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The 2003 Surrey International Writers' Conference
This was my second year at the SIWC, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the first. Here are some notes about my experiences this year. My report on last year's conference is here, and includes explanations of what some of the features (like the Blue Pencil Cafe and the Agent/Editor Interviews) are.
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
As they did last year, there was a pre-conference reading and book signing on Thursday evening. Both events were at Chapters, but this year it was at Strawberry Hill in Surrey, (much closer to my home, and therefore more convenient) while last year's was in Coquitlam. In most respects, this year's event was far better than last year's. Despite extremely heavy rain, the featured authors arrived pretty much on time. I had arrived quite early to ensure myself a good seat, and during my wait I found the store staff to be friendly and informative.This year the authors present were Terry Brooks, Diana Gabaldon, Jack Whyte, and Jay Clarke (Michael Slade). They all gave very interesting and often amusing talks and readings, then signed books while Chapters staff offered refreshments. I bought two books, Skystone by Jack Whyte, and Headhunter by Michael Slade. Both authors were very friendly as they signed their books for me. The one downside to the evening was the way the bookstore organized the line for the signings. They had one big line for all four authors, rather than a separate line for each of them. That made it rather confusing and chaotic as people wanting the less popular authors were asked to bypass the line, and people wanting signatures from more than one of them were left unsure how to proceed. But that was a small issue, and the evening as a whole was very enjoyable.
I'd seen three of the four at last year's conference, and seeing them again set the mood for the weekend to come. I could hardly wait for the actual conference to start.
Keynotes
Once again there were six keynote speeches throughout the conference. Those by Lowell Sheppard, Susan Musgrave, and John Saul were excellent, entertaining, and inspiring. I have to admit that the keynote by Kirk Howard was less inspiring and came across more as a lecture, but it was still very informative. The really outstanding speeches this year were given by Terry Brooks and Anne Perry.Terry's keynote opened the conference on Friday morning, while Anne's highlighted the Saturday evening banquet. Both talked about the connections that we as writers can make with readers, often without even knowing it. They described incidents where they've come to know, after the fact, what a positive impact their novels have made in the lives of people going through difficult times. Both related their feelings when approached by readers at book signings who told them what a profound difference having their books made in their lives. These speeches were moving, emotional, inspiring, and compelling. As I've said elsewhere on this website, the greatest reward I get from writing is the knowledge that someone I've never even met has found enjoyment in something I created. These two keynotes resonated with that concept to a level I dream of one day reaching myself.
Workshops and Panels
Once again I was faced with such an excellent offering that it was difficult to decide which sessions to attend. Some turned out to be better than others, but even those that didn't quite live up to my hopes still had value. A few, most notably "Genre Writing: Speculative Fiction" by Terry Brooks and "Endless Ideas: Building Breakout-Scale Stories from Scratch" by Donald Maass, were absolutely excellent. I know I'm going to put things I learned to use in my writing right away, and it can't help but improve the quality of my work.Agent/Editor Interviews
This year I met with both an editor and an agent, concerning two different writing projects of mine. While neither could take my work, it was because it didn't quite fit their areas of expertise, rather than because of my writing ability. This was not disappointing in the least, as I pretty much expected that going in. (Fantasy narrative verse has little if any market potential, and there were no agents present who handle easy readers). However, both showed enthusiasm for my work, and offered some good, solid advice as to how I could proceed. That's exactly what I hoped to get - expert advice from industry professionals. It was great.Blue Pencil Cafe
I didn't take advantage of the Blue Pencil Cafe this year, but I was still treated to some expert opinion from an established writer. Fiona Bayrock, who writes non-fiction for children and young adults, had overheard the end of a conversation I was having at one of the meals. She later found me in the hallway and stopped to chat about the children's writing I'm working on. We had a wonderful conversation, during which she gave me some excellent advice and encouragement regarding my children's fantasy stories. This sort of informal meeting is another example of why the conference is so great. Thanks Fiona!Contests
This year I decided to enter the writing contest associated with the conference. I had entries in all three categories: storyteller's award, non-fiction award, and poetry award. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful in winning, but the contest deadline forced me to buckle down and get serious about my writing. I'd been a bit lax in my writing, and I was able to use this contest to force myself back into the swing of it.Of course there was still the "Silly Writing Contest", and one of the first things I did upon receiving my conference package was read this year's requirements. You had to write a promotional brochure for a writers' health spa in 50 words or less. The trick was that it had to include 'pistachio', 'dangling participle', and 'spackle'. I groaned at the impossibility of it, then settled down to the challenge and wrote the following (which sounds best when read with a sort of Dr. Seuss-style rhythm):
If remnants of pistachio
Ice cream in your mustachio
Are looking like old spackle
'Cause you're much too busy tackl-
ing the problems with your prose
To go and wipe below your nose,
Then leave your dangling participles
Home and come enjoy the simple
Life at Nerdy Wordy Getaways!
I'm pleased to say this entry won third prize! I've now won third prize in this contest for two years running. Next year, not only will I have a reputation to maintain by winning a prize, it's my goal to break into one of the two top spots! On a serious note, I have to admit it was pretty cool to win a prize in a contest for writing, especially for something silly like this, after I'd been telling everyone I'm working on a humourous fantasy novel. Now there's a lot more to maintaining humour through an entire novel, but at least it's a small affirmation that I can write coherent humour in a way that others besides myself find funny.