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The 2002 Surrey International Writers' Conference
This was the first writing conference I've ever attended, and if I have any say in it, I will never miss it again. Here are some notes about the conference and my experiences there.
Preview
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Blue Pencil Cafe
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Keynotes
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Contests
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Workshops and Panels
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Attendees
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Agent/Editor Interviews
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My Reaction
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Preview
I got my first taste of what the weekend would be like on Thursday evening, at a special pre-conference reading and book signing by four of the authors, Terry Brooks, Diana Gabaldon, Jack Whyte, and Sharan Newman. I have to admit, the beginning was not very impressive. The notice that had been sent out via email said it was to take place at 7:00 pm. When I arrived at the bookstore, I found all their signs and leaflets said 7:30. Okay, I could wait half an hour, despite the uncomfortable chair.At 7:35, store staff announced that they were in phone contact with the authors, who were running late, but were on their way and should be there in five minutes. I don't know if that was an exaggeration, a euphemism, an honest mistake, or a lie, but they did not show up for another half hour. I was not impressed with the way we were treated while waiting. I sat in an uncomfortable chair for over an hour, and other than that one erroneous announcement wasn't told anything about when, or whether, the authors were going to arrive.
Everything changed the moment the authors arrived. They were gracious, courteous, and surprised that we had all waited so long for them. They apologized for being so late, and admitted that they had gotten lost on the way from the hotel to the bookstore. As I listened to them talking to us and reading from their books, I began to get an inkling of what was in store for me over the weekend ahead. These were well-spoken, intelligent, friendly, knowledgeable (and sometimes funny) experts in the craft and business of writing, and they, with many more like them, would be sharing their years of wisdom with me and the other conference attendees.
Despite the lengthy delay at the beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed the readings, and felt sure I'd enjoy the entire weekend.
Keynotes
There were two keynote speeches each day of the conference, and all six of them were inspiring, informative, and delivered with a palpable sincerity. The speeches by Cricket Pechstein, Barbara Rogan, and Richard Krevolin were all excellent, but it's the other three that were so spectacular that I can't help but elaborate.On Friday morning Donald Maas expounded on the need for tension in every single sentence of a manuscript. Initial reactions throughout the room were, shall I say, a tad skeptical. Surely you need to slow down now and then, and give your readers a chance to catch their breath. Right? Donald explained that that's true, but that's about pacing, not tension. Even if the action slows down, you still need the reader eagerly moving on to the next sentence. You never want readers skipping ahead to where things pick up again. To do that, you need tension. You make every sentence important, and you keep the reader always wanting to read the next line.
Friday evening's keynote had less ... tension, but was thoroughly enjoyable. Jack Whyte and Diana Gabaldon shared the podium (or rather, they had a second podium brought in) as they gave a joint presentation. They had each written a piece, outside of their usual writing specialty, for the other to read. That part was very entertaining to say the least. But the highlight was their testimonial to the quality and style of the Surrey Writers' Conference. They talked about getting involved with this conference several years ago, and how they keep coming back because of the quality of it. Diana said it's the only writing conference she makes a point of attending every year because it feels like home. They underlined their love of the conference by announcing their joint contribution of a prize for a new writing contest to be held starting with next year's conference. Details have yet to be worked out, but there will be one winner who will receive $1000. We were all stunned. Afterwards, as a sort of thanks and tribute to them for their generosity, I wrote these song lyrics.
Saturday's keynote by Don McQuinn was exceptionally moving. An ex-marine, he moved away from the microphone, using his strong voice to reach all corners of the large room. As he spoke of the importance of the writing of every single person present, he held us rapt. Don't let anyone tell you you're not a writer, he told us. And we listened. Part way through his speech I realized he was no longer talking loudly, yet everyone could hear him. The room was absolutely silent, but for Don's impassioned voice, commanding us and pleading with us at the same time, to stay in this game and not let anybody tell us we don't belong here. It was an incredible moment of group bonding and inspiration. He received a standing ovation.
Workshops and Panels
What can I say -- these were the meat of the conference. There were so many excellent choices it was hard to decide which ones to attend. Some were informative, some were entertaining, most were both. They covered both the craft of writing and the business side of it. The most outstanding aspect of it was the presenters' willingness, no, demand, to make it as useful to us as possible. Probably the most crucial part of them all, bar none, was answering questions from the conference attendees. All of the presenters that I saw made a point of answering any question they were asked to the best of their ability. None of them was there simply to spew rhetoric. Their purpose was to enlighten us, and help us with our own writing challenges. Not only did they not feel constrained by that role, they embraced it wholeheartedly.Agent/Editor Interviews
This is another highlight, and though it takes much less time than the workshops and panels, the impact is no less. These ten minute one-on-one meetings give you a chance to pitch a proposal or ask for advice face-to-face. So much more personal than a stark query letter followed by a form response letter, these sessions are the reason many people attend conferences. At the Maui conference, it costs an extra $40 US to attend one of these meetings. Here, it's included. And, schedules permitting, you can get more than one.I met with an agent and found out in ten minutes exactly what she thought my strengths (style, dialogue, humour) and weaknesses (some word usage) are, and what I need to do with my manuscript. And, once I make a few changes (to content, not writing style), she invited me to submit my work to her. Sure, I'd dreamed that she'd fall in love with it and snatch it up instantly, but I knew that wasn't really going to happen. What I got was a friendly, enlightening meeting, with a positive outcome. Who could ask for more?
Blue Pencil Cafe
Similar to the agent/editor interviews, this is a chance to meet one-on-one with a published author, where they look over your work through the eyes of experience, and make suggestions as to how it may be improved. The meeting I had was quite useful. The fellow I met pointed out some things that should have been clear to me, but weren't until he mentioned them. That's the advantage of having a second set of eyes look at your work, the key being that these eyes belong to someone who is successful in the business and knows what to look for.Contests
Each year's conference has a writing contest attached to it, with fiction, non-fiction, and poetry categories. They also have a number of classifications for youth entries. Unfortunately, because of time I suppose, they did not read the winning entries. Still, it was fun watching the prizes being awarded, especially to the winners of the youth categories. I did get a chance to read the winning entries later, when I purchased a booklet containing them all.Another contest they run is a fun one that immediately piqued my interest. With a name like "Silly Writing Contest" how could it not? This year you had to write an acceptance speech to be delivered upon receiving the Giller prize in 2004, for a manuscript submitted to an editor or agent as a result of this year's conference. The catch was that it had to be 50 words or less, and had to include the words 'genre', 'Rusty Nixon', and 'toothpaste'. (Rusty is the conference coordinator.)
I leapt bodily into this challenge, and wrote the following:
Two years ago even Rusty Nixon, as supportive of the writing community as he is, said my new genre concept, toothpaste-lit, would never fly. Now my story, "Plaque-zilla" is published on toothpaste tubes around the world. To everyone who said it would never work, I say, "Floss you!"
I'm pleased to say this entry won third prize! I was also gratified to hear from several people that they thought mine was better than the first and second prize winners, but that wasn't the important thing to me. I don't really care which prize I won, I was just happy to be recognized at a writing conference, for something I wrote, in front of 600 of my peers, even if it was just for something as silly as this.
Attendees
As great as the conference was in itself, it was further enhanced by the conference attendees themselves. In each workshop, during each keynote, and at each meal I sat with a new group of fellow writers. They brought to the conference a kaleidoscope of experiences, interests, challenges, and frustrations in their own personal quests to master the written word. But even with all that variety, we had something in common. We were all writers. And that set us apart from other segments of society, and brought us together with each other.I've never felt such a feeling of camaraderie. While there was the occasional friendly constructive critique, there was no criticism. I talked openly with people who write everything: non-fiction, memoirs, historical romance, literary fiction, picture books, young adult, science fiction, fantasy, and probably others I don't recall at the moment. Everyone was respectful of and interested in each other's work. There was none of the "my genre is better than yours", or "that's not 'real' writing". It was wonderfully refreshing.
My Reaction
I'm sure it's obvious by now. I had a wonderful time. This was one of the most memorable, enjoyable weekends of my life. Okay, getting married and the births of my three children rank higher, but this is up there. For the first time in a long time I've found a community where I really feel like I belong.If I have any say in the matter, I won't miss this conference again.