My first year at Maui in 2005 I had one (semi) finished manuscript and worked with Jackie Mitchard. The second year (2006) I again worked with Jackie but this time had three finished manuscripts and an Agent (Dorian Karchmar of William Morris Agency).
This, my third year, I have four manuscripts, a published novel LOTTERY and I worked with Karen Joy Fowler during the retreat. During the conference I was a presenter along with Maui alumnus, friend and fellow novelist Holly Kennedy.
The retreat is a writing experience and a way of really examining what it takes to bring your manuscript to the next level. It is intensive and sometimes painful but always rejuvenating. You get a closeness with your classmates the way no MFA program can foster.
The Conference is composed of workshops and programs so that an author can pick and choose- publishing information? Agent panels for Q & A? Talks about inspiration and premises? Down and dirty revisioning? It's all there.
They are best done together. Once you have an agent the retreat is enormously helpful to network and meet other authors and writers. There is NOTHING LIKE IT!
The author Thomas Cook signed his book RED LEAVES for me.
We listened to an amazing talk by Luanne Rice.
Holly Kennedy, Diane Lake, Me and Luanne Rice just before she took the stage and had us in the palm of her hands...Check out her BLOG
It is hard to describe how thrilling it was to cut in line in front of Scott Turow to get coffee in the presenters' lounge. I am an animal for coffee debut novelist or no.
I met Ann Hood author of THE KNITTING CIRCLE. She was so kind and a wonderful teacher.
And last but for sure not least our fearless leader Karen Joy Fowler to the right with our favorite Manky from Australia Sue!
So why do you go to the Maui Retreat and Conference?
Well, there is no real time to chat and visit. Although I say we swam and napped that was SO not true. We worked on our writing and talked as writers.
It was a miracle.
It was a dream.
And it will happen again next year.
I hope you will be there.
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15 comments:
Thank you for sharing this - it must have been absolutely wonderful! (It sounded like 'an author died and went to heaven' sort of thing, lol!)
Cool. Your posts have been inspiring. The character demanding to be heard is making his voice clear. Maybe if I finish the MS I can head to Maui next year...
:)
As always, you're "Travelogue of publishing" has been wonderful, Pat. Thanks so much. Any chance of moving the event from the Islands of Hawaii to say, Long Island? Manhattan Island? OK, let's make it fancy, Nantucket?
Oops, "your." It's early. Perhaps the remedial retreat will come this way first?
I think maybe I'd kinda like to be there too!
Sigh, looks glorious! And what a thrill to see your book there!
It was wonderful Pat. I can't thank you enough for encouraging me to go! It will become a yearly pilgrimage. I got wonderful feedback, great ideas and I feel completely rejuvenated. Awesome.
It sounds like such a fantastic time!
I can't wait to finally be able to participate in events like this one...
I shoulda brought a camera. Well. I brought one, but I shoulda learned to use it.
Each year it just gets better and better.
The retreat is astounding.
As a student you can just suck in all the years and years of knowledge these experienced authors have and take what you need--
Marvelous!
Pat, it sounds great. I hope to save up my duckies so that I can attend next year or the year after, etc...lol. Man, I wish I had more money! :*)
Hey, I love those photos. I always find being among writers to be energizing. I didn't do my MFA, but I did attend classes at UCLA, which were each 10 weeks in length --the longest though, was 9 months! Yes, you do get to know people in a different way than even their family sees them. You see their intensity, their passions and their fears.
I made lots of friends. I love them all even though they drive me crazy.
I SO long to go to this thing! Next year might be the year.
It's definitely on my wish list...
My dream is to get to that conference someday. Thanks for the vicarious trip.
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