penn Pal to Cathy Teets. Cathy Teets, president of headline Books Inc. will be one of our guest editors. She has published books for twenty-six years and in 2006 started a children’s books division called Headline Kids.
As a children’s book writer you can imagine how lucky I feel both that I’ll be her Pal and later pitch my book to her.
I’ll also be a time-keeper for pitches. I can’t wait. That way when it comes time for me to pitch I’ll know all the pitfalls and all the right things to say to an agent or editor.I’m not sure how the powers that be will arrange my schedule so I can both pitch and be time-keeper, but I’ve been promised that they won’t conflict.
Have you attended a writers conference? If so what was it like?
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- Why Attend a Writers’ Conference? by Deanna R. Adams (pwarea7.wordpress.com)
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I attended a writer’s conference last year. While I was not impressed with some of the workshops, other’s offered invaluable information. I met some really interesting people and heard some great speakers. Hope it is a great experience for you.
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Thank you Suzicate. I am curious, did you maintain any relationships? Or pitch a book or get anything critiqued?
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Good Luck!
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Thanks 1959duke!
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Have a blast! Do everything! Don’t sleep!
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Thanks Widder! I’m afraid of not sleeping. I get so crabby I don’t want to leave a bad impression.
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Salivating at the window
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Thanks, Sana. I am sure you take appropriate conferences for your career.
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I am jealous. Have a fabulous time.
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Thanks Patty, I will.
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I’m excited for you! I haven’t been to a conference yet. Last summer I started looking into them and discovered there was no way I could afford travel, hotel and conference fees. Then I found one that held in my city every other year. (Spring 2012 is the next one and I hope to go to it.)
I hope the workshops are everything you expected and I hope you’ll write about your experiences…I, for one, would love to read!
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Yes, do go. And if Muse online is holding theirs in October like last year attend that one as well. That’s how I got so excited about my writing. There’s where I pitched my children’s book, Annie’s Special Day” and got a contract for it today! Took awhile but there were technicalities to iron out.
Don’t worry, I do intend to write about my experiences.
I’ll keep you posted about Muse.
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